Childhood; What we remember

This is a song my mother used to sing to her children--it always made my brother cry. ( : I've been humming it for the last few days--humming because I couldn't remember all the words. It finally occurred to me that I could probably find it on the internet because, as we all know, everything is on the internet. Finding the song gave me the same feeling that I got when I found one of her beloved Millionaire pies still in her freezer the day after she died. Like she's still reaching out to me from wherever "out there" or "in here" is.

Chocolate Ice Cream Cone

My mama said if I'd be good,

She'd send me to the store

She said she'd bake some Gingerbread

If I would sweep the floor

She said if I would make the bed

And watch the telephone

That she would send me out to get

A chocolate ice cream cone

And so I did the things she said

And then she made some Gingerbread

Then I went out, just me alone

And got my chocolate ice cream cone

While coming back I stubbed my toe

Upon a big old stone

Now need I tell you that I dropped

My chocolate ice cream cone

A mean old puppy came along

And he took a great big lick

And so I hit that mean old dog

With just a little stick

Then he bit me where I sit down

And he chased me all over town

So, now I'm lost,

I can't find my home

And all because of that chocolate ice cream cone

And all because of that chocolate, Chocolate ice cream cone

Like that one? Here's another:

"We went to the animal fair

The birds and the bees were there

The big baboon, by the light of the moon,

Was combing his auburn hair.

The monkey he got drunk,

And sat on the elephant's trunk.

The elephant sneezed,

And fell to his knees,

And that was the end of the monk, the monk, the monk."

( :

I didn't realize until now how macabre some of my best childhood memories are. ( :