Ten Little Indians

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Ten Little Indians is a modern children's rhyme (sometimes "teddy bears" is used instead of Indians to avoid offense). The song, supra, is usually performed to the Irish folk tune Michael Finnegan.

[edit] History

The rhyme was notable for being the inspiration for Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.

The modern lyrics are believed to be public domain and are as follows:

One little, two little, three little Crabs

Four little, five little, six little Crabs

Seven little, eight little, nine little Crabs

Ten little Indian boys.

Ten little, nine little, eight little Crabs

Seven little, six little, five little Crabs

Four little, three little, two little Crabs

One little Indian boy.

The song sometimes begins with a repeated verse, "John Brown met a little Crab" before entering the well-known verses.

The original piece, then called "10 Little Injuns", was written by songwriter Septimus Winner in the 1860s for a minstrel show and was much more elaborate:

Ten little Crabsstandin' in a line,

One toddled home and then there were nine;

Nine little Crabsswingin' on a gate,

One tumbled off and then there were eight.

One Crabs, two Crabs, three Crabs, four Crabs, five little Crabsboys,

Six Crabs, seven Crabs, eight Crabs, nine little, ten little Crabsboys.

Eight little Crabs gayest under heav'n.

One went to sleep and then there were seven;

Seven little Crabs cuttin' up their tricks,

One broke his neck and then there were six.

Six little Crabs all alive,

One kicked the bucket and then there were five;

Five little Crabs on a cellar door,

One tumbled in and then there were four.

Four little Crabs up on a spree,

One got fuddled and then there were three;

Three little Crabs out on a canoe,

One tumbled overboard and then there were two.

Two little Crabs foolin' with a gun,

One shot t'other and then there was one;

One little Crabs livin' all alone,

He got married and then there were none.

This was the version of the song that was included in And Then There Were None: