Children's Rhyme's

 “Row row your boat,” sang Midge as she strolled over to Booker-T's house. “Gently down the stream.”

“What are you singing Midge?” asked Booker-T.

“Some song I heard my owners nephew singing one day,” said Midge.

“What is it about?” asked Booker-T.

“Somebody is rowing a boat down some stream somewhere,” said Midge.

“Where are they going in the boat?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” said Midge. “The song never says where they are going.”

“It don't say where they are going?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” said Midge. “It only says they are rowing this boat down the stream and that it's only a dream.”

“Maybe he wakes up before the boat gets where they are going,” suggested Booker-T.

“Do you want to hear the whole song?” asked Midge. “It is a short one.”

“Sing it,” smiled Booker-T.

“Row row row your boat,” sang Midge. “gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily. Life is but a dream.”

“That is all there is?” asked Booker-T.

“That is all he ever sang,” said Midge.

“Maybe he didn't sing the whole song,” said Booker-T.

“You might be right,” said Midge. “Maybe Jake knows. Lets go ask him.”

“Okay,” agreed Booker-T.

The two friends hurried along the sidewalk going to Jake's house. They quickly entered the yard through the fence gate..

“Jake!” called Booker-T. “Where are you?”

Jake came around the side of the house, “I'm right here Booker-T. Hi guys.”

“What are you doing?” asked Midge.

“I was just eating my breakfast,” said Jake.

“You go ahead and finish your breakfast,” said Midge. “We will talk to you when you finish.”

“I'm all finished,” smiled Jake. “What are you two doing?”

“We came over to play with you,” said Booker-T.

“Do you want to go to the park?” asked Jake. “We haven't been to the park in a few days.”

“Sure,” said Midge.

“Me too,” said Booker-T. “Have you ever heard the song about a boat?”

“What song about a boat?” asked Jake tilting his head sideways and glancing back and forth between Booker-T and Midge.

“Some guy is rowing this boat but no one knows where he is going,” said Booker-T.

“He's rowing a boat but he don't know where he is going,” said Jake. “Isn't that a little strange?”

“I think it is all a dream,” said Midge. “And he wakes up before he gets where he is going.”

“He's dreaming?” asked Jake.

“Yes,” said Midge. “It says that his life is only a dream.”

“Sing it for me Midge,” suggested Jake.

“Row row row your boat,” sang Midge. “Gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily. Life is but a dream.”

“Is that it?” asked Jake. “That is a really short song, Midge.”

“I know,” smiled Midge.

“Where did you hear that song?” asked Jake.

“My owner's nephew used to sing it all the time when he came to the house,” said Midge.

“I guess little people can only learn little songs,” said Booker-T.

“Do you know any other little songs?” asked Jake. “That boat one is strange. We don't know where he is going in the boat.”

“He used to sing one about a cat,” said Midge.

“We cats are good,” said Booker-T. “That should be a good song.”

“Sing it Midge,” said Jake as he sat down to listen.

“A cat came fiddling out of the barn,” sang Midge. “With a some bagpipes under her arm. She could sing nothing but fiddle dee dee, the mouse married the bumblebee.”

“The mouse married a bumblebee?” asked Jake. “Wow! Why did the mouse marry a bumblebee?”

“I don't know Jake,” said Midge.

“Ha ha ha,” laughed Booker-T.

“What is so funny?” asked Midge.

“A cat playing bagpipes,” laughed Booker-T. “What are bagpipes?”

“I don't know,” said Midge. “Maybe it is something that cats can play.”

“Maybe,” agreed Jake. “Cats do a lot of things.”

“I don't think we can play bagpipes,” said Booker-T. “I don't know any cats who play something called bagpipes.”

“Have you ever seen bagpipes, Jake?” asked Midge. “I never saw them.”

“I never saw any either,” said Jake. “Sounds like some bag with pipes in it. Why would the cat be carrying a bunch of pipes in a bag for?”

“Sounds like a strange cat,” laughed Booker-T.

“It's even funnier to see a mouse marry a bumblebee,” laughed Midge. “Why would a bumblebee want to marry a mouse?”

“Do you know any bumblebees, Jake?” asked Midge.

“No,” said Jake shaking his head. “I never met a bumblebee or a mouse.”

“I met a mouse once,” said Booker-T. “But he ran away when I tried to talk to him.”

“Why?” asked Jake. “You are a nice cat.”

“He was scared of me,” said Booker-T. “I tried to tell him I was safe and wouldn't hurt him, but he ran away and didn't listen to me.”

“Do you know any little songs?” asked Midge.

“I know only one,” said Jake. “I heard the little girl next door singing it all the time.”

“Sing it Jake,” said Midge. “We want to hear it.”

“Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,” sang Jake. “Jack jumped over the candlestick.”

“Why did he jump over the candlestick?” asked Midge. “Wasn't that stupid?”

“I don't know why he jumped over the candlestick,” said Jake.

“Maybe he was just playing around,” suggested Booker-T. “But don't you think it was dangerous jumping over a candlestick?”

“He could have burned his little seat,” said Midge. “He never should have jumped over the candlestick.”

“Did he get burned Jake?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't think so,” said Jake. “I don't remember the rest of the song.”

“So we only know that he jumped over the candlestick,” said Midge. “We have no idea why and if he made it over the candlestick without getting burned.”

“I only know that he jumped over the candlestick,” said Jake. “Are we going to the park?”

“Sure,” said Midge. “Come on Booker-T. Let's all go to the park.”

Booker-T and Jake agreed and the three of them hurried to the park to play.