Two Little Birds
England
HISTORY AND SONG NOTES
Two Little Birds, also known as Two Little Dickie Birds, or Two Little Blackbirds, is based on an English nursery rhyme. The original rhyme was first published in Mother Goose’s Melody, in or around 1765.
Finger play
For this song, you use your hands to represent the birds. The children may also enjoy using two feathers or two scarves, one in each hand, to represent the birds. Additionally, the teacher can lead with two bird finger puppets, or two bird stuffed animals.
line 1: Two little birds sat on a hill - hold up each “bird,” either making two birds with your hands, or using props
line 2: One named Jack - wiggle one bird; the other named Jill - wiggle the other bird
line 3: Fly away Jack - one bird flies and hide behind your back; fly away Jill - the other bird flies and hides behind your back
line 4: Come back Jack - the first bird returns; and, come back Jill - the second bird returns
One the children are comfortable with the simple finger play above, you can expand the game to have the birds illustrating musical opposites (fast/slow, soft/loud, etc.). The movements for each verse, and the way you sing and move for each line, illustrates the words and each musical opposite. In addition to the below, feel free to invent your own verses!
Alternate verses:
using fast and slow movements and singing:
Two little birds that I did know. One sang fast, the other sang slow. Fly away fast, fly away slow. Come back fast, and come back slow
using soft and loud singing with small and large movements:
Two little birds sat on a cloud. One sang soft, the other sang loud. Fly away soft, fly away loud. Come back soft, and come back loud