Cock-Crow
Cocks crow in the morn,
To tell us to rise;
And he who lies late
Will never be wise;
For early to bed,
And early to rise,
Is the way to be healthy,
And wealthy and wise.
This rhyme feels like one of those short moral lessons adults once tucked into everyday speech. Farmers and villagers relied on the natural world to tell time, and the rooster wasn’t just decoration—he was the alarm clock long before bells or electricity existed.
But the rhyme is doing more than saying “wake up early.” It reaches into a familiar old proverb: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” That phrase has been around for centuries and is often linked with Benjamin Franklin, though it was already known in English long before he repeated it.
For children, the message was simple: those who get up late miss the best part of the day and fall behind. For adults, it was a reminder that self-discipline—and a bit of structure—was considered a virtue.
Even now, the rhyme has the same gently bossy tone. You can almost hear someone tapping on a bedroom door, muttering something about laziness while the rooster shouts outside. Whether one agrees with the philosophy or not, the rhythm makes it hard not to smile: short, firm lines teaching the value of beginning the day with purpose.
1. A simple retelling
The rooster crows to tell everyone to wake up, and the rhyme reminds us that getting up early leads to good habits and success.
2. The characters
Main character: The rooster.
Implied character: The sleepy listener.
3. Setting
A rural morning scene where a rooster signals the start of the day.
4. Theme
Discipline, routine, and the value of rising early.
5. Moral
Starting the day early is linked with health, success, and wisdom.
