Lucy Locket Lost Her Pocket
Lucy Locket lost her pocket,
Kitty Fisher found it;
There was not a penny in it,
Only ribbon round it.
The nursery rhyme Lucy Locket is commonly believed to refer to Kitty Fisher, a famous 18th-century British courtesan known for her high society connections and extravagant lifestyle. In that era, women — including courtesans — wore their money purses (“pockets”) tied at their waist, so “losing a pocket” would suggest a fall from favor or financial loss.
The rhyme was first printed in 1842, though it was already widely sung in both Britain and America long before that.
1. A simple retelling
Lucy loses her pocket purse, and Kitty Fisher finds it — but it’s empty except for a ribbon.
2. The characters
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Main character: Lucy Locket
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Other character: Kitty Fisher
3. Setting
Not specified.
4. Theme
Theme: Losing something valuable and someone else finding it.
5. Moral
No clear lesson, though it hints at the annoyance and irony of losing something important.
