Hickory, Dickory, Dock

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

It’s cozy and rhythmic, weaving the rhyme into a warm family story. The ending is safe and snug—perfect for settling down.

Story Synopsis

The rhyme begins—“Hickory, Dickory, Dock!”—and then the story opens inside an old brick house, high near the roof where a mother mouse and her three children live snugly in a hollow wall. The little mice are named Hickory, Dickory, and Dock. Their home is warm, but the world beyond the wall is full of big sounds and big dangers. When the children grow curious, they sneak out, thinking they know enough to explore. Soon they discover the strange, towering clock. They climb it like a mountain. And then—BONG!—the clock strikes, shaking the air. The mice panic and scramble down. The experience is startling, and it teaches them that some surprises are louder than they imagine. In the longer tale, Mother Mouse’s worries are not just about noise—she’s thinking of the risks outside, and the memory of a father mouse who didn’t return. By the end, the children return to their snug home, wiser and calmer. They eat, rest, and feel safe beside their mother. The rhyme repeats like a closing lullaby, turning the day’s excitement into a gentle finish.

Story Excerpt

Hickory, Dickory, Dock! The mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one, The mouse ran down, Hickory, Dickory, Dock! High up near the roof of an old brick house, there was a hollow place inside the wall. It was dark and snug and quiet — just the way mice like it. Cool air slipped through the rafters in summer, and in winter the warm chimney was close by. In that cozy little home lived a mother mouse and her three children. The children were named Hickory, Dickory, and Dock. Once, there had been a father mouse too. But one night, when he went looking for food, he found a tempting smell of cheese. It was inside a little wire box. He tried to reach it, and the box snapped shut. After that, he did not come home. Mother Mouse felt very sad and very lonely. But her little ones were small, and they still needed her. So she wiped her whiskers, took a steady breath, and said to herself, “ Now I must be brave. I must find food for my children. ” All day, the mice slept curled together in their nest. At night, when the house was quiet and even the cat liked to doze, Mother Mouse went to work. She gnawed and gnawed at the baseboard until, at last, she made a hole into the pantry. Mother Mouse peeped through. There were wonderful smells in there. But the bread jar had a tin pan on top. “ How thoughtless people can be, ” she sighed softly, “ to cover things up so…

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