Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

My father, Howard, died December 1, 2015. In the months before that we talked of many bits of his life. One was a way he counted to entertain us. He said he learned it from his grandmother who came from North Carolina, then moved to Nebraska.
It went something like this: "Teen, tine, feather, fips, matha, catha, latha......" It had a consistency that seemed to take it up into the twenties or more. I have a video of him doing the counting.
All fun and curious by itself. But then I went to a performance of the Music Man (with my grand daughter playing a towns-person).  There was a scene where one of the women in town took center stage with her young Indian (Native American) child actors. She folded her arms and said "Now I will count... teen, tine, feather, ......" WOW it was the same!. (This is in the play just before someone in the play/town sets off fireworks and scatters the crowd).

So, is there a possible link between the play and what my Dad learned from great grandmother? Is there a link to a tribal language that the play writer and great grandmother knew? Is it just a coincidence?

It would be a delight to have some light on this in honor of my father.

Thanks

Dale Pracht
Norfolk, NE