A Jewish rhyme that is also an Igbo rhyme!
24
Nov
2010
Igbo Version
What happened to the tortoise?
The tortoise, the tortoise
A breadfruit fell on the tortoise
The tortoise, the tortoise
What happened to the breadfruit?
The tortoise, the tortoise
A stake pierced the breadfruit
The tortoise, the tortoise
What happened to the staff?
The tortoise, the tortoise
Termite ate up the staff
The tortoise, the tortoise
What happened to the termite?
The tortoise, the tortoise
A fowl ate the termite
The tortoise, the tortoise
What happened to the fowl?
The tortoise, the tortoise
A kite/hawk carried the fowl
The tortoise, the tortoise
What happened to the kite/hawk?
The tortoise, the tortoise
A gun killed the kite/hawk
The tortoise, the tortoise
What happened to the gun?
The tortoise, the tortoise
Fire burnt the gun
The tortoise, the tortoise
What happened to the fire?
The tortoise, the tortoise
Water quenched the fire
The tortoise, the tortoise
What happened to the water?
The tortoise, the tortoise
The ground soaked up the water
The tortoise, the tortoise
What happened to the ground?
The tortoise, the tortoise
The Lord (Chukwu Abiama) created the ground
The tortoise, the tortoise
What happened to Chukwu Abiama?
The tortoise, the tortoise
Nothing happened to Chukwu Abiama
The tortoise, the tortoise
Jewish Version
Had Gadya (An Only Kid, Aramaic) is a popular song sung in Aramaic at the conclusion of the Passover seder along with other concluding songs, to amuse the children and keep them from falling asleep. Composed of ten stanzas the verse runs as follows:
A father bought a kid for two zuzim;
a cat came and ate the kid;
a dog then bit the cat;
the dog was beaten by a stick;
the stick was burned by fire;
water quenched the fire;
an ox drank the water;
a shohet (ritual slaughterer) slaughtered the ox;
the shohet was killed by the Angel of Death who
in punishment was destroyed by God.