The Girl And The Birds — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

When I was a little girl, about seven years old,
I hadn't got a petticoat, to cover me from the cold.
So I went into Darlington, that pretty little town,
And there I bought a petticoat, a cloak, and a gown.
I went into the woods and built me a kirk,
And all the birds of the air, they helped me to work.
The hawk with his long claws pulled down the stone,
The dove with her rough bill brought me them home.
The parrot was the clergyman, the peacock was the clerk,
The bullfinch played the organ,--we made merry work.

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Learning from "The Girl And The Birds"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Girl And The Birds" uses 10 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 Girl And The Birds?
The lyrics to The Girl And The Birds are: When I was a little girl, about seven years old, / I hadn't got a petticoat, to cover me from the cold. / So I went into Darlington, that pretty little town, / And there I bought a petticoat, a cloak, and a gown. / I went into the woods and built me a kirk, / And all the birds of the air, they helped me to work. ... Read the full 10-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Girl And The Birds have?
"The Girl And The Birds" has 10 lines of verse.

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