Mother Goose Had A House — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Mother Goose had a house,
'Twas built in a wood,
Where an owl at the door
For sentinel stood.
She had a son, Jack,
A plain-looking lad,
He was not very good,
Nor yet very bad.
She sent him to market,
A live goose he bought;
See, Mother, says he,
I have not been for nought.
Jack's goose and her gander
Grew very fond;
They'd both eat together,
Or swim in the pond.
Jack found one fine morning,
As I have been told,
His goose had laid him
An egg of pure gold.
Jack ran to his mother
The news for to tell,
She called him a good boy
And said it was well.

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Learning from "Mother Goose Had A House"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Mother Goose Had A House" uses 24 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 Mother Goose Had A House?
The lyrics to Mother Goose Had A House are: Mother Goose had a house, / 'Twas built in a wood, / Where an owl at the door / For sentinel stood. / She had a son, Jack, / A plain-looking lad, ... Read the full 24-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Mother Goose Had A House have?
"Mother Goose Had A House" has 24 lines of verse.

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