The Ass and the Grasshopper — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

An Ass, having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly enchanted; and desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded what sort of food they lived on, to give them such beautiful voices. They replied: "The dew." The Ass resolved that he would live only upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger.
Where one may live, another may starve.

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Learning from "The Ass and the Grasshopper"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Ass and the Grasshopper" uses 2 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 The Ass and the Grasshopper?
The lyrics to The Ass and the Grasshopper are: An Ass, having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly enchanted; and desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded what sort of food they lived on, to give them such beautiful voices. They replied: "The dew." The Ass resolved that he would live only upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger. / Where one may live, another may starve.
How many lines does The Ass and the Grasshopper have?
"The Ass and the Grasshopper" has 2 lines of verse.

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