[118] An old way of arranging this is for each of the group to put a finger inside a hat, in order that the words may be told off on the fingers.
[119] English onery, twoery, etc. The forms we give date back to about 1820, before the publication of the "Nursery Rhymes of England." There are numerous small variations. "Virgin Mary" we have from informants in the Middle States; "Irish Mary" was the common New England phrase.
[120] This rhyme was used only by girls. Boys employed No. 2, and would have been laughed at for counting like girls.
[121] Used by boys in the western part of the town, where were the toll-house and negro settlement.
[122] English rhymes:
Oneery, twoery, ziccary, zan,
Hollowbone, crackabone, ninery, ten—etc.
[123] This class of formulas (Nos. 1 to 8) appear to be mere variations of the same type, a fact which does not prevent individual forms from exhibiting a wonderful permanence. We consider as identical a class of German formulas, very wide-spread and variable, thus:
(a.) Unichi, dunichi, tipel-te! Tibel, tabel, domine.
(b.) Eckati peckati zuchati me, Avi schavi domine.
(c.) Aeniga mäniga tumpel-ti, Tifel, tafel numine.
(d.) Anigl panigl subtrahi! Tivi tavi, domini.
(e.) Endeli bändeli deffendé, Gloria tibi domine.
A rhyme quoted by Mr. Ellis from the Millhill Magazine (a school paper), and credited to America, is similar:
(f.) Eeney, meeny, tipty te, Teena, Dinah, Domine.