2468. Chants and hakas

Story 2468 is significant enough a number to deviate into reality. When we were kids, “Two four six eight” was the grace before meals when mum and dad weren’t there:

Two four six eight, bog in, don’t wait.

Two four six eight was also the prefix to a chant at sports gatherings:

Two four six eight, who do we appreciate?

The winner’s name would then be chanted.

Another chant in that ilk was to spell the sports person’s name:

Give us an S
Give us an M
Give us an I
Give us a T
Give us an H
What have you got?
SMITH! SMITH! SMITH!

Of course that chant doesn’t work if the name is Barakat-Bentinckstokes.

My favourite chant (apart from Let’s go Brandon) requires a bit of explaining:

The High School I went to (and also taught at for a decade) was situated in the countryside. It was a large all-boys boarding school catering mainly at the time to sons of isolated farming families throughout the country. Hence the school itself was attached to a farm. The biggest (and oldest) annual athletics occasion was called the McEvedy Shield. Four major all-boys schools met to compete in some large stadium. The entire roll of each school would attend. Chants and hakas abounded. A haka is a traditional Maori challenge and each school in New Zealand has its own. The video shows two opposing high school teams challenging each other before a rugby match. (Incidentally, a “College” in New Zealand is the same as a High School).

At the McEvedy Shield around 2 o’clock the three opposing schools would unite and begin chanting at my school:

Go home! Milking time! Go home! Milking time!

I always found the Milking Time Chant very entertaining, and if anything it highlighted the positive camaraderie between the four competitive schools.

Perhaps you have a favourite chant?

2166. In gold lettering

Carlos Devon was the school sprints champion. In fact he held all the school records for running except for the mile. The school had been keeping sports records for over ninety years, so he always got excited when he walked past the big wooden board in the corridor that had the names of the record holders over the years printed in gold lettering.

And then it happened; a new boy, Cedric McCluskey, arrived. All of Carlos’ records were smashed; and Cedric also got the record for doing the mile. Carlos was decimated.

Not to worry. Carla always gets excited when she walks past the big wooden board in the corridor that had the names of the record holders over the years printed in gold lettering.

747. Clever Seraphina

Dismayed is hardly the word. Seraphina’s parents were outraged. They had donated a brand new gymnasium to Seraphina’s school, and she’d never made it into the top athletics’ team. What was the school on about? Seraphina was one of their most talented athletes.

Nor was she placed in the class for accelerated learners. Didn’t the school realise how clever she was at mathematics? Not to mention her creative writing. And her art! Hadn’t they seen Seraphina’s parent’s refrigerator door with art works under the magnets? And she learnt the piano; classical of course. Come the annual assessments, and Seraphina did not do well. That’s what happens when teachers are incompetent. Her parents removed her from that school and placed her in another.

Seraphina’s parents donated a brand new gymnasium. She was not placed in the class for accelerated learners. Didn’t the school realise how clever she was at mathematics? Not to mention her creative writing. And her art! Hadn’t they seen Seraphina’s parent’s refrigerator door with art works under the magnets? And she learnt the piano; classical of course. Come the annual assessments, and Seraphina did not do well. That’s what happens when teachers are incompetent. Her parents removed her from that school and placed her in another.

Seraphina’s parents donated a brand new gymnasium…

Listen the story being read HERE!