I remember my mum bouncing me on her knees, chanting, Trot, trot to Boston Trot, trot to Lynn Trot, trot over the Charles And don't fall in.
Upon saying "in" while holding my hands she would slide me down to the floor, amidst much giggling.
The other one she liked was I went to the animal fair The birds and the bees were there The big baboon by the light of the moon Was combing his golden hair. The monkey, he got drunk He slid down the elephant's trunk The elephant sneezed. And fell to his knees. And that was the end of the monk'.
That was accompanied by much knee bouncing and sliding, too.
Hee! I heard it first from xiphias chanting it to my then-very-young-son when I came home while he was babysitting for us, as Ride a horse to Boston Ride a horse to Lynn Better be careful That you don't Fall In!
In my family it was Ride a train to Boston Ride a train to Lynn Ride a train to Lexington but don't fall in!
Which doesn't make so much sense, now that I think of it, since Lexington is a landlocked town. And one can no longer take a train there (although I believe it was still possible when I was a very small person), so I guess it would be more appropriate to say "Ride a bike to Boston," etc.
Also, I learned it from my mother, who didn't grow up around here (and her parents were from Germany and never lived in New England).
I'm a local kid, so I grew up with it. mabfan, however, is not originally from here, so even though he's heard it a bunch of times, it hasn't quite stuck.
Three cheers for someone else who knows the 2nd verse... I don't know the 3rd you give, though.
The final verse I have is
Trot-trot to Leominster Trot-trot to Ayer Look out little baby You'll never get there! [Abrupt stop to the knee bounce, which results in begging for "again! again!"]
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no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 12:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 12:48 am (UTC)Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Lynn
Trot, trot over the Charles
And don't fall in.
Upon saying "in" while holding my hands she would slide me down to the floor, amidst much giggling.
The other one she liked was
I went to the animal fair
The birds and the bees were there
The big baboon by the light of the moon
Was combing his golden hair.
The monkey, he got drunk
He slid down the elephant's trunk
The elephant sneezed.
And fell to his knees.
And that was the end of the monk'.
That was accompanied by much knee bouncing and sliding, too.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 01:46 am (UTC)Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Lynn
Watch out, <Baby's name>
You might fall in!
Same dropping on the "in", though.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 01:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 01:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 02:16 am (UTC)Ride a horse to Boston
Ride a horse to Lynn
Better be careful
That you don't
Fall
In!
(With the appropriate motions.)
no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 04:25 am (UTC)Ride a train to Boston
Ride a train to Lynn
Ride a train to Lexington
but don't fall in!
Which doesn't make so much sense, now that I think of it, since Lexington is a landlocked town. And one can no longer take a train there (although I believe it was still possible when I was a very small person), so I guess it would be more appropriate to say "Ride a bike to Boston," etc.
Also, I learned it from my mother, who didn't grow up around here (and her parents were from Germany and never lived in New England).
no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 08:52 pm (UTC)Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Lynn
Trot, trot to Boston
But don't fall in!
Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to town
Trot, trot to Boston
But don't fall down!
no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 04:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 01:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 02:15 am (UTC)oh man.
Do you need me to come over there and teach you that rhyme??
no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 02:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 02:20 am (UTC)Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Lynn
Trot, trot to Swampscott
But don't fall in!
no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 05:27 am (UTC)Trot-a-trot to Boston
Trot-a-trot to Lynn
You better watch out
or you might fall in!
Verse 2:
Trot-a-trot to Swampscott
Trot-a-trot to Dover
You better watch out
or you might fall over!
Verse 3:
Trot-a-trot to Chelsea
Trot to Merrimac
You better watch out
or you might fall back!
With the obvious baby-handling on the last word of each verse.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 12:19 pm (UTC)The final verse I have is
Trot-trot to Leominster
Trot-trot to Ayer
Look out little baby
You'll never get there! [Abrupt stop to the knee bounce, which results in begging for "again! again!"]
no subject
Date: 2010-02-24 03:22 pm (UTC)I haven't heard your third verse, but it is a great ending!
no subject
Date: 2010-03-02 06:46 pm (UTC)