Thread: At my mothers knee

I still remember rhymes I learned from my mother as a little boy, not actually at her knee, she was a busy woman, but here we go

I wish I was a little lizard
Stuffing beetles down my gizzard
I think it must be simply wizard
To be a lizard.

I thought I saw an albatross a flying round a lamp
I looked again and saw it was a penny postage stamp
You'd best be getting home I said, the nights are very damp.

I thought I saw a banker's clerk a getting on a bus
I looked again and saw it was a hippopotamus
He takes up so much room, I said, there won't be much for us.

I wonder if time has distorted my memory of that last line. I will add if and as I remember more, but do you have any of these sort of childhood memories of rhymes?

Good old Google,

He thought he saw a Banker's Clerk
Descending from the bus:
He looked again, and found it was
A Hippopotamus.
'If this should stay to dine,' he said,
'There won't be much for us!'

I also discovered they are only two verses of a much longer piece, 'The mad gardener's song ' by Lewis Carrol, how appropriate.

My mother used to recite the Itsy Bitsy Spider to my brother and myself, Olly, when we were children. Always at night when we were put to bed under the covers.

I had to do an internet search to find the actual words to the little jingle.

Itsy Bitsy Spider - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout.
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain,
and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

Nice thread.

1, 2, 3 4 5,
Once I caught a fish alive.
6, 7, 8 9 10,
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on my right.

It's only been ten years since my mum sang that to me.

We used to sing this one during 'wet play' at my primary school. More of a camp song but, still relevant I think. The teacher sings each line first, and the students all repeat it together whilst clapping to the beat.

Flea! (FLEA!)
Flea fly! (FLEA FLY! etc.)
Flea fly flow!
Fista!
Coomberalla coomberalla coomberalla fista!
Oh no no no no navista.
Eeny meeny dessimeeny oowalla-walla-meeny,
Exameeny salameeny oowalla wah!
Beep diddlee appendappen oo ah badeepin dappin' SHH!

I have no idea where it originated from, or if the lyrics are even correct. Loads of fun though .

Flea! (FLEA!)
Flea fly! (FLEA FLY! etc.)
Flea fly flow!
Fista!
Coomberalla coomberalla coomberalla fista!
Oh no no no no navista.
Eeny meeny dessimeeny oowalla-walla-meeny,
Exameeny salameeny oowalla wah!
Beep diddlee appendappen oo ah badeepin dappin' SHH!

Hahaha that must have been fun!

The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout.
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain,
and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

We had that too, except it was incy wincy spider.

We had that too, except it was incy wincy spider.

I am guessing that was in India, India to the Midwest, These rhymes sure get about.

This is a rhyming song that me and my mom would sing every morning before I got up for school.

Down by the bay, (bay, bay)
Where the watermelons grow, (grow, grow)
Back to my home, (home, home,)
I dare not go, (go, go,)
For if I do, (do, do,)
My mother will say,
Did you ever see a bear in pink underwear?

The song starts all over again, with the last sentence having a new made up rhyme each time. The bear in pink underwear was my favorite. I always used it first. ;0)

Originally Posted by Sunny

This is a rhyming song that me and my mom would sing every morning before I got up for school.

Down by the bay...

That takes me back about a decade and a half, back when Raffi tapes were my main source of entertainment. Anyone remember that guy?

I have no idea who Raffi is. Who is he?

Neither did I, but thanks to the mighty Google I do now,

Raffi- The More We Get Together - YouTube

I am not sure I am any better off for it.

Eeny meeny miney mo
Catch a nigger by the toe
If he squeals let him go
Eeny meeny miney mo



Don’t shoot me, I’m just the messenger.

Don’t shoot me, I’m just the messenger.

In a similar non-pc vein,

My mother said that I never should
Play with the gypsies in the wood
If I did then she would say
Naughty little boy to dis-o-bey.

Then she would tell me about her grandfather who was wood reeve for Mereworth woods and how he was friends with the Gipsies and let then camp there during the picking season.

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

Don’t shoot me, I’m just the messenger.

I'll need a better reason then that.

Here, problem solved, I revised it for you. You've been eating too much kangaroo meat, Ox. Or sleeping with too many. Whichever it is you like.

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

Eeny meeny miney mo
Catch a cracker by the toe
If he squeals let him go
Eeny meeny miney mo

Does have a nice little ring to it.

Originally Posted by Olly Buckle

In a similar non-pc vein,

My mother said that I never should
Play with the gypsies in the wood
If I did then she would say
Naughty little boy to dis-o-bey.

I don't get it.

Inky pinky ponky
Father had a donkey
Donkey died
Father cried
Inky pinky ponky

This was one of those fun hand clapping games that girls loved to play at recess. And wow... I can't believe I remembered this one!!!

Mrs. Molly had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell
Mrs. Molly went to heaven, the steamboat went to
Hello operator, please give me number 9
And if you disconnect me, I'll kick you in behind
The yellow curtain, there was a piece of glass
Mrs. Molly sat upon it, and hurt her little
Ask me no more questions, and tell me no more lies
The boys are in the bathroom, doing up their
flies are in the city, the bees are in the park
The boys and girls are kissing, in the D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K, D-A-R-K, Dark-Dark-D-D-D-Dark!