Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son

Tom steals a pig, gets caught, and gets beaten, but the "pig" was not a live animal. In eighteenth-century London it meant a sweet apple pastry shaped like a pig, with currants for eyes, sold off street trays. Tom is really a hungry child snatching a cake, which makes his beating sting a little more.

Origins

The rhyme was first printed in London in 1795 in a popular chapbook collection. However, older variations of the lyric had been recorded earlier, such as a similar version included in Joseph Ritson's compilation Gammer Gurton's Garland in 1784. Some scholars also trace thematic roots of a longer version of the song back to a comedy play from 1698 titled The Campaigners, which featured a character singing about a piper's son named Tom.

Meaning & Interpretation

A common misunderstanding in modern illustrations is that Tom stole a live farm animal. Historically, a "pig" was the name for a type of sweet apple pastry or cake sold by street vendors in eighteenth-century London. These pastries were frequently shaped like pigs, complete with currants representing the eyes. Therefore, the rhyme actually describes a hungry child snatching a pastry from a baker's tray and eating it, rather than carrying off a live pig. The physical punishment Tom receives reflects the typical harsh treatment of petty thieves during the Georgian era.

What was the pig in Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son?

The pig was actually a sweet apple turnover or pastry shaped like a pig. These were popular treats sold by street food sellers in London during the eighteenth century.

When was Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son first printed?

The rhyme was first formally printed in 1795 in a children's chapbook published in London. Earlier versions of the lyrics appeared in Gammer Gurton's Garland in 1784.