John Barleycorn
Robert Burns
1759 to 1796
Drag the words to the correct places to complete the poem. To reset the game, click on the "Reset Game" button located below the poem. This will clear all the words you've placed in the blanks, returning them to the word bank and resetting the poem to its original state with empty blanks.
There was three kings into the east,
Three kings ______ great and high,
And they hae sworn a solemn ______
John Barleycorn should die.
They took a plough and plough'd him down,
Put clods upon his head,
And they ______ sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn was dead.
But ______ cheerful Spring came kindly on,
And show'rs began to fall;
John Barleycorn got up again,
And sore surpris'd them all.
The sultry suns of Summer came,
And he grew ______ and strong;
His head weel arm'd wi' pointed spears,
______ no one should him wrong.
The sober Autumn enter'd mild,
When he grew wan and pale;
His bending joints ______ drooping head
Show'd he began to fail.
His colour sicken'd more and more,
He faded into age;
And then ______ enemies began
To show their deadly rage.
They've taen ______ weapon, long and sharp,
And cut him by the knee;
Then tied him fast upon a cart,
Like a ______ for forgerie.
They laid him down upon his back,
______ cudgell'd him full sore;
They hung him up before ______ storm,
And turned him o'er and o'er.
They filled ______ a darksome pit
With water to the brim;
They ______ in John Barleycorn,
There let him sink or swim.
______ laid him out upon the floor,
To work him ______ woe;
And still, as signs of life appear'd,
They toss'd him to and fro.
They wasted, o'er a scorching flame,
The marrow of his bones;
But a miller us'd ______ worst of all,
For he crush'd him between two stones.
And they hae taen his very heart's blood,
And ______ it round and round;
And still the more and ______ they drank,
Their joy did more abound.
John Barleycorn ______ a hero bold,
Of noble enterprise;
For if you ______ but taste his blood,
'Twill make your courage rise
'Twill make a man forget his woe;
'Twill heighten all ______ joy;
'Twill make the widow's heart to sing,
Tho' ______ tear were in her eye.
Then let us toast ______ Barleycorn,
Each man a glass in hand;
And may ______ great posterity
Ne'er fail in old Scotland!