Sunday, October 04, 2015

The lure of a book of poems

On this last visit, I took my elder granddaughter
Sung Under the Silver Umbrella,
a book of poems for children originally published in 1942,
and in several editions since. 
Many used copies are available on Amazon.
She likes it!
I forgot to check to see if it has one of my favorites, 
which is a children's counting-out rhyme or chant
which has been recorded in different forms. 


William Matrimmatoe
He's a good fisherman.
He catches hens,
Puts them in pens.
Some lay eggs.
Some lay none.
William Matrimmatoe
He's a good fisherman.
Wire, briar, limber, lock.
Three geese in a flock.
One flew east.
One flew west.
One flew over the cuckoo's nest.
Wire, briar, limber, lock.
Out goes you, old dirty dish rag, you.


I think is the "wire, briar, limber lock" that gets me!
For years, I thought "limberlock" was just one word. It sounds
like it should be!

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