The House That Jack Built

The House That Jack Built is arguably the best-known cumulative tale among traditional English nursery rhymes. Here is the full text of one of the common variants.

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Among traditional English nursery rhymes, The House That Jack Built is arguably the best-known cumulative tale. Its repeating structure has entertained children for centuries and helped inspire generations of cumulative picture books that invite young listeners to join in before they can even read the words themselves.

The House That Jack Built

This is the house that Jack built.

This is the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the maiden all forlorn
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the man all tattered and torn
That kissed the maiden all forlorn
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the priest all shaven and shorn
That married the man all tattered and torn
That kissed the maiden all forlorn
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cock that crowed in the morn
That woke the priest all shaven and shorn
That married the man all tattered and torn
That kissed the maiden all forlorn
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the farmer sowing his corn
That kept the cock that crowed in the morn
That woke the priest all shaven and shorn
That married the man all tattered and torn
That kissed the maiden all forlorn
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the horse and the hound and the horn
That belonged to the farmer sowing his corn
That kept the cock that crowed in the morn
That woke the priest all shaven and shorn
That married the man all tattered and torn
That kissed the maiden all forlorn
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

The earliest known printed version of The House That Jack Built appeared in 1755 in Nurse Truelove’s New-Year’s-Gift, or the Book of Books for Children. Most scholars believe the rhyme is considerably older, having circulated orally long before it was printed. The verse about “the priest all shaven and shorn” has led some scholars to suggest that parts of the rhyme may date to earlier than mid-sixteenth century, before changes in clerical dress following the English Reformation.

The Caldecott Medal celebrating artistic excellence in picture book illustration, awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, is named for Randolph Caldecott, who created the illustrations above. His book illustrations from 1878 are still strongly associated with this rhyme.

From the Stacks

Featured Images: Illustrations by Randolph Caldecott from The House That Jack Built (1878), now in the public domain.