Doctor Foster
Doctor Foster went to Glo'ster,
In a shower of rain;
He stepped in a puddle, up to his middle,
And never went there again.
Printed versions of Doctor Foster show up in the 19th century, but the rhyme was likely recited earlier. It reads like a street jingle: quick setup, slapstick mishap, punchline. Some later writers linked it to a real official who visited Gloucester, found the roads a swamp, and swore off the place. Fun theory, not proven. What is clear: it sounds exactly like something a child would chant after watching an adult blunder into a giant puddle.
Meaning
On the surface, it’s a rainy-day joke. A dignified doctor, fancy coat, big umbrella—then whoosh: knees, then waist, in the mud. Kids love the topple of authority; adults hear the wink about English weather and awful roads. There’s also a tiny lesson: pride and puddles don’t mix.
Nursery rhymes often turn everyday headaches into comedy—broken bridges, runaway carts, slippery hills. “Doctor Foster” fits that pattern. The rhythm is built for skipping or clapping, and the final line lands like a rimshot.
1. A simple retelling
A doctor visits Gloucester, steps into a deep puddle during the rain, and decides he will never return.
2. The characters
Main character: Doctor Foster
3. Setting
The town of Gloucester, on a rainy day with muddy roads and deep puddles.
4. Theme
Embarrassment, pride, and the humor in unexpected misfortune.
5. Moral
Not every mishap needs a grand lesson — sometimes it’s simply a joke at a proud person’s expense.
