Back before I was married, I lived in Paisley (Scotland) with an English roommate; we got along like clotted cream and jam, and, among other things, we would recite the following verse in sync any time we heard someone say, “I see”. There are longer, more elaborate versions that have been around for over 50 years. The mutations make it hard to trace it to the original source, as it seems that each person, school class or generation tweaks it with their own twist.
One Fine Day
“I see,” said the blind man to the deaf man
One fine day in the middle of the night,
As two dead men got up to fight;
Back to back they faced each other,
Drew their swords and shot each other.
A deaf policeman heard the noise,
And came and shot those two dead boys.
If you don’t believe my tale is true,
Ask the blind man, he saw it too.
Do you have any favourite rhymes, verses or ditties that you’ve known for years?
Please share them in the comments below!
Illustration: “Relativity”, by M.C. Escher
Stephanie Huesler 