(It was written using Cockney dialect, and this is the way it should be read. Please use as *real* a Cockney accent as possible and try to avoid that excerable version attempted by Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins!:)

Dahn the Plug 'Ole

A muvver was barfin 'er biby one night,
The youngest of ten and a tiny young mite,
The muvver was poor and the biby was thin,
Only a skelington covered in skin;

The muvver turned rahnd for the soap off the rack,
She was but a moment, but when she turned back,
The biby was gorn; and in anguish she cried,
Oh, where is my biby?' - and the angels replied:

Your biby 'as fell dahn the plug-'ole,
Your biby 'as gorn dahn the plug;
The poor little thing was so skinny and thin
E oughtern been barfed in a jug;

Your biby is perfeckly 'appy,
E won't need a barf any more,
Your biby 'as fell dahn the plug 'ole
Not lorst....... but gorn before!

John wrote in to tell us he is 55 and also heard this in his childhood. He recollected that it was on a Peter Sellars album of songs. He last saw that album in his parents' collection in the 1960's.

If anyone has the album an MP3 would be much appreciated!