Games galore in Gryphon’s Garden

Song cupboard 3

Ring ding dong Johnny

Risha, rasha, rusha

Shady Grove

Sing ivy

Shortnin' bread

Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah

Song of the Delhi Tongawallah

Susie, little Susie

The bird song

The cockle gatherer

The jackfish

The old woman and her pig

The lion is king of the jungle

The poor king

The shiny little house

The spinning song

The tailor and the mouse

The Tottenham toad

The worm song

There once was a sow

There’s a fox in a box

There’s someone living on a big high hill

Walking through the jungle

What shall we do with the old sow’s hide?

When I first came to this land

Wim wim wobble-O

Last updated: 6/30/2015 4:28 PM

The songs below are part of ‘Away we go’

compiled, adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home

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Ring ding dong Johnny O

Another song that tells the story of Noah and the flood.

This one is from the BBC television’s Music Time Spring 1983.

Move around the room at different speeds – quickly each time the chorus is sung, more slowly for each verse.

There was a house of wood

A-floating on the sea.

Ring ding dong Johnny,

Dance along with me.

The rain had caused a flood,

There was no land to see.

Ring ding dong...

And every kind of beast

Had joined the company.

Ring ding dong...

And Noah steered the ark,

A brave old man was he.

Ring ding dong...

And when the floods had gone

They landed cheerfully.

Ring ding dong...

Risha, rasha, rusha O

This was translated by Mabel F. Wilson from words by G. Götze and the music is by G. Falke 1853-1916,

Risha, rasha, rusha,

The hare is in the bush!

Risha, rasha, rusha,

The hare is in the bush!

With his beady eye he’s watching,

He’s afraid you’ll try to catch him,

Risha, rasha, rusha,

The hare is in the bush!

Risha, rasha, rusha,

The hare is in the house! ...

Quickly run and catch his tail

Before he’s off o’er hill and dale,

Risha, rasha, rusha,

The hare is in the house!

Risha, rasha, rusha,

Oh have you caught him yet? ...

What, he’s run into the meadow?

Oh, you are a silly fellow!

Risha, rasha, rusha,

Oh have you caught him yet?

Sing ivy O

There are many versions of this song; The words of this one with slight changes come from ‘What the children sing’ harmonised by Alfred Moffat and was published around 1915.

My father he left me an acre of land,

Sing ovey, sing ivy.

My father he left me an acre of land,

Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.

I ploughed it one morning with a ram's horn,

Sing ovey, sing ivy.

I sowed it all over with two pepper corns,

Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.

I harrowed it next with a bramble bush...

And reaped it all with my little penknife...

The little mice carried it into the barn...

I threshed it there with a fine goose quill...

The cat she carried it into the mill...

The miller he said that he’d work with a will...

Shady Grove O

A traditional North American song that I enjoyed singing in the 1960s.

Shady Grove my little love

Shady Grove I know;

Shady Grove my little love,

Bound for the Shady Grove.

Cheeks as red as a blooming rose,

Eyes are the deepest brown;

You are the darling of my heart,

Stay till the sun goes down.

Went to see my Shady Grove,

She was standing in the door,

Shoes and stockings in her hand,

Little bare feet on the floor.

Wish I had a big fine horse,

And corn to feed him on,

Pretty little girl stay at home,

Feed him when I'm gone.

Shortnin' bread O

This children’s folk song with its great rhythm was regularly sung in UK classrooms in the 1960s and 70s.

I taught in Handsworth, Birmingham around this time and with its wonderful swing was very popular with the second generation children of West Indian immigrants in my classes.

It also featured in BBC radio’s Autumn term 1965 Time and Tune, albeit with one verse and chorus.

Find more about the origins of this lively song at: http://pancocojams.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/versions-of-shortnin-bread-1900-1950.html

Two little children lying in bed,

One jumped up and bumped his head.

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,

Mama's little baby loves shortnin' bread.

Mama's little baby loves shortnin', shortnin',

Mama's little baby loves shortnin' bread,

Mama's little baby loves shortnin', shortnin',

Mama's little baby loves shortnin' bread.

Put on the skillet, put on the lead,

Mama's gonna make a little shortnin' bread.

That ain't all she's gonna do,

Mama's gonna make a little coffee too.

Someone’s in the kitchen with DinahO

A popular summer camp song in the English speaking world.

Children love songs with nonsense words and phrases and even the youngest will pick up the words of the chorus quickly.

If you’re feeling very brave add an extra verse: Fee, plonk ting, fie, plonk ting, fiddle-ee-i-o, plonk ting,

Directions:

Mime the playing of instruments for each of the following sounds: fee/flute, fie/clarinet, fiddle-i-o/violin, plonk/drum, ting/ triangle

Song of the Delhi Tongawallah O

A Hindustani folk song. A Delhi tongawallah drives a horse and cart.

This translation can be found in ‘The Ditty Bag’ compiled by Jane E. Tobbit and written for the Girl Guides in 1946.

Move around the room at different speeds – quickly each time the chorus is sung and more slowly for each verse.

Gallop quickly, gallop quickly,

Gallop quickly brother horse.

Gallop quickly, gallop quickly,

Gallop quickly brother horse

We have still five miles of travelling

And the shades of night are falling.

If cruel robber do waylay us,

What to do then? What to do then?

Grain and grass be yours in plenty

If we get home quickly, horse.

Susie, little Susie O

This German folk song is a cradle song from the 17^th century from Lower Saxony ‘Suse, liebe Suse’ and is about desperation and poverty of the times. It later became familiar as a children’s song in the USA. Probably bought over by German settlers. This version is taken from this source.

Humperdink used it in 1893 at the beginning of his opera Hansel and Gretel.

I also came across a version ‘Susy little Susy’ in BBC radio’s Time and Tune; Spring 1966.

Susie, little Susie, now what is the news?

The geese are going barefoot because they've no shoes.

The gander can’t pay, so the cobblers refuse,

Pity little goslings that can’t afford shoes.

Susie, little Susie, some pennies I pray,

To buy a little supper of sugar and whey,

I'll sell my nice bed and go sleep on the straw,

Where feathers do not tickle and mice do not gnaw.

Eia-popeia, what is to be done?

Who'll give me milk and eggs, for bread I have none?

I'll go back to bed and I'll lie there all day,

If there's nothing for to eat then there’s nothing to pay.

The bird song O

There are many more verses to this song about courting.

"Hi!" said the blackbird, sitting on a chair,

"Once I courted a lady fair,

She proved fickle and turned her back,

And ever since then I've dressed in black."

Chorus:

Howdy dowdy diddle-um-dum,

Howdy dowdy diddle-um-day,

Howdy dowdy diddle-um-dum,

Howdy dowdy diddle-um-day.

"Hi!" said the blue jay and away he flew,

"If I were a young man I'd have two;

If one proved fickle and chanced to go,

I'd have another string to my bow."

"Hi!" said the little leather-winged bat,

"I will tell you the reason that,

The reason that I fly by night,

Is because I lost my heart's delight."

"Hi!" said the robin, with a little squirm,

"I wish I had a great big worm;

I’d fly away into my nest;

I have a wife I think is best."

The cockle gatherer O

A song from the Hebrides made famous by Kenneth McKellar. I came across it on the BBC radio programme Music Box in the 1980s

Eetia doo veel,

Eetia a doo horo,

Eetia doo veel,

Blythe I gather cockles here,

Eetia doo veel,

Eetia a doo horo,

Eetia doo veel,

Blythe I gather cockles here.

High scream the seagulls

Down on the skerry there,

High scream the seagulls

While I gather cockles here,

High scream the seagulls

Down on the skerry there,

High scream the seagulls

While I gather cockles here.

Eetia doo veel,

Eetia a doo horo,

Eetia doo veel,

While I gather cockles here etc.

Laughter of sea-waves

Down on the skerry there,

Laughter of sea-waves

While I gather cockles here.

Laughter of sea-waves

Down on the skerry there,

Laughter of sea-waves

While I gather cockles here.

Eetia doo veel,

Eetia a doo horo,

Eetia doo veel,

While I gather cockles here.

Eetia doo veel,

Eetia a doo horo,

Eetia doo veel,

Still I gather cockles here.

The jackfish O

A traditional song from Virginia. Find out more at: http://patmccaskey.com/jackfish-952

That old Jackfish swimming up the stream,

I asked that Jackfish what did he mean.

Just baited a hook to catch a shad,

The first thing he bit was my old Dad.

Chorus:

Oh, my lordy lor gal, Cindy, Cindy,

Lordy lor gal, Cindy Sue.

Fishpole broke and I got mad,

And down to the bottom went old Dad.

I grabbed that Jackfish by the snout,

And turned that Jackfish wrong side out.

The lion is king of the jungle O

A song from the 1970s. Words and music by Christopher Rowe.

The lion is king of the jungle,

A terrible beast to behold;

All of the animals know who he is,

And everyone does as he’s told,

Yes, everyone does as he’s told.

There’s no-one as strong as the lion,

And this is why he’s so proud:

He leaps in the air and creeps through the grass,

And his voice is terribly loud,

His voice is terribly loud.

You know when the lion is angry,

He lets out a frightening roar;

The birds fly away and the animals hide,

They know he is coming for sure,

Yes, they know he is coming for sure.

The lion is frightened of no-one,

He walks with his head held high;

The animals know by the mane on his neck

That this is the king going by,

Yes, this is the king going by.

The lion is king of the jungle,

A terrible beast to behold;

All of the animals know who he is,

And everyone does as he’s told,

Yes, everyone does as he’s told.

The old woman and her pig O

This is a traditional Appalachian song but the words here were written by Jean Gilbert and are more suitable for young children who will love making the piggy noises.You can easily find the macabre version on the internet.

There was an old woman and she had a little pig,

Oink, oink, oink. x2

There was an old woman and she had a little pig,

It didn't cost much 'cause it wasn't very big.

Oink, oink, oink.

Now that little pig curled up in a heap,

Oink, oink, oink. x2

That little pig curled up in a heap,

He joined his friends and went to sleep

Oink, oink, oink.

They slept and slept and slept and slept,

Sh, sh, sh, x2

They slept and slept and slept and slept,

And slept and slept and slept and slept,

Sh, sh, sh.

The farmer woke them one by one,

Oink, oink, oink. x2

The farmer woke them one by one,

And they rolled right out in the midday sun,

Oink, oink, oink.

They rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled,

Oink, oink, oink. x2

They rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled

And rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled,

Oink, oink, oink.

Those little pigs rolled back in their pen,

Oink, oink, oink. x2

Those little pigs rolled back in their pen,

They went to sleep once again,

Oink, oink, oink.

The poor king O

The words of this song are by Chris Green. The words are ideal for making up your own crazy verses.

The poor king found a goldfish in his bath,

A goldfish in his bath, a goldfish in his bath,

The poor king found a goldfish in his bath,

That swam between his toes.

The poor king found a monkey in his soup,

A monkey in his soup, a monkey in his soup,

The poor king found a monkey in his soup,

That pulled the poor king’s beard.

The poor king found a tiger in his bed,

A tiger in his bed, a tiger in his bed,

The poor king found a tiger in his bed,

That ate the poor king up.

The shiny little house O

A poem by Nancy M Hayes. One set firmly in the past!

I wish, how I wish, that I had a little house,

With a mat for the cat and a holey for the mouse,

And a clock going "tock" in the corner of the room,

And a kettle, and a cupboard, and a big birch broom.

To school in the morning the children off would run,

And I'd give them a kiss and a penny and a bun,

But directly they had gone from this little house of mine,

I'd clap my hands and snatch a cloth and shine, shine, shine.

I'd shine all the knives, all the windows and the floors,

All the grates, all the plates, all the handles on the doors,

Every fork, every spoon, every lid and every tin,

Till everything was shining like a new bright pin.

At night by the fire, when the children were in bed,

I'd sit and I'd knit, with a cap upon my head,

And the kettles, and the saucepans,

They would shine, shine, shine,

In this teeny little, cozy little house of mine.

The spinning song O

This can be heard in the Dutch, German (Spinn, spinn, meine liebe Tochter) and Scandinavian tradition with many variations. Most of the chorus’s translate as: ‘But I can't keep spinning My finger is hurting! It's sore, it's sore! I'll spin no more.’

But I have always been familiar with the chorus below.

Have a go at making up new rhyming verses. The verses below are my own.

“Spin, spin my dear daughter,

And I’ll buy you some shoes.”

“Oh, thank you dear mother,

Ones with buckles will do.

Chorus

I’ll spin and I’ll spin till my fingers are sore,

I’ll spin till I can’t spin any more!”

“Spin, spin my dear daughter,

And I’ll buy you a dress.”

“Oh, thank you dear mother,

One with pockets is best.

Chorus

“Spin, spin my dear daughter,

And I’ll buy you a hat.”

“Oh, thank you dear mother,

One with ribbons that flap.

Chorus

“Spin, spin my dear daughter,

And I’ll buy you some gloves.”

“Oh, thank you dear mother,

And a white turtle dove.

Chorus

“Spin, spin my dear daughter,

And I’ll buy you some socks.”

“Oh, thank you dear mother,

Ones with colourful spots.

Chorus

The tailor and the mouse O

This may well be familiar to some as ‘Uncle Feedle’ from Bagpuss which was adapted by Sandra Kerr from this traditional source. The version below is adapted from Cecil Sharp and Baring Gould's English Folk Songs for Schools; it has a kinder ending!

Another verse from the wonderful Alan Mill’s 1956 Folk songs for young folk ‘Animals’ album goes: The mouse ran here the mouse ran there… Until he tripped and fell downstairs…

There was a tailor had a mouse,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle,

They lived together in one house,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle.

Chorus

Hi-diddle-um-come, tarum tantum,

Through the town of Ramsey,

Hi-diddle-um-come over the lea,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle.

The tailor thought the mouse was ill,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle,

Because he took an awful chill,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle.

The tailor thought his mouse would die,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle,

He baked him in an apple pie,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle.

The pie was cut, the mouse ran out,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle,

The tailor chased him all about,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle.

The tailor gave him catnip tea,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle,

Until a healthy mouse was he,

Hi-diddle-um-come feedle.

The Tottenham toad O

This nonsense game collected by Cecil Sharp has a cheerful steady beat and would work well when accompanied by percussion instruments.

It also lends itself to moving about the room in different ways; running up the road, skipping…, jumping… - ask children for suggestions!

The Tottenham toad came trotting up the road

With his feet all swimming in the sea.

Pretty little squirrel with your tail in curl,

They’ve all got a wife but me.

The worm song O

Sometimes called ‘The hermaphrodite song’ as worms are hermaphroditic like slugs - but it still takes two to tango!

I first came across this song in ‘Sing a Merry Song’ by William Clauson and Basil Swift published in 1962. In 1975 it was published in ‘Sing’ by the Australian Broadcasting Commission - I picked up a copy recently in a charity shop in England!

The earth it was damp with the dew of the dawn,

And sweet scented air spread over the lawn,

A handsome young worm popped out from the ground,

Looking up from his hole, he gazed all around.

Just then as he stared at the sun in the sky,

Another little worm popped up quite nearby,

Said the first with a squiggle, “You’re a trim little worm,

Why not wriggle out here and we'll go for a squirm?”

“If you'd only agree to a brief rendezvous,

I would love to surrender my heart just for you,

I would build you a home and I'd treat you with care,

And happy we'd be as the birds in the air!”

Then the trim little worm gave a shake of its head,

As it sadly replied, “I would love to be wed,

But I fear we can't marry, though I know you'd be true,

For you see Mr. Worm, I'm the other end of you!”

There once was a sow O

A very sad pig tale!

There once was a sow who had three little pigs,

Three little piggies had she.

The old sow always went, “Oink oink oink!”

And the piggies went, “Wee wee wee-ee-ee!”

One day one of these three little pigs,

To the other two piggies said she,

‘Why don’t we always go, “Oink oink oink!”

It’s so childish to go, “Wee wee wee-ee-ee!”

These three piggies grew skinny and lean,

Skinny they well should be.

For they always would try to go, “Oink oink oink!”

When they should have gone, “Wee wee wee-ee-ee!”

These three little piggies they up and they died,

A very sad sight to see.

So don’t ever try to go, “Oink oink oink!”

When you ought to go, “Wee wee wee-ee-ee!”

There’s a fox in a box O

This song by Barbara Ireson has been adapted many times in my classrooms and is there for adapting to your particular topic; the tune too has changed over the years, many apologies Barbara.

The main objectives are to make up rhymes and of course have lots of fun while doing so.

There’s a fox in a box in my little bed,

My little bed, my little bed,

There’s a fox in a box in my little bed,

And there isn’t much room for me.

There’s a snake in a cake in my little bed…

There’s a giraffe in a scarf in my little bed…

There’s a rat in a hat in my little bed…

There’s a goat in a coat in my little bed…

There’s a stag in a bag in my little bed…

There’s someone living on a big, high hill O

Sing high and low with this echo song by Henrietta Clark.

There’s someone living on a high, high hill,

I wonder who it could be.

There’s someone living on a high, high hill

Who always answers me.

Yoo hoo! Yoo hoo!

S/he always answers me!

Yoo hoo! Yoo hoo!

S/he always answers me!

What shall we do with the old sow’s hide? O

A folk song from the U.S.A.

What shall we do with the old sow's hide?

Make a good cushion as ever did ride.

Coarse cushion, fine cushion, any such a thing,
The old sow died of the measles in the spring!

What shall we do with the old sow's feet?

Make a good pickles as ever was eat.

Coarse pickles, fine pickles, any such a thing,

The old sow died of the measles in the spring!

What shall we do with the old sow's meat?

Make a good bacon as ever was eat.

Coarse bacon, fine bacon, any such a thing,

The old sow died of the measles in the spring!

What shall we do with the old sow's tail?

Make a good whip as ever did sail.

Coarse whip, fine whip, any such a thing,

The old sow died of the measles in the spring!

Walking through the jungleO

A great song for a rain forest theme.

Move individually in and out of each other

Walking through the jungle,

What can you see?

I can see a tiger,

ROAR! ROAR!

Growling for his tea.

Oh, I do hope tea’s not me!

I can see a crocodile,

SNIP! SNAP!

Snapping for his tea

I can see a boa constrictor,

HISS! HISS!

Hissing for his tea

I can see an elephant,

TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP!

Trumpeting for his tea

I can see a monkey,

HOO-HOO-HOO!

Chattering for his tea...

Now he points and laughs at me!

Creep through the jungle.

Look from side to side making binoculars with hands.

Stand on the spot and make lion - shaped claws; move from side to side.

Roar with hands to mouth.

Prowl like a lion.

Pull hands to chest and shake head.

Move as above miming the distinctive movements of each animal.

When I first came to this land O

This is the version I’ve sung in schools since the 1970s It is easy for children to pick up as the verses are cumulative.

When I first came to this land

I was not a wealthy man.

So I bought myself a shack,

I did what I could.

And I called my shack ‘Break my back’,

But the land was sweet and good,

I did what I could.

When I first came to this land

I was not a wealthy man.

So I bought myself a duck,

I did what I could.

And I called my duck ‘Out of luck’,

And I called my shack ‘Break my back’,

But the land was sweet and good,

I did what I could.

So I bought myself a cow…

And I called my cow ‘No milk now’…

So I bought myself a wife…

And I called my wife ‘Run for your life’…

So I bought myself a donkey…

And I called my donkey ‘Horse gone wonky’…

So I bought myself a son…

And I called my son ‘My work’s done’!

Wim, wim, wobble-O O

(The foolish boy)

Find this version in Traditional Nursery Rhymes by John Graham, it has been slightly adapted below. You can find many more versions of this song including the Opie’s ’The ploughboy in luck’ at http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=56919.

My father died, I don’t know how,

He left me six horses to follow the plough.

Chorus

With a wim, wim, wobble-O,

Strim-strim-strobble-O,

Bubble-o, pretty boy, over the brow.

I sold the horses and bought me a cow,

But how for to milk her I didn't know how.

So I sold the cow and bought me a calf,

I never made a bargain but I lost the better half.

I sold my calf and bought me a pig,

The poor little thing it never grew big.

I sold my pig and bought me a hen,

To lay me an egg every now and then.

I sold that hen and bought me a cat,

The pretty little creature by the chimney corner sat.

I sold the cat and bought a mouse,

It set fire to its tail and it burnt down the house.

I sold my mouse and bought me a mole,

Darned old thing went straight down its hole!

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