The Hare and the Hound — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

A Hound having started a Hare from his form, after a long run, gave up the chase. A Goat-herd, seeing him stop, mocked him, saying: "The little one is the best runner of the two." The hound replied; "You do not see the difference between us; I was only running for a dinner, but he for his life."
Incentive spurs effort.

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Learning from "The Hare and the Hound"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Hare and the Hound" 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 Hare and the Hound?
The lyrics to The Hare and the Hound are: A Hound having started a Hare from his form, after a long run, gave up the chase. A Goat-herd, seeing him stop, mocked him, saying: "The little one is the best runner of the two." The hound replied; "You do not see the difference between us; I was only running for a dinner, but he for his life." / Incentive spurs effort.
How many lines does The Hare and the Hound have?
"The Hare and the Hound" has 2 lines of verse.

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