Round and round the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel. The weasel thought it was a joke. Pop goes the weasel. Penny for a spool of thread. Penny for a needle. That's the way the money goes. Pop goes the weasel.
(I think there's more, but that's what I know off the top of my head.)
A penny for a spool of thread A penny for a needle That's the way the money goes Pop goes the weasel!
There's another verse I only half remember: Around and round the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel Something-something-something-something Pop goes the weasel!
This one, except with "cobbler's bench" rather than "mulberry bush.
Actually, this is what my adult mind thinks must be the original, because it actually hangs together, especially if you know that "weasel" was a slang term for a little change-purse that opens and closes with a popping sound.
In reality, I remember singing "carpenter's bench" as a child, probably because I didn't know the word "cobbler." I also sang "A penny for a spool of thread, a penny for an easel" because that made it rhyme correctly, quite possibly a correction I made myself.
I'm familiar with the "cobbler's bench" version, but it's not the one that first comes to my mind. I think that's the version in one of the Little House books, where Pa would play it for Mary and Laura, and the game was to see if they could catch when Pa plucked the fiddle string for the *pop*. But they never did; he was too fast.
"A penny for an easel" is a perfectly reasonable mondegreen. I think I sang it that way for a while, too.
The song has its own Wikipedia entry, with many variations listed, and speculations as to origin and meaning.
I wrote a great many new verses of this when I was doing fisher work in California (AKA "chasing weasels,") but I imagine you're looking for something a bit more traditional... the version I learned as a child was:
Round and round the mulberry bush The monkey chased the weasel The monkey thought 'twas all in fun Pop goes the weasel!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
the monkey chased the weasel.
The weasel thought it was a joke.
Pop goes the weasel.
Penny for a spool of thread.
Penny for a needle.
That's the way the money goes.
Pop goes the weasel.
(I think there's more, but that's what I know off the top of my head.)
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
All around the mulberry bush,
the monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun
Pop goes the weasel.
I think the penny/spool part went the same as batwrangler's.
no subject
A penny for a needle
That's the way the money goes
Pop goes the weasel!
There's another verse I only half remember:
Around and round the mulberry bush
the monkey chased the weasel
Something-something-something-something
Pop goes the weasel!
no subject
Half a pound of treacle
mumble mumble mumble mumble
Pop goes the weasel!
The third line, and all other verses, have rotted out of my memory.
no subject
no subject
no subject
Up and down the City Road
In and out the Eagle
no subject
out an egg did hatch a weasel.
The test came back and what do you know?
"Pop!" Goes the weasel.
no subject
the monkey chased the weasel
the monkey stopped to pick up a sock
pop goes the weasel
no subject
the monkey chased the weasel
the monkey thought 'twas all in fun
Pop goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
a penny for a needle
that's the way the morning goes
Pop goes the weasel.
I seem to vaguely recall there being a third verse, but cannot think of it.
no subject
no subject
no subject
the monkey chased the weasel,
(and something something somepety-thing)
pop goes the weasel
:)
no subject
the monkey chased the weasel
the monkey thought it was all in good fun
POP! goes the weasel.
no subject
we stand them up against the wall and pop goes the weasel!
Sorry, the Marx Brothers loom prominently in my head.
no subject
the monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought t'was all in fun
POP goes the weasel.
no subject
In and out the Eagle,
That's the way the money goes.
Pop! goes the weasel.
no subject
no subject
All around the mulberry bush,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun,
Pop! goes the weasel
A penny for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel
There are more verses, but this is all I know.
no subject
Actually, this is what my adult mind thinks must be the original, because it actually hangs together, especially if you know that "weasel" was a slang term for a little change-purse that opens and closes with a popping sound.
In reality, I remember singing "carpenter's bench" as a child, probably because I didn't know the word "cobbler." I also sang "A penny for a spool of thread, a penny for an easel" because that made it rhyme correctly, quite possibly a correction I made myself.
no subject
"A penny for an easel" is a perfectly reasonable mondegreen. I think I sang it that way for a while, too.
The song has its own Wikipedia entry, with many variations listed, and speculations as to origin and meaning.
no subject
Round and round the mulberry bush
The monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun
Pop goes the weasel!
no subject
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_Goes_the_Weasel