The Bull and the Calf — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

A Bull was striving with all his might to squeeze himself through a narrow passage which led to his stall. A young Calf came up and offered to go before and show him the way by which he could manage to pass. "Save yourself the trouble," said the Bull; "I knew that way long before you were born."
Do not presume to teach your elders.

Explore Words From This Rhyme

Find Rhymes

Look Up Definitions

More Nursery Rhymes

Browse all nursery rhymes →

Learning from "The Bull and the Calf"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Bull and the Calf" 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.

Create your own verse

Inspired by "The Bull and the Calf"? Try writing your own rhymes:

Generate a verse

Frequently asked questions

What are the words to The Bull and the Calf?
The lyrics to The Bull and the Calf are: A Bull was striving with all his might to squeeze himself through a narrow passage which led to his stall. A young Calf came up and offered to go before and show him the way by which he could manage to pass. "Save yourself the trouble," said the Bull; "I knew that way long before you were born." / Do not presume to teach your elders.
How many lines does The Bull and the Calf have?
"The Bull and the Calf" has 2 lines of verse.

Explore More Word Tools