Friday, June 12, 2015

Does any one remember....

I don't remember when I heard/did this, but sometime in my life, I remember picking these 'heads' with a long stem.  Then hold the stem up close by this head, take the long stem and wrap it around the head, and pull it and as this is done say, "Mama had a baby and it's head popped off."  The way it is held results in the seed head popping off when you wrap and pull the stem end around it.

I didn't know what this plant was...I don't remember calling it anything as a kid...but in looking I found that it can be called a narrow leafed plantain, and is also know as ribwort or buckthorn.

But what I would like to know is who thought up those lines to say with that action? Have you heard it before?  I just think they are such strange lines to say....and I hate to admit it, but showed Lorelei. 

8 comments:

  1. It is a time-honoured tradition to pass these things down to our children and grandchildren, good you haven't deprived your little porky snorker! (I LOVE that term of endearment, lol.)

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  2. I have heard of this, so we probably did this in Britain as well.

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  3. I remember this rhyme. We used it when popping off the head of dandelions when we were children.

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  4. have not seen one of these plants, so would not have heard the poem either. things are just passed down and down and down and now you passed it to L....

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  5. I've done that and still do. Showed my kids and grand kids how to pop 'em off. Something to do while sitting in the grass. Plantain it is I think. (sp-?)
    MB

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  6. I'm not familiar with this one.

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  7. You got me on this one! No idea.

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  8. This is all new to me...but I do have plantain growing in my lawn. :)

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