Frère Jacques

Life is butter
Life is butter
melancholy flower
melancholy flower
Life is but a melon
Life is but a melon
cauliflower
cauliflower

Anon. (Oral tradition)

That version was told me by my big sister. The Russian version below was taught me by my superstar Russian teacher at M********gh, Richard Pollock, who was poached by the University of Salford to run their Modern Languages department. Apparently it's a standard Russian trope. (It says ``I know nothing'' (x 4); ``Good'' (x 2).) Pollock went on to be the interpreter who mediated between Mrs Thatcher and Gorbachoff. He was a hero. Totally amazing.

я не знаю
я не знаю
ничево
ничево.
ничево не знаю
ничево не знаю
хорошо
хорошо!

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