The Thief Chase — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Bricks and bones!
Sticks and stones!
I chased a thief through twenty zones.
I found his hat
On Ararat,
And hurried on as quick as scat.
In a day or two
I found his shoe
Where he had sailed for Timbuktu.
I met the goat
That ate his coat
Upon the road to Terre Haute.
At last all worn
And quite forlorn
I chased him up the Matterhorn.

Explore Words From This Rhyme

Find Rhymes

Look Up Definitions

More Nursery Rhymes

Browse all nursery rhymes →

Learning from "The Thief Chase"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Thief Chase" uses 15 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 Thief Chase"? Try writing your own rhymes:

Generate a verse

Frequently asked questions

What are the words to The Thief Chase?
The lyrics to The Thief Chase are: Bricks and bones! / Sticks and stones! / I chased a thief through twenty zones. / I found his hat / On Ararat, / And hurried on as quick as scat. ... Read the full 15-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Thief Chase have?
"The Thief Chase" has 15 lines of verse.

Explore More Word Tools