Bob,

Re Little Ball of Yarn, do you mean that the song itself begins sweet and innocent? In the only version that I remember part of it begins:

In my prison cell I sit
With my finger in my shit
And the shadow of my bollocks on the wall

Unfortunately I can't recall the rest.

Re the limerick book I guess that was one that I perused a couple of times some years back in a bookshop here in London. It boasted 1700 limericks. Sadly I didn't have the money at time.

Hoot