A call-and-response riddle rhyme that runs through gold, silver, brass and lead locks and keys before landing on the pun in its final line. The repetition sets up the joke, and children often see the punchline coming and enjoy it anyway.
From Mother Goose / Nursery Rhymes (traditional). See the whole collection.
"I am a gold lock."
"I am a gold key."
"I am a silver lock."
"I am a silver key."
"I am a brass lock."
"I am a brass key."
"I am a lead lock."
"I am a lead key."
"I am a don lock."
"I am a don key!"
About this rhyme
A fingerplay rhyme in pairs: gold, silver, brass, then lead, building steadily down until the last line turns into a pun, a "don lock" and a "don key".
Hold up a finger for each new lock and key, and let the joke land slowly the first time.
Public domain. Text from The Real Mother Goose (Blanche Fisher Wright, 1916), via Project Gutenberg. View the source edition