There was a young man called Fisher
who was fishing for fish in a fissure.
Then a cod with a grin
pulled the fisherman in.
Now they’re searching the fissure for Fisher.
I bought a bit of baking powder and baked a batch of biscuits. I brought a big basket of biscuits back to the bakery and baked a basket of big biscuits. Then I took the big basket of biscuits and the basket of big biscuits and mixed the big biscuits with the basket of biscuits that was next to the big basket and put a bunch of biscuits from the basket into a biscuit mixer and brought the basket of biscuits and the box of mixed biscuits and the biscuit mixer to the bakery and opened a tin of sardines.
Sven said, “Ten tents,”
Ted sent ten cents.
Sven said, “Ten tents,”
Ted sent ten cents.
Sven said, “Ted, send ten tents,”
Ted said, “Sven, send ten cents.”
When Sven sent Ted ten cents,
Then Ted sent Sven ten tents.
Boy do I miss Danny Kaye! Now there was a guy who could do tongue twisters! The best part was they were always in character, and relevant to the plot of whatever film he was in.
My favorite was in “The Court Jester” during his exchange with the King. And he did it rapid fire:
*
King Roderick: Ah, I must admit, I was shocked to hear about the Duchess. What did the Duke do?
Hawkins: Pardon?
King Roderick: The Duke. What did the Duke do?
Hawkins: Eh… the Duke do?
King Roderick: Yes. And what about the Douge?
Hawkins: Oh, the Douge!
King Roderick: Eh. Well what did the Douge do?
Hawkins: The Douge do?
King Roderick: Yes, the Douge do.
Hawkins: Well, uh, the Douge did what the Douge does. Eh, uh, when the Douge does his duty to the Duke, that is.
King Roderick: What? What’s that?
Hawkins: Oh, it’s very simple, sire. When the Douge did his duty and the Duke didn’t, that’s when the Duchess did the dirk to the Duke with the Douge.
King Roderick: Who did what to what?
Hawkins: Oh, they all did, sire. There they were in the dark; the Duke with his dagger, the Douge with his dart, Duchess with her dirk.
King Roderick: Duchess with her dirk?
Hawkins: Yes! The Duchess dove at the Duke just when the Duke dove at the Douge. Now the Duke ducked, the Douge dodged, and the Duchess didn’t. So the Duke got the Duchess, the Duchess got the Douge, and the Douge got the Duke! *