Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John

"Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John" Roud #19709
Written by	Traditional
Published	1797
Written	England
Language	English
Form	Nursery rhyme

"Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John" is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19709.

Lyrics

The most commonly used modern version is:

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John,

Went to bed with his trousers on;

One shoe off, and the other shoe on,

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.^[1]

Origins

The rhyme is first recorded when printed in The Newest Christmas Box published in London around 1797. It may be derived from 'Diddle, diddle, diddle Dumpling', a traditional street cry of hot dumpling sellers.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} I. Opie and P. Opie, The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), pp. 245-6.