Origins Sing a Song of Sixpence

the queen in parlour, eating bread , honey, valentine cameron prinsep.

the rhyme s origins uncertain. references have been inferred in shakespeare s twelfth night (c. 1602), (act ii, scene iii), sir toby belch tells clown: come on; there sixpence you: let s have song , in beaumont , fletcher s bonduca (1614), contains line whoa, here s stir now! sing song o sixpence!

in past has been attributed george steevens (1736–1800), used in pun @ expense of poet laureate henry james pye (1745–1813) in 1790, first verse had appeared in print in tommy thumb s pretty song book, published in london around 1744, in form:

sing song of sixpence,
a bag full of rye,
four , twenty naughty boys,
baked in pye.

the next printed version survives, around 1780, has 2 verses , boys have been replaced birds. version of modern 4 verses first extant in gammer gurton s garland or nursery parnassus published in 1784, ends magpie attacking unfortunate maid. fifth verses happier endings began added middle of 19th century.