Polly Put the Kettle On (Nursery Rhyme)

Summary


"Polly Put the Kettle On" is a short nursery rhyme you can read free online, built around the simple, cheerful rhythm of teatime preparations. Polly puts the kettle on for guests, but the moment they leave, Sukey takes it straight back off again. The rhyme's gentle back-and-forth captures a cosy domestic moment with an unexpectedly playful twist — hospitality extended and just as quickly withdrawn when the company disappears.


Read Online

Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
We’ll all have tea.
Sukey take it off again,
Sukey take it off again,
Sukey take it off again,
They’ve all gone away.


Credits

Ririro curates and publishes beloved nursery rhymes and children's verses, making them freely accessible to readers online. "Polly Put the Kettle On" is one of the most enduring English nursery rhymes, with roots tracing back to at least the early nineteenth century, when it appeared in print alongside other traditional verses of the era.