Divide children into two sets of equal numbers.
Have one set join hands and form a circle, the others
in the center of the ring, in crouching position.

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
(Children in circle skip to the left while singing)

Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie!
(Children in circle skip to the right,
then stretch arms up toward center to form the pie.)

When the pie was opened,
The birds began to sing;
(Children in circle bring arms back down
to waist level, then children in center of ring
begin to ‘chirp’ and ‘tweet’)

Wasn’t that a dainty dish
To set before the king?
(Children in circle skip to the left;
children in center flutter about like birds.)

The king was in his counting house,
Counting all the money;
(Children in circle walk backward
four steps then pretend to count money;
children in center keep fluttering like birds)

The queen was in the parlor,
Eating bread with honey
(Children in circle walk forward
four steps, kneel and pretend to eat;
children in center keep fluttering like birds)

The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes;
(Children in circle pretend to pick up clothes,
then turn outward and hang them up.)

When down came a blackbird
Who snapped off her nose!
(Children in center flutter to, and run around,
those in the circle, one bird to one child, each snapping
off a nose. Those in the circle kneel and the birds each
hold up one finger to represent the nose.)