Oranges and Lemons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Oranges and Lemons" |
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One of the 12 bells of St Leonard's, Shoreditch, removed for maintenance
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| Nursery rhyme | |
| Published | c. 1744 |
"Oranges and Lemons" is a very old and famous English nursery rhyme. It is also a fun singing game that children have played for hundreds of years. The rhyme talks about the bells of many churches in and around the City of London, England. It's a well-known part of English folklore.
Contents
The Rhyme's Words
The most common version of "Oranges and Lemons" goes like this:
Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement's.
You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin's.
When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch.
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney.
I do not know,
Says the great bell of Bow.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!
Chip chop chip chop the last man is dead
Playing the "Oranges and Lemons" Game
The song "Oranges and Lemons" is often used in a children's singing game. Here is how you can play it:
How to Play the Game
- Two players stand facing each other. They raise their arms over their heads and hold hands. This creates an "arch."
- The other players form a line and walk in pairs through this arch.
- Everyone sings the rhyme together.
- When the song reaches the last line, "Here comes a chopper to chop off your head! Chip chop chip chop the last man is dead," the two players forming the arch quickly drop their arms.
- They try to catch the pair of children who are passing through the arch at that exact moment.
What Happens When You're Caught?
- The pair of children who get "caught" are now "out" of the main line.
- They then form another arch right next to the first one.
- As the game continues, more and more arches are formed. This creates a longer and longer tunnel.
- The children still in the line have to run faster and faster to get through the growing tunnel of arches without being caught!
Where Did the Rhyme Come From?
The rhyme "Oranges and Lemons" is very old. It might have started as a dance tune called "Oranges and Lemons" in 1665. Similar rhymes that name churches and rhyme with their names were sung in other parts of England too. These songs were often sung on special festival days when church bells would ring.
Churches in the Rhyme
The rhyme mentions several churches in London. Here are some of the churches people believe are in the song:
- St. Clement's: This could be St Clement Danes or St Clement Eastcheap. Both churches were near docks where ships brought citrus fruits like oranges and lemons.
- St. Martin's: This might be St Martin Orgar or St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
- Old Bailey: This refers to St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, which is a church near the Old Bailey courthouse. The Old Bailey was also close to the Fleet Prison, where people who owed money were kept. This connects to the line "You owe me five farthings."
- Shoreditch: This is St Leonard's, Shoreditch, a church just outside the old city walls of London.
- Stepney: This is St Dunstan's, Stepney, another church located outside the city walls.
- Bow: This refers to the famous great bell of St Mary-le-Bow in Cheapside.
Images for kids
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Section from a 19th-century engraving by Nathaniel Whittock from a drawing by Antony van den Wyngaerde (c. 1543–50), which shows the towers and spires of many of the churches mentioned in the rhyme
