Ten Little Indians
Ten Little Indians is a children's counting rhyme. The term "Indians" in this sense is referring to American Indians. In 1868 (estimated), American songwriter Septimus Winner adapted the verse for a song, titling it “Ten Little Injuns.”[1] It was then adapted in 1869 by Frank J. Green as Ten Little Niggers and became a standard of the blackface minstrel shows in England and America. Over time, the N-word was deemed insensitive and changed back to Indians, then to soldiers, then teddy bears, then bunnies, and lately as bunnies dressed as Indians. [2]
Modern Lyrics
The modern lyrics for the children's rhyme are:
One little, two little, three little Indians
Four little, five little, six little Indians
Seven little, eight little, nine little Indians
Ten little Indian boys.
Ten little, nine little, eight little Indians
Seven little, six little, five little Indians
Four little, three little, two little Indians
One little Indian boy.
Original version
Ten little Indians standin' in a line,
One toddled home and then there were nine;
Nine little Indians swingin' on a gate,
One tumbled off and then there were eight.
Eight little Indians gayest under heav'n.
One went to sleep and then there were seven;
Seven little Indians cuttin' up their tricks,
One broke his neck and then there were six.
Six little Indians all alive,
One kicked the bucket and then there were five;
Five little Indians on a cellar door,
One tumbled in and then there were four.
Four little Indians up on a spree,
One got fuddled and then there were three;
Three little Indians out on a canoe,
One tumbled overboard and then there were two
Two little Indians foolin' with a gun,
One shot t'other and then there was one;
One little Indian livin' all alone,
He got married and then there were none.
Controversy
Though the historical record is not consistent, it is widely considered that British songwriter Frank Green adapted Winner’s song in 1869 with new lyrics of his own. Now entitled “Ten Little Niggers,” the lyrics to the new verse were the following[3]:
Ten little nigger boys went out to dine
One choked his little self, and then there were nine.
Nine little nigger boys sat up very late
One overslept himself, and then there were eight.
Eight little nigger boys traveling in Devon
One said he’d stay there, and then there were seven.
Seven little nigger boys chopping up sticks
One chopped himself in half, and then there were six.
Six little nigger boys playing with a hive
A bumble-bee stung one, and then there were five.
Five little nigger boys going in for law
One got in chancery, and then there were four.
Four little nigger boys going out to sea
A red herring swallowed one, and then there were three.
Three little nigger boys walking in the zoo
A big bear hugged one, and then there were two.
Two little nigger boys sitting in the sun
One got frizzled up, and then there was one.
One little nigger boy living all alone
He went and hanged himself and then there were none.
References
- ↑ https://medium.com/writing-for-your-life/revisiting-the-horrific-racism-that-inspired-the-worlds-bestselling-crime-novel-7c7fca5647b7
- ↑ https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/ten-little-indians-a-genocidal-nursery-rhyme-zdEJZ1XzDE-uez7zs42LEQ
- ↑ https://medium.com/writing-for-your-life/revisiting-the-horrific-racism-that-inspired-the-worlds-bestselling-crime-novel-7c7fca5647b7