The Land of Counterpane — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

When I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had two pillows at my head,
And all my toys beside me lay,
To keep me happy all the day.
And sometimes for an hour or so
I watched my leaden soldiers go,
With different uniforms and drills,
Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;
And sometimes sent my ships in fleets
All up and down among the sheets;
Or brought my trees and houses out,
And planted cities all about.
I was the giant great and still
That sits upon the pillow-hill,
And sees before him, dale and plain,
The pleasant land of counterpane.

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Learning from "The Land of Counterpane"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Land of Counterpane" uses 16 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 Land of Counterpane?
The lyrics to The Land of Counterpane are: When I was sick and lay a-bed, / I had two pillows at my head, / And all my toys beside me lay, / To keep me happy all the day. / And sometimes for an hour or so / I watched my leaden soldiers go, ... Read the full 16-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Land of Counterpane have?
"The Land of Counterpane" has 16 lines of verse.

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