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Thursday, February 22, 2007

20 Froggies

When I was little, my Grandma used to sing a song called "20 Froggies" to me and my cousins. Years went by and I forgot about the song. After Joey was born, and I went home to Ohio for a visit, she was holding Joey and started to sing it. After Grandma had her open heart surgery and stroke over the summer, I feared that I would never learn the words to the song I grew up hearing her sing. I didn't want the tradition lost. Up until today, I could only remember the first verse, I couldn't remember the rest of the lyrics for anything and today it hit me to do a google search and I found it! Now I can continue singing the song to my son that I grew up loving my grandma to sing to me! I can't wait to tell Grandma that I found the song online!

Twenty Froggies
BY GEORGE COOPER

Twenty froggies went to school
Down beside a rushy pool
Twenty little coats of green,
Twenty vests all white and clean.

"We must be in time," said they,
"First we study, then we play"
That is how we keep the rule,
When we froggies go to school."

Master Bull-frog, brave and stern,
Called his classes in their turn,
Taught them how to nobly strive,
Also how to leap and dive.

Taught them how to dodge a blow,
From the sticks that bad boys throw.
Twenty froggies grew up fast
Bull-frogs they became at last.

Polished in a high degree,
As each froggie ought to be.
Now they sit on other logs,
Teaching other little frogs.

16 comments:

Connie said...

how sweet! what a special thing to pass on!

Anonymous said...

What is the tune of it? In my mind I'm siging it to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle little star! It fits!

Imperfect Christian said...

I'm so glad you'll have that to pass on to your own kiddos!

Carey said...

How sweet, i bet Joey will like that song. My Grandma used to sing us a song too, but I dont rememebr it anymore, I will have to ask her next time I talk to her, Thanks for the memory.

Michelle said...

That is so sweet that you have this song to sing and pass on to Joey now! I have never heard of it before; thank goodness for google :)

Anonymous said...

Great idea to google it, glad you found it.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful tradition to carry on. We sing all the songs from my childhood at our house as well.

The Mom said...

Awww - that is so cool that you found it! I'm so glad that your grandma is doing alright :) I bet Joey and your other kiddos to come will treasure the song as much as you do!!!

Anonymous said...

Aww, this is great, my grandpa used to sing this to me when I was little, and I've been trying to remember it for quite some time. I got the idea to Google it and I'm very glad I did. He only knew the first 3 verses though, and now I'm glad to be able to share this with my friends and family too.

Mary said...

My dad used to sing this song to me! Only the first two and the last verse though. I never knew there were two more verses in there! I also google the words to songs. My dad passed away 10 years ago, and unfortunately he never had the opportunity to meet my husband or my children. But like you, I don't want the traditions that I loved so much from when I was little to be lost on my own kids. :)

Siddhartha said...

Hey..Thanks a tonne!!!....

I actually had a bet with my fren' that i can find this poem on Internet...but he was so sure that i wouldnt....

Well ill pass on the cadbury that i will in the bet to u...u deserve it....

mommymaidit said...

I was googling this to find the lyrics, and came across this! Thank you so much for posting this! My mom used to sing this to me any time that I was sick. I couldn't get through your posted lyrics, I was bawling like a baby. My son asks me EVERY nap and EVERY nigh nigh for "twenty ebbitts". Ebbitts is what he calls frogs because to him they make a ebbit ebbit (ribbit ribbit). And for the past three years of his life this is what I have been singing:

"Twenty froggies went to school
Down in by the wishing pool
twenty froggies nice and cool
when the froggies go to school
We must be on time said they
first we work and then we play"

Over and over and over and over so boring (for me). BUT not bad for remembering it from 20 years ago!!! haha Now I just printed it out and I am going to tape it up on his wall by his bed. It will make singing it much more fun for me now!! Thanks again so so much!!

Anonymous said...

My father sang this to me when I was small - he was born in 1879, so since he learned it from his mom, it is a very old song. The toon he sang was like "hush little baby." There are some differences in the words, but it is basically the same.

Anonymous said...

My father sang this to me when I was small - he was born in 1879, so since he learned it from his mom, it is a very old song. The toon he sang was like "hush little baby." There are some differences in the words, but it is basically the same.

Cindy said...

My sweet Mom (born in Mississippi in 1933!) sang this song to me and my 3 siblings when we were little....my 9 yr old son STILL calls this his favorite bedtime song and asks for it almost every night (along with "Bobby Shafto" !) Singing to our children is such a special, loving, and important memory making part of raising them! Keep on singing everybody!

One for Fun said...

Thank you very much. Our grandmother used to read this to us at bedtime. It is a cherished poem.