Over the River

Over the river, and through the wood

To _____________ we go!

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

Through the white and drifted snow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the river, and through the wood

To ________________ away …

We would not stop for doll or top,

For ’tis Thanksgiving Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the river, and through the wood—

Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose

As over the ground we go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the river, and through the wood

With a clear blue winter sky!

The dogs do bark and the children hark,

As we go jingling by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the river, and through the wood,

And straight through the barnyard gate!

We seem to go extremely slow,

It is so hard to wait!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the river, and through the wood—

Now _____________ cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the river, and through the wood

To have a first-rate play.

Hear the bells ring, “Ting-a-ling-ding!”

Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

I guess you noticed …

I left this Thanksgiving classic for you to plug in the name of your home/farm/street.

“Over the River and Through the Wood” is a song that has become so much a part of our cultural consciousness that we hardly stop to ponder who penned it.

But, let’s give credit where it’s due.

In fact, this romping rhyme was originally written as a poem called “The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day” by renowned abolitionist and women’s rights activist Lydia Maria Child. The poem was included in her 1844 collection, Flowers for Children.

Child wrote the poem, among many other works for children and adults, to celebrate memories of visiting her own grandfather’s house for Thanksgiving festivities.

To read the full poem, visit Poem of the Day. It is followed by another of Child’s poems called, “The World I Am Passing Through.”