豬隊友的自白: Ten Little Indians

阿一的外婆很重視給阿一唱歌跟唸故事書，即使現在回中國去了，每天孜孜唸著我們要給他唱歌要給他念故事書。

有一天，我聽到阿一外婆給他唱"Ten Little Indians”，那是我們很熟悉小時候學英文時大多也唱過的歌，電視節目或是英語教學卡通裡也常常出現，伴隨著帶著羽毛帽拿著小斧頭的小朋友唱唱跳跳。不過在我現在配有高等SJW政治不正確偵測器的耳朵裡，馬上聽出問題來，現在竟然還用印地安人這個詞！

我上網查了之後才發現這首歌相關的黑歷史。雖然跟現代我們聽到的兒歌不同，但是1868年美國作曲家根據這首流傳的童謠創作了"Ten Little Injuns"，裡面十個印地安小孩有著各種光怪陸離的悲慘命運，而同一年，另外一首有著類似歌詞的十個小黑鬼也出現。這兩首歌常常出現在各種黑臉裝扮秀中。

而或許把讓這首童謠運到到極致的當屬著名推理作家克莉絲蒂的名著《孤島奇案》留裡面，整個故事就是由一首”Ten Little Indians”兒歌串起，也暗示了劇中人的命運。

歌詞如下：

“Ten little Indian boys went out to dine;

One choked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little Indian boys travelling in Devon;

One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;

A bumblebee stung one of them and then there were five.

Five little Indian boys going in for law;

One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four little Indian boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two little Indian boys sitting in the sun;

One got all frizzled up and then there was one.

One little Indian boy left all alone;

He went and hanged himself and then there were none.”

（如果想聽聽這個版本的十個印地安男孩怎麼唱的，可以看文末的youtube影片。）

我和蘇緹討論之後，她也說她自己也覺得不妥，她本來唱的時候也就都是唱”Harry boy”，也就是阿一的英文名字。於是蘇緹也跟她媽說了。

第二天，我就聽到阿一的外婆很努力地找詞代換歌詞裡的”indian”，她很努力地想把”Chinese”放進去，但是字太長放不進。當她注意到我在聽她唱時，猶豫了一下，便放聲改唱原來的版本。

終究習慣壓倒一切。

庭中鳥樂團所唱的“十個印地安人”

1945年克莉絲蒂小說《孤島奇案》改編電影中的”十個印地安人“

豬隊友的自白