Dapple Gray — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

I had a little pony,
His name was Dapple-Gray,
I lent him to a lady,
To ride a mile away.
She whipped him, she slashed him,
She rode him through the mire;
I would not lend my pony now
For all the lady's hire.

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Learning from "Dapple Gray"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Dapple Gray" uses 8 lines to create a memorable verse — proof that effective poetry doesn't need to be long. Pay attention to the meter: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is what makes the rhyme stick in your head.

Songwriters and poets can borrow these patterns. Try writing your own lyrics using the same rhyme scheme and line length as this nursery rhyme. You can also use words from the poem above as starting points — click any word to find rhymes or look up its definition, then build from there.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the words to Dapple Gray?
The lyrics to Dapple Gray are: I had a little pony, / His name was Dapple-Gray, / I lent him to a lady, / To ride a mile away. / She whipped him, she slashed him, / She rode him through the mire; ... Read the full 8-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Dapple Gray have?
"Dapple Gray" has 8 lines of verse.

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