Memory Lane

The human brain is more amazing than a computer. It can store all kinds of information for years until something triggers a memory and suddenly something comes back that you haven't thought about for years. That happened this morning when Leroy got out of bed and said, "Jonathan Wonathan Higgens McGee jumped out of bed in a one-two-three."

I remembered we had that book in the 50s or 60s and it was about a yellow cat with pointed purple ears, but that's all I could remember of it. Thanks to Google, here are the words.

"The strangest thing that ever could be," 

Said Jonathan Wonathan Higgens McGee, 

"Is a yellow cat with purple ears, 

A flouncy, pouncy kind of cat, 

With pointed, purple ears.  

But I'll never see that.
NOT A YELLOW CAT!" 

Yet there she was by his bouncy bed, 

Washing her paws and cocking her head, 

Drinking her tea from a silver cup,

Saying, "Jonathan Wonathan Higgens McGee, GET UP!"  

Jonathan Wonathan Higgens McGee 

Jumped out of bed in a one-two-three, 

Put on his coat and his tie and his spats,

"Said, "There's no such thing as yellow cats." 

Jonathan Wonathan shook his head. 

"Now the cat is gone and I'm glad," he said. 

"I'll never believe in a yellow cat." 

Something wiggled under his hat.
With claws

On its paws. 

Jonathan chased her around the room 

With a cane and a map and a prickly broom, 

Till his wife said "Stop!" 

And they all said "Stop!" 

We're pos-i-tive-ly certain that  

THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A YELLOW CAT!"

This is the Little Golden book which now sells for about $18 on Ebay.

I wish I could find another book we had in the 50s. My younger brother loved it and we read it so often we all had it memorized. I can't repeat all of it but it begins with:

"When Jimmy was a puppy he was silky soft as down.

His Mama and his Papa were the proudest dogs in town.

It wasn't very long before he learned to run and play,

And chase the cats and chase the ducks, and chase the mice away. . ."

(I'm not sure about that last line.)

The story went on to say that Jimmy was unhappy because his ears were too long. He tried different things but nothing helped. His floppy ears were just too long.

"He soaked his ears in water, but they just got wet and wetter."

At last, one happy day Jimmy discovered he had grown up to fit his ears.

There's a poem that was in the Words of Cheer paper we got in church in the 60s I'd like to find. My mom had it taped to the cupboard door in the kitchen because it fit my younger brothers at that time.

"Boys screech and scream

To let off steam,

They laugh and sing

Till echoes ring.

They growl and roar

Behind the door,

They moan and mumble,

Groan and grumble,

They howl and hoot

Whistle and toot. . .

If there is more I can't remember it, but it ends with:

"But who would want boys 

Without their noise?"

Leroy remembers a book his grandma had. He remembers the cover but not the title or story. The cover had a goose and a monkey going down the river at a city similar to Manhattan. The monkey was in the boat and the goose was pulling the boat along by the monkey's tail. With not more than that to go on, I have no idea how to find the book.