An Old Children's Rhyme

[crazychicknlady]

One, two, buckle my shoe.
Three, four, shut the door.

Five, six, pick up sticks.
Seven, eight, lay them straight.

Nine, ten .....

Now this is where it gets complicated. When I was a kid I learned the rhyme as:

Nine, ten, a big fat hen.
-------OR-------
Nine, ten, do it again. (Followed by singing the song again)

That was the last line I knew to sing; there was never a proper completion to the third part. The thing is, I never noticed the rhyme needed another line.

That is, until I read Sandra Dodd's mention of it somewhere. She said as a girl she sang:

Eleven, twelve, dig and delve.

I told H about the extra line, and it pleased her, so now she sings the last two lines:

Nine, ten, a big fat hen.
Eleven, twelve, dig and delve.