I Had a Little Hen, the Prettiest Ever Seen

Some nursery rhymes paint silly pictures, others feel like little daydreams. This one does both. Instead of scratching in the yard, the hen in this verse runs the whole household — she scrubs the dishes, bakes the bread, even brews ale and tells stories by the fire. It’s half farmyard, half fairy tale, which is probably why it charmed both children and adults.

Origins

Nobody sat down and invented this rhyme on paper — it just grew out of everyday talk. By the 1700s, people were already printing it, which tells you it had been sung or recited long before then. The fun twist is that “hen” didn’t always mean a chicken. In Scotland, folks used “hen” the way we might say “love” or “darling.” So the verse can go two ways: either it’s about a magical farm bird who bakes bread and brews ale, or it’s a playful way of bragging about someone at home who kept the house in order. Over time, both versions floated around, and that’s probably why it lasted.

Meaning

Taken literally, it’s ridiculous — a hen that cleans, fetches flour, and tells stories by the fire. That’s exactly why kids loved it. It’s a farm animal suddenly running the whole household, and the silliness is the point. But there’s another layer too. Adults may have heard it as a lighthearted nod to the kind of partner everyone wished for: someone who worked hard, came back quickly from errands, and still had energy left to spin a good tale at night. It’s half joke, half wishful thinking — which is why it feels both funny and oddly sweet.