Willy Boy

A simple rural rhyme describing country life and haymaking, first published in Kate Greenaway's 1881 book "Mother Goose or the Old Nursery Rhymes," with another version appearing in "The Little Mother Goose" in 1912. The lyrics directly depict a rural agricultural scene about "going to the meadow to see them a-mowing" and helping "make the hay," illustrating a connection to traditional haymaking and country living. While Benjamin Britten was known to have composed music for various nursery rhymes and folk songs throughout his career, including "Four Nursery Rhymes" and setting songs like "Wee Willie" (lyrics by Robert Burns) and "The Plough Boy" to music, the connection of Britten specifically to "Willy Boy" may refer to his broader engagement with children's music and folk songs featuring rural themes. The rhyme captures the bucolic simplicity of agricultural life in 19th-century Britain, presenting a child's eager desire to participate in the important seasonal work of haymaking.