I Had a Little Puppy (Pussy Willow, Hot Dog)

DESCRIPTION: Riddle-song, with a description of something (cat, dog, etc.) that actually describes something else. E.g., 'I had a little puppy, it had a stubby tail... you buy it at a butcher's shop" (describing a hot dog). Another version involves Pork Chops
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (Harbin-Parodology)
KEYWORDS: wordplay riddle nonballad campsong food
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Pankake/Pankake-PrairieHomeCompanionFolkSongBook, p. 68, "Pussy Willow" (1 text, tune described but not printed)
Averill-CampSongsFolkSongs, p. 95, 423, 444, "Pussy Willow"/"(a little pussy Whose coat was silver gray)/"I Had a Dog as Skinny as a Rail" (notes only)
Harbin-Parodology, #52, p. 19, "Pussy Willow" (1 text, tune referenced)
Rodeheaver-SociabilitySongs, p. 112, "Pussy Song," "Little Pig," "Little Puppy" (3 texts, tune referenced)
Zander/Klusmann-CampSongsNThings, p. 50, "Pussy Willow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Zander/Klusmann-CampSongsPopularEdition, p. 7, "I Know a Little Pussy"; "I Have a Little Puppy" (2 texts)
NOTES [65 words]: There are a whole class of songs of this sort. I learned "I had a little puppy" somewhere in an (obviously mis-spent) youth, and also heard "pussy willow" many years ago. Both use the same tune (or, rather, tune device: Each word in a line sung to a single note, with each line one note higher than the preceding). I imagine there are more of these things around. I'll just lump them here. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.3
File: PHCFS068

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