Debbie sent the following rhyme. We were wondering if anyone’s heard of it, and if so, in which country(s).
My Mama bought a baby, a little tiny thing,
I could almost put it through my little rubber ring,
It takes all my good kisses and it took my baby bed
I’d like to take my dolly’s foot and hit it over the head.
It seems to be about a kid who just got a new sibling and isn’t too happy about it.
Please let us know if you’ve heard of this rhyme, and where, in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
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14 Responses to “Is Anyone Familar with the Rhyme, “My Mama Bought a Baby”?”
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October 1st, 2010 at 1:54 am
My mom used to recite it to me. However it went like this.
Momma bought a baby, an itsby bitsy thing,
I think I must could put it through my rubber ring.
Ain’t it awful ugly, ain’t it awful pink,
It just came down from heaven, that’s a fib I think.
The doctor told another, a great big awful lie,
my nose ain’t out of joint, that ain’t why I cry.
It got all my nice kisses, got my place in bed,
I think I’ll take my drumsticks and beat it in the head.
I think she had seen it in an old True Story magazine in the 1950s.
February 18th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
I’ve been trying to find this poem too. My mother use to tell it like this:
She always told it using “baby” talk, i.e ‘zing’ is ‘thing’, ‘sink’ is ‘think’, etc.
Muzzer bought a baby, itsby bitsy zing
Sink I’m gonna put it through my widdle rubber ring
Ain’t it awful ugly, ain’t it awful pink
Jus’ came down from heaven, dat’s a fib I sink
Doctor told a nudder great big awful lie
My nose ain’t out’a joint, dat’s not why I cry
Dot my nice kisses, dot my place in bed
Sink I’ll take my drumstick and beat it on the head
Would love to find the original publication.
If anyone finds anything my email address is vivianopasta@hotmail.com
Thanks!
August 24th, 2013 at 12:55 pm
I’m not sure what book it was in but my older sister and my twin sister used to quote it out of a poem book. I had never seen it in writing but remember them quoting it. I was probably 10-12 yrs old. I actually found this sight by searching for “Means to take me drumstick and beats him on da head”. I have quoted just that portion of the verse (as I had remembered it) many times over the years to express frustration with humor. My wife of 35 yrs has many times asked me “where did that come from?” I just told her a poem My sisters used to read out loud and giggle about. I have asked my elder sister what the name of the poem was. She didn’t even remember anything about the poem. I guess it goes to show you some people learn just as well from what they hear. I’m glad I found this and shared the whole poem with my wife.
July 30th, 2014 at 8:08 am
My mother also shared this poem with me as a child. She passed away in September 2013. While going through things I found her hand written version. There are two stanzas not included above: Zink I ought to love him, No, I won’t-so zere! Noisy, crying baby–Ain’t got any hair. Send me off wiz Biddy Every single day “Be a good boy Charlie — Run away and play.” Then it closes with: Dot all my nice kisses — Dot my place in bed, Mean to take my drumstick and hit him on ze head. No author’s name. But she practiced her shorthand by listening to the radio then transcribing it. Several poems were included in her notebook; pages yellowed and warn. Such special memories!
July 30th, 2014 at 11:03 am
You’re lucky to have those poems Roxann!
July 31st, 2014 at 1:00 am
Agreed! Thank you Lisa.
July 13th, 2015 at 1:08 pm
My grandmother taught school over in Kellog, Idaho. She used to recite this to us cousins:
Mama’s got a baby, itsys biitsy thing,
Ain’t it awful homely? Ain’t it awful pink?
Just came down from heaven, that’s a fib I think.
Doctor told another great big awful lie.
My nose ain’t out’a joint, That ain’t why I cry.
It’s stolen all my kisses and took my place in bed.
I think I’ll take my drumstick and hit it o’er the head!
July 29th, 2015 at 3:25 am
This is from a big book of poems and prose published over 100 years ago called Beautiful Gems Thought and Sentiment.
July 29th, 2015 at 1:01 pm
You can find the book online here.
April 12th, 2018 at 9:18 am
My mother used to say this piece to me. She learnt it from her mother . There’s much more too, but can only recall snippits. My mother, Pauline Margarson, nee Radford born in Norfolk England in 1885. Would love to know all the poem!
March 7th, 2019 at 4:42 pm
With tears in my eyes, I say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I learned the version Krisit posted with “Muzzers” instead of Mother, but I have been looking for this for years!
January 23rd, 2021 at 8:59 pm
My mother was born in 1896 and when she went to school…probably around 1902 they were required to learn a poem each week and recite it. She told the teacher they were all too long and she could not do it. So, he gave her the book and told her to pick one out herself. Apparently, she liked this one so much that it didn’t matter it was quite long. And, years and years later she could still recite it. Love that I’ve finally found others who remember it as well.
June 23rd, 2021 at 3:06 pm
My great grandmother used to sing a similar chant to us when we had a new sib in the 60’s. She was born in 1881 in Kansas. Never heard the middle part of the doc’s big lie!
Momma had a baby, itsy bitsy thing,
Think I could almost put ’em, thru my rubber ring.
Ain’t he awful ugly, ain’t he awful pink?
Come right down from heaven, that’s a fib I think.
Gets all my kisses, and my place in bed,
Think I’ll get my drumsticks, and beat ’em on the head!
May 15th, 2023 at 9:18 pm
I HAVE IT [IN] MY BOOK [IN MY] HOUSE.