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Can Someone Help with a German Lap Rhyme?

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Gloria wrote to me:

Hi, my grandma (born in Eisleben in 1875, emigrating to the Midwest in 1902, married her second husband (my grandfather) in St. Paul, lived most of her life in Wisconsin with her third husband), recited a rhyme when dandling a baby on her extended foot, either with legs crossed at the hips (or just straight out, but the dad’s were best at that). The rest of the family did it for every baby/little child, including myself. We never saw it in print, and we only have the phonetic sound from listening to it. Phonetically, it went something like what follows. I would dearly love to know exactly what it meant, although it is obvious based on what happened to the child:

Grandma (and all the rest of us who had children) would cross her legs at her hips, sit the baby on her upper ankle, hold the baby’s two hands in hers, and bounce the baby lightly up and down, until the end of the rhyme, when she would let the child fall back, laughing, and then lift the child back up, and begin again!

Scheckle, scheckle, reiderlein,
Ven die kinder kleinerschein
Reiden zie auf steckerlein,

Ven zie greis auf verten
Reiden zie auferten
Zen zie verten,
Klip, Klop, Klip Klop
Reiden zi (then something like a scary word or sounds)

“Boom stehl leckta!” really loud!

The adult lets the child fall back, usually grinning happily. (Sometimes a baby didn’t like it but others wanted you to pull them up onto your ankle and do it again! Some kids got a little dizzy if you did this action too fast! But mostly they loved it. I don’t remember their doing it with me, but I am certain they did, that’s where the phonetic sound and rhythm of the lines as I remember them come in, as well as my mother’s saying it to me when I was older and wanted her to tell me what it was, but it would always have been a phonetic memory, since she never really learned much German except what was common… the words you aren’t supposed to say!) This was done several times, until either one’s leg was tired, or the child needed a rest. I just used the phonetic version when I treated my kids as babies to the fun game, but for some reason I never asked my grandma. I was told that it meant something like, “When a child is little it rides on a stick horse, but when it tries to ride a real horse, he will go faster and fall off.” Have you ever heard this? I possibly have some of the phonetics wrongly remembered, but the rhythm and sounds and actions are still in my brain.

Thanks for any help you can give. I do like your website, I found it by way of BING. I think it is very interesting as to the German, lots of Germans settled in America. My father’s ancestors may have come from Austria, as well as Germany, but came to Wisconsin in the 1840’s, met and married, learned English, so they never spoke German at all when we knew them. A grandson, age 12, who has been learning German, took to it immediately, and loves it, as well as Norwegian, so there must be an inherited acclimation to the sound of a language.

Sincerely,

Gloria Koeser Laundrie

Thanks for sharing your song with us Gloria! If anyone can help with the German version and/or an English translation, please let us know in the comments below.

Cheers!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in 1512, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, German, German Children's Songs, German Nursery Rhymes, Germany, Horse Trotting Rhymes, Languages, Lap Rhymes, Lap Rhymes, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions, Rhymes by Theme | 8 Comments »

Horse Trotting Rhymes to Play with Older Kids

Sunday, July 27th, 2008

In my previous blog post I mentioned some English rhymes which can be played with children sitting on adults’ laps, with either babies or older kids.

This time, I’d like to discuss another genre of lap rhymes called Horse Trotting Rhymes.

Horse Trotting Rhymes are usually done with older kids. You wouldn’t want to play these babies since you don’t want to jiggle their heads.

When singing these songs you move your legs up and down with the child on your knees as if they’re riding a horse. Older kids love these rhymes.

Ride a Cock-horse to Banbury Cross is one of the best-known English Horse Trotting Rhymes…

Ride a Cock-horse to Banbury Cross

Ride a cock-horse* to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.

*A cock-horse is anything a kid rides on and pretends is a horse (i.e. someone’s lap, a rocking horse or a wooden stick with a wooden horses head).

Trot, Trot, Trot to Boston is another well-known Horse Trotting Rhyme. Below I’ve listed some of the variations of the rhyme…

Trot, Trot, Trot to Boston

Trot, trot, trot to Boston
(Gently bounce the child on your knees)

Trot, trot, trot to Lynn.
(Gently bounce again)

Watch out Little One/Girl/Boy/or kids’ name
(Gently bounce knees again)

Or you’ll fall in/You’re going to fall in!/or Cause you might fall in!
(Open knees/Gently bring child down between knees and then lift back up)

Variation:

Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Maine
Trot, trot
And home, home again.

Or:

Trot, trot, to Boston;
Trot, trot, to Lynn;
Trot, trot, to Salem;
Home, home again.

When singing this next song you move your legs up and down with the child on your knees. With each verse you move your legs a little higher…

This Is the Way the Ladies Ride

This is the way the ladies ride,
Tri, tre, tre, tree,
Tri, tre, tre, tree!
This is the way the ladies ride,
Tri, tre, tre, tre, tri-tre-tre-tree!

This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Gallop-a-trot,
Gallop-a-trot!
This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Gallop-a-gallop-a-trot!

This is the way the farmers ride,
Hobbledy-hoy,
Hobbledy-hoy!
This is the way the farmers ride,
Hobbledy-hobbledy-hoy!

Here’s a similar one…

Here Goes My Lord

Here goes my lord
A trot, a trot, a trot, a trot,
Here goes my lady
A canter, a canter, a canter, a canter!

Here goes my young master
Jockey-hitch*, jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch!
Here goes my young miss
An amble, an amble, an amble, an amble!

The footman lags behind to tipple** ale and wine,
And goes gallop, a gallop, a gallop, to make up his time.

*To jockey is to ride a horse like in a race as if you’re a jockey. To hitch is to raise with a jerk. So I believe jockey-hitch describes riding a horse quickly, yet, fitfully up and down.
**To drink

Here’s one more…

Little Shon a Morgan

Little Shon a Morgan
Shentleman of Wales,
Came riding on a nanny-goat,
Selling of pigs’ tails.

Chicky, cuckoo, my little duck,
See-saw, sickna downy;
Gallop a trot, trot, trot,
And hey for Dublin a towny!

If you would like to share any more Horse Trotting Rhymes with us, feel free to tell us about them in the comments below.

The illustration comes from The National Nursery Book.

Enjoy and have fun!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in American Kids Songs, Australia, British Children's Songs, Canada, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, England, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Games, Great Britain, Horse Trotting Rhymes, Languages, Lap Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes About Animals, Rhymes by Theme, USA | 7 Comments »

Lap Rhymes to Play with Babies

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

I received a letter from Hungary from Mrs. Török looking for English rhymes to play with children sitting on laps. She wrote that she’s looking for “British, American or Canadian short riddles or rhymes which we don’t have to sing but they can be played while the children are sitting on the mothers’ legs. These rhymes would be played with babies.”

This Little Piggy is probably the most well-known rhyme that people do with babies in the English speaking world.

This Little Piggy

This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed at home,
This little piggy ate roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went…
“Wee wee wee wee wee”
All the way home…

As you say each line you wiggle each of the baby’s toes, starting with the big toe and wiggling each toe until you’ve done all five. On the last two lines you tickle the child up the leg – as if the “piggy” is running home.

Listen to This Little Piggy Went to Market

Round and Round the Garden is especially popular in England…

Round and Round the Garden (also known as Teddy Bear)

Round and round the garden…
(Run your index finger around child’s palm.)
Like a teddy bear.

One step, two step…
(Walk your fingers up the child’s arm.)

Tickle you under there!
(Tickle under armpit!)

Open, Shut Them is popular in the US…

Open, Shut Them

Open, shut them.
Open, shut them.
Give a little clap, clap, clap.

Open, shut them
Open, shut them.
Put them in your lap, lap, lap.

Creep them, creep them,
Creep them, creep them,
Right up to your chin, chin, chin.

Open wide your little mouth,
But do not let them in.

Open and close your hands when you sing “Open, shut them” and then follow the words to the song and make the corresponding hand movements while you sing. On “do not let them in” hide your hands behind your back.

Listen to Open, Shut Them

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is popular around the world. Children point to each body part as they are listed. Older kids usually point by themselves. On babies, you can help them touch each part with their hands…

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.

Listen to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

How Big is Baby

This is a simple game where you say “How big is (Child’s name)?” Then in a high voice you answer, “So big!” while gently putting the baby’s arms up in the air.

Little kids love that one.

Here’s one to recite while gentle tapping the bottom of the baby’s feet…

Shoe a Little Horse

Shoe a little horse,
Shoe a little mare,
But let the little colt go
Bare, bare, bare.

Here’s one to say while gently touching the different parts of the baby’s face…

Brow brinky

Brow brinky,
Eye winky,
Chin choppy,
Nose noppy,
Cheek cherry,
Mouth merry.

With the above rhyme you can touch the baby’s hand to your face while you wiggle your brows, wink your eyes, move your jaw up and down, wriggle your nose, blow out your cheeks and smile.

While saying the following rhyme you can help the child make the associated motions…

Two Little Hands Go Clap, Clap, Clap

Two little hands go clap, clap, clap,
Two little feet go tap, tap, tap,
Two little legs kick high, high, high,
Two little lips go kiss, kiss, kiss,
Two little arms go hug, hug, hug,
Two little arms wave bye, bye, bye.

If anyone would like to add any lap rhymes in the comments below, we’d love to learn more!

Enjoy and have fun!

Mama Lisa

UPDATE: Check out my next post for Horse Trotting Rhymes to Play with Older Kids!

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Posted in American Nursery Rhymes, Australia, Canada, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, England, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Finger Plays, Great Britain, Hand Clapping Rhymes, Languages, Lap Rhymes, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Parenting, Rhymes by Theme, USA | 3 Comments »

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Can Someone Help with a German Lap Rhyme?

Horse Trotting Rhymes to Play with Older Kids

Lap Rhymes to Play with Babies