The poem There’s a Hole in The Bucket is a children’s song. This poem follows the dialogue between two children; Henry and Liza. As the title suggests, the poem is a leaky bucket. The entire poem follows the children discussing different ways for fixing the bucket.

The first known version of this poem has been recorded in “Bergliederbüchlein” which is in German. There were many versions and many were later printed as well. The earliest English version of this poem could be traced back to 1940. Also, read Three Little Pigs Song.

There’s a Hole in The Bucket Poem

there’s a hole in the bucket

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There’s a hole in the bucket,
Dear Liza, dear Liza
There’s a hole in the bucket,
Dear Liza, there’s a hole.

Then fix it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
Then fix it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, fix it.

With what shall I fix it,
Dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I fix it,
Dear Liza, with what?

With a straw, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
With a straw, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, with a straw.

But the straw is too long,
Dear Liza, dear Liza
But the straw is too long,
Dear Liza, too long

Then cut it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
Then cut it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, cut it.

With what shall I cut it,
Dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I cut it,
Dear Liza, with what?

With an axe, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
With an axe, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, an axe.

The axe is too dull,
Dear Liza, dear Liza
The axe is too dull,
Dear Liza, too dull

Then sharpen it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
Then sharpen it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, sharpen it.

With what shall I sharpen it,
Dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I sharpen it,
Dear Liza, with what?

With a stone, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
With a stone, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, a stone.

The stone is too dry,
Dear Liza, dear Liza
The stone is too dry,
Dear Liza, too dry

Then wet it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
Then wet it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, wet it.

With what shall I wet it,
Dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I wet it,
Dear Liza, with what?

With water, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
With water, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, with water.

How shall I get it,
Dear Liza, dear Liza,
How shall I get it,
Dear Liza, how shall I?

In the bucket, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
In the bucket, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, in the bucket.

There’s a hole in the bucket.
Dear Liza, dear Liza
There’s a hole in the bucket,
Dear Liza, there’s a hole.

Summary:

The poem opens with Henry telling Liza that there’s a hole in the bucket. Then Liza tells him to fix the hole. Poor Henry again questions Liza and asks with what should he fix the bucket with? Liza tells him to fix the bucket with a straw only to hear Henry complain about the straw is being too long!

Then again Liza suggests cutting the straw. But Henry doesn’t know what to cut it with! “With an axe!” exclaims Liza. But the ax was too dull, and Liza hears that from Henry. Again, Liza tries to help Henry by suggesting to sharpen the axe. Henry again confused, turns to Liza and asks “with what? You may also like to read, Yankee Doodle Song.

Liza tells him to use a stone. But as it turns out the stone was too dry. So Henry tells Liza that the stone was too dry. And Liza asks him to wet the stone. Henry asks again, “With what?” Liza tells him to wet the stone with water.

And then Henry asks Liza how should he carry the water. To which Liza says, “In the bucket, dear Henry”.