Little Jack Horner
A plum from the pie and a spider from the whey — two nursery favourites in one
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Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating his Christmas pie.
He stuck in his thumb
And pulled out a plum,
And said, "What a good boy am I!"
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on her tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider
And sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating his Christmas pie.
He stuck in his thumb
And pulled out a plum,
And said, "What a good boy am I!"
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"Little Jack Horner" has one of the more intriguing possible origin stories in the nursery rhyme canon. The theory holds that it refers to Thomas Horner, steward to the last Abbot of Glastonbury, who was sent to Henry VIII with a gift of a pie containing title deeds to twelve Somerset manors — a bribe to save the abbey from dissolution. Horner allegedly extracted the deeds to the manor of Mells during the journey, keeping "the plum" for himself. A family called Horner did indeed live at Mells for centuries, though the family itself has always denied the connection.
"Little Miss Muffet" appears in print from around 1805. The "tuffet" on which she sits is generally interpreted as a small grassy mound, though some have suggested it derives from an old word for a low stool. Her curds and whey — essentially cottage cheese — were a common food in early modern England. The spider that frightens her has given the rhyme its lasting image: the sudden appearance of something small that provokes a disproportionate reaction.
Our arrangement combines both rhymes in a lively medley, giving each its due before returning to Jack Horner for a triumphant finish.
