Toni wrote,
This is a rhyme my son loved…
Fishy, Fishy, In a Brook
Fishy, fishy, in a brook
Daddy caught him with a hook
Mommy fried him in a pan
And baby ate him like a man.
I found a different version in The Real Mother Goose Book of American Rhymes…
Fishy, Fishy in the Brook
Fishy, fishy in the brook,
Papa catch him by the hook,
Mommy fry him in the pan
Georgy eat him fast’s can.
Then I found another one which goes…
Fishy, Fishy
Fishy, Fishy,
Come bite my hook;
I’ll go captain
And you’ll go cook.
This rhyme goes back to the 19th century or earlier. The earliest reference I’ve found to it so far is 1868 in “Our Young Folks”.
-Lisa
Later I found the finger play actions to Fishy, Fishy, In a Brook…
Fishy, fishy, in a brook (put your hands together and move them like a fish swimming)
Daddy caught him with a hook (make it look like you’re casting a line to fish)
Mommy fried him in a pan (pretend you’re stirring food)
And baby ate him like a man. (talk in a deep voice like a man)
Please visit Mama Lisa’s House of Nursery Rhymes for more
English and American Nursery Rhymes.
This article was posted on Tuesday, September 27th, 2005 at 11:09 pm and is filed under American Nursery Rhymes, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Fishy, Fishy, In a Brook, Languages, Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes About Animals, Nursery Rhymes About Fish, Rhymes by Theme. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
30 Responses to “Fishy, Fishy, In a Brook”
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December 3rd, 2005 at 3:52 am
I’m searching for another “fishy” song that my grandma used to sing to me… Something along the lines of (spelled as it sounds):
Twim, ted da mudder fishy. Twim! said da baby fishy. And dey twam and dey twam in da ittle ocean blue.
Anyone heard of it?
Thanks, melanie
February 7th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
hey.
here in Brazil I’ve seen this:
fish fish in a brook
daddy caught you on a hook
mommy cooked you in a pan
and the little baby ate you like a man
February 7th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
That’s interesting. Is that song in Portuguese too? If so, I’d love it if you’d post the Portuguese version here.
June 17th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I love this poem it was the first one I learned in Kindergarten. We did a play to it also…it was so much fun we had a plastic fishing hook with a plastic fish…did anyone else do plays in elementary?
June 17th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
This is for you Lisa
Piscoso, piscoso, num Papai de córrego pegou-o com um gancho Mommy fritou-o numa panela E bebê o comeu gostar
de um homem.
July 6th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Three Little Fishies (Itty Bitty Poo)
Kay Kyser (#1 in 1939)
– words and music by Saxie Dowell
Down in the meadow in a little bitty pool
Swam three little fishies and a mama fishie too
“Swim” said the mama fishie, “Swim if you can”
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
“Stop” said the mama fishie, “or you will get lost”
The three little fishies didn’t wanna be bossed
The three little fishies went off on a spree
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea
“Whee!” yelled the little fishies, “Here’s a lot of fun
We’ll swim in the sea till the day is done”
They swam and they swam, and it was a lark
Till all of a sudden they saw a shark!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Till all of a sudden they saw a shark!
“Help!” cried the little fishies, “Gee! look at all the whales!”
And quick as they could, they turned on their tails
And back to the pool in the meadow they swam
And they swam and they swam back over the dam
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam back over the dam
December 17th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
My dad, who just turned 65, was sang this song by his mother. He was trying to remember the words so he could sing it to my son. I am soo glad I found the lyrics on your site! Thank you!
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Thank you –thank you–thank you–for the lyrics to the “Three Little Fishies” . I will now use this good toe tappin song as one of those oldies but goodies I sing as I do gigs on a circuit among retirement centers and veterans homes. People in their eighties and ninties love such memory joggin songs . The “Three Little Fishies” is perfect for inclusion in any elder care-music therapy session.
I read within your web site that this song was big–a number one hit- just before WW 11. I also remember hearing it on the radio and TV…..
January 17th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
I still can’t believe the things I can find on Google! I’m writing memoir,
and trying to remember the lyrics of sons my mother sang when I was a small child. (I’m 80 now)
Fishy in a brook was one and all I could remember was Mama fried him in a pan, baby ate him like a man.
Now I know the whole thing.
Thanks,Lisa, Toni and all.
Three Little Fishies came later, when I was 12 or 13.
July 25th, 2011 at 6:26 pm
My grandma had a nursery rhyme book that this was in. I wish i could find that book for my boys. Thanks for posting this
July 25th, 2011 at 6:36 pm
Do you remember anything about your grandmother’s book?
July 30th, 2011 at 11:33 am
Fishie fishie in the brook
Brother catch him on a hook
Momma fry him in a pan
Daddy eat him like a man
September 21st, 2011 at 5:36 pm
Thanks. Brought us joy
September 28th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
I have been trying to remember all the words to
“Pussy Willows down by the brook,
Swaying to and fro.
On a bending willow bow,
Like pussycats all in a row.
If I put you down by the fire,
You pussies so cunning and shy,
I wonder if you’d turn
Into pussycats by and by?”
“Oh, No!” the pussies said.
“We couldn’t and we wouldn’t do that!
We belong to the fairy folk
And we are their pussycats!”
September 28th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
You’re very close Joan…
Pretty pussies down by the brook,
Swinging away to and fro;
On the bending willow boughs
Like pussy cats all in a row.
If I put you down by the fire,
You pussies so cunning and shy,
I wonder if you’ll turn
Into pussy cats by and by?
“Ah, no!” the pussies said,
“We couldn’t and we wouldn’t do that;
We belong to fairy folks
And we are their pussy cats.”
October 13th, 2012 at 10:06 pm
Thanks my mom was born in 1910 and she said her mom used to say it with her name in it instead of baby,
Fishy, fishy, in a brook
Daddy caught him with a hook
Mommy fried him in a pan
And MABEL ate him like a LITTLE man.
December 18th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Here’s the version my dad sang me in compton,a lot different kinda growing up but my parents always wanted me to do better
Fishy fishy in the brook dad will take u like crook , we will run as fast as we can so were not
Caught by the man ,mom will fry it in a pan and one day baby you’ll be a man better than I ever can
It was ruff growing up in the hood
March 22nd, 2013 at 8:45 am
If anyone would like to sing any of these songs for us, please email me or comment here. Thanks! Mama Lisa
PS Here’s a link to Pretty Pussies Down by the Brook (Pussy Willows) with a score and midi tune.
March 25th, 2013 at 7:48 pm
I am looking for a poem that my granddad used to tell my dad wen he was small and dd then used to say it to me and my brothers wen we were small, its been a long long time he said it and can only remember two lines fromit
please help me find it!!
it starts with two little fishies in a brook and then the last line is lets hurry home and get to bed before the worlds on fire
please please help???
April 18th, 2013 at 3:36 pm
I’m 55 years old and one day out of know where I remembered this poem (fishy fishy in the brook) I remember reading it when I was 7 or 8 years old. My mother bought the world book encyclopedia collection back then, books where our computer. LOL
June 21st, 2013 at 5:01 pm
I learned it as
Fishy fishy in a brook
Daddy catch him by a hook
Mama fry it in a pan
Baby eat it like a man.
June 22nd, 2013 at 11:02 am
I remember it as
Fishy, fishy, in the brook
Daddy caught him on the hook.
Mommy fried it n a pan,
And baby ate it, like a man.
My friend has a lot of small grandchildren and they are all girls,
so I would change the last line to:
(The girl’s name) ate it with her hands.
They loved it and they all wanted me to say it using their names. Over and over, and over, of course. lol
July 17th, 2014 at 2:02 pm
Hey you fishy fans…thought you would like my version that I teach my 5 and under swim students: Down in a meadow in an itty bitty pool swam a bunch of little fishies and the Mama Fishy too. “Swim,” said the Mama Fishy, “Swim, it’s so COOL! So they swam and they swam all over the POOL!” After the dit-em chorus we insert swim skill words: kick kick paddle paddle blow your bubble…and they swam and they swam all over the pool–COOL! Please parents teach your kids to swim, safety rules, to ALWAYS ask your permission to get in water but have fun! Love and blessings from this real MAMA FISHY.
December 28th, 2015 at 2:47 am
I was taught this version of Fishy, Fishy and it goes like this….
Fishy, fishy, in a brook
Papa catch ’em on a hook
Mama fry ’em in a pan
Baby eat ’em like a man!
May 12th, 2016 at 8:10 am
I happened to recall this rhyme today out of the blue. It’s something my father said to me so often. It’s interesting to read about the history and different versions of this rhyme because it leaves fond memories of my father who I miss so much. Dad would have been 91 this August and even in my 50’s, he would periodically say to me…fishy fishy in a brook…. How special was that. I love you daddy.
August 6th, 2016 at 6:34 pm
My mother said it this way:
Fishy fishy in the brook
Fishy fishy bite my hook
You be the captain
I’ll be the cook
Fishy fishy bite my hook
(here is where we can get creative!!)
Once my tricky deeds are done
Then we’ll have a lot of fun!
I’ll fry you up in a frying pan
And share it all with whom I can
A little salt is what I need
to make you tasty for all to feed!
Yummy yummy we are happy
Time to rest and take a nappy! (“nappy” works in USA, maybe not so much in Europe & elsewhere. haha)
I could go on and on… The possibilities are endless. :-)
August 6th, 2016 at 8:51 pm
That’s great Robin!
January 11th, 2018 at 3:16 pm
My Mother used this version:
Fishy, Fishy in a book
Daddy catch him on a hook
Mommy fry him in a pan
Baby eat him like a man
December 23rd, 2021 at 12:47 am
I am looking for a poem that starts with “fishy fishy in a brook daddy caught it with a Hook” and ends with “bet he cost ten bucks a pound” or something like that.
March 26th, 2023 at 2:45 am
One reader wrote:
“This is the version that my grandparents used to tell me:
Fishy Fishy in the brook,
Daddy caught you by the hook.
Momma fried you in the pan,
and * eats you as fast as she can!
(*Pick a kid’s name)
Thank you for posting it, I’ve been looking for the origination of that rhyme for many many years.”