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A Childhood Nonsense Rhyme From Where I Was Born

(We used to say this rhyme when I was small. I didn't write it, I don't know if anyone did or whether it was just made up by bored children with nothing better to do sat on a corner in the midlands.  So please excuse any simplicities or political incorrectness, I just thought it would be nice to share. I also wondered if anyone else had some more childhood rhymes local to them?)

 

One sunny day in the middle of the night,

Two dead men got up to fight, 

Back to back they faced each other,

Drew their swords and shot each other,

A paralysed donkey passing by,

Kicked a blind man in the eye,

Knocked him through a rubber wall,

Into a dry ditch and drowned them all,

If you don't believe this lie is true,

Ask the other blind man, he saw it too.

◄ I Hope

Sitting On The Shores ►

Comments

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Jason Bayliss

Wed 28th Aug 2019 15:48

I'm not sure why kids love disgusting things but it's without doubt that they do, when my boys were small any mention of willies, bums or poo absolutely cracked them up, I suppose it's the taboo of saying something a bit rude, and let's be honest, even in adulthood, a fart is always funny, unless you're in a confined space ? ?.

J. x

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jennifer Malden

Wed 28th Aug 2019 15:23

Didn't know this one or Devon's one. Why do kids like such disgusting ones?! I only remember, apart from the classic nursery rhymes

Good night
sleep tight
don't let the bugs bite!

Which I'm sure everyone knows. Jennifer

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Jason Bayliss

Tue 27th Aug 2019 12:08

Thanks Heart, all of these nursery rhymes and early rhymes are so deeply imbedded in our psyche, that they resonate with is all, I think that's perhaps why we all love them so much, because they reach down to the inner child.

J. x

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Heart of Lead

Tue 27th Aug 2019 11:41

Yes, it seems everyone knows it, or a part of it. A version. I love how old poetry is like a collective memory. Some bits of knowledge passed down but from where, we do not know. To read something I have only heard and probably in Canada... I am thankful you wrote it down here so that our collective memory might be refreshed.

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Jason Bayliss

Mon 26th Aug 2019 16:25

Thanks Heart. I think what's truly surprised me about this is that I genuinely thought that it was purely local to a small area of Britain and what's great about it is that people from all over the World are saying, "Oh yes I remember this one."

J. x

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Heart of Lead

Mon 26th Aug 2019 14:52

How strange, I know this poem as well, but I don't recall where I heard it. Maybe my auntie told it to us when we were small.

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Jason Bayliss

Sat 24th Aug 2019 11:47

Oh Devon, I absolutely love that, it's a wonderful thing to hear these childhood rhymes and songs from around the world. Maybe we should start a discussion so that everyone can share theirs?

And chrystel, I can't believe how widespread this one is, I honestly thought it was local to where I lived as a kid. It's great to hear that so many others know it.?

J. x

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Chrystel Roberts

Sat 24th Aug 2019 11:36

Hey Jason,

I know the first part of that rhyme from my childhood!

It truly is a small world!

Devon Brock

Sat 24th Aug 2019 11:18

Hello Jason, here is one local to my family. My father sang it to us as children. We then picked it up. It is sung to the tune of a very old Pepsi advert in the radio days. We think he wrote it, but that may not be the case. It may have been a playground thing in Brooklyn, NY in the early '40's. So here goes...

Monkey vomit
Camel snot
Scab sandwich
Pus on top
Twice as much
For a nickle too
Monkey vomit
Is a drink for you.

D

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Jason Bayliss

Sat 24th Aug 2019 10:49

Oh wow, see now that's really interesting because I didn't know how widespread it was. I think it also lends weight to the notion that childrens rhymes, nursery rhymes etc, are the beginnings for most of us of our understanding of rhyme, rhythm, scansion and tempo.
Thanks Kate, that's put a really big smile on my face.?

J. x

<Deleted User> (22444)

Sat 24th Aug 2019 10:25

Ha, you brought back memories. We used to play a clapping game with this.

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