know an old king who commanded an army,
I don't know why he commanded that army, perhaps he'll die.





I know an old king who knighted some squires, he knighted the squires to help the army,
I don't know why he commanded that army, perhaps he'll die.

I know an old king who hired some serfs, he hired the serfs to feed the knights,
he knighted the knights to help the army,
I don't know why he commanded that army, perhaps he'll die.

I know an old king who hired a lord, he hired the lord to control the serfs,
he hired the serfs to feed the knights,
he knighted the knights to help the army,
I don't know why he commanded that army,
perhaps he'll die.

I know an old king who went into battle, he was shot in the head and that day he was declared dead!






The history of "I Know an Old King" is based on real kings in the Medieval times. The type of this nursery rhyme is cumulative because as the verses go on lines are added to each verse. It's about the kings that were afraid to die, but at the same time they wanted to show the people that they were brave enough to go to war. Then the king ended up getting many things to help his army and manor.

One thing the king would do is knight squires to fight for the manor. Most knights would do anything to protect the king from dying. At the end of the war, after all the trying, the king would die and the manor would die along with him because there was no a ruler.