Ten little…

06Nov06

Gumnaam is a movie which I’d watched as a child, way back in the early 90s. I was really scared by the movie and sat for the most part with my eyes closed. I’d put my hands over my ears too, to shut out the eerie sounds emanating from the background. The music was really frightening; Lata Mangeshkar sounded like a sorceress singing out a song and luring her victims slowly but steadily towards their end. Even Mohammad Rafi’s unforgettable hilarious number, failed to drive away the fear.

           

Sometime in college, I read a book called And Then There Were None… by Agatha Christie. The story of the novel was quite similar to that of the movie Gumnaam. I later came to know that the movie had been based on this very book. The film was a damn good remake I’d say, now that I’ve read the book. All the critical details that make or mar a movie and those innovative techniques and technicalities that are so unique to a movie, had escaped me at the time I’d watched the movie. I guess I was too innocent and immature to see all these things. Now, whenever I see the movie, I wonder how did people manage to make these kind of movies, back in those days!

Anyways, the book had a beautiful poem which more or less captures the story line of the movie and the book. It’s supposed to be a nursery rhyme but I wonder if children were really taught such rhymes at school. I wonder how they sang it with actions! It goes something like this:

Ten little nigger boys went out to dine;

One choked his little self and then there were Nine.

Nine little nigger boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were Eight.

Eight little nigger boys travelling in Devon;

One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven.

Seven little nigger boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six.

Six little nigger boys playing with a hive;

A bumble bee stung one and then there were Five.

Five little nigger boys going in for law;

One got into chancery and then there were Four.

Four little nigger boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.

Three little nigger boys walking in the zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.

Two little nigger boys sitting in the sun;

One got frizzled up and then there was One.

One little nigger boy left all alone;

He went and hanged himself and then there were None…

The poem is a bit too violent and gory for my tastes. And I don’t like calling the negroes as niggers. But then I suppose times were different then, when the poem was composed. All the little black kids died, it seems without any purpose; but then, do we need a purpose to die?

Filed under: Books, Experiences, General, Poems, Quotes, The Dark Side   |  15 Comments