We also haD A GREAT VERSION OF mARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB...
Mary had a little lamb
It followed her to school
It made the children laugh and play
to see a lamb at school
the bigger kids added this
Mary had a little lamb
It ... upon the floor
the teacher had to lick it up
and spit it out the door
I dont remember that one sung as loudly but it was sung...
and the teachers heard it...
and not teacher ever complained of being insulted or threatened or scared of our potential to do mayhem...
As it happened, one of the funniest, neatest guys in my class was named Mike Baty. For months, every time the teacher would call on "Master Baty," the whole class would sit quietly repressing sniggers and snickers, and the teacher would look perplexed. I remember the look on his face when he finally figured it out. He called on Master Baty, the sniggering began, and his eyes suddenly got this "lightbulb just went on!" look.
ANYWAY, this teacher had us memorize the Robert Frost poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Perhaps you remember it -- "Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though. He will not see me stopping here to watch his woods fill up with snow," etc. It's a nice poem.
Well, one of its lines is: "My little horse must think it queer to stop without a farmhouse near." Mike -- when the teacher was out of earshot -- often shared with the rest of the class his own version of the line:
"My little horse must think it queer when I stick my finger up his rear ..." ... and of course, the whole class would simply melt into giggling convulsions.
I felt a lot sorrier for the teacher than I did for us!
I often think of Mike and hope he's doing well.