Old King Cole Nursery Rhyme

Over the years, there have been many speculations as to who “Old King Cole” was. But it is certain that the king’s identity cannot be reliably traced back to any historical figure. Although some speculators believe that this rhyme could be indicating towards the welsh king “Coel Hen” or also known as “Old Cole” or towards another welsh king “Coel Godhebog” or “Cole the Magnificent”.

The first version of this poem can be found in William Wallace Denslow’s work “Useful Transactions in Philosophy” (1708). The name “Cole” is a word derived from Brythonic “Coel”. This character is linked to many legendary figures in British Literature and all of them are identified with the same name.

This nursery rhyme is about a king who is described as a merry king and calls for his musicians. There are many variants to this poem one of the most popular has been given below.

Old King Cole Nursery Rhyme

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Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.

Every fiddler, he had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he.
“Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee,” went the fiddlers.
O there’s none so rare, as can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.

Every fiddler, he had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he.
“Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee,” went the fiddlers.
O there’s none so rare, as can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

Summary:

This poem begins on a happy and merry note stating that “King Cole” is a merry soul. Meaning he is widely known as a person who is always in a joyful mood and happy. The second line is attesting the first line, giving a confirmation that the king was surely a merry person. Next, we see him calling for his pipe and bowl and musicians. The pipe here can be assumed to be a musical pipe, as the bowl here represents the singing bowl. And he also called for “fiddlers three”. Fiddlers here mean people or musicians who play violins and specialize in playing folk songs. Also, read Jack And Jill.

Next, the poem tells us that all the three fiddlers had their own fiddles, meaning they had their violins and played with King Cole. Lastly, the poem ends by saying that there was no one better than the king’s three violinists and the king himself when it came to playing music.

A little something for the parents:

Poems should be an integral part of your child’s growing process as they make their lives more colorful and vibrant by adding a variety of rich experiences. So, every child should be encouraged to read more and more poems. You may also like to read Row Row Row Your Boat.