Why Are Fire Engines Red?

Just Muttering has the answer from NostalgiaLand:

Well, to begin with, fire engines have 8 wheels and 4 people riding in them.
8 plus 4 is 12.
12 inches is a foot.
A foot is a ruler.
A famous ruler was Queen Elizabeth.
The "Queen Elizabeth" was a ship that sailed the sea.
The sea has fish.
Fish have fins.
The Finns fought the Russians.
The Russians are red [sic] and fire engines are always rushin' . . .
    . . . which is why fire engines are always red.

Comments

[Tammy Hall]

A fire engine is a truck
It takes two people to truck.
Two people have four feet,
Four feet is a ruler,
Queen Mary was the ruler of the sea.
Fishes are in the sea.
Fishes have Fins.
The Fins fight the Russians.
The Russians are called Red.
And that is why Fire Engines are painted red.

I used to stutter. My parents gave me various things to memorize and say to help me organize my thoughts and practice words. I was born in 1948, so the references are older than the one that caused this reply. I guess to truck was to dance or it was the name of a dance. That reference was even older.