Monday 26 January 2009

Down in the jungle

Down in the jungle, living in a tent,
Better than a prefab – no rent

Down in the jungle, eating fish and chips,
Better than oranges – no pips

Wibsey Infants School playground, Bradford, 1945-8. Where did
they come from? Were there other verses?

Ibid: raincoats (gabardine) worn as cloaks, caps on backwards, boys in a line linked with arms round shoulders sweeping the playground: the chant (strong stress, first syllable of each line):

Anybody
playing at
cowboys an’
INdians?

Anybody
playing at
cowboys an’
INdians?

Or, last line, ‘
INdibuggers’.

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