"'''Wee Willie Winkie'''" is a Scottish nursery rhyme, whose titular figure has become popular the world over as a personification of sleep. The poem, written by William Miller and titled "Willie Winkie", was first published in ''Whistle-binkie: Stories for the Fireside'' in 1841.

The original text of 1841 was written in Scots and is below:

:Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toon,
:Up stairs an' doon stairs in his nicht-gown,
:Tirlin' at the window, crying at the lock,
:"Are the weans in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?"

:"Hey, Willie Winkie, are ye comin' ben?
:The cat's singin grey thrums to the sleepin hen,
:The dog's speldert on the floor and disna gie a cheep,
:But here's a waukrife laddie, that wunna fa' asleep."

:Onything but sleep, you rogue, glow'ring like the moon,
:Rattlin' in an airn jug wi' an airn spoon,
:Rumblin', tumblin' roon about, crawin' like a cock,
:Skirlin like a kenna-what, waukenin' sleepin' fock.

:"Hey Willie Winkie, the wean's in a creel,
:Wamblin' aff a bodie's knee like a verra eel,
:Ruggin' at the cat's lug and raveling a' her thrums-
:Hey Willie Winkie – see there he comes."

:Wearit is the mither that has a stoorie wean,
:A wee, stumpie, stousie, that canna rin his lane,
:That has a battle aye wi' sleep afore he'll close an e'e-
:But a kiss frae aff his rosy lips gies strength anew to me.

Versions paraphrased for English-language readers began to appear in print from 1844 in the form:

:Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
:Up stairs and down stairs in his night-gown,
:Tapping at the window, crying at the lock,
:Are the children in their bed, for it's past ten o'clock?

:Hey, Willie Winkie, are you coming in?
:The cat is singing purring sounds to the sleeping hen,
:The dog's spread out on the floor, and doesn't give a cheep,
:But here's a wakeful little boy who will not fall asleep!

:Anything but sleep, you rogue! glowering like the moon,'
:Rattling in an iron jug with an iron spoon,
:Rumbling, tumbling round about, crowing like a cock,
:Shrieking like I don't know what, waking sleeping folk.

:Hey, Willie Winkie – the child's in a creel!
:Wriggling from everyone's knee like an eel,
:Tugging at the cat's ear, and confusing all her thrums
:Hey, Willie Winkie – see, there he comes!"

:Weary is the mother who has a dusty child,
:A small short little child, who can't run on his own,
:Who always has a battle with sleep before he'll close an eye
:But a kiss from his rosy lips gives strength anew to me

*Such was the popularity of Wee Willie Winkie that the character has become one of several bedtime entities such as the Sand Man.

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wee_Willie_Winkie Wikipedia]
*[http://www.comicvine.com/wee-willie-winkie/4005-20248/ ComicVine]
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