One dark night in the middle of the day.

[k***@bellsouth.net]

I heard it in the early seventies and was told the it was in made magazine . I don't know if that was the origin

[l***@gmail.com]

What? ???

No one remembers the way that my mom taught me. . .

"One dark night,
Twas so bright.
Two dead boys
Got up to fight.

Back to back,
They faced each other.
Took out their swords,
And shot each other.

Two deaf policemen,
Hearing the noise.
Ran outside,
And shot the two dead boys.

If you don't believe me,
Ask the blind man.
He saw it all!"



Please, somebody out there, tell me you TRULY recognize this version. WHERE does this come from? ? ?

[c***@gmail.com]

I'm looking for the author of this nonsensical poem.
"One dark night in the middle of the day
Two dead boys went out to play
drew their knives and shoot each other
a deaf policeman heard the noise
and went to investigate the two dead boys"
Can anyone tell me the author or give me a clue how to find them?
Thanks in advance!

I know the poem originated in Scotland, that's where my family got it from.

[k***@gmail.com]

one dark day in the middle of the night two dead boys got up to fight back to back they faced each other drew their swords and shot each other a deaf police man heard the noise ran up to save the two dead boys if you dont believe me this story's true just ask the blind man he saw it too i see i see said the blind man to the deaf man through the telephone

[k***@gmail.com]

I'm looking for the author of this nonsensical poem.
"One dark night in the middle of the day
Two dead boys went out to play
drew their knives and shoot each other
a deaf policeman heard the noise
and went to investigate the two dead boys"
Can anyone tell me the author or give me a clue how to find them?
Thanks in advance!

one dark night in the middle of the day
two boys when out to play
they stood back to back from each other
drew there swords and shot each other
a deaf policeman heard the noise
came and shot the two dead boys
if you dont believe this lie is true
just ask the blind man, he saw it too

[d***@gmail.com]

Correct, how did it end?

[Rolf Taylor]

Post by d***@gmail.com
Correct, how did it end?

This thread is fascinating. It seems clear the ditty has evolved over time. In some cases due to memory (is the version I taught my daughter exactly the same as the version I learned). But it also appears there have been changes to make it funnier/more incongruous.

One dark day in the middle of the night.
One dark night in the middle of the day.
One bright day in the middle of the night.
One fine day in the middle of the night.

It would seem that through the generations people can't recall the exact words, so the substitute "any old nonsense" which may or may not make a given line more nonsensical.

Unlike the days where every clan had a story teller who was tasked with specifically memorizing stuff (though undoubtedly changes and embellishments occurred) we have hear the case where amateurs recall it being funny, and most or all of the details.

I also found online a few cases were it would appears folks combined multiple nonsense poems to make a much longer one.

Thanks to all that shared.

[Kimberley Richardson]

I'm looking for the author of this nonsensical poem.
"One dark night in the middle of the day
Two dead boys went out to play
drew their knives and shoot each other
a deaf policeman heard the noise
and went to investigate the two dead boys"
Can anyone tell me the author or give me a clue how to find them?
Thanks in advance!

The version I learned went like this:
One dark night in the middle of the day
two dead boys got up to play
back to back they faced each other
drew their swords and shot each other
one was blind and the other couldn't see
so they chose a blind man to referee
a paralyzed donkey passing by
kicked the blind man in the eye
knocked him through a nine inch wall
into a dry ditch and drowned them all
a deaf policeman heard the noise
and came to arrest those two dead boys
if you don't believe this story is true
ask the blind man
he saw it too

[Frank Cummings]

If this poem is fairly old, it may be a take off on a nursery rhyme for
which it is very difficult to trace authors.

I'm 80 and this poem was old when I was a Boy Scout - 50s! We made up more and worse, for instance: The worms crawl in the worms crawl out in my ....