Ì am fond of old rhymes and find it sad that sitting In front of a box watching "Beauty and the Beast" for the umpteenth time has, in many cases, replaced listening to one's parents or grandparents recite rhymes
One of the fascinating things about old rhymes is that, because they were anonymous and passed on by word of mouth, numerous variations on the same theme would arise. Memory also plays its part so it will be of interest to see if my bother, GB, recalls it exactly the same as I do.
For example, the version of 'One, two, three, mother caught a flea' that I was taught by my mother was -
One, two, three, mother caught a flea,
Put it in the teapot,
Made a cup of tea.
The flea jumped out,
Mother gave a shout.
In rushed father with his shirt hanging out.
If you were taught that rhyme were the words the same or slightly different? When I Googled it there were various versions but the thing that surprised me most was that some had three verses, the second beginning 'Four, five, six,' and the third 'Seven, eight, nine'.
