"Aha" she cried, and waved her wooden leg aloft!

... For eight years, I had a spot on a national radio show in Canada (CBC) where I answer questions posed by listeners. I was known as The Answer Lady. I've been off this year because of budget cuts, but The host of the show, Vicki Gabereau, is moving on, so I was asked back to the final wrap up show live in a theatre next weekend.

For about 7 years I have been plagued by the question, where did "Aha" she cried, and waved her wooden leg aloft! come from? It seems that a lot of women in Canada in their seventies or eighties now use that as in exclamation, like Eureka! Likely these are women whose families originated in England. Over the years I have collected a number of variations from radio listeners and when I do public talks. I am dying to solve this mystery as my swan song. Here are some of the variations:

Aha she cried as she shook her wooden leg...
but the villain he still pursued her

Aha she said in childless glee as she shook her wooden leg aloft
and her glass eye rolled noiselessly down her dress front into the sink.

Manitoba 1930:
Aha, she cried as aloft she waved her wooden leg
and the price of timber went up.

"Aha, aha," the maiden cried
As she waved her wooden led and died,
"at last I have been satisfied."

It was on the bridge at midnight
'er lips were all a 'quiver
she coughed -- 'er wooden leg fell orf
an 'floated down the river.

Aha she cried in accents wild
and waved her wooden leg aloft
Tis false tis false
and with her evil eye
she swept the garden path.

Personally, I think it is from some sort of British Parlour Poetry or from a song. Does anyone know anything more? Thanks so much. And the Canadian radio listening public thanks you too... if I can pull this together this week I'll do in the show on Friday.

Marg Meikle
marg_meikle@mindlink.bc.ca