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My Father Gave Me

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
Three bowls, three bottles, three dishes, three ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
Three bowls, three bottles, three dishes, three ladles,
Four bowls, four bottles, four dishes, four ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
Three bowls, three bottles, three dishes, three ladles,
Four bowls, four bottles, four dishes, four ladles,
Five bowls, five bottles, five dishes, five ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
Three bowls, three bottles, three dishes, three ladles,
Four bowls, four bottles, four dishes, four ladles,
Five bowls, five bottles, five dishes, five ladles,
Six bowls, six bottles, six dishes, six ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
Three bowls, three bottles, three dishes, three ladles,
Four bowls, four bottles, four dishes, four ladles,
Five bowls, five bottles, five dishes, five ladles,
Six bowls, six bottles, six dishes, six ladles,
Seven bowls, seven bottles, seven dishes, seven ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
Three bowls, three bottles, three dishes, three ladles,
Four bowls, four bottles, four dishes, four ladles,
Five bowls, five bottles, five dishes, five ladles,
Six bowls, six bottles, six dishes, six ladles,
Seven bowls, seven bottles, seven dishes, seven ladles,
Eight bowls, eight bottles, eight dishes, eight ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
Three bowls, three bottles, three dishes, three ladles,
Four bowls, four bottles, four dishes, four ladles,
Five bowls, five bottles, five dishes, five ladles,
Six bowls, six bottles, six dishes, six ladles,
Seven bowls, seven bottles, seven dishes, seven ladles,
Eight bowls, eight bottles, eight dishes, eight ladles,
Nine bowls, nine bottles, nine dishes, nine ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
Three bowls, three bottles, three dishes, three ladles,
Four bowls, four bottles, four dishes, four ladles,
Five bowls, five bottles, five dishes, five ladles,
Six bowls, six bottles, six dishes, six ladles,
Seven bowls, seven bottles, seven dishes, seven ladles,
Eight bowls, eight bottles, eight dishes, eight ladles,
Nine bowls, nine bottles, nine dishes, nine ladles,
Ten bowls, ten bottles, ten dishes, ten ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
Three bowls, three bottles, three dishes, three ladles,
Four bowls, four bottles, four dishes, four ladles,
Five bowls, five bottles, five dishes, five ladles,
Six bowls, six bottles, six dishes, six ladles,
Seven bowls, seven bottles, seven dishes, seven ladles,
Eight bowls, eight bottles, eight dishes, eight ladles,
Nine bowls, nine bottles, nine dishes, nine ladles,
Ten bowls, ten bottles, ten dishes, ten ladles,
Eleven bowls, eleven bottles, eleven dishes, eleven ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

My father gave me when he was able
A bowl, a bottle, a dish, and a ladle
Two bowls, two bottles, two dishes, two ladles,
Three bowls, three bottles, three dishes, three ladles,
Four bowls, four bottles, four dishes, four ladles,
Five bowls, five bottles, five dishes, five ladles,
Six bowls, six bottles, six dishes, six ladles,
Seven bowls, seven bottles, seven dishes, seven ladles,
Eight bowls, eight bottles, eight dishes, eight ladles,
Nine bowls, nine bottles, nine dishes, nine ladles,
Ten bowls, ten bottles, ten dishes, ten ladles,
Eleven bowls, eleven bottles, eleven dishes, eleven ladles,
Twelve bowls, twelve bottles, twelve dishes, twelve ladles,
A bowl, sir, my father gave me.

####.... Author unknown. This variant of a traditional children's counting song was collected in 1961 from Mrs. Mary Ann Galpin of Codroy, NL, by Ken Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, p.20, by the National Museum Of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved ....####

Kenneth Peacock noted that as far as he knew, this counting song has been noted just once before in Volume I, No. 3, of the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. It was contributed in the early 1930's by a George Hill, the blacksmith of the village of Dursley, Gloucestershire, UK. Mrs. Galpin told Peacock that her Newfoundland variant was from her father's family, whose forebears came from Somersetshire, UK.

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