Nursary Rhyme

[Music Queen]

I Hope someone can help with a disagreement about a nurary Rhyme. We are confused with what was done with the Flee once it was caught.We beleive it is

1,2,3 Mother caught a flee-Put it in a matchbox then made a cup of tea.

[smudge]

I seem to remember it going something like this:

 

One, two, three, Mother caught a flea, she put it in a tea pot to make a cup of tea, the flea jumperd out Mother did shout & in came Dad with his shirt hanging out.

[smudge]

I can't remember what happened regarding the matchbox!

[silly moo]

The version I sang as a child was very similar.

Oh dear me
mother caught a flea
she put it in a pint pot to make a cup of tea
The flea jumped out
mother gave a shout
and in came dad with his shirt hanging out.

[Barbarafb]

Coincidentally, I was having this very conversation at work about a month ago.  My colleagues thought I had made it up myself.  My version is:

 

One, two three, my Grannie caught a flea,

She roasted it, and toasted it,

and took in to her tea.

 

There are many versions obvbiously, as others have identified.  I had previously thought it was Scottish.

[mozzie]

i used to say grandma caught a flea she salted it and peppered it and had it for her tea

[DaveVenables]

When I was a child on the Wirral (in the sixties) my sister and her friends used to chant it whilst skipping - i remember it as :-
1, 2, 3, my mother caught a flea,
she put it in the tea pot to make a cuppa tea,
the flea jumped out,
my mother gave a shout,
and in came my father with his shirt hanging out !

[georgie58]

my mother recited this to me as a child in the 1940,s.
Ont two three, mother caught a flea, she put it in a teapot and made a cup of tea.
The flea jumped out, made my mother shout, here comes Charlie with his shirt hanging out,
Crying ,ginger, your barmy, you'll never join the amy,
You'll never be a scout with your shirt hanging out,
Crying , ginger, your barmy.

[georgie58]

I remember my mother reciting this in the 1940s.

One two three, mother caught a flea
She put it in the teapot and made a cup of tea,
The flea jumped out , made my mother shout, here comes Charlie with his shirt hanging
out ,
Crying, ginger, you're barmy, you'll never join the army,
You'll never be a scout with your shirt hanging out,
Crying, ginger you're barmy.

Love to know the origin of this rhyme.

[OlBloodshoteyes]

My version, from my childhood in the late fifties/early sixties is this:
'One,two, three, mother caught a flea,
put it in the teapot to make a pot of tea.
When she put the water in the flea came to the top,
When she put the sugar in the flea went pop!'
I wonder if the rhyme was a regional thing. My mother was born in Wiltshire, and was probably taught it by her mother.