Jumping Rope

One afternoon I stumbled upon a gaggle of children jumping rope.  “Señorita Keisi, Señorita Keisi,” they called out. “Do you know how to jump rope?”

“I do, I do,” I called back.  “But it has been years since I engaged in such carefree and childish endeavours,” I added as a caution.

Before long I was jumping the rope.  I jumped in, I jumped out, I turned myself about, and subsequently forgot whether I was jumping rope or doing the hokey-pokey.  As I jumped, rhymes from my childhood sprang back into memory.  Perhaps you’re familiar?

“Cinderella dressed in yella

Went downstairs to kiss her fella

Made a mistake and kissed a snake

How many kisses did it take?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5….”

Or maybe,

“Fudge, Fudge, call the judge

Momma’s having a baby

Boy, girl, two-headed squirrel,

Boy, girl two-headed squirrel…”

And yes, I am sure that it was two-headed squirrel that shouted on the blacktop of my elementary school in Wisconsin.  The rhyme was undoubtedly influenced by some traumatic hunting trip or another had by jump-ropers of years past.

I began to yell out the English rhymes as the kids jumped.  And before long, I was taught the Spanish equivalents.  I was told that they are meant to be sung in this particular order.

A, B, C, D, [hasta que ella hace un error]                    A, B, C, D, [until she makes a mistake]

Ayer de noche te vi                                                     Last night I saw you

Con __________ [un chico que tiene un                       With ________ [a boy who has a name that

nombre que empieza con la letra]                                starts with the letter]

Dime cuantos besos te dio                                          Tell me how many kisses he gave you

1,2,3,4,5, etc.                                                              1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.

Ana Maria [o cualquier nombre] se fue al colegio       Ann Mary [or whatever name] went to school

Dime de cuantos notas te sacaran                               Tell me what grades you got

01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, etc. [Hasta 20]             01, 02, 03, 04, 05, etc. [Until 20]*

La vaca lechera le dijo lechon                                     The milk told the milkman

Pagame la muelta de mes de                                       Pay me the tax from the month of

Enero, Febrero, Marzo, Abril…                                  January, February, March, April….

[doblar en el mes de tu cumpleanos]                           [turn on your birthday month]

Osito Barney salta con un pie                                     Little Bear Barney jumps on one foot

Salta con dos pie                                                        Jumps on two feet

Date una vuelta entera                                                Spins all the way around

Hasta salir, salir, salir, salir                                        Until he leaves, leaves, leaves, leaves

Lucho Cartucho mató a su mujer                                Lucho Cartucho killed his wife

Con cinco balazos lo hizo volar                                  With five bullets he made fly

Con uno, con dos, con tres, con cuatro, con cinco.      With one, with two, with three, with four…

Niña cochina lávate bien                                             Dirty girl, wash yourself well

Pénate bien                                                                  Brush your hair well

Date una vuelta entera hasta salir                               Spin all the way around until you leave

Salir, salir, salir, salir, salir                                           Leave, leave, leave, leave, leave.

Besos!

*The Peruvian school system grades on a system of 1-20. 18-20 is the equivalent of AD (the highest), 14-17 is an A, 10-14 is a B, and less than 10 is a C.