Mr. Beard, to whom I am indebted for much, has collected many of these rhymes. It will interest boys to compare some of them with those he already knows.
Sometimes it happens that there are more boys than words in the counting rhyme, or the counter foresees that he himself will be it. In both cases he adds to the verse something like this:
One, two, three,
Out goes he!
Often he will add a whole verse and dialogue as follows:
One, two, three,
Out goes he,
Into the middle
Of the deep blue sea!
Are you willing to be IT?
Here is a rhyme that has in it a distinctly American twang:
Ena, mena, mina, mo,
Catch a niga by the toe,
When he hollers, let him go,
Ena, mena, mina, mo.
Here is another familiar jingle:
Anna, mana, mona, Mike,
Barcelona bona, strike;
Care, ware, frow, frack,
Hallico, ballico, we, wo, wack!
Huddy, goody, goo,
Out goes you!
Eatum, peatum, penny pie,
Babyloni, stickum stie,
Stand you out there by!
This is Irish: