Listen to the traditional French nursery rhyme, Frere Jacques. Frere Jacques, also known as Brother John in English, is a short rhyme about a friar who has overslept and needs to wake up and ring the morning bells. The first publication of the nursery rhyme melody along with the lyrics appeared in Paris, France around 1869. Nursery rhymes offer numerous developmental benefits for young children from language and literacy skills to cognitive and social, emotional development. Repetition of these short little rhymes has big impacts on our little ones so no wonder they have stood the test of time.