31 JULY 1964, Page 13

SIR,—This song had its origin long before 1928. About the

turn of the century when I was a boy and the telephone was coming into more general use there was a song of which one verse began : .

She only answered ting-a-ling-a-ling

To all that 1 would say , and finished :

And when I asked her to be mine • All that she would say was Ting-a-ling-a-ling ting, ting-a-ling-a-ling ting Ting-a-ling-a-ling ting ting.

This was sung to the same tune as 'The bells of