Singing with grandpa

Grandpa was the tamed wild extrovert rogue while grandma was the silent intellectual. One of opa’s joys was singing with his family and oma would watch us with a smile on her face. “Als in een emmer een gat zit” ("If there's a hole in my bucket") was the name of his favourite song. A song where the family would sing/ask questions and he would sing/answer them:

It went like this:

"If there’s a hole in my bucket dear Dorus, dear Dorus,
If there’s a hole in my bucket?
Dear Dorus, what then?

Then you have to fill it, simple Liese, simple Liese
You have to fill it simple Liese.
Simple Liese, fill it.

With what I’ve to fill it, dear Dorus, dear Dorus.
With what I’ve to fill it?
Dear Dorus, with what?"

The rest of this question and answer song went like this:

Dorus would suggest a cork,
Liese wondered what to do if the cork was too big,
Dorus suggested that she’d cut it,
Liese wondered with what,
Dorus suggested a knife,
Liese wondered what to do if the knife was too blunt,
Dorus suggested to sharpen it,
Liese wondered with what,
Doris suggested a grindstone,
Liese wondered what if the grindstone was too dry,
Dorus suggested to wet it,
Liese wondered with what,
Dorus suggested with water,
Liese wondered how she would get that water,
Dorus suggested a bucket and then Liese would get back to her first question that what to do if there was a hole in the bucket.


And we’d all end this song singing the first part again with a smile.