Help: nicht at eenie?

Subject: RE: Help: nicht at eenie?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 08:09 PM

Thankyou for the elucidation, Ewan.  The only reference I could find to the book -outside this site, that is, where Murray of Saltspring used to refer to it regularly, though only by its title- was at the index of the Special Collections of Florida State University, where the book is credited to MacNab.  Presumably he was, as you say, the illustrator.  Murray gave the lyric in the file I linked to above.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Help: nicht at eenie?
From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 06:33 PM

Sorry, should have added the lyric you seek. From the Montgomeries - various editions. It is a small gem, a favourite of mine.
The Montgomeries give no tune, I have sung it to a trimmed version of The Roke and the Wee Pickle Tow.

There was a piper had a coo,
An he'd nae hey tae gie her.
He took his pipes, an played a tune,
Consider, auld coo, consider.

The coo considered vera weel,
Fir she gied the piper a penny,
That he micht play the tune again
O' Corn Rigs are Bonny.

Subject: RE: Help: nicht at eenie?
From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 06:27 PM

There is a copy of the book in the Scottish National Library, Edinburgh. Several of the versions of Scottish children's songs contained in it are also in the Montgomeries' Sandy Candy and some editions of their Scottish Nursery Rhymes with the same lyrics and musical arrangements complete with oddly shaped rectangular notes. This has lead me to the firm conclusion that the Montgomeries contributed to the Nicht At Eenie collection.
My notes say the following. edited by Rev A A W Ramsay and others (1932) Nicht At Eenie. Warlingham, Samson Press. No mention of any MacNab as author on the book that I recall - maybe he did the cover?

Subject: RE: Help: nicht at eenie?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 02:04 PM

Nicht at Eenie was a book by Iain MacNab, published in Edinburgh in 1932.  I have never seen it, but it is referred to (by title only) in a number of files in the Digital Tradition, for example:

KATIE BEARDIE
THERE WAS A PIPER HAD A COO

I presume that it was a collection of Scottish children's songs; there was an Iain MacNab, a book illustrator and wood-engraver, active at that time; perhaps the same person.  That's all I know.

Malcolm

Subject: nicht at eenie?
From: GUEST,dc aitch
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 11:58 AM

I have an extract from 'There was a piper had a coo' in a novel by Nan Shepherd, 'The Weatherhouse'. I would like to find a definitive source for the lyric - several pages refer to 'Nicht at Eenie' and i can't seem to find out any more than that. Is anyone able to tell me exactly what Nicht at Eenie is and if there is any online resource for further info? I look forward to hearing from somebody, anybody...