Snips and snails and puppy dog tails. That's what little boys are made of.
I was sifting through the many posts saved as drafts on this blog to see if there happened to be anything worthy of turning into a post.And this is the post I found. It had a title. And a bit of an old poem. And it has been sitting here in draft mode for six months.
What on earth was I thinking when I wrote this? Was I going somewhere with it? Surely I did not just wake up in the middle of the night thinking,
There is a lot more to it than our mothers taught us. Of course there is the bit we all know, that bit that probably came to mind as soon as your read the first part. Because that is how well we know this little ditty.
But how well do you know it really? Did you know, for example, that it was probably written by historian and poet laureate Robert Southey although he didn't see it significant enough to mention? Imagine writing histories, epic poems, poems for state events and almost two hundred years later it is all forgotten. Except that one you jotted down and didn't even bother to sign.
In grand folk tradition, it has picked up a few verses over the years as well. What are folks made of? Take a gander:
What are little babies made of?
Diapers and crumbs and sucking their thumbs;
That's what little babies are made of?
What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails and puppy-dog tails;
That's what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and everything nice;
That's what little girls are made of.
What are young men made of, made of?
What are young men made of?
Sighs and leers and crocodile tears;
That's what young men are made of.
What are young women made of, made of?
What are young women made of?
Rings and jings and other fine things;
That's what young women are made of.
What are our sailors made of, made of?
What are our sailors made of?
Pitch and tar, pig-tail and scar;
That's what our sailors are made of.
What are our soldiers made of, made of?
What are our soldiers made of?
Pipeclay and drill, the foeman to kill;
That's what our soldiers are made of.
What are our nurses made of, made of?
What are our nurses made of?
Bushes and thorns and old cow's horns;
That's what our nurses are made of.
What are our fathers made of, made of?
What are our fathers made of?
Pipes and smoke and collars choke;
That's what our fathers are made of.
What are our mothers made of, made of?
What are our mothers made of?
Ribbons and laces and sweet pretty faces;
That's what our mothers are made of.
What are old men made of, made of?
What are old men made of?
Slippers that flop and a bald-headed top;
That's what old men are made of.
What are old women made of, made of?
What are old women made of?
Reels, and jeels, and old spinning wheels;
That's what old women are made of?
What are all folks made of, made of?
What are all folks made of?
Fighting a spot and loving a lot,
That's what all folks are made of.
