Once there was a daisy: songs that get forgotten

Photo courtesy Kathy Kimpel

There was a song that my grandmother sang to me when I was young. It went:

Once there was a daisy
who raised her pretty head
"Robin, robin redbreast," this is what she said,
"Oh I am so thirsty, robin robin dear,
And all day the sun shines, in the skies so clear."
Then dear robin redbreast called the raindrops down.
Patter, patter raindrops on the daisy's crown.
Said the daisy "Thank you!" o'er and o'er again,
And dear robin redbreast
Sang out in the rain.

Now, I have no idea where this song came from; I never knew anyone else besides my mom who knew it. I sing it to my kids in the hopes that someday they will sing it to their children.

I was interested to find out more about this song, but in all the boundless information that is online, this song doesn't seem to exist. I wanted to put this here so that it'll be available in case anyone else ever looks for it. Maybe someday I'll learn more.

Until then I'll think of this as a folk song that almost everyone forgot.

Update  9/13/2015

Google books has come through in a big way. "The Daisy" is listed on page 27 in the periodical "Primary Planner" in March 1908. I can only imagine that my Grandmother's teacher subscribed and taught this song in school. The words (it isn't listed as a song) are nearly identical to what I remember. It's terribly exciting to find this song in another place, and to understand its origins a little better.