One for the Mouse

One for the mouse,
One for the crow,
One to rot,
One to grow.

Listen as male British:

Listen as female American:

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Posted in All Rhymes, Animals, Historical & Traditional, Moral & Lesson, Nature & Seasons

Tagged crow, farming, grow, mouse, rot

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Meaning

This short rhyme relates the traditional gardener’s wisdom about planting seeds: when sowing four seeds, one may go to pests (the mouse), one to birds (the crow), one may rot, and only one will truly grow. It playfully summarizes the unpredictability and challenges of nature, teaching patience and acceptance of loss as part of farming or gardening.

Origin

“One for the Mouse” is an old English adage, often recited in rural communities and included in collections of traditional planting sayings. Its origins date at least to the 19th century, though similar sentiments appear in agricultural folklore much earlier.

Time Period

First widely published in the 1800s, it remains common in oral tradition wherever home gardening is practiced.

Why It Became Popular

Its brevity, rhyme, and practical relevance to both adults and children helped the saying persist. The easy logic and vivid imagery—mouse, crow, rot, grow—are especially memorable for young listeners.

Structure and Style

Meter: Simple, direct, typically iambic
Rhyme Scheme: AABB
Line Count: 4
Style Notes: Aphoristic, instructive, concise

Themes

Nature and unpredictability
Farming and planting
Patience and resilience
Loss and hope

Language Notes

The rhyme uses animals as symbols for common farming challenges, making practical advice memorable. “Rot” and “grow” refer to natural seed outcomes, teaching children about cycles of success and failure.

Moral or Lesson

The rhyme imparts a lesson in perseverance—some losses are inevitable, but care and effort will yield rewards in the end.

Historical or Cultural Notes

Gardeners and farmers have passed this rhyme to each new generation as both a warning and a comfort. Similar versions appear in Irish, English, and American collections—testimony to the universality of gardening challenges.

Notable Variants

Some versions include: “One for the mouse, one for the crow, one for the cutworm, one to grow,” or adapt the lines for different local pests.

Appearances in Media or Literature

While not as famous as other nursery rhymes, it is often quoted in gardening books and rural folklore compilations, and sometimes adapted into children’s stories about planting and patience.

Suggested Activities

Gardening Project: Plant seeds and discuss what might happen to each as in the rhyme.
Art Activity: Illustrate the rhyme with drawings of the mouse, crow, and seeds in the soil.
Storytelling: Invent a tale about what happens to each of the four seeds.
Science Lesson: Explore the germination and growth process and what natural obstacles seeds face.

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One for the Mouse

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