this reminds me of a couple weeks ago when i was singing to my wee charge as she bouced on my knee: "this is the way the ladies ride/the ladies ride, the ladies ride/this is the way the ladies ride/so early in the morning" followed by "gentlemen" and "cowboys", each time the bouncing increasing in vigorousness.

it struck me how easily the rhyme flowed out of my mouth, while i was unconciously expecting her to figure out that of course a woman can ride as roughly as any cowboy and even be a cowboy if she wants... hmm. ridiculous. why bother filling her head with nonsense if her parents are just going to have to take it out later?

i changed it to bunnies, zebras, and elephants.

the full length version of "ten little indians" made me want to run away and hide and never look another native in the eye. it's a relic of historical and sociological interest, but, as far as i'm concerned, no longer useful for its intended purpose. ick.