I was reading a post this morning on a blog I enjoy- I’d link it but it’s password protected- that was talking about children’s books. A friend had given the blogger’s daughter a bunch of books he’d never heard of, except for Tikki Tikki Tembo. Queen of the random facts that I am, I was a little too excited that I still remember Tikki Tikki Tembo’s full name.
Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.
But the storybook the little girl was given had a sixteen word name, and the one I remember is only 12. I racked my brain trying to see if I had forgotten part of the name, but Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo is exactly how I remember it. So I decided to Google it, and apparently there are several diferent versions of the story, and the end of the name varies.
There is the version I remember, there is “Tikki-tikki-tembo No sa rembo Hari bari brooshki Peri pen do Hiki pon pom Nichi no miano Dom boriko” which is 20 words, “Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako” which is probably the same version with different phoenetic spellings. There is also the very different “Nikki Nikki Tembo-No So Rembo-Oo Ma Moochi-Gamma Gamma Goochi”. None of the name variations I found had 16 words though.
Anyone else remember this story? What name do you remember?
Yes, I remember the story. I was a little boy in the early 1960s and I listened with utter fascination to the story from a record. I haven’t heard it since then, but to this day I remember the tag:
Niki Niki Tembo No Sa Rembo Uma Moochi Gumma Gumma Goochi …..or “Long Name No Can Say” for short.
I wish I still had the record.
I remember (also from a record) a name about like what you remember: Rikki tikki tem bo no sa rem bo chari bari ru chi pip peri pem bo. I’m thinking it is vaguely Japanese-y, so all “xembo” words should probably be counted as two. That gives sixteen.