Little Arabella Miller

"Little Arabella Miller" is a popular English nursery rhyme often sung in pre-schools. Most references to the song do not attribute a writer but Ann Eliott has been previously cited as a composer.[1][2] It is also an action song, sung to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".[3]

Lyrics

The rhyme has just one verse but there are several variants which focus on the description of the caterpillar (furry, fuzzy, woolly), and on the family members mentioned in the rhyme (mother, brother, grandmother, baby brother).

A version sung in England:

Little Arabella Miller
Found a furry caterpillar
First it climbed upon her mother
Then upon her baby brother
"Ugh" said Arabella Miller
"Take away that caterpillar!"

Other versions:

Little Arabella Miller
Had a fuzzy caterpillar
First it crawled upon her brother
Then upon her dear grandmother
Gran said, "Arabella Miller,
How I love your caterpillar."[3]

Little Arabella Miller
Had a fuzzy caterpillar.
First it climbed upon her mother,
Then upon her baby brother.
They said, " Arabella Miller,
Put away your caterpillar!"[4]

Little Arabella Miller
Found a hairy caterpillar,
First it crawled upon her mother,
Then upon her baby brother.
All said, "Arabella Miller,
Take away that caterpillar!"

Actions

Little Arabella Miller
Had a fuzzy caterpillar
(Tickle palm with two fingers)
First it crawled up on her mother
(Walk fingers up left arm)
Then upon her baby brother
(Walk fingers up right arm)
They said, "Arabella Miller!
(Walk fingers up over head)
Put away your caterpillar!"
(hide hands behind back)

[3]

Another variation on the action song:

Little Arabella Miller
Found a wooly caterpillar (wiggle one finger)
First it crawled upon her mother (tickle mom)
Then upon her baby brother (tickle a friend)
Take away that caterpillar!" (shake finger)[5]

gollark: And you are less likely to be infected there if you have fewer people going out for nonessential reasons.
gollark: It's not a risk you can choose.
gollark: You need to leave home a bit to get food and stuff. It's not a risk you *choose* if someone infects you there because they didn't want to stay at home.
gollark: I would agree with reducing lockdowns in places with very low-utilization hospitals and such. But otherwise not really.
gollark: You can *reduce* the spread...

References
  1. http://museumvictoria.com.au/pages/2085/Bugs-bugs-bugs-Rhymes-Music.pdf Archived 2008-08-23 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. http://www.abc.net.au/children/play/grownup/prognote/series158.htm
  3. KIDiddles Song Lyrics - Arabella Miller
  4. Page 172
  5. Perry Public Library Archived 2008-06-06 at the Wayback Machine
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