What serindipity! I just today got the notion to trace the history of this song that my father used to sing to me. On a long shot, I typed "Twenty froggies went to school" into Google, and Voila! Discussions plus all the words. Thank you, one and all.   Dad went to school in rural Michigan in the 1918.   His mom was born in Michigan as well in 1879. If it was in the paper in 1879, was it already popular or was it new?