Simple Simon (nursery rhyme)

This article is about the nursery rhyme. For other uses, see Simple Simon.

William Wallace Denslow's illustrations for Simple Simon, from a 1901 edition of Mother Goose

Simple Simon and the pie man, according to Denslow

Simple Simon is a nursery rhyme which begins:

Simple Simon met a pieman

Going to the fair;

Says Simple Simon to the pieman,

"Let me taste your ware."

Says the pieman to Simple Simon,

"Show me first your penny."

Says Simple Simon to the pieman,

"Indeed I have not any."

Because of this, he became a comic foil in pantomime, most commonly Mother Goose.

[edit] Variation

The Three Stooges did a variant version, which began the usual way, and ended this way...

Said de pieman to Simple Simon,

"Foist let me see yah penny."

Said Simple Simon to de pieman,

"Nah! Ya don't get any!"