the Captain, Bow to the Queen, And turn your back on the Nazi submarine! In another version, the teacher is "Benjamin Franklin." In the Charlie Chaplin rhyme, the child jumping had to follow directions as the rope was turning: touching the heel of one foot on the ground; touching the toe of the same foot on the ground; doing a (short) split of the feet, turning around, saluting, bowing, and jumping out from the turning rope on the last line. This rhyme, c. 1942, reflects children's awareness of World War II (The Queen to whom we bowed was the Grand mother of the present 2022 British King). An Australian version of the Charlie Chaplin Skipping Song, as sung at Salisbury Primary School in Brisbane, Australia in the mid 1950s, is as follows: Charlie Chaplin went to France, To teach the ladies how to dance, First he did the Rumba, Then he did the twist, Then he did the Highland Fling, And then he did the splits. There's also "Betty Grable went to France,/To teach the soldiers how to dance." (The rest is the same.) Had a little car car, Two-forty-eight, Ran around the cor-(skipper jumps out, and turners continue the syllable until they reenter)-ner and slammed on the brakes, but the brakes didn't work, So I bumped into a lady who bumped into a man, Who bumped into a police car, man, oh man! Policeman caught me Put me on his knee, Asked me a question Will you marry me? Yes, No, Maybe So (repeated) All in together, birds of a feather: January, February, March, April, May, etc. (each child had to jump in during the month they were born). I see London, I see France, I see (xxx)s underpants, Not too big, not too small, Just the size of Montreal (or just the size of cannonball, Berlin Wall, etc.) Another variation: I see London, I see France, I see (xxx)s underpants. Are they blue? Are they pink? I don't know but they sure stink! Teacher, teacher, I declare, I see (xxx)s underwear (or bottom's bare) Political statement In Dublin, Ireland, the visits of inspectors known as "Glimmer men" to private houses to enforce regulations to prevent the use of coal gas in restricted hours during the Emergency gave rise to: Keep it boiling on the glimmer, if you don't you get no dinner. Counting rhymes Most rhymes are intended