A Prince from Pepperville
A prince came down from Pepperville
In satin and in lace,
He wore a bonnet on his head
And whiskers on his face.
And when he came to Battleburg
This is what befell:
He gave the king and cabinet
A half a peanut shell.
Illustration by Blanche Fisher Wright
First published in The Peter Patter Book of Nursery Rhymes (1918).
This little rhyme is pure playful nonsense — the kind children instantly accept without needing it to make sense. A grand prince comes strutting in, dressed as if he’s marching to a royal ball… and then proudly presents the king with half a peanut shell as his royal gift.
Is he serious? Is he confused? Or is Pepperville just a very strange place where peanut shells are priceless treasure? The rhyme never explains — and that’s exactly why it’s funny.
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