Two Little Dickie Birds

"Two Little Dickie Birds" is a traditional English fingerplay that originated in the 18th century and was first documented in printed form in the 1765 London collection "Mother Goose's Melody." The earliest recorded version featured "two blackbirds" sitting on a "hill" with names "Jack" and "Gill." In the 19th century, the lyrics evolved—the birds' names were changed to "Peter" and "Paul," believed to be a reference to the apostles, and they are depicted sitting on a "wall" instead of a hill. The rhyme is primarily valued for its playful, repetitive nature and its role in promoting motor skills, language development, and rhythm in early childhood education. It is traditionally performed as a fingerplay, using index fingers (sometimes with paper attached) to represent the two birds flying away and coming back.