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Cover of Lock and Key

Lock and Key

Traditional

ages 2 to 5nursery rhymesread aloudabout 25 seconds aloud

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!"

Public domain. Text from The Real Mother Goose (Blanche Fisher Wright, 1916), via Project Gutenberg. View the source edition

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