The Farmer in the Dell is a children's song, or nursery rhyme. It tells the story of a farmer in a dell who takes a wife, who takes a child, who takes a nurse, etc, until finally a rat takes a cheese, and the cheese "stands alone".

The farmer in the dell
The farmer in the dell
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer in the dell
The farmer takes a wife
The farmer takes a wife
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer takes a wife
The wife takes a child
The wife takes a child
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The wife takes a child
The child takes a nurse
The child takes a nurse
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The child takes a nurse
The nurse takes a cow
The nurse takes a cow
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The nurse takes a cow
The cow takes a dog
The cow takes a dog
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cow takes a dog
The dog takes a cat
The dog takes a cat
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The dog takes a cat
The cat takes a rat
The cat takes a rat
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cat takes a rat
The rat takes the cheese
The rat takes the cheese
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The rat takes the cheese
The cheese stands alone
The cheese stands alone
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cheese stands alone

[edit] Variations
Like most children's songs, there are geographic variations, and in the United Kingdom this is known as The Farmer's In His Den. The 'Hi-Ho, the derry-o' is variously replaced with 'Ee-i, tiddly-i' in London, 'Ee-i, andio' (for instance in Northern England), and 'Ee-i, ee-i' (for instance in the West Country). In the UK, the rat is replaced with a dog and in the final verse, all other players pat the dog or alternatively its bone. Additionally, "Hi-ho the merry-o" is another variation of the lyrics sung.

The melody is also used for "A-Hunting We Will Go".

There is a French language version called "Le fermier dans son pré". In the end "le fromage est battu" ("the cheese is beaten")

There is a Swedish language version called "En bonde i vår by" (A farmer in our village).

The Romanian version is "Taranul e pe camp" (The farmer is on the field) but the the hey-o is replaceds with "Ura, draguta mea" (Hooray, my sweet heart) and the last verses are - the child has a nurse, the nurse has a cat, the car catches a mouse, the mouse eats a cheese, the cheese was in a cask, the cask is in the garbage, the farmer to chose.


[edit] Circle game
Ten children (or more) join hands and dance around the FARMER, who stands in the center of the circle as they sing. At the end of the first verse, the FARMER chooses his WIFE, who joins him inside the circle. At the end of the next verse, the WIFE takes a CHILD, and so on, until the last verse when everyone is in the circle except the CHEESE, who stands alone. Whoever ends up being the CHEESE becomes the FARMER for the next round.


[edit] In popular culture
On the HBO original television series The Wire, the Robin Hood-like thief Omar Little, who routinely robs Baltimore drug dealers at gunpoint, fearlessly whistles The Farmer in the Dale as he approaches, often punctuated with "The cheese stands alone."
The book I Am the Cheese takes its name from the song.
In the book "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt, the character Bunny sings The Famer in the Dale to taunt the other characters who have accidentally killed a farmer.
The Cheese Stands Alone is the name of a card in the Unglued set of Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering trading card game. It also appears as a goal in the Fluxx card game--to win when it is in play, one must have the 'Cheese' card as the only keeper in possession. This "circle game" is played in 49 states but is illegal in Ohio.
The song (and circle game) is featured as one of the songs in the Wee Sing video Grandpa's Magical Toys and there is a farmer in the special that symbolizes the song.
Featured in an episode of Full House, Uncle Jesse performs in Michelle's day care.
In the late night show The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson the episode name for the skit Murder, She Wrote 2008 is "The Farmer in the Dell... OF DEATH!".
In the Homestar Runner cartoon "Pumpkin Carve-nival", "Homestar" asks why Marzipan didn't carve her pumpkin. To explain, Marzipan sings "I left it on the vine" to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell".

OMFG!!!!!!!!!!! I MAY JUST NEED ANOTHER GLASS OF PEANUT BUTTER!!!


Purple......you have become a WEALTH OF INFORMATION!!! Have you discovered GOOGLE???

yes........google is my brain now no question is unanswered in this electronic age we live in

dear dairy... Moo!

Can I spin you like the magic 8 ball and ask you questions like......"who will I marry?"

mooooooooooooooooooo gooooooooooo gai pan!!!

dear dairy......I often moo when I get off work!!! I can be such a cow sometimes!!!

dear diary,

I'm lonely.

Im gypsy!!!

you

cannot

google


your


future


though....





<<-- tosses daydreamer a *Jello bomb
HOT POTATO !!!!

Timmy in the well again??
or is the cheese standing alone???

Why cant I google my future???? The world wide web is full of POSSIBILITIES!!!

I THINK I CAN!

I THINK I CANT!

I THINK I CAN!!!


THE WORLD IS OUR BANANA AND IM GOING TO BITE IT!!!

Lady luck never smiles
So lend your love to me, awhile
Do with me what you will
Break the spell take your fill
On and on we rode the storm
The flame has died, the fire has gone
Oh, this empty bed is a night alone
I realized that long ago
Is anybody out there? Anybody there?
Does anybody wonder? Anybody care?
Oh, I just gotta know
If you’re really there and you really care
‘Cause baby I’m not
F-F-F-Foolin’, Ah F-F-Foolin’
Not F-F-F-Foolin’, Ah F-F-Foolin’
Won’t you stay with me awhile
close your eyes don’t run and hide
Easy love is no easy ride
Just wakin’ up from what we had
Could stop good love from going bad

Hmm... Bananas.... sounds dangerous. Or something.

Its highly addictive and or allergic!!!

choosy moms
choose
JIFF

I like Jeff better!!!