Another nursery collection, published in London 3 years after Miller’s poem, also contains just the first stanza, suggesting that the lyrics were circulating independently in the 1840s (Iona and Peter Opie Oxford, p.512-513).

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."

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.

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!

[5] Such was the popularity of Wee Willie Winkie that the character has become one of several bedtime entities such as the Sandman, Ole Lukøje of Scandinavia, Klaas Vaak of the Netherlands, Dormette of France[7] and Billy Winker in Lancashire.