One Hen

After singing the regular version of the hen list song for several years, a new staff member introduced me to a different version. From what I have read on the net, this one appears to have originated with a Jerry Lewis sketch.

Step 1) Speak each verse in turn, encouraging the audience to repeat it back to you before moving on to the next.
Step 2) Enjoy their looks of amused confusion as they stumble through the later verses and finally give up on verse ten.

1. One hen.
2. One hen; two ducks.
3. One hen; two ducks; three squawking geese.
4. One hen; two ducks; three squawking geese; four Limerick oysters.
5. One hen; two ducks; three squawking geese; four Limerick oysters; five corpulent porpoises.
6. One hen; two ducks; three squawking geese; four Limerick oysters; five corpulent porpoises; six pairs of Don Alversos tweezers.
7. One hen; two ducks; three squawking geese; four Limerick oysters; five corpulent porpoises; six pairs of Don Alversos tweezers; 7,000 Macedonians in full battle array.
8. One hen; two ducks; three squawking geese; four Limerick oysters; five corpulent porpoises; six pairs of Don Alversos tweezers; 7,000 Macedonians in full battle array; eight brass monkeys from the ancient sacred crypts of Egypt.
9. One hen; two ducks; three squawking geese; four Limerick oysters; five corpulent porpoises; six pairs of Don Alversos tweezers; 7,000 Macedonians in full battle array; eight brass monkeys from the ancient sacred crypts of Egypt; nine apathetic, sympathetic, diabetic old men on roller skates with a marked propensity toward procrastination and sloth.
10. One hen; two ducks; three squawking geese; four Limerick oysters; five corpulent porpoises; six pairs of Don Alversos tweezers; 7,000 Macedonians in full battle array; eight brass monkeys from the ancient sacred crypts of Egypt; nine apathetic, sympathetic, diabetic old men on roller skates with a marked propensity toward procrastination and sloth; 10 lyrical, spherical, diabolical denizens of the deep who hall stall around the corner of the quo of the quay of the quivery, all at the same time!

A Big Fat Hen!

Each verse consists of saying something new and then reciting the entire list backwards to the start. You should introduce this as “a repeat after me song” and encourage the audience to shout back each verse before moving on to the next. Not only is this fun and interactive, but it gets to be simply hilarious as they attempt to repeat verses 8-10.

1. A big fat hen!
2. A couple of ducks and a big fat hen.
3. Three running hares, a couple of ducks, and a big fat hen.
4. Four brown bears, three running hares, a couple of ducks, and a big fat hen.
5. Five flat flap-jacks, four brown bears, three running hares, a couple of ducks, and a big fat hen.
6. Six simple simons, five flat flap-jacks, four brown bears, three running hares, a couple of ducks, and a big fat hen.
7. Seven silly sailors sailing the seven seas, six simple simons, five flat flap-jacks, four brown bears, three running hares, a couple of ducks, and a big fat hen.
8. Now here’s where it gets a little difficult: Eight egotistical elephants eagerly awaiting entrance into Ethiopia, seven silly sailors sailing the seven seas, six simple simons, five flat flap-jacks, four brown bears, three running hares, a couple of ducks, and a big fat hen.
9. Nine nimble ninnies nibbling ninny gnats, eight egotistical elephants eagerly awaiting entrance into Ethiopia, seven silly sailors sailing the seven seas, six simple simons, five flat flap-jacks, four brown bears, three running hares, a couple of ducks, and a big fat hen.
10. And last but not least: Ten tiny tom-toms tinkling tiny tunes, nine nimble ninnies nibbling ninny gnats, eight egotistical elephants eagerly awaiting entrance into Ethiopia, seven silly sailors sailing the seven seas, six simple simons, five flat flap-jacks, four brown bears, three running hares, a couple of ducks, and a big fat hen.

Notes:
There are several versions of verse 9. If you know a better one (one that makes more sense), let me know.
Be enthusiastic! Enunciate! And speak quickly, especially on verse 8.