A Poem from my Childhood

My nana used to tell me this – no idea of the author though.

My dear little fifty four

I studied my tables over and over
and backwards and forwards too
but I couldn’t remember six times nine
and I didn’t know what to do.

My sister said not to bother my head
and to play with my doll instead
“Just call her fifty four for a while….
you’ll soon get it right”, she said.

So I called her “my dear little fifty four”
a hundred times till I knew
the answer to six times nine, as well as
the answer to two times two.

Next day, Elizabeth Wigglesworth,
who always acts so proud,
said “six times nine is fifty two…”
I nearly laughed aloud.

But I wished I hadn’t when teacher said,
“Now Dorothy, try if you can”
So I thought of my doll and oh dear me!
I answered, “Mary Ann”!