This document contains a poem by Joseph Rudyard Kipling from 1919-1923 about the origins and history of the counting rhyme "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe." The poem describes how the rhyme began as a magic spell used by the "First Big Four" to help early tribes survive harsh conditions after the last ice age. It goes on to describe how the rhyme was passed down and became a common game for choosing sides among children at school. The rhyme remains simply as a tag attached to a tune to settle claims and decide turns in games.

1. Speaking only English?
Frank Martinus Arion The Victory of the Concubines
obtains a victory for the and the Nannies
Caribbean creolization:
black storytelling nannies reflections on the cultural
and concubines of Europe dynamics of language ...
By Kathleen M. Balutansky
when he reclaims for
them the universally-
known ”characters Eene,
Meenee, Mainee and
Mo” that the English
poet Rudyard Kipling
“created”.

2. Speaking only English?
iene miene mutten, • Eeny, meeny,
tien pond grutten, miny, moe, Catch
tien pond kaas, a tiger by the toe.
If he hollers, let
Iene miene mutte, him go, Eeny,
is de bas DUTCH meeny, miny,
moe.
Iene miene mutte • Ene, tene, mone,
10 pounds of gruel mei, Pastor, lone,
10 pounds of cheese bone, strei, Ene,
Iene miene mutte fune, herke,
Is the boss berke, Wer? Wie?
Wo?
Was?GERMAN

3. Speaking only English?
Eene meene mute • Girls boys many time to
Tempo de gruta court time to marry girls
Empo de kaza boys many down there
Eene meene mute
Es debas
AFRO-PORTUGUESE
CREOLE

4. Speaking only English?
Eene meene melle (CREOLE) Girls sweet who will
wie zal tellen count
kaatje met de kaaie Green and insipid
Groen Van saaie
groan van smeer
Eene meene marko
Franse charko
Wie kiest u tot booi Boys I point to, tell
me if you find
anything of your
liking, who do you
want as
messenger?

5. Speaking only English?
Eene meene maine mo, Children, boys,
k’e cha ting ke bai deto girls calm
I fi! Ole es latigo down, for
you have to
go to bed, it
is finished,
here’s the
whip

6. Speaking only English?
Eena, meena, mason, Eena meena maso broje
broke a little bason abaso (CREOLE) Male
How much will it be? children below the deck
Half a crown to half the
town; out goes she
The Slave Ship - Joseph Mallord
William Turner

7. A Counting-Out Song
"An English School"
From "Land and Sea Tales" (1919-1923)
What is the song the children sing, Eenee, Meenee, Mainee, and Mo
When doorway lilacs bloom in Were the First Big Four of the
Spring, And the Schools are Long Ago, When the Pole of the
loosed, and the games are played Earth sloped thirty degrees, And
That were deadly earnest when Central Europe began to freeze,
Earth was made? Hear them And they needed Ambassadors
chattering, shrill and hard, After staunch and stark To steady the
dinner-time, out in the yard, As Tribes in the gathering dark: But
the sides are chosen and all the frost was fierce and flesh was
submit To the chance of the lot frail, So they launched a Magic
that shall make them "It." that could not fail. (Singing)
(Singing) "Eenee, Meenee, "Eenee, Meenee, Mainee, Mo!
Mainee, Mo! Catch a nigger by Hear the wolves across the snow!
the toe! (If he hollers let him go! Some one has to kill 'em--so
Eenee, Meenee. Mainee, Mo! Eenee, Meenee, Mainee, Mo
You-are-It!" Make--you--It!"
Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30
Dec 1865 – 18 January 1936)

8. A Counting-Out Song
"An English School"
From "Land and Sea Tales" (1919-1923)
Slowly the Glacial Epoch passed, Thus it happened, but none can tell
Central Europe thawed out at What was the Power behind the
last; And, under the slush of the spell-- Fear, or Duty, or Pride, or
melting snows The first dim Faith-- That sent men shuddering
shapes of the Nations rose. out to death-- To cold and
Rome, Britannia, Belgium, Gaul-- watching, and, worse than these,
Flood and avalanche fathered Work, more work, when they
them all; And the First Big Four, as looked for ease-- To the days
they watched the mess, Pitied discomfort, the nights despair, In
Man in his helplessness. (Singing) the hope of a prize that they
"Eenee, Meenee, Mainee, Mo! never could share, (Singing)
Trouble starts When Nations "Eenee, Meenee, Mainee, Mo!
grow, Some one has to stop it--so Man is born to Toil and Woe. One
Eenee, Meenee, Mainee, Mo! will cure another--so Eenee,
Make-you-It!" Meenee, Mainee, Mo Make--you-
-It!"
Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30
Dec 1865 – 18 January 1936)

9. A Counting-Out Song
"An English School"
From "Land and Sea Tales" (1919-1923)
Once and again, as the Ice went Nothing is left of that terrible rune
North The grass crept up to the But a tag of gibberish tacked to a
Firth of Forth. Once and again, as tune That ends the waiting and
the Ice came South The glaciers settles the claims Of children
ground over Lossiemouth. But, arguing over their games; For
grass or glacier, cold or hot, The never yet has a boy been found
men went out who would rather To shirk his turn when the turn
not, And fought with the Tiger, came round; Nor even a girl has
the Pig and the Ape, To hammer been known to say "If you laugh
the world into decent shape. at me I shan't play." For-- "Eenee,
(Singing) "Eenee, Meenee, Meenee, Mainee, Mo, (Don't you
Mainee, Mo! What's the use of let the grown-ups know! ) You
doing so? Ask the Gods, for we may hate it ever so, But if you're
don't know; But Eenee, Meenee, chose you're bound to go, When
Mainee, Mo Make-us-It!" Eenee, Meenee, Mainee, Mo
Make-you-It!"
Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30
Dec 1865 – 18 January 1936)