The Sleepy Song

Found, by Joan on April 6, 2002, written in her mother Mollie's hand on a piece of cardboard, now old and deteriorating, inside a book called Tales from the Operas, that belonged to Herb's sister Frances Cowan in 1930 (signed and dated). Also in the book was a lenticular 3-D trading card from the 1970s of Baltimore Colts football player Bubba Smith.

Here's a round silver dollar, a dollar for you.
We'll go to the market and what will we do?
We'll buy a fat sheep and a pony to ride,
A bossy to keep and a piggie beside—
A wee little spry little piggy beside!

Here's a beautiful basket, a basket for you.
We'll go to the market and what will we do?
We'll buy a gold ring and a banbury tart,
A cake for a king and a little red cart—
A dear little gay little tippity cart!

Here's a brown copper penny, a penny for you.
We'll go to the market and what will we do?
We'll go to the fiddler who fiddles for pay
And buy us a song for our penny today—
A sweet little song for our penny today.

Then lay on your pillow that wee sleepy head.
Creep under the covers and cuddle in bed—
For the pony and cart, the piggy and sheep,
The ring and the tart, will be yours in your sleep.
They're waiting just waiting until you're asleep!

Joan remembers this being read to her every night when she was four. She remembers thinking that this poem was very complicated and far too long to remember.

Joan pinpoints her age as being in the peaceful time before her family moved in with her grandmother, Rose (Rifka) Brandt at 97 East 21st Street. Joan says there would have been no time for such a daily routine once the War had started, forcing them to move from 612 Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn.

Mollie did not want to live alone while Herb and Mollie's sister Sally moved to Washington to work for the government for a few yerars. Mollie's brother Artie lived in a separate apartment in the same building but Murray and Irving went off to join the Army, both before actually being drafted. Irving was rejected 4F and so joined the Merchant Marine. Artie had children so he was not subject to being drafted.

Mollie lived in #12 Orchard Street when she was growing up in Manhattan.

Joan is our mother.

Joel