# Three Blind Mice
1609 
England
# Lyrics
Three blind mice, three blind mice
See how they run, see how they run
They all ran after the farmer's wife
She cut off their tails with a carving knife
Did you ever see such a sight in your life as three blind mice?
Three blind mice, three blind mice
See how they run, see how they run
They all ran after the farmer's wife
She cut off their tails with a carving knife
Did you ever see such a sight in your life as three blind mice?
Three blind mice, three blind mice
See how they run, see how they run
They all ran after the farmer's wife
She cut off their tails with a carving knife
Did you ever see such a sight in your life as three blind mice?
# History and Meaning
First published in 1609 by Thomas Ravenscroft, with the original lyrics (opens new window):
Three Blinde Mice,
Three Blinde Mice,
Dame Iulian,
Dame Iulian,
the Miller and his merry olde Wife,
shee scrapte her tripe licke thou the knife.
There is uncertainty around the meaning of the words. It could be related to Queen Mary I of England, who was Catholic, executing three Protestant Bishops. Queen Mary was also known as 'Bloody Mary' as she tried to reverse the Protestant Reformation that her Father, King Henry VIII had introduced. In total Mary executed 283 people during her five years on the throne.