ID: 281
Date: 1950s - 2006
Title: 1,2,3
Gender: Male and Female 
Classification: Fun 
Rhyme: 

1, 2, 3, 
Mother caught a flea,
Put it in the teapot,
To make a cup of tea. 

(Christchurch, 1980s x 2; Wellington, 1950s - ball bouncing; Ashburton, 2006)

The flea jumped out,
Mother gave a shout,
In came father 
With his shirt hanging out.

(NZ ex UK, 1950s; Auckland, 1970s x 2; Auckland, 1990s)

--
1, 2, 3, 
Mother caught a flea,
Put it in the teapot,
To make a cup of tea.
The flea jumped out,
Mother gave a shout,
In came father 
With his knickers hanging out.

(Auckland, 1990s)

--

1, 2, 3, 
Mother caught a flea,
Roasted it and toasted it,
And had it for her tea.

(Christchurch, 1990s)

--

1, 2, 3, 
Mother caught a flea,
Put it in the teapot,
To make a cup of tea.
When she put the milk in, 
It floated to the top,
When she put the sugar in,
The flea went pop.

(Owaka, 1960s)

--

1,2,3 
Johnny caught a flea,
Flea died,
Johnny cried,
1,2,3.

(NZ ex Australia, 2002)

--
 
Background Info: Variation from Turner, 1978:125:

1, 2, 3, 
Mother caught a flea,
Put it in the teapot,
To make a cup of tea.
The flea jumped out,
Mother gave a shout,
In came the burglar,
With his shirt hanging out.
She picked up the telephone,
And hit him in the belly bone.
 
(Sydney Bulletin c. 1957)

==

Variation in Opie, 2000:22:

Oh dear me!
Mother caught a flea,
Put it in a teapot 
And made a cup of tea.
When she put the milk in
The flea came to the top.
When she put the sugar in
The flea went POP!

Also "roasted it and toasted it" and "the flea died and Mother cried."  (141)

==

Recorded as a counting-out rhyme by Dorothy Howard in Australia, 1950s:

1, 2, 3, 
Mother caught a flea,
Put it in the teapot,
And made a cup of tea.
When she put the sugar in, it went down flop,
And when she put the milk in, it came to the top.

(Darian-Smith, 2005:137)

==
 
Keywords: family 
Location: Various NZ 
Group size: 2 
Incidence: 11