There was an old buaya who swallowed a Nokia...

Monday's Today had this news item:

Crocodile ill after swallowing phone
Workers at a Ukranian aquarium did not believe it when a visitor said a crocodile had swallowed her mobile phone. Then the reptile started ringing.

Gena, the 14-year-old crocodile that swallowed the phone, could not then move her bowels for four weeks and appeared depressed and in pain.

The chief vet said Gena will be X-rayed. Surgically removing the phone will be done as a last resort.

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The story reminded me of an old nonsense rhyme, "There was an old woman who swallowed a fly".

Here's a useful link:

http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/nursery_rhymes/there_was_an_old_lady.htm

I learnt from the link above that, nonsensical as this well-known nursery rhyme is, it delighted children to no end and, importantly, was a very good memory training aid. So go try and memorise it!

The story also inspired me to come up with my own (okay, imitation) nonsense creation, below. Buaya is the Malay word for crocodile.

There was an old buaya who swallowed a Nokia

There was an old buaya who swallowed a Nokia

I don’t know why it swallowed a Nokia – perhaps it’ll die

There was an old buaya who swallowed a charger

It swallowed the charger to charge the Nokia

I don’t know why it swallowed the Nokia – perhaps it’ll die

There was an old buaya who swallowed a battery

The charger won’t work so it swallowed this one

It swallowed the charger to charge the Nokia

I don’t know why it swallowed the Nokia – perhaps it’ll die

There was an old buaya who swallowed…  a new phone!

It swallowed the new phone to make a call

It had swallowed the battery that didn’t work

It had swallowed the charger that didn’t work

I don’t know why it swallowed the Nokia – perhaps it’ll die

There was an old buaya who swallowed… a buaya!

It swallowed the buaya to make that call

And now this sad story ends… with two dead buayas.