Lucy Locket facts for kids

Lucy Locket is a well-known English language nursery rhyme. Nursery rhymes are short, traditional songs or poems for young children. They often have simple tunes and catchy words that are easy to remember. This rhyme has been around for a long time, first published in 1842. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as number 19536, which helps researchers keep track of traditional songs.

What Are the Lyrics?

The rhyme "Lucy Locket" tells a short story about a lost item. Here are the most common words you might hear today:

Lucy Locket lost her pocket,

Kitty Fisher found it;

Not a penny was there in it,

Only ribbon round it.

Another version of the rhyme has slightly different words:

Lucy Locket lost her pocket,

Kitty Fisher found it;

Nothing in it, nothing in it,

But the lace round it.

In the 18th century, people often wore separate, tie-on pockets like these under their clothes.

You might be wondering what kind of "pocket" Lucy Locket lost. In the 18th century, when this rhyme likely became popular, people didn't have pockets sewn into their clothes like we do today. Instead, they wore separate, small bags called "pockets" that tied around their waist under their skirts or coats. These pockets were used to carry small personal items.

The Tune of "Lucy Locket"

One popular tune for "Lucy Locket" is the same as the famous American song "Yankee Doodle". "Yankee Doodle" became well-known in North America in the mid-1700s. It's not clear which song used the tune first, but it's interesting how melodies can be shared between different rhymes and songs!