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Every Morning at Eight O'Clock

Every morning at eight o'clock, / You all may hear the postman's knock…

In and outCountingLong rope

Every morning at eight o'clock,
You all may hear the postman's knock.
1, 2, 3, 4. There goes "Polly."

How to play

The girl named runs out, and another girl runs in directly.

Where this rhyme comes from

Printed
1898
Where
Marylebone, London

We have copied these words exactly as they were printed in 1898, spelling and all. The book marks it as a skipping rhyme.

The Victorian original of our "Postman Knocking".

Source: Alice Bertha Gomme, The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland, vol. II (London: David Nutt, 1898), 'Skipping', pp. 200–204. Rhymes collected by Miss Chase (public domain).

Older and newer versions

The same rhyme, changed by children over the years.

CountingActionsby 1916Postman KnockingEarly in the morning at half past eight,
I heard the postman knocking at the gate…

More rhymes like this

In and outPrinted 1898All In, a Bottle of GinAll in, a bottle of gin,
All out, a bottle of stout…In and outOut goes youPrinted 1916I-N Spells InI-N spells in--
I was in my kitchen…In and outPrinted 1916Two in the RopeTwo in the rope, and two take end,
Both are sisters, both are friend…In and outc. 1960sHad a Little Austin in 1948Had a little Austin in 1948
drove it round the corner…

Sent in by Jan B., Hazelgrove (remembered from about 1966)

In and outSitting in the KitchenSitting in the kitchen,
Doing a bit of knitting…

Sent in by Erica O.