Nancy Cook’s Pretty Song Book for all Little and Misses and Masters (1780):
“Sing a Song of Sixpence”

3 characters in this story:

Character (Click links for info about character and his/her religious practice, affiliation, etc.)	Religious Affiliation	Team(s) [Notes]	Pub.	# app.
Four and Twenty Blackbirds	N.A.	blackbird [baked in a pie; sang for king when pie was opened]	unknown	3
the king (details)  second verse: "When the pie was opened, / The birds began to sing; / Wasn't that a dainty dish, / To set before the king?" This is the earliest known printed version of this nursery rhyme which includes the second verse, which mentions the king.		[pie with 24 live blackbirds was set before the king]	unknown	1
Four and twenty Naughty Boys (character based on)  The "four and twenty blackbirds" featured in this version of the nursery rhyme are based on the "four and twenty naught boys" from an earlier form of the rhyme.		[precursor to four and twenty blackbirds]	Mary Cooper	1

The earliest known printed version of the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence" was printed in 1744. It features only the first verse of the later-expanded nursery rhyme, and it refers to "four and twenty naughty boys" instead of "four and twenty blackbirds."

The next known printed version of this nursery rhyme was published in 1780, and it features the blackbirds known in the modern version. Also, the 1780 version featured one additional verse.

Webpage for Nancy Cook's Pretty Song Book for all Little and Misses and Masters (1780) created 10 May 2013. Last modified 26 December 2013.

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