There’s a Hole in the Bucket (Há um buraco no balde) é uma canção de crianças bem popular e usa o infinite-loop motif: para consertar o balde que está furado, precisa de palha. Para cortar a palha, precisa de um machado. Para afiar o machado, precisa de uma pedra. Para amolar a pedra, precisa de água. E para pegar a água, precisa de um balde, ou seja, o problema continua.

Abaixo você pode ouvir a versão que Harry Belafonte e Eartha Kitt gravaram ao vivo há alguns anos. Acompanhe também a letra. Enjoy and have fun!

Henry, oh, Henry?
Yes, Liza!
Did you fetch (pegar) the water?
No fetch the water.

There’s a hole (buraco) in the bucket (balde), dear Liza, dear Liza,
There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole.
Well, fix (consertar) it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Well, fix it, dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it.

With what shall I (devo) fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, with what?
With a straw (palha), dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, a straw.

But the straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long,
Cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Well, cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, cut it.

With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, with what?
With an axe (machado), dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With an axe, dear Henry, dear Henry, an axe.

The axe is too dull (“cego”, não afiado), dear Liza, dear Liza,
The axe is too dull, dear Liza, too dull.
Sharpen (afiar) it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Oh sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, hone (afiar) it.

On what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
On what shall I hone it, dear Liza, on what?
On a stone (pedra), dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
On a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, on a stone.

The stone is too dry (seco), dear Liza, dear Liza,
The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry.
Well wet (molhar) it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Well wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, wet it.

With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, with what?
Try water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Try water, dear Henry, dear Henry, use water.

In what shall I fetch it, dear Liza, dear Liza?
In what shall I fetch it, dear Liza, in what?
In a bucket dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
In a bucket dear Henry, dear Henry, in a bucket.

There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

See y’all next time!