"Little Arabella Miller" is a popular English nursery rhyme

Nursery rhyme

The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...

 often sung in pre-schools. Most references to the song do not attribute a writer but Ann Eliott has been previously cited as a composer. It is also an action song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

, sung to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is a popular English nursery rhyme. The lyrics are from an early nineteenth-century English poem, "The Star" by Jane Taylor. The poem, which is in couplet form, was first published in 1806 in Rhymes for the Nursery, a collection of poems by Taylor and her sister Ann...

".

Lyrics

The rhyme

Rhyme

A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...

 has just one verse but there are several variants which focus on the description of the caterpiller (furry, fuzzy, woolly), and on the family members mentioned in the rhyme (mother, brother, grandmother, baby brother).



Here is a version sung in England:


"Little Arabella Miller

Found a furry caterpillar

Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...

First it climbed upon her mother

Then upon her baby brother

"Ugh" said Arabella Miller

"Take away that caterpillar!" "

Other versions

Little Arabella Miller

Had a fuzzy caterpillar

First it crawled upon her brother

Then upon her dear grandmother

Gran said, "Arabella Miller,

How I love your caterpillar.

Little Arabella Miller

Had a fuzzy caterpillar.

First it climbed upon her mother,

Then upon her baby brother.

They said, " Arabella Miller,

Put away your caterpillar!"

Little Arabella Miller

Found a hairy caterpillar,

First it crawled upon her mother,

Then upon her baby brother.

All said, "Arabella Miller,

Take away that caterpillar!"

Actions

Little Arabella Miller

Had a fuzzy caterpillar
(Tickle palm with two fingers)

First it crawled up on her mother
(Walk fingers up left arm)

Then upon her baby brother
(Walk fingers up right arm)

They said, "Arabella Miller!
(Walk fingers up over head)

Put away your caterpillar!"
(hide hands behind back)

Another variation on the action song:

Little Arabella Miller

Found a wooly caterpillar (wiggle one finger)

First it crawled upon her mother (tickle mom)

Then upon her baby brother (tickle a friend)

Take away that caterpillar!” (shake finger)

Cultural references

English writer and Mother Goose Award

Mother Goose Award

The Mother Goose Award was a British annual award, presented by Books For Children to "the most exciting newcomer to British children's book illustration." Established in 1979, the award was last given in 1999...

 Winner Clare Jarrett wrote and illustrated a children's book, "Arabella Miller's Tiny Caterpillar" published in February 2008 which was inspired by the rhyme.


"Little Arabella Miller" has been recorded by several artists including
Amy Conley ("Grow Your Own Music)
Sharon, Lois & Bram

Sharon, Lois & Bram

Sharon, Lois & Bram is the name of a Canadian children's musical trio composed of Sharon Hampson , Lois Ada Lilienstein , and Bramwell "Bram" Morrison .-Group formation:Sharon Hampson, Lois Lillenstein, and Bram Morrison began their singing...

in two albums "Mainly Mother Goose" and "Name Games"
and Peter and Ellen Allard recorded it for their album "Sing It, Say It, Stamp It, Sway It!" which won 2002 Children's Music Web Award: Best Recording for Young Children, and was the 2002 winner of the Parent's Guide to Children's Media Award.

There is an English organic fashion label for kids named after the nursery rhyme character Arabella Miller which uses a caterpillar as its logo.

External links

Rhyme spoken in English - http://www.nurseryrhymes4u.com/NURSERY_RHYMES/Page_172.html