Classic nursery rhyme
Three Little Kittens
A clean reading page for children, teachers, and families, with the rhyme, a simple history note, vocabulary support, and source details.
The history of the rhyme
From a short folk rhyme to a longer Victorian storybook adventure.
From folk rhyme to Victorian expansion
Most readers know the first part, where the kittens lose their mittens, find them, and wash them. This page presents a longer version that expands the rhyme into a playful story with social scenes, guests, music, and a wedding.
Why this version is useful
The longer text gives children more chances to notice rhythm, repetition, manners, old words, and story sequence. It works well for reading practice, vocabulary lessons, and compare-and-retell activities.
- Story crossoverLittle Jack Horner and Puss-in-the-Corner appear in the wedding scene.
- Lesson in mannersThe kittens are scolded, praised, washed, dressed, and later shown bowing politely.
- Old vocabularyWords such as spry, caterwauling, and bassoon add a useful vocabulary layer.
Read the poem
The rhyme is divided into comfortable reading cards so it does not become one giant wall of text on mobile.
Lost mittens
THREE little kittens
Lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
“Oh, mammy dear,
We sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost!”
“What! lost your mittens,
You naughty kittens;
Then you shall have no pie!”
Miew, miew, miew, miew
Searching high and low
The three little kittens
Then sought their mittens,
Upon the table high;
Indoors and out
They scampered about,
For they were very spry;
Now high, now low,
The three in a row,
And oh! how they made things fly.
Miew, miew, miew, miew
Found mittens
The three little kittens
Found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
“Oh mammy dear,
See here, see here,
Our mittens we have found!”
“What! found your mittens,
You darling kittens;
Then you shall have some pie.”
Purr, purr, purr, purr
Soiled mittens
The three little kittens
Put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie.
“Oh mammy dear,
We sadly fear
Our mittens we have soiled.”
“What! soiled your mittens,
You naughty kittens!”
Then they began to sigh,
Miew, miew, miew, miew
Washed mittens
The three little kittens
Washed their mittens,
And hung them up to dry.
“Oh, mammy dear,
Look here, look here,
Our mittens we have washed!”
“What! washed your mittens,
You good little kittens!
But I smell a rat close by!
Hush! hush!” Miew, miew,
Miew, miew, miew, miew
A lovely dream
These kittens so gay
Were invited one day
To feast by a running stream,
Where they had as much meat
As they wanted to eat,
And plenty of nice ice-cream;
And each went to sleep
Curled up in a heap
And had a most lovely dream.
Purr, purr, purr, purr
At the ball
One night in the Fall
They went to a ball,
And danced to a lively tune,
With a leap and a bound
And a merry-go-round,
And the sound of a big bassoon;
And with holes in their mittens
These careless kittens
Came home by the light of the moon.
Miew, miew, miew, miew
Wedding news
These kittens ’twas said
Were soon to be wed;
The cards had been out some days;
And cat-birds, no doubt,
Spread the news about
As they flew o’er the great high-ways;
And cats, one and all,
The great and the small,
Were loud in the kittens’ praise.
Miew, miew, miew, miew
Guests arrive
At last came the day,
And in splendid array
The guests soon began to arrive,
The aunts and the cousins
By sixes and dozens,
All buzzing like bees in a hive;
And among them Sir Rouser,
A famous old mouser,
And the handsomest Maltese alive.
Purr, purr, purr, purr
Fine style
Then after the marriage
Each groom called his carriage,
And, oh, they rode off in fine style;
The brides beaming brightly,
And bowing politely,
To friends every once in a while,
Who kept up a squalling
And great caterwauling
That might have been heard for a mile.
Miew, miew, miew, miew
Games and music
The guests kept on dancing,
Now leaping and prancing;
The band still continued to play;
And “Puss-in-the-corner,”
And “Little Jack Horner,”
Were games very much in their way;
With singing and screeching,
And laughter far-reaching,
They had a good time, I dare say.
Miew, miew, miew, miew
A very nice flat
The three pretty brides,
And their husbands besides
Took rooms in a very nice flat;
Not a rat nor a mouse
Was e’er seen in the house,
Nor any one heard to cry Scat!
So they lived and looked pleased;
They were petted, not teased;
Now what do you think of that?
Purr, purr, purr, purr
Vocabulary corner
A small support block for young readers and English learners.
Spry
Active, quick, and full of energy. Example: The kittens were spry when they searched the room.
Bassoon
A large woodwind instrument with a deep sound. In the poem, it plays music for dancing.
Caterwauling
A loud crying or howling sound, often used for cats. Here it makes the wedding scene noisy and funny.
Source and publication note
Keep this part near the end of the page for credibility and classroom use.
- Publisher: McLoughlin Bros., New York.
- Publication date: 1890.
- Collection: Part of the University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature.
- Historical note: This version expands a traditional nursery rhyme into a longer story with more complex scenes, including a ball, a wedding, and a home of their own.
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