# A Was an Apple Pie
1672 
England
# Lyrics
A was an Apple pie;
B bit it;
C cut it;
D dealt it;
E eat it;
F fought for it;
G got it;
H had it;
J joined it;
K kept it;
L longed for it;
M mourned for it;
N nodded at it;
O opened it;
P peeped in it;
Q quartered it;
R ran for it;
S stole it;
T took it;
V viewed it;
W wanted it;
X, Y, and Z all wished for a piece in hand.
# History and Meaning
"A Was an Apple Pie" is a traditional nursery rhyme and children's song of British origin.
The rhyme is quite old and can be found in various forms in various old English literature such as Mother Goose nursery rhymes and old English nursery rhymes collections. The earliest known version of the rhyme was published in 1765 in "Mother Goose's Melody."
The rhyme is an alphabetical acrostic and tells a simple story using the letters of the alphabet, in which each word of the verse begins with the next letter of the alphabet. Each verse follows the pattern: "A was an apple pie, B bit it, C cut it, D dealt it, and so on." The rhyme is thought to have been used as a tool for teaching the alphabet to children.