Polar bears in skipping song

Photo: BBC news photo, 2005

Skipping songs reflect changing history and social norms. In these days of global warming and threatened species, this skipping rhyme from the fifties takes on a tragic air.

Hello, hello, hello, sir,
Are you coming out, sir?

No sir,
Why sir?
Because I've got a cold, sir.
Where did you get the cold sir?
From the North Pole, sir.
What were you doing there sir?
Catching polar bear, sir.
How many did you catch, sir?
One, two, three, sir,
That's enough for me, sir.If this song is still used, it must be a different version. I very much doubt the same words would be used by today's children.