The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late

The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late

The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late is the imagined original ditty that is recorded in 'our time' as the simplified nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle". The supposed original was invented (by back formation) by J. R. R. Tolkien. The title of this version is given in "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil".

In the Inn at Bree ("At the Sign of the Prancing Pony", "The Fellowship of the Ring" Chapter 9) Frodo jumps on a table and recites "a ridiculous song" invented by Bilbo. "Here it is in full," said Tolkien. "Only a few words of it are now, as a rule, remembered."

There follows the tale, in thirteen ballad-like five-line stanzas, introducing each element in turn: "the Man in the Moon" himself, the ostler's "tipsy cat/ that plays a five-stringed fiddle", the little dog, the "hornéd cow" and the silver dishes and spoons.

Note that the cow is able to jump over the Moon with ease because the Man in the Moon has temporarily brought it down to Earth.

ee also

*Man in the Moon


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