Help! I need somebody! Or some bodies. Whatever.

[seanan_mcguire]

So Mary and I have found this poem:

Spos'n the witches began to witch,
And you didn't know which witch was witch?
Well, spos'n?

Spos'n a h'ant appeared to you,
An' an old black rooster up and crew?
Well, spos'n?

Spos'n a pump-kin pumped hot flames,
From a place, you know, what nobody names?
Well, spos'n?

Spos'n a great big bug-a-boo
Reached out his long sharp claws for you?
Well, spos'n?

We both believe that we've seen it before, and that it is thus probably traditional, or a very close variant on something that is traditional. Lo, I beg of thee: can you find the source of this poem? We've sought. We've searched. We've...mostly told bad jokes and eaten candy corn.

Help!

Comments

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, when searching for something, you find something else that is also delightful.

Thus, while looking to see if I could manage to solve your query, I stumbled upon this, and felt the need to share it with you:

http://www.anomalist.com/features/spacebug.html

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Awesome!

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

It reminds me strongly of James Whitcomb Riley's "Gobble-uns'll git you ef you don't watch out" ... [heads over to Project Gutenberg]

Ps. Where did you find this poem?

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

It's on a big ol' luminary that Mary has. It doesn't have an attributions on it, and that, combined with the fact that we both remembered it from our childhoods, made us think it was probably trad.

[batyatoon]

I was thinking of that one too! I learned it in grade school.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I didn't. You learn something new every day.

[elucreh.livejournal.com]

...It feels vaguely Shel Silverstieny?

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

It does, doesn't it?

[lluad.livejournal.com]

Looks like trad.

Page 7 of this suggests it dates back to at least the 1920s.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

You are MY HERO.