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Thursday 1 December 2011

Heigh-ho, the derry-o - Sepia Saturday


When I saw the photo I didn't know where to start. Googling nurses got me to some naughty pictures so I though I would start nearer home with one of my favourite castles.
Richmond Castle

(By Ambersky235 - ex flickr - CC B-NC-SA 2.0)

I had to go much further away to find my group of nurses all looking very smart.
Early Memphis Nursing Sisters
But then I remembered this.
Nurse's Song (Innocence)
The poem by William Blake starts 
When voices of children are heard on the green
And laughing is heard on the hill,
My heart is at rest within my breast
And everything else is still.

From one song to another with a nurse involved.
The child takes a nurse,
The child takes a nurse.
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The child takes a nurse.
The nurse takes a dog,
The nurse takes a dog,
Heigh-ho, the derry-o,
The nurse takes a dog

I hope you all recognised the song - The Farmer in the Dell - which originated in Germany in 1820.

Now we are in December and Christmas is drawing near it's time for Dickens and I'm sure you'll all remember his character Tiny Tim. That link's enough for me to launch into the lyrics of  Tiny Tim.

Miss Lucy had a baby, a baby.
Miss Lucy had a baby and she named him Tiny Tim.
She put him in the bathtub to teach him how to swim.

He drank up all the water,
He ate up all the soap he tried to eat the bathtub
But it wouldn't go down his throat.
Miss Lucy called the doctor
Miss Lucy called the nurse,
Miss Lucy called the lady with the alligator purse.

Operation said the doctor,
Operation said the nurse,
Operation said the lady with the alligator purse.
Out came the water, out came the soap,

Out came the bathtub that wouldn't go down his throat.
Goodbye said the doctor,
Goodbye said the nurse,
Goodbye said the lady with the alligator purse. 

It's goodbye from them and goodbye from me. But before you leave don't forget to see other Sepia Saturday posts 
[Attributions: Bathtub - monicams; soap - laurianne; Alligator bag - nerissa's ring - CC BY 2.0]

20 comments:

L. D. said...

Oh my, I never knew the rest of the poem about Tiny Tim. That got to be pretty dangerous with bathtubs stuck in the throat. You are making me remember things that I thought I had totally forgotten though. Maybe you are making me feel old. Neat blog.

21 Wits said...

Oh this is great Bob, (naughty) nurses or not, ha ha...love all the photos, but your songs and poem, and just really silly and entertaining comentary is superb! Thanks! Now this song will be in my head all day long!

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

Bob, you cracked me up, lol ... it is always quite entertaining to visit Bob's Home for Writing!

Needless to say, I love this post and the bits of castles, nurses and medical advice thrown in.

Happy Sepia Saturday,

Kathy M.

Kristin said...

Ohhhh! I just got it Richmond Castle = Richmond VA. Clever post.

Unknown said...

Great Post Bob,
Stunningly cunning links with illustrations bringing back long forgotten chants (songs) from school days or some-when back then.

Bob Scotney said...

Kirstin, I missed out a word. Richmond Castle is in Yorkshire, England not VA

Little Nell said...

My goodness you’ve surpassed yourself with this outing, and all because someone mentioned Nurses :)

Postcardy said...

I never heard that funny one about Tiny Tim. I didn't know why the castle was there until I read the comments.

Wendy said...

You've brought "stream of consciouness" to a new level. But I must admit, this is more fun than Joyce.

Linda said...

Great free association on this week's theme. The Blake poem is a charmer. And love the Tiny Tim ditty, brought back memories of silly childhood songs that we somehow knew by heart.

Jinksy said...

Thanks for the jolliest post I've come across in a long while! Hehehe! ♥

tony said...

On The Subject Of Eating Soap....It reminded me of an old friend called Jim (an ex-miner from Wigan),Who recommended eating a spoonful of Vicks Vapour Rub Each Day to ward-off coal dust!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob .. great memories of Blake - thanks for the intro to his two songs and to the Tiny Tim one ..

Certainly reliving childhood times .. cheers Hilary

Anonymous said...

Very entertaining - and thanks for the reminder about the poems. I've got The Farmer in the Dell running in my head now! Jo

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

I knew none of that about Tiny Tim. I have had a deprived childhood. :(

I can't seem to tear my mind away from Tony's advice about Vick ... what on earth would that taste like.. ?

Unknown said...

Ya Bob the stereotypical nurses are either cutesy ones or Nurse Ratchett.LOL I loved this post and yes I have been to meetings at the hospitals and other places where the SCNs are ministering in Tenn. The hospital in Chattanooga, which I cannot think of the name, I have been there many times. Maybe named Memorial Hospital?
QMM

Bob Scotney said...

Tony/Sheila - I've stuck to Vick throat sweets myself. I would have thought the vapour rub would blow you head off - and your socks as well!

Alan Burnett said...

Another magical mystery tour. Half the fun is the writing, half the fun is the images and half the fun is the wonderful links. I know that doesn't add up : but who said it has to?

Liz Stratton said...

And to think, it all started with a nurse ....

Bruno Laliberté said...

Well, you always manage to give things a funny spin; but next time you fancy google-ing nurses, better check the "safe search "!!
I'm just saying...
naughty boy!!
do you realize there's ogle into google?
;)~
HUGZ