h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

from some kid's game:

One potato
Two potato
Three potato
Four
Five potato
Six potato
Seven potato
More

Slightly tangential, but....

One, Two, Three, Four, Five
Once I caught a fish alive
Six, Seven, Eight, Nine , Ten
The I let it go again.

Any use?

One, Two,
Buckle my shoe.
Three, four,
Knock at the door.
Five, Six,
Pick up sticks.
Seven, Eight,
Lay them straight.
Nine, Ten
A big fat hen!
Eleven, twelve,
Dig and delve.
Thirteen, Fourteen,
Maids a-courting.
Fifteen, Sixteen,
Maids in the Kitchen.
Seventeen, Eighteen,
Maids in waiting.
Nineteen, Twenty,
My plate's empty!

Hope that helps!

One two three four
Mary at the Cottage door
Five six seven eight
Eating cherries off a plate

-----

One two kittens that mew
Two three birds on a tree
Three four shells on the shore
Four five bees from the hive
Five six the cow that licks
Six seven rooks in the heaven
Seven eight sheep at the gate
Eight nine clothes on a line
Nine ten little black hen

----

The animals came in 2 by 2
The centipede with the kangaroo
The animals came in 3 by 3
The elephant on the back of the flea
The animals came in 4 by 4
The camel he got stuck in the door
The the animals came in 5 by 5
Some were dead and some were alive
The animals came in 6 by 6
The monkey he was up to his tricks
The animals came in 7 by 7
Some went to hell and some went to heaven
The animals came in 8 by 8
The worm was early the bird was late
The animals came in 9 by 9
Some had water and some had wine
The animals came in 10 by 10
If you want any more you must sing it again.

----

A dozen is twelve
Or four times three,
Half a dozen is six
As plain as can be

----

Five currant buns in a baker's shop
Round and fat with sugar on the top
Along came a boy with a penny one day
Bought a currant bun and took it away
Four currant buns in a baker's shop
Round and fat with sugar on the top
Along came a boy with a penny one day
Bought a currant bun and took it away
Three currant buns in a baker's shop Etc
----

And don't forget The First Day of Christmas, 10 Green Bottles, There were 10 in the Bed, This Old Man he played One, One man went to mow. I also know a few more, but I don't want to clog the forum too much.

Ein,zwei,drei,vier
Lift your steiner and drink your beer

Un,deux, trois
J'irais dans le bois
Quatre,cinq, six
Pour ceuillir des cerises
Sept, huit, neuf
Dans mon pannier neuf
Dix, onze, douze (and that's where the memory gives out. Something that implies the cherries will all be red as it ends with "rouges")

The difficulty with English counting rhymes is that nothing rhymes with "twelve"

dix, onze douze
Elles seront toutes rouges.

My grandma taught me that when I was 3.

Thanx(or merci)
Do you know the one about the kittens that went skating that finishes "un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq"(cats sank)?

No I don't... sorry....

Thanks for all your help so far! Keep 'em coming! And don't worry about clogging up the fora too much either!

Ena, mena, maker, aker, rarei, domen, acker, om, pom, push

No idea about the spelling as you can guess!! I'm told it's derived from Danish - being 1 to 10 in said toungue. I learnt it from my mother to count out the moves of various games. The push bit leant itself to anything where you are moved on by the next player e.g. in French skipping or... hmm don't think that game ever had a special name - you know, the one with 2 balls thrown alternately against a wall: throw one catch one .... this will bug me all day now ...

more coffee nd cake needed.....