Sing a Song of Sixpence

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

Short and musical, with a steady rhythm that feels like a lullaby. If a line feels too sharp for your family, it’s easy to paraphrase while keeping the rhyme’s cozy cadence.

Story Synopsis

“Sing a Song of Sixpence” is a traditional nursery rhyme that plays like a tiny picture book made of sound. It begins with a playful, impossible scene: twenty-four blackbirds baked in a pie—then, when the pie is opened, the birds begin to sing. The rhyme jumps to small snapshots of home life: a king counting money, a queen enjoying bread and honey, and a maid hanging clothes in the garden. The final image is a mischievous surprise, which many families read with a gentle, silly tone or soften in their own words. For young listeners, the main joy is the rhythm and the quick-changing scenes—like a little bedtime song that invites imagination.

Story Excerpt

Sing a song of sixpence, Pockets full of rye ; Four and twenty blackbirds Baked in a pie. When the pie was opened The birds began to sing ; Was not that a dainty dish To set before the king? The king was in his counting - house Counting out his money ; The queen was in the parlour, Eating bread and honey ; The…

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