Mythology & Folklore

When a Twister a twisting, will twist him a twist

by Anonymous (English nursery rhymes) traditional; recorded 17th–19th century

From The Nursery Rhymes of England, collected by J. O. Halliwell (London: Warne; first ed. 1842; this printing 1886)

Mythology & Folklore

When a Twister a twisting, will twist him a twist;
For the twisting of his twist, he three times doth intwist;
But if one of the twines of the twist do untwist,
The twine that untwisteth, untwisteth the twist.

Untwirling the twine that untwisteth between,
He twirls, with the twister, the two in a twine:
Then twice having twisted the twines of the twine
He twisteth the twine he had twined in twain.

The twain that, in twining, before in the twine,
As twines were intwisted; he now doth untwine:
'Twixt the twain inter-twisting a twine more between,
He, twirling his twister, makes a twist of the twine.

✦ ✦ ✦

Halliwell's class: Charms.

MLA

Anonymous (English nursery rhymes). “When a Twister a twisting, will twist him a twist.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-english-nursery-rhymes/240/.

Chicago

Anonymous (English nursery rhymes). “When a Twister a twisting, will twist him a twist.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-english-nursery-rhymes/240/.

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