Note 124 — XIV. RHYMES FOR COUNTING OUT.
Reading edition
In North Germany:
Ene tene mone mei, Paster Lone bone, strei, Ene fune herke berke, Wer? wie? wo? was?
As this is but one case of identity out of many hundreds, we suppose the rhyme borrowed from the English. There are many German rhymes beginning "Ene mene mu," or similarly; but the variation of the first sounds is endless: ene dene, ene tene, ene mene, ente twente, entele mentele, ane tane, unig tunig, oringa loringa, etc.; by association or rhyme, any nursery song may be introduced, or the first words may be dropped.