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penny roots | all galleries >> Galleries >> Rural Life > Spring is sprung , the grass is ris . I wonder where the birdies is !
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Spring is sprung , the grass is ris . I wonder where the birdies is !

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Terry UK 20-Aug-2025 04:35
As I recollect;
Spring has sprung, the grass is ris,
I wonder where the birdie is.
The bird is high upon the wing,
You silly thing, don't be absurd,
the wing is high upon the bird!

Clearly many variations on the theme!
mediumm8128-Feb-2025 13:05
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Guest 31-Aug-2023 23:11
My dads version:

Spring is here, the grass is riz
I wonder where the boidies is.

They say the bird is on the wing
Now that’s a very silly thing
In fact it’s really quite absurd
The wing, of course, is on the bird

Which does at least scan…
guest 15-Sep-2022 23:20
The spring has sprung, The grass has riz
I wonder where da birdies is..
Birdy birdy in da sky
Dropping hogwash in my eye
I don’t laugh
I don’t cry
Im just glad that cows don’t fly!!!
learnt as child in NZ 1970s
Ian Lowery 21-Aug-2022 02:42
I saw a bird flying high,
It dropped a message from the sky.
As I wiped it from my eye,
I thanked the Lord that cows don't fly.
Guest 02-Mar-2022 11:01
Spring has sprung the grass is ris, I wonder where the birdies is?
Angry farmer wipes his eye,says thank goodness cows don't fly
Guest 29-Mar-2021 22:29
Thaks for the Memories....ofmany years ago!
Willie 27-Feb-2021 11:14
All these ditties seem to have one thing in common -- they don't scan. I remember the rhyme as:-

The spring is sprung,
The grass is riz.
I wonder where the boidies is.
The little boids is on the wing.
Naa, dats obsoid;
The little wings is on the boids.
Christine 21-Sep-2020 05:44
Spring is sprung the grass is riz. I wonder where the lawn mower is?
David 13-Oct-2019 19:35
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz. I wonder where the birdies is? The birdies all have flown away. They'll come again another day.
brooke03-Aug-2019 10:51
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paul 22-Apr-2019 16:29
Amother version from my mum circa 1940s
Spring is here the grass is riz
I wonder where the boidies is
The boidies is upon the wing
But that's absoid
I thought the wing was on the boid!
Eve Bennett 22-Nov-2017 00:23
My husband b 1920 Washington state & always lived there, taught it to me as a short song & is rather different:
Spring has sprung, the grass iz riz, I wonder where the flowers iz, I wonder where that man of mine iz went. I wish I could sing it for you here. Googling both the "spring has sprung the grass iz riz" - and - the "wonder where that man of mine iz went" gives several responses, but none play the song when clicked !
Guest 20-Apr-2017 17:15
Sooo, I guess this has evolved a lot over time and place, but this is how my Canadian grandmother taught it to me:

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz,
I wonder where the flowers is?

And everywhere are signs of spring.
The little boid is on the wing.

"gee ma'am but that absoid!
I thought the wing was on the boid!"
Guest 29-Mar-2017 21:51
The spring is sprung, the grass is riz,i wonder where them boidies is?The little boid upon the wing,isnt that absoid. The little wing upon on the boid,isnt that a funny thing...
Guest 27-Mar-2017 14:04
Spring is sprung, the grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies is..
The bird is on the wing - that's absurd -
The wing is clearly on the bird!
Mel 23-Mar-2017 17:57
Spring is sprung da grass is res
I wonder where da boidies is
The say da boid is on da wing
But dats absoid because I hold
Da wing is on da bird
Guest 21-Mar-2017 19:47
I was taught. "Spring has sprung the grass has riz. I wonder where the flowers is? Here I is, pick me up. I'ze a wittle buttercup.
Guest 20-Mar-2017 10:56
"Spring is sprung" I heard years ago prefaced with something like:

Thoyty li'll poyple boyds asittin' on a coyb
A choypin' and a boypin' and a eatin' doyty woyms
Guest 18-Mar-2017 15:14
"Spwing is spwung, da gwass is wiz, I wunda where da boidies is? Da boidies on da wing I hoid! But dats ubsoid, da wing is on da Boid!" Loved this when my mum would say it every spring.
AVIS HOLT 12-Mar-2017 17:09
I remember reading this in the "funnies" every Spring when I was a girl. That was over 65 years ago. I don t remember which comic strip it was but I looked for it every year. I'm sure it must have been a spoof on the original poem.

Spring is sprung, da grass is ris,
I wonder where da boidies is?
Why, da boid is on da wing!
Now ain't dat absoid,
I always tought da wing was on da boid!
Simon 17-Dec-2016 09:06
Ibsen my foot!
Simon 17-Dec-2016 09:05
The original was written by Ogden Nash - boy are standards dropping?
Guest 14-Nov-2016 08:04
dfdg
Moira 07-Sep-2016 17:14
I agree with Ian McFall's version
Guest 07-Sep-2016 04:39
I remember this one as a young girl in Ireland in the early 50s.
Spike Milligan used to say it on the radio.
I told it to my 6 year old grand-daughter just the other day
(Our spring is 1st September here in Australia).

It has to be said in a child like voice.

"Spwing has Spwung the gwass is riz
Im wonder where dem birdies is
Dey say dem birdies on duh wing
Well dat's not wite
Dem wings is on dem birdies

Nana Anne. Wollongong. Australia
RobH 07-Sep-2016 03:13
The version I remember:
Spring is sprung
The grass is Rizzo.
I know not where the boidies is.

Some say the void is on the wing.
How absoid. How absoid.
The wing is on the void.

By a grandfather.
Padrevince01-Sep-2016 01:43
One more version that my Aussie grandpa used to tell us back in the 1950s:

Spring is sprung, the grass is ris,
I wonder where the birdies is.
The bird is on the wing I've heard.
But wait, that's absurd;
everyone knows the wing is on the bird.
Guest 16-Jul-2016 07:24
the spring has sprung, the grass is crisp
I wonder where all diseases is
Guest 21-May-2016 11:21
My ma taught me this:
I heard the bird is on the wing;
Well, that's absurd!
I've always heard
The wing is on the bird.
John Murphy 15-May-2016 18:37
I was told the original poem was by Dameon Runion if this is true it is the only example of his poetry I have come across though I have read his wonderful collections of short stories.
roy 26-Mar-2016 08:41
Tony curtis did the definitive bronx version on some chat show i remember..spring is sprung.de grass is riz.i wonder where dem boidies is.are de on de wing.dats absoid i taut de wings was on de tiny boid
Michael Johnson 20-Mar-2016 02:49
Spring is here, the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies is.
Some say the birds is on the wing, but that's absurd, the wing is on the bird.
Dom 31-Jan-2016 14:50
My grandpa's version - he wrote it down for me before he died:
The spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the boidies is.
Why, the boids is on the wing!
Well, isn't that absoid! 'Cuz everybody knows, the wing is on the boid!
guest 15-Apr-2015 13:13
I know this is an old post but I had to say mine,
I learned this version as a child.

Spring has sprung, the grass is ris.
I wonder what this white stuff is!
Peter h heard from Jack harper 23-Mar-2015 12:36
De spring is sprung
Da grass is griz
I wonder where dem boidies is

De boids are on de wing
No dummy de wings are on de boids
Guest 19-Mar-2015 13:48
My mother used to tell me.

Da spring has sprung
Da grass has riz
And all the pretty flowers is
Da bird is on the wing
Now isn`t that absurd
I always thought the wing was on the bird.
Michael 16-Mar-2015 16:54
I learned it this way (early 1970s):

Ah, spring! The bird is on the wing.

My word, how absurd!

I thought the wing was on the bird!
Patricia 06-Mar-2015 19:07
I remember a slightly different version of this, and I have no idea why I know this. It goes:
Spring has sprung, the grass is riz
I wonder where the birdie is
The bird is on the wing
Oh how absurd, the wing is on the bird.

As I looked up in the sky
The bird dropped whitewash in my eye
I didn't laugh, I didn't cry
I just thanked God that cows don't fly.
Lyn Gracie 06-Mar-2015 01:06
An aunt used to recite the two wee poems as shown below over fifty years ago but she wasn't aware who had written them or when ...

Spring has sprung the grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies is..
The birdies they is on the wing
Oh how absurd, the wing is on the bird.

Winter's come, the snow has fell
Wee Josie's nose has froze as well
Wee Josie's frozen nose is skintet
Winter's diabolic - In'tit !
Lady P 06-Sep-2014 04:47
My father taught me this version:
Spring has sprung
The grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies is?
Some say the bird is on the wing,
but that's absurd,
cause de wing is on de bird.

Maybe the difference is because we are Australian???
Teresa 14-Jul-2014 04:26
My father explained it this way, Ogden Nash was well known for writing a number of advertisments among other things and he wrote for I believe an insurance company, on a large bend in the road and on four succesive signs, the following: spring has sprung-the grass has riz-where last years-careless driver is.
Very Ogden Nash.
Guest 24-Mar-2014 04:26
Enough already
Knocker 20-Mar-2014 21:30
The version that I learned as a child is:
Spring is sprung, the grass is riz.
I wonder where de boidie is.
De boid is on the wing, but dats absoid.
How can the boid be on the wing, the wing is on de boid.
Chloe 17-Apr-2013 11:51
My grandmother (85) remembers this:

De spring is sprung, de grass is riz
I wonder where de boidies is?
De boid is on de wing, but dat’s absoid,
De wing is on de boid

De grass is riz de trees is green
And in de moitle tree a boid is seen.
A boid is seen and also hoid
And also felt. He dropped a toid.
Dis gets woise

And so de boid what did doit
Has got to die and dat’s a coit
I gets me gat intent on moider
Detoimined dis won’t get no foider
Oh boy! Oh boy! Am I pertoibed

I lifts me gat de boidie choips
I gotta give de squoit de woiks
But in the moitle tree above
There sits a little toitle dove
Remember moitle?

I’ve got me shooter primed but now
2 boids are sitting on de bough
And so, I cannot shoot de dove
Because de spring’s de time for love

Dis is kwiess
Kwiess is an Arabic word meaning “Hotcha”
jackie 30-Mar-2013 08:26
Similarly to many of the others my version is
My father's version was -
The spring is sprung the grass is riz
I wonder where dem boidies is
They say the boid is on the wing
But that's absoid, cos I've always hoid
The wing is on the boid
wirenut20-Mar-2013 11:47
My 12th grade english teacher, Mr. Forrest told it this way:
De spring has sprung, De earth is riz
I wonder where dem boidies is
Da little wings upon dem boids
Ain't that absoid! Da little boids upon dem wings.
Guest 15-Mar-2013 09:07
My Grandfather used to recite this poem to us grandkids every single spring. His version:
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz,
I wonder where the flowers is,
The boid is on the wing, but that's absoid,
Because everybody knows that the wing is on the boid!
Harvey 27-Feb-2013 13:39
I leared it in England in the '50. Nice picture of a European Robin.
The Spring is sprung the grass has riz. I wonder where the flowers is.
The bird is on the wing, but that's absured the wing is on the bird.
Harvey
Sheila 31-Dec-2012 04:23
The version I heard many years ago, not sure who from, is as follows:
(My kids always loved me reciting this with a "put-on" NJ/NY accent of course :)

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz,
I wonder where de boidies is?
They say de boid is on the wing
but that's absoid
becuz the wing is on the boid!
Guest 15-Nov-2012 03:19
Here is the version I remember from my dad, who read tons of Ogden Nash
and at times put his life in danger laughing too hard from it...

"Spring has sprung, the grass has ris, I wonder where the flowers is?
The boids are all upon the wing, now isn't that a funny thing,
I thought the wing was on the boid, now isn't that absoid? "
Guest 01-Sep-2012 01:57
Spring has sprung the grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies iz
I heard the birds are on the wing
Dont be absurd, the wing is on the bird
Guest 06-Aug-2012 14:42
My last comment was not quite correct,it shoud be,

The spring has sprung the grass has riz
I wonders where the birdies iz
The birds are on the wing I heard
Should not the wings be on the bird
gravis 06-Aug-2012 14:35
The version I rememberis;

The Spring has sprung the grass has riz
I wonders where the birds have riz
The birds are on the wing I heard
Should not the wings be on the bird

This seems to scan better
gravis 06-Aug-2012 14:28
T
gravis 06-Aug-2012 14:27
T
Guest 18-May-2012 00:06
The writer was 19th Century Norwegian playwright & Poet Henrik Ibsen.
Nathan 13-May-2011 19:41
The version I have attributed to Nash:

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz.
I wonder where 'dem boidies is?
The little boid is on the wing,
But that's obsoid, the little wing is on the boid!

PS love the pic
Julie 06-Apr-2011 20:19
The version I was taught in Kent 60 years ago
The Spring has sprung
The grass is ris
I wonder where the boides is?
The boid is on the wing
But thats absoid
I always thought the wing was on the boid.
Alan Audley 30-Nov-2009 18:08
I believe this come from a marx brothers film -
The spring is sprung the sun is riz, I wonder where da boides is. Ah deres a boidie on the wing; now aint dat a funny ting I always tort the wing was on the boid
Dominic 14-Nov-2009 10:04
It's an old poem often attributed to e e cummings or by Ogden Nash, but it's anonymously penned. It is known as "Spring in the Bronx".
Bunny 18-Apr-2009 08:19
This is certainly not Spike.My Mother always recited this poem to me and she was born in 1914 and her mother taught it to her.
The version I know is
''The sun is high
the grass is ris
i wonder where the birdie is
the bird is on the wing they say
but thats absurd
the wing is on the bird
Neville 12-Jun-2008 17:26
The poem has a number of verses ending in the poet having mercy on the 'boid' what dropped a 'toid' on him! Sadly I cannot find the copy which I wrote down many years ago. If anyone finds it I would be glad to have it again.
Kaity 30-Mar-2008 01:04
Ha! I found it! Yay!
My mom always recites this.. never knew who it was from..
I always thought the NJ accent was cause we were from NJ xD
I learn something new every day ^.^
Rose 26-Apr-2007 10:24
I Believe its by Ogden Nash
Ian McFall 31-Mar-2006 20:51
I believe the entire poem is as follows.. to be delivered in a New Jersey accent

Spring has sprung
The grass has riz
I wonder where the boidies is

The boids is on the wing!
Don't be absoid!
Da wings is on the boid!

Attributed by many to Spike Milligan of the BBC's "Goon Show"
Clio 01-Mar-2006 11:59
My dad was also determined that I should learn this wonderful piece of classic verse - but who first penned it? Love the photo.
Guest 13-Nov-2005 03:48
It's by Spike Miligan I think... My dad used to quote it too when I was a kid...
Al Chesworth16-Mar-2005 22:28
The birds is on the wing, absurd the wings is on the bird
xue200414-Dec-2004 01:44
So wonderful!
NJ 01-Dec-2004 04:57
LOL -- my grandfather quotes me that poem from time to time. I've never heard it from anyone else!

Love the depth of field and the way his head is turned away. Good work.
Guest 26-May-2004 12:59
Like everyone else, love the sweetness of this..
Piotr Siejka22-May-2004 22:02
What else is to be said... great pic!
Rick Lewis20-Apr-2004 02:02
Not your conventional bird shot. Excellent image.
Guest 20-Mar-2004 06:19
LOL Penny - and a Robin 'candid shot'!!
Guest 20-Mar-2004 04:44
Great perspective.
Vinay20-Mar-2004 02:41
Great shot
Guest 19-Mar-2004 23:01
Wonderful shot!
Mattana19-Mar-2004 22:23
Lovely picture.
Guest 19-Mar-2004 21:41
Love the "poem" very funny ... cute shot.
virginiacoastline19-Mar-2004 21:25
ROFLMAO!!! Luv your sense of humor!
christianl19-Mar-2004 21:20
Amazing capture. I really like it.