Young Lady from Niger (1891); All the trees/earth were bread and cheese (1849, 1869)

[Wilson Gray]

On Apr 2, 2005, at 10:00 PM, bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      Young Lady from Niger (1891); All the trees/earth were
> bread and
>               cheese (1849, 1869)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> THE BOOK OF HUMOROUS VERSE
> by Carolyn Wells
> New York: George H. Doran Company
> 1920
>
> IMMORTAL STANZAS
> Pg. 948:
> THE YOUNG LADY OF NIGER
> THERE was a young lady of Niger
> Who smiled as she rode on a tiger;
> They came back from the ride
> With the lady inside;
> And the smile on the face of the tiger.
>
> Pg. 951:
> IF
> IF all the land were apple-pie,
> And all the sea were ink;
> And all the trees were bread and cheese,
> What should we do for drink?

The above I recall as one of the songs on a children's record by Frank
Luther on the Bluebird label from some time in the middle '40's. The
last version on this list appears to have exactly the same words.

-Wilson Gray

> ...
> ...
> ...
> (PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
> Other 1 -- No Title
> Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Nov 5,
> 1891. p. 4 (1 page):
> CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW, being interrupted in a speech at Poughkeepsie, N.
> Y., last week by an inquisitive Democrat, said: "I command to my
> friend a couplet; it is this:
>
> '"There was a young lady from Niger,
> Who rode with a smile on a tiger;
> When they returned from the ride,
> The young lady was inside,
> And the smile on the face of the tiger.'"
> ...
> ...
> ...
> (AMERICAN PERIODICAL SERIES ONLINE)
> EDITORS' TABLE.
> Godey's Lady's Book (1848-1854). New York: Jul 1849. p. 78 (1 page):
> LETTERS TO THE EDITORS.--Were we gifted with as many hands as
> Briareus, and has the full supply of stationery the poet meditated
> when he wished that
> "All the world were paper,
> And all the seas were ink!" ...
> ...
> ...
> (MAKING OF AMERICA--MICHIGAN)
> Title: Daybreak, Chapters VIII - XI
> Publication Info.: Catholic world. / Volume 9, Issue 52, July 1869,
> pp.442-459
> Pg. 455:
> "If all the earth were papers,
> And all the sea were ink,
> And all the trees were bread and cheese,
> What should we do for drink?"
> ...
> ...
> (PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
> LADY EVA'S ILLUSION.; I.--THE ILLUSION. II.--UNDECEIVED. III.--LOST.
> IV.--FOUND.
> New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Mar 9, 1879. p. 3
> (2 pages)
> First page:
> "It reminds me of the nursery rhyme:
> 'If all the earth were bread and cheese,
> And all the seas were ink.'"
> ...
> ...
> Display Ad 50 -- No Title
> Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Jun 10,
> 1911. p. I16 (1 page):
> _IF_
> All the land were apple-pie,
> And all the sea were ink;
> And all the trees were bread and cheese,
> What should we do for drink?
>