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Title: The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol II of II) - With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.
Author: Gomme, Alice Bertha
Language: English
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VOL. I.
ACCROSHAY-NUTS IN MAY
Medium 8vo, xix.—424 pp. With numerous Diagrams and Illustrations.
Cloth uncut. 12s. 6d. nett.
Some Press Notices
_Notes and Queries._—“A work of supreme importance. . . a scholarly,
valuable, and delightful work.”
_Spectator._—“Interesting and useful to the antiquarian, historian,
and philologist, as well as to the student of manners and customs.”
_Saturday Review._—“Thorough and conscientious.”
_Critic_ (New York).—“A mine of riches to the student of folk-lore,
anthropology, and comparative religion.”
_Antiquary._—“The work of collection and comparison has been done
with obvious care, and at the same time with a con amore
enthusiasm.”
_Zeitschrift für vergl. Literaturgeschichte._—“In jeder Beziehung
erschöpfend und mustergültig.”
_Zeitschrift für Pädagogie._—“Von hoher wissenschaftlicher
Bedeutung.”
[_All rights reserved_]
THE
TRADITIONAL GAMES
Of England, Scotland, and Ireland
WITH
TUNES, SINGING-RHYMES, AND METHODS OF PLAYING
ACCORDING TO THE VARIANTS EXTANT AND
RECORDED IN DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE KINGDOM
COLLECTED AND ANNOTATED BY
ALICE BERTHA GOMME
VOL. II.
OATS AND BEANS-WOULD YOU KNOW
TOGETHER WITH A MEMOIR ON THE STUDY
OF CHILDREN’S GAMES
LONDON
DAVID NUTT, 270-71 STRAND
1898
Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO.
At the Ballantyne Press
PREFACE
The completion of the second volume of my Dictionary has been delayed
from several unforeseen circumstances, the most important being the
death of my most kind and learned friend the Rev. Dr. Gregor. The loss
which folk-lore students as a body sustained by this lamented scholar’s
death, was in my own case accentuated, not only by many years of kindly
communication, but by the very special help which he generously gave me
for this collection.
The second volume completes the collection of games on the lines already
laid down. It has taken much more space than I originally intended, and
I was compelled to add some important variants to the first volume, sent
to me during the compilation of the second. I have explained in the
memoir that the two volumes practically contain all that is to be
collected, all, that is to say, of real importance.
The memoir seeks to show what important evidence is to be derived from
separate study of the Traditional Games of England. That games of all
classes are shown to contain evidence of ancient custom and belief is
remarkable testimony to the anthropological methods of studying
folk-lore, which I have followed. The memoir fills a considerable space,
although it contains only the analytical portion of what was to have
been a comprehensive study of both the analytical and comparative sides
of the questions. Dr. Gregor had kindly promised to help me with the
study of foreign parallels to British Games, but before his death it
became apparent that this branch of the subject would almost need a
separate treatise, and his death decided me to leave it untouched. I do
not underrate its importance, but I am disposed to think that the survey
I have given of the British evidence will not be materially shaken by
the study of the comparative evidence, which will now be made the
easier.
I ought perhaps to add, that the “Memoir” at the end of this volume was
read as a paper at the evening meeting of the Folk Lore Society, on
March 16th, 1898.
I have again to thank my many kind correspondents for their help in
collecting the different versions of the games.
A. B. G.
24 DORSET SQUARE, N.W.
LIST OF AUTHORITIES
ADDENDUM TO VOL. I.
ENGLAND.
BEDFORDSHIRE—
Bedford Mrs. Haddon.
BERKSHIRE—
Welford Mrs. S. Batson.
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE—
Buckingham _Midland Garner._
CAMBRIDGESHIRE Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_.
Barrington, Girton Dr. A. C. Haddon.
Cambridge Mrs. Haddon.
CORNWALL Miss I. Barclay.
DERBYSHIRE Miss Youngman, _Long Ago_, vol. i.
DEVONSHIRE Miss Chase.
Chudleigh Knighton { Henderson’s _Folk-lore of the Northern
{ Counties of England_.
DORSETSHIRE—
Broadwinsor _Folk-lore Journal_, vol. vii.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE Northall’s _English Folk Rhymes_.
HAMPSHIRE—
Gambledown Mrs. Pinsent.
HERTFORDSHIRE—
Harpenden, Stevenage Mrs. Lloyd.
HUNTINGDONSHIRE—
St. Neots Miss Lumley.
KENT Miss L. Broadwood.
LANCASHIRE—
Manchester Miss Dendy.
Liverpool Mrs. Harley.
LEICESTERSHIRE _Leicestershire County Folk-lore._
LINCOLNSHIRE—
Brigg Miss J. Barker.
Spilsby Rev. R. Cracroft.
LONDON Dr. Haddon, A. Nutt, Mrs. Gomme.
Blackheath Mr. M. L. Rouse.
Hoxton Rev. S. D. Headlam.
Marylebone Mrs. Gomme.
MIDDLESEX Mrs. Pocklington-Coltman.
NORFOLK Mrs. Haddon.
Hemsby Mrs. Haddon.
NORTHUMBERLAND Hon. J. Abercromby.
OXFORDSHIRE Miss L. Broadwood.
STAFFORDSHIRE Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_.
Wolstanton Miss Bush.
SUFFOLK Mrs. Haddon.
Woolpit, near Haughley Mr. M. L. Rouse.
SURREY—
Ash Mrs. Gomme.
SUSSEX—
Lewes Miss Kimber.
WORCESTERSHIRE—
Upton on Severn Miss. L. Broadwood.
YORKSHIRE Miss E. Cadman.
SCOTLAND.
_Notes and Queries._ Pennant’s _Voyage to the Hebrides_.
ABERDEENSHIRE—
Aberdeen Mr. M. L. Rouse.
Aberdeen Training College Rev. Dr. Gregor.
Corgarff, Fraserburgh, } Rev. Dr. Gregor.
Meiklefolla, Rosehearty, }
Tyrie
ARGYLLSHIRE—
Connell Ferry, near Oban Miss Harrison.
BANFFSHIRE—
Cullen, Macduff Rev. Dr. Gregor.
BERWICKSHIRE A. M. Bell (_Antiquary_, vol. xxx.).
ELGIN AND NAIRN—
Dyke } Rev. Dr. Gregor.
Strichen }
FORFARSHIRE—
Forfar Rev. Dr. Gregor.
KINCARDINESHIRE—
Banchory Rev. Dr. Gregor.
KIRCUDBRIGHTSHIRE—
Auchencairn { Miss M. Haddon.
{ Dr. A. C. Haddon.
Crossmichael Rev. Dr. Gregor.
Galloway } Mr. J. G. Carter.
Dalry }
Kirkcudbright }Mr. J. Lawson.
Laurieston }
New Galloway Rev. Dr. Gregor.
LINLITHGOWSHIRE—
Linlithgow Mrs. Jamieson.
PERTHSHIRE—
Auchterarder Miss E. S. Haldane.
Perth Rev. Dr. Gregor.
ROSS-SHIRE Rev. Dr. Gregor.
WIGTONSHIRE—
Port William School Rev. Dr. Gregor.
IRELAND.
Carleton’s _Stories of Irish Peasantry_.
CORK—
Cork Mr. I. J. Dennachy.
DOWN—
St. Andrews Miss H. E. Harvey.
DUBLIN—
Dublin Mrs. Coffey.
Howth Miss H. E. Harvey.
KERRY—
Kerry I. J. Dennachy.
Waterville Mrs. B. B. Green.
LEITRIM—
Kiltubbrid Mr. L. L. Duncan.
WATERFORD—
Waterford Miss H. E. Harvey.
WALES.
Roberts’ _Cambrian Popular Antiquities_.
LIST OF GAMES
OATS and Beans and Barley.
Obadiah.
Odd or Even.
Odd-man.
Old Dame.
Old Roger is Dead.
Old Soldier.
Oliver, Oliver, follow the King.
One Catch-all.
Oranges and Lemons.
’Otmillo.
Over Clover.
PADDY from Home.
Paip.
Pallall.
Pally Ully.
Pat-ball.
Pay-swad.
Pednameny.
Peesie Weet.
Peg and Stick.
Peg-fiched.
Peggy Nut.
Peg-in-the-Ring.
Peg-top.
Penny Cast.
Penny Hop.
Penny Prick.
Penny Stanes.
Phœbe.
Pick and Hotch.
Pi-cow.
Pigeon Walk.
Pig-ring.
Pillie-Winkie.
Pinch.
Pinny Show.
Pins.
Pirley Pease-weep.
Pitch.
Pitch and Hustle.
Pitch and Toss.
Pit-counter.
Pits.
Pize Ball.
Plum Pudding.
Plum Pudding and Roast Beef.
Pointing out a Point.
Poncake.
Poor and Rich.
Poor Mary sits a-weeping.
Poor Widow.
Pop Goes the Weasel.
Pop-the-Bonnet.
Poppet-Show.
Port the Helm.
Pots, or Potts.
Pray, Pretty Miss.
Pretty Little Girl of Mine.
Pretty Miss Pink.
Prick at the Loop.
Prickey Sockey.
Prickie and Jockie.
Priest-Cat (1).
Priest-Cat (2).
Priest of the Parish.
Prisoner’s Base.
Puff-the-Dart.
Pun o’ mair Weight.
Punch Bowl.
Purposes.
Push in the Wash Tub.
Push Pin.
Push the Business On.
Puss in the Corner.
Pussy’s Ground.
Pyramid.
QUAKER.
Quaker’s Wedding.
Queen Anne.
Queen Mary.
Queen of Sheba.
RAGMAN.
Rag-stag.
Rakes and Roans.
Rakkeps.
Range the Bus.
Rax, or Raxie-boxie, King of Scotland.
Relievo.
Religious Church.
Rigs.
Ring.
Ring a Ring o’ Roses.
Ring by Ring.
Ringie, Ringie, Red Belt.
Ring-me-rary.
Ring-taw.
Rin-im-o’er.
Robbing the Parson’s Hen-Roost.
Rockety Row.
Roll up Tobacco.
Roly-poly.
Ronin the Bee.
Rosy Apple, Lemon and Pear.
Roundabout, or Cheshire Round.
Round and Round the Village.
Round and Round went the Gallant Ship.
Round Tag.
Rounders.
Rounds.
Row-chow-Tobacco.
Rowland-Ho.
Rumps.
Rusty.
SACKS.
Saddle the Nag.
Saggy.
Sailor Lad.
Sally go Round the Moon.
Sally Water.
Sally Sober.
Salmon Fishers.
Salt Eel.
Save All.
Say Girl.
Scat.
Scop-peril.
Scotch-hoppers.
Scots and English.
Scratch Cradle.
Scrush.
Scurran-Meggy.
See-Saw.
See-Sim.
Shame Reel, or Shamit Dance.
She Said, and She Said.
Shepherd and Sheep.
Shepherds.
Shinney, or Shinty, or Shinnops.
Ship.
Ship Sail.
Shiver the Goose.
Shoeing the Auld Mare.
Shue-Gled-Wylie.
Shuttlefeather.
Shuvvy-Hawle.
Silly Old Man.
Skin the Goatie.
Skipping.
Skyte the Bob.
Smuggle the Gig.
Snail Creep.
Snapping Tongs.
Snatch Apple.
Snatch Hood.
Soldier.
Solomon.
Sort’em-billyort’em.
Sow-in-the-Kirk.
Span Counter.
Spang and Purley.
Spangie.
Spannims.
Spawnie.
Spinny-Wye.
Splints.
Spurn point.
Spy-arm.
Stacks.
Stag.
Stagging.
Steal the Pigs.
Stealy Clothes.
Steik and Hide.
Sticky-stack.
Sticky Toffey.
Stiff Police.
Stik-n Snael.
Stocks.
Stones.
Stool-ball.
Strik a Licht.
Stroke.
Stroke Bias.
Sun and Moon.
Sunday Night.
Sun Shines.
Sweer Tree.
Swinging.
TAIT.
Teesty-Tosty.
Teter-cum-Tawter.
Tee-to-tum.
Thimble Ring.
Thing done.
Thread the Needle.
Three Days’ Holidays.
Three Dukes.
Three Flowers.
Three Holes.
Three Jolly Welshmen.
Three Knights from Spain.
Three Little Ships.
Three Old Bachelors.
Three Sailors.
Through the Needle Eye, Boys.
Thun’er Spell.
Tick.
Tickle me Quickly.
Ticky Touchwood.
Tig.
Time.
Tip it.
Tip-Cat.
Tip-tap-toe.
Tiring Irons.
Tisty Tosty.
Titter-totter.
Tit-tat-toe.
Tods and Lambs.
Tom Tiddler’s Ground.
Tops.
The Totum, or Tee-to-tum.
Touch.
Tower of London.
Town Lovers.
Trades.
Trap, Bat, and Ball.
Tray-trip.
Tres-acre.
Tribet.
Trippit and Coit.
Trip and Go.
Trip-trout.
Troap.
Troco, Trucks.
Troule-in-Madame.
Trounce-Hole.
Troy Town.
Truncher.
Trunket.
Truss.
Tuilyie-wap.
Turn, Cheeses, Turn.
Turn Spit Jack.
Turn the Ship.
Turn the Trencher, or, My Lady’s Toilet.
Turvey.
Tutt-ball.
Twelve Days of Christmas.
Twelve Holes.
UNCLE John is Ill in Bed.
Up the Streets.
WADDS and the Wears (1).
Wadds and the Wears (2).
Waggles.
Wallflowers.
Warney.
Way-Zaltin.
We are the Rovers.
Weary.
Weave the Diaper.
Weigh the Butter.
When I was a Young Girl.
Whiddy.
Whigmeleerie.
Whip.
Whishin Dance.
Who goes round my Stone Wall.
Widow.
Wiggle-Waggle.
Wild Boar.
Wild Birds.
Willie, Willie Wastell.
Wind up the Bush Faggot.
Wind, The.
Wink-egg.
Witch, The.
Witte-Witte-Way.
Wolf.
Wolf and the Lamb.
Would you know how doth the Peasant.
ADDENDA
A’ THE BIRDIES.
All the Boys.
American Post.
As I was Walking.
Auld Grannie.
BALL.
Bannockburn.
Black Doggie.
Bonnet Ridgie.
Button.
CANLIE.
Carry my Lady to London.
Cat and Dog Hole.
Catch the Salmond.
Chicken come Clock.
Chippings, or Cheapings.
Chucks.
Churning.
Codham, or Codhams.
Colley Ball.
DAN’L my Man.
Deil amo’ the Dishes.
Dig for Silver.
Dillsee Dollsie Dee.
Doagan.
Down in Yonder Meadow.
Draw a Pail of Water.
Drop Handkerchief.
Dumb Crambo.
Dump.
EENDY, Beendy.
FARMER’S Den.
Fire on the Mountains.
Fool, Fool, come to School.
French Jackie.
GALLOPING, Galloping.
Gallant Ship.
Galley, Galley Ship.
Glasgow Ships.
Granny’s Needle.
Green Gravel.
Green Grass.
Green Grass (2).
HEAP the Cairn.
Hear all!
Hen and Chickens.
High Windows.
Hot Cockles.
ISABELLA.
JENNY Jones.
Jockie Rover.
Jolly Lads.
Jolly Miller.
KEYS of Heaven.
Kick the Block.
LADY of the Land.
Leap-Frog.
London Bridge.
Lubin, Looby Loo.
MAGICIAN.
Mannie on the Pavement.
Merry-ma-Tanza.
Milking Pails.
My Delight’s in Tansies.
NAMER and Guesser.
Needle Cases.
Nuts in May.
ODD Man.
Old Cranny Crow.
Old Johanny Hairy, Crap in!
PAPER of Pins.
Pickie.
Poor Widow.
QUEEN Anne.
RASHES.
SALLY Water.
Shuffle the Brogue.
Soldiers, Soldiers.
THREE Dukes.
Three Knights.
Tug of War.
WE are the Rovers.
When I was a Young Girl.
ANALYSIS OF “MEMOIR”
Children’s games, a definite branch of folk-lore—Nature of material
for the study—Games fall into one of two sections—Classification of
the games—Under customs contained in them—Under implements of
play—Skill and chance games—Importance of classification—Early
custom contained in skill and chance games—In diagram games—Tabu in
game of “Touch”—Methods of playing the games—Characteristics of line
form—Of circle forms—Of individual form—Of the arch forms—Of
winding-up form—Contest games—War-cry used in contest games—Early
marriage customs in games of line form—Marriage by capture—By
purchase—Without love or courtship—Games formerly played at
weddings—Disguising the bride—Hiring servants game—Marriage customs
in circle games—Courtship precedes marriage—Marriage connected with
water custom—“Crying for a young man” announcing a want—Marriage
formula—Approval of friends necessary—Housewifely duties
mentioned—Eating of food by bride and bridegroom necessary—Young
man’s necessity for a wife—Kiss in the ring—Harvest customs in
games—Occupations in games—Funeral customs in games—Use of rushes in
games—Sneezing action in game—Connection of spirit of dead person
with trees—Perambulation of boundaries—Animals represented—Ballads
sung to a dance—Individual form games—Hearth worship—Objection to
giving light from a fire—Child-stealing by witch—Obstacles in path
when pursuing witch—Contest between animals—Ghosts in games—Arch
form of game—Contest between leaders of parties—Foundation sacrifice
in games—Encircling a church—Well worship in games—Tug-of-war
games—Alarm bell ringing—Passing under a yoke—Creeping through holed
stones in games—Under earth sods—Customs in “winding up” games—Tree
worship in games—Awaking the earth spirit—Serpentine dances—Burial
of maiden—Guessing, a primitive element in games—Dramatic
classification—Controlling force which has preserved custom in
games—Dramatic faculty in mankind—Child’s faculty for dramatic
action—Observation of detail—Children’s games formerly an amusement
of adults—Dramatic power in savages—Dramatic dances among the savage
and semi-civilised—Summary and conclusion.
CHILDREN’S GAMES
Oats and Beans and Barley
[Music]
—Madeley, Shropshire (Miss Burne).
[Music]
—_Northants Notes and Queries_, ii. 161 (R. S. Baker)
[Music]
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
I. Oats and beans and barley grow!
Oats and beans and barley grow!
Do you or I or any one know
How oats and beans and barley grow?
First the farmer _sows_ his seed,
Then he _stands_ and takes his ease,
_Stamps_ his foot, and _claps_ his hands,
Then _turns round_ to view the land.
Waiting for a partner, waiting for a partner!
Open the ring and take one in!
Now you are married you must obey,
You must be true to all you say,
You must be kind, you must be good,
And help your wife to chop the wood!
—Much Wenlock (Burne’s _Shropshire Folklore_, p. 508).
II. Oats and beans and barley grow!
Does you or I or any one know
Where oats and beans and barley grow?
So the farmer sows his seed;
So he stands and takes his ease;
Stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns him round to view the lands.
Waiting for a partner! waiting for a partner!
Now young couple you must obey,
You must be true in all you say,
You must be wise and very good,
And help your wife to chop the wood.
—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
III. Does you or I, or anie one knowe
Where oates and beanes and barlie growe?
Where oates and beanes and barlie growe?
The farmer comes and sowes ye seede,
Then he standes and takes hys ease,
Stamps hys foote, and slappes hys hand,
And turnes hym rounde to viewe ye land.
Waiting for a partner,
Waiting for a partner,
Open the ringe and take mee in,
Make haste and choose youre partner.
Now you’re married you must obey,
Must bee true to alle you saye,
Must bee kinde and verie goode,
And helpe your wyfe to choppe ye woode.
—Raunds (_Northants Notes and Queries_, i. 163).
IV. Oats and beans and barley grows,
You or I or any one knows,
You or I or any one knows,
Where oats and beans and barley grows.
Thus the farmer sows his seed,
Stamps his feet and claps his hands,
And turns around to view the land.
Waiting for a partner,
Waiting for a partner,
Now you are married, &c.
[same as Much Wenlock.]
—East Kirkby, Lincolnshire (Miss K. Maughan).
V. Oats, beans, and barley grows,
You or I or any one knows.
Thus the farmer sows his seed,
Thus he stands and takes his ease,
Stamps his feet and folds his hands,
And turns him round to view the lands.
Oh! waitin’ for a partner,
Waitin’ for a partner.
Now you’re married, &c.
[same as Much Wenlock.]
—Winterton (Miss Fowler).
VI. Oats and wheat and barley grows,
You and I and every one knows
Where oats and wheat and barley grows.
As the farmer sows his seed,
Folds his arms and takes his ease,
Stamps his feet and claps his hands,
And turns him round to view the land.
Waiting for a partner,
Waiting for a partner,
Waiting for a partner,
To open the ring
And take one in.
Now you’re married, &c.
[same as Much Wenlock.]
—Tean, North Staffs. (Miss Keary).
VII. Oats and beans and barley grow,
You and I and every one know;
You and I and every one know
That oats and beans and barley grow.
Thus the farmer sows his seed,
Thus he stands and takes his ease,
Stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns him round to view the land.
Waiting for a partner,
Waiting for a partner.
Now you’re married you must obey, &c.
[same as Much Wenlock.]
—Brigg, Lincolnshire (Miss Barker).
VIII. Oats and beans and barley-corns, you or I or any one else,
You or I or any one else, oats or beans or barley-corns;
Thus the farmer sows his seed,
Thus he stands and takes his ease,
Stamps his foot, and claps his hands,
And turns him round to view the land.
Waiting for a partner, waiting for a partner;
Open the ring and take one in,
Waiting for a partner.
Now you’re married, &c.
[same as Much Wenlock.]
—Nottingham (Miss E. A. Winfield).
IX. Oats and beans, barley and groats,
Oats and beans, barley and groats;
You, nor I, nor anybody knows
How oats and beans and barley grows.
Thus the farmer sows his seed,
Thus he stands and takes his feed,
Stamps his foot and claps his hand,
And turns around to view the land.
Waiting for a partner, waiting for a partner.
Slip the ring, and take one in,
And kiss her when you get her in;
Now that you’re married you must agree,
You must be kind to all you see;
You must be kind, you must be good,
And help your man [wife] to chop the wood.
—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
X. Wuts and beäns and barley graws,
As you and I and every one knaws.
. . . . .
Waätin’ for a pardner.
Fust the farmer saws his seäds,
Then he stands and taäke his eäse,
Stomps his feät and clops his hands,
And turns him round to view his lands.
Waätin’ for a pardner.
Now you’re married you must obaäy;
Must be trewe to all you saäy;
Must be kind and must be good,
And help your wife to chop the wood.
Waätin’ for a pardner.
—Spilsby, N. Lincs. (Rev. R. Cracroft).
XI. Oats and beans and barley corn,
Oats and beans and barley corn;
You and I and nobody else,
But oats and beans and barley corn.
As the farmer sows his seed,
As he stands to take us in,
Stamps his feet and claps his hands,
Turns around to field and lands.
Waiting for a partner,
Waiting for a partner,
Open the gate and let her come out,
And see the one you love the best.
Now we’re merry and wish you joy,
First the girl, and then the boy,
Seven years after, seven years past,
Kiss one another and go to your class.
—Hampshire (Miss Mendham).
XII. Where the wheat and barley grows,
You and I and nobody knows,
Where the wheat and barley grows,
You and I and nobody knows.
As the farmer sows his seed,
As he stands and takes his ease,
Stamps his foot and claps his hand,
Turns around to view the land.
Waiting for a partner,
Waiting for a partner.
Open the ring, take her in,
Kiss her when you get her in.
Now you’re married you must be good,
To make your husband chop the wood.
—Cowes, Isle of Wight (Miss E. Smith).
XIII. Oats and beans and barley corns,
You nor I nor any one knows;
You nor I nor any one knows
How oats and beans and barley grows.
As the sower sows his seed,
As he stands he takes his ease,
Stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns him round to view the land.
Waiting for a partner,
Open the ring and take one in.
Now you’re married, &c.
[same as Much Wenlock.]
—Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire (Miss Youngman).
XIV. Hop or beans or barley corn,
You or I or any one all:
First the farmer sows his seed,
Then he stands and takes his ease;
He stamped his foot and he clapped his hand,
And turned around the bugle land,
Waiting for a partner, a partner, a partner,
He opened the ring and called one in,
And now he’s got a partner.
Now you’re married we wish you good joy,
First the girl and then the boy;
Love one another like sister and brother,
And pray each couple to kiss together.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
XV. See the farmer sow his seed,
See he stands and takes them in,
Stamps his foot and claps his hand,
And turns him round to view the land.
O! waiting for a partner,
O! waiting for a partner,
Open the ring and take one in.
Now you’re married, &c.
[same as Much Wenlock.]
—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (H. Hardy).
XVI. A waitin’ fur a pardner,
A waitin’ fur a pardner,
You an’ I an’ ev’ry one knows
How whoats an’ beans an’ barley grows.
Fost tha farmer saws ’is seeds,
Then he stans’ an’ teks ’is ease,
Stamps ’is feet an’ claps ’is ’ands,
And turns him round to view tha lands.
A waitin’ fur a pardner,
A waitin’ fur a pardner,
You an’ I an’ iv’ry one knows
How whoats an’ beans an’ barley grows.
Now you’re married, &c.
[same as Much Wenlock.]
—Boston, Lincs. (_Notes and Queries_, 7th series, xii. 493).
XVII. Oats and beans and barley grows
Not so fine as the farmer sows,
You nor I nor nobody knows
Oats and beans and barley grows.
This is the way the farmer sows,
The farmer sows, the farmer sows,
This is the way the farmer sows.
Here he stands and takes his ease,
Stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view the land,
Waiting for a partner, waiting for a partner,
Open the ring and take one in,
And kiss him (or her) as he (or she) enters.
—Aberdeen Training College (Rev. W. Gregor).
XVIII. Waitin’ for a partner,
Waitin’ for a partner,
Open the ring and take one in,
And now you’ve got your partner.
Now you’re married, &c.
[same as Much Wenlock.]
—Wakefield, Yorks. (Miss Fowler).
(_c_) The players form a ring by joining hands, with one child, usually
a boy, standing in the centre. The ring walks round, singing the first
four lines. At the fifth line the ring stands still, and each child
suits her actions to the words sung. At “the farmer sows his seed,” each
player pretends to scatter seed, then they all fold their arms and
“stand at ease,” “stamp their feet,” and “clap their hands” together in
order, and finally each child turns herself round. Then they again clasp
hands and move round the centre child, who at the words “open the ring
and take one in” chooses and takes into the ring with him one player
from it. These two stand together while the ring sings the marriage
formula. At the end the child first in the centre joins the ring; the
second child remaining in the centre, and in her turn choosing another
from the ring.
This is the (Much Wenlock) way of playing. Among the variants there are
some slight differences. In the Wakefield version (Miss Fowler), a
little boy is placed in the centre of the ring first, he chooses a girl
out of the ring at the singing of the third line and kisses her. They
stand hand in hand while the others sing the next verse. In the Tean
version (Miss Keary), the children turn round with their backs to the
one in the centre, and stand still when singing “Waiting for a
partner.” In the Hampshire (Miss Mendham), Brigg (Miss Barker), and
Winterton (Miss Peacock) versions, the children dance round instead of
walking. The Rev. Mr. Roberts, in a version from Kirkby-on-the-Bain
(N.W. Lincolnshire), says: “There is no proper commencement of this
song. The children begin with ‘A waitin’ fur a pardner,’ or ‘Oats and
beans,’ just as the spirit moves them, but I think ‘A waitin’’ is the
usual beginning here.” In a Sheffield version sent by Mr. S. O. Addy,
four young men stand in the middle of the ring with their hands joined.
These four dance round singing the first lines. After “views his lands”
these four choose sweethearts, or partners, from the ring. The eight
join hands and sing the remaining four lines. The four young men then
join the larger ring, and the four girls remain in the centre and choose
partners next time. The words of this version are almost identical with
those of Shropshire. In the Isle of Man version (A. W. Moore), when the
kiss is given all the children forming the ring clap their hands. There
is no kissing in the Shropshire and many other versions of this game,
and the centre child does not in all cases sing the words.
(_d_) Other versions have been sent from Winterton, Leadenham, and
Lincoln, by Miss Peacock, and from Brigg, while the _Northamptonshire
Notes and Queries_, ii. 161, gives another by Mr. R. S. Baker. The words
are practically the same as the versions printed above from Lincolnshire
and Northants. The words of the Madeley version are the same as the Much
Wenlock (No. 1). The Nottingham tune (Miss Youngman), and three others
sent with the words, are the same as the Madeley tune printed above.
(_e_) This interesting game is essentially of rural origin, and probably
it is for this reason that Mr. Newell did not obtain any version from
England for his _Games and Songs of American Children_, but his note
that it “seems, strangely enough, to be unknown in Great Britain” (p.
80), is effectually disproved by the examples I have collected. There is
no need in this case for an analysis of the rhymes. The variants fall
into three categories: (1) the questioning form of the words, (2) the
affirming form, and (3) the indiscriminate form, as in Nos. xvi. to
xviii., and of these I am disposed to consider the first to represent
the earliest idea of the game.
If the crops mentioned in the verses be considered, it will be found
that the following table represents the different localities:—
+------+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| |Northants. |
| | |Lancashire. |
| | | |Lincolnshire. |
| | | | |Shropshire. |
| | | | | |Staffordshire. |
| | | | | | |Nottingham. |
| | | | | | | |Isle of Man. |
| | | | | | | | |Hants. |
| | | | | | | | | |Isle of |
| | | | | | | | | |Wight. |
| | | | | | | | | | |Nor- |
| | | | | | | | | | |folk.|
+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|Oats | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | ... | ... |
|Beans | + | + | + | + | ... | + | + | + | ... | + |
|Barley| + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + |
|Wheat | ... | ... | ... | ... | + | ... | ... | ... | + | ... |
|Groats| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
|Hop | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | + | ... | ... | + |
+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
The first three are the more constant words, but it is curious that
Norfolk, not a hop county, should have adopted that grain into the game.
Hops are grown there on rare occasions, and it is probable that the game
may have been introduced from a hop county.
In _Northants Notes and Queries_, i. 163-164, Mr. R. S. Baker gives a
most interesting account of the game (No. iii.) as follows:—“Having been
recently invited to join the Annual Christmas Entertainment of the
Raunds Church Choir, I noticed that a very favourite pastime of the
evening was one which I shall call ‘Choosing Partners.’ The game is
played thus: The young men and maidens join hands indiscriminately, and
form a ring; within the ring stand a lad and a lass; then they all step
round the way the sun goes, to a plain tune. During the singing of the
two last lines [of the first part] they all disjoin hands, stop and
stamp their feet and clap their hands and turn right round . . . then
join hands [while singing the second verse]. The two in the middle at
[‘Open the ring’] choose each of them a partner of the opposite sex,
which they do by pointing to the one chosen; then they continue round,
to the words [sang in next verse], the two pairs of partners crossing
hands, first right and then left, and revolving opposite ways
alternately. The march round is temporarily suspended for choosing
partners. The partners salute [at ‘Now you’re married’], or, rather,
each lad kisses his chosen lass; the first two partners go out, the game
continues as before, and every one in the ring has chosen and been
chosen, and every lad has saluted every lass. The antiquity of the
pastime is evidenced by its not mentioning wheat; wheat was in remote
times an exceptional crop—the village people lived on oatmeal and barley
bread. It also points, possibly, to a period when most of the land lay
in grass. Portions of the open fields were cultivated, and after a few
years of merciless cropping were laid down again to recuperate. ‘Helping
to chop the wood’ recalls the time when coal was not known as fuel. I am
indebted for the correct words of the above to a Raunds maiden, Miss B.
Finding, a native of the village, who kindly wrote them down for me.”
Mr. Baker does not say how Miss Finding got the peculiar spelling of
this version. It would be interesting to know whether this form of
spelling was used as indicative of the pronunciation of the children, or
of the supposed antiquity of the game. The Rev. W. D. Sweeting, also
writes at the same reference, “The same game is played at the school
feast at Maxey; but the words, as I have taken them down, vary from
those given above. We have no mention of any crop except barley, which
is largely grown in the district; and the refrain, repeated after the
second and sixth lines, is ‘waiting for the harvest.’ A lady suggested
to me that the two first lines of the conclusion are addressed to the
bride of the game, and the two last, which in our version run, ‘You must
be kind and very good,’ apply to the happy swain.”
This interesting note not only suggests, as Mr. Baker and Mr. Sweeting
say, the antiquity of the game and its connection with harvest at a time
when the farms were all laid in open fields, but it points further to
the custom of courtship and marriage being the outcome of village
festivals and dances held after spring sowing and harvest gatherings. It
seems in Northamptonshire not to have quite reached the stage of the
pure children’s game before it was taken note of by Mr. Baker, and this
is an important illustration of the descent of children’s games from
customs. As soon as it has become a child’s game, however, the process
of decadence sets in. Thus, besides verbal alterations, the lines
relating to farming have dropped out of the Wakefield version. It is
abundantly clear from the more perfect game-rhymes that the waiting for
a partner is an episode in the harvest customs, as if, when the outdoor
business of the season was finished, the domestic element becomes the
next important transaction in the year’s proceedings. The curious
four-lined formula applicable to the duties of married life may indeed
be a relic of those rhythmical formulæ which are found throughout all
early legal ceremonies. A reference to Mr. Ralston’s section on marriage
songs, in his _Songs of the Russian People_, makes it clear that
marriages in Russia were contracted at the gatherings called Besyedas
(p. 264), which were social gatherings held during October after the
completion of the harvest; and the practice is, of course, not confined
to Russia.
It is also probable that this game may have preserved the tradition of a
formula sung at the sowing of grain, in order to propitiate the earth
goddess to promote and quicken the growth of the crops. Turning around
or bowing to fields and lands and pantomimic actions in imitation of
those actually required, are very general in the history of sympathetic
magic among primitive peoples, as reference to Mr. Frazer’s _Golden
Bough_ will prove; and taking the rhyming formula together with the
imitative action, I am inclined to believe that in this game we may have
the last relics of a very ancient agricultural rite.
Obadiah
The players stand in a row. The child at the head of the row says, “My
son Obadiah is going to be married, twiddle your thumbs,” suiting the
action to the word by clasping the fingers of both hands together, and
rapidly “twiddling” the thumbs. The next child repeats both words and
actions, and so on all along the row, all the players continuing the
“twiddling.” The top child repeats the words, adding (very gravely),
“Fall on one knee,” the whole row follows suit as before (still
twiddling their thumbs). The top child repeats from the beginning,
adding, “Do as you see me,” and the rest of the children follow suit, as
before. Just as the last child repeats the words, the top child falls on
the child next to her, and all go down like a row of ninepins. The whole
is said in a sing-song way. This game was, so far as I can ascertain,
truly East Anglian. I have never been able to hear of it in other parts
of England or Wales.—Bexley Heath (Miss Morris). Also played in London.
See “Solomon.”
Odd or Even
A boys’ game, played with buttons, marbles, and halfpence. Peacock’s
_Manley and Corringham Glossary_; also mentioned in Brogden’s
_Provincial Words (Lincolnshire)_. Mr. Patterson says (_Antrim and Down
Glossary_)—A boy shuts up a few small objects, such as marbles, in one
hand, and asks his opponent to guess if the number is odd or even. He
then either pays or receives one, according as the guess is right or
wrong. Strutt describes this game in the same way, and says it was
played in ancient Greece and Rome. Newell (_Games_, p. 147) also
mentions it.
See “Prickie and Jockie.”
Odd-man
A game played with coins. Brogden’s _Provincial Words, Lincolnshire_.
Old Dame
I. I’ll away to t’beck to wash my neck,
When I get there, I’ll ask t’ould dame what o’clock it is?
It’s one, and you’ll be hanged at two.
I’ll away to t’beck to wash my neck,
When I get there, I’ll ask t’ould dame what o’clock it is?
It’s two, and you’ll be hanged at three.
[This is repeated until the old woman says, “It’s eleven, and you’ll be
hanged at twelve.”]
—Yorkshire (Miss E. Cadman).
II. To Beccles, to Beccles,
To buy a bunch of nettles,
Pray, old dame, what’s o’clock?
One, going for two.
To Beccles, to Beccles,
To buy a bunch of nettles,
Pray, old dame, what’s o’clock?
Two, going for three, &c.
[And so on until “eleven going for twelve” is said, then the
following:—]
Where have you been?
To the wood.
What for?
To pick up sticks.
What for?
To light my fire.
What for?
To boil my kettle.
What for?
To cook some of your chickens.
—Halliwell, _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 229.
(_b_) One child sits upon a little stool. The others march round her
in single file, taking hold of each other’s frocks. They say in a
sing-song manner the first two lines, and the old woman answers by
telling them the hour. The questions and answers are repeated until
the old woman says, “It’s eleven, and you’ll be hanged at twelve.”
Then the children all run off in different directions and the old
woman runs after them. Whoever she catches becomes old woman, and the
game is continued.—Yorkshire (Miss E. Cadman). In the version given from
Halliwell there is a further dialogue, it will be seen, before the old
woman chases.
(_c_) The use of the Yorkshire word “beck” (“stream”) in the first
variant suggests that this may be the original version from which the
“Beccles” version has been adapted, a particular place being substituted
for the general. The game somewhat resembles “Fox and Goose.”
Old Roger is Dead
[Music]
—Earls Heaton (H. Hardy).
[Music]
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
[Music]
—Bath (A. B. Gomme).
I. Old Rogers is dead and is laid in his grave,
Laid in his grave,
Laid in his grave;
Old Rogers is dead and is laid in his grave,
He, hi! laid in his grave.
There grew an old apple tree over his head,
Over his head,
Over his head;
There grew an old apple tree over his head,
He, hi! over his head.
The apples grew ripe, and they all fell off,
They all fell off,
They all fell off;
The apples grew ripe, and they all fell off,
He, hi! they all fell off.
There came an old woman a-picking them up,
Picking them up,
Picking them up;
There came an old woman a-picking them up,
He, hi! picking them up.
Old Rogers jumps up and he gives her a knock,
Gives her a knock,
Gives her a knock;
Old Rogers jumps up and he gives her a knock,
He, hi! gives her a knock.
He makes the old woman go hipperty hop,
Hipperty hop,
Hipperty hop;
He makes the old woman go hipperty hop,
He, hi! hipperty hop.
—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).
II. Old Roger is dead, and lies in his grave, um, ah! lies in his
grave;
There grew an old apple tree over his head, um, ah! over his
head.
The apples are ripe and ready to drop, um, ah! ready to drop;
There came an old woman, picking them up.
—Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss Edith Hollis).
III. Sir Roger is dead and is low in his grave,
Is low in his grave, is low in his grave;
Sir Roger is dead and is low in his grave,
Hey hie! is low in his grave.
They planted an apple tree over his head,
Over his head, over his head;
They planted an apple tree over his head,
Hey hie! over his head.
When they grew ripe they all fell off,
All fell off, all fell off;
When they grew ripe they all fell off,
Hey hie! all fell off.
There came an old woman and gathered them up,
Gathered them up, gathered them up;
There came an old woman and gathered them up,
Hey hie! gathered them up.
Sir Roger got up and gave her a nudge,
Gave her a nudge, gave her a nudge;
Sir Roger got up and gave her a nudge,
Hey hie! gave her a nudge.
Which made her go off with a skip and a hop,
With a skip and a hop, with a skip and a hop;
Which made her go off with a skip and a hop,
Hey hie! with a skip and a hop.
—Ordsall, Nottinghamshire (Miss Matthews).
IV. Sir Roger is dead and he’s laid in his grave,
Laid in his grave, laid in his grave;
Sir Roger is dead and he’s laid in his grave,
Heigh-ho! laid in his grave.
There grew a fine apple tree over his head,
Over his head, over his head;
There grew a fine apple tree over his head,
Heigh-ho! over his head.
The apples were ripe and they all fell off,
All fell off, all fell off;
The apples were ripe and they all fell off,
Heigh-ho! all fell off.
There came an old woman and picked them all up,
Picked them all up, picked them all up;
There came an old woman and picked them all up,
Heigh-ho! picked them all up.
Sir Roger jumped up and he gave her a push,
Gave her a push, gave her a push;
Sir Roger jumped up and he gave her a push,
Heigh-ho! gave her a push.
Which made the old woman go hickety-hock,
Hickety-hock, hickety-hock;
Which made the old woman go hickety-hock,
Heigh-ho! hickety-hock.
—Brigg, Lincolnshire (Miss J. Barker).
V. Sir Roger is dead and laid in his grave,
Hee, haw! laid in his grave.
They planted an apple tree over his head,
Hee, haw! over his head.
The apples are ripe and ready to fall,
Hee, haw! ready to fall.
There came a high wind and blew them all off,
Hee, haw! blew them all off.
There came an old woman to pick them all up,
Hee, haw! pick them all up.
There came a little bird and gave her a tap,
Hee, haw! gave her a tap.
Which made the old woman go hipperty hop,
Hee, haw! hipperty hop.
—Tong, Shropshire (Miss Burne).
VI. Poor Johnnie is dead and he lies in his grave,
Lies in his grave, lies in his grave;
Poor Johnnie is dead and he lies in his grave,
He-ho! lies in his grave.
They planted an apple tree over his head,
Over his head, over his head;
They planted an apple tree over his head,
He-ho! over his head.
The apples got ripe and they all fell off,
All fell off, all fell off;
The apples got ripe and they all fell off,
He-ho! all fell off.
Here comes an old woman a-picking them up,
A-picking them up, a-picking them up;
Here comes an old woman a-picking them up,
He-ho! a-picking them up.
Poor Johnnie got up and gave her a thump,
And gave her a thump, and gave her a thump;
Poor Johnnie got up and gave her a thump,
He-ho! gave her a thump.
He made the old woman go hippity-hop,
Hippity-hop, hippity-hop!
He made the old woman go hippity-hop,
He-ho! hippity-hop!
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
VII. Cock Robin is dead and has gone to his grave;
There grew on old apple tree over his head;
The apples were ripe and ready to drop,
O my, flippity flop!
There came an old woman to pick them all up,
Cock Robin rose up and gave her a knock,
And made the old woman go flippity flop!
O my, flippity flop!
—Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).
VIII. Old Roger is dead and gone to his grave,
H’m ha! gone to his grave.
They planted an apple tree over his head,
H’m ha! over his head.
The apples were ripe and ready to fall,
H’m ha! ready to fall.
There came an old woman and picked them all up,
H’m ha! picked them all up.
Old Roger jumped up and gave her a knock,
H’m ha! gave her a knock.
Which made the old woman go hippity hop,
H’m ha! hippity hop!
—Bath, from a Nursemaid (A. B. Gomme).
IX. Cock Robin is dead and lies in his grave,
Hum-ha! lies in his grave.
Place an old apple tree over his head,
Hum-ha! over his head.
When they were ripe and ready to fall,
Hum-ha! ready to fall.
There comes an old woman a-picking them up,
Hum-ha! a-picking them up.
Cock Robin jumps up and gives her a good knock,
Hum-ha! gives her a good knock.
—Derbyshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, i. 385).
X. Poor Roger is dead and lies low in his grave,
Low in his grave, low in his grave,
E. I. low in his grave.
There grew an old apple tree over his head,
Over his head, over his head,
E. I. over his head.
When the apples were ripe they all fell off,
All fell off, all fell off,
E. I. all fell off.
There was an old woman came picking them up,
Picking them up, picking them up,
E. I. picking them up.
Poor Roger jumped up and gave her a nudge,
Gave her a nudge, gave her a nudge,
E. I. gave her a nudge.
Which made the old woman go lippety lop,
Lippety lop, lippety lop,
E. I. lippety lop.
—Newark, Nottinghamshire (S. O. Addy).
XI. Poor Toby is dead and he lies in his grave,
He lies in his grave, he lies in his grave;
They planted an apple tree over his head,
Over his head, over his head.
The apples grew ripe and beginning to fall,
Beginning to fall, beginning to fall;
The apples grew ripe and beginning to fall,
Beginning to fall, beginning to fall.
There came an old woman picking them up,
Picking them up, picking them up;
Poor Toby rose up and he gave her a kick,
Gave her a kick, gave her a kick.
And the poor old woman went hipperty hop,
Hipperty hop, hipperty hop;
And the poor old woman went hipperty hop,
Hipperty hop along.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
XII. There was an old woman we buried her here,
Buried her here, buried her here;
There was an old woman we buried her here,
He—ho! buried her here.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
(_b_) A ring is formed by children joining hands; one child, who
represents Sir Roger, lays down on the ground in the centre of the ring
with his head covered with a handkerchief. The ring stands still and
sings the verses. When the second verse is begun, a child from the ring
goes into the centre and stands by Sir Roger, to represent the apple
tree. At the fourth verse another child goes into the ring, and pretends
to pick up the fallen apples. Then the child personating Sir Roger jumps
up and knocks the child personating the old woman, beating her out of
the ring. She goes off hobbling on one foot, and pretending to be hurt.
In the Ordsall game the children dance round when singing the verses
instead of standing still, the action of the game being the same. In the
Tong version, the action seems to be done by the ring. Miss Burne says
the children go through various movements, finally all limping round.
The Newark (Notts), and Bath versions are played as first described,
Poor Roger being covered with a cloak, or an apron, and laying down in
the middle of the ring. A Southampton version has additional
features—the ring of children keep their arms crossed, and lay their
hands on their chests, bending their heads and bodies backwards and
forwards, in a mourning attitude, while they sing; in addition to which,
in the Bath version, the child who personates the apple tree during the
singing of the third verse raises her arms above her head, and then lets
them drop to her sides to show the falling apples.
(_c_) Various as the game-rhymes are in word detail, they are
practically the same in incident. One remarkable feature stands out
particularly, namely, the planting a tree over the head of the dead, and
the spirit-connection which this tree has with the dead. The robbery of
the fruit brings back the dead Sir Roger to protect it, and this must be
his ghost or spirit. In popular superstition this incident is not
uncommon. Thus Aubrey in his _Remains of Gentilisme_, notes that “in the
parish of Ockley some graves have rose trees planted at the head and
feet,” and then proceeds to say, “They planted a tree or a flower on the
grave of their friend, and they thought the soule of the party deceased
went into the tree or plant” (p. 155). In Scotland a branch falling from
an oak, the Edgewell tree, standing near Dalhousie Castle, portended
mortality to the family (Dalyell, _Darker Superstitions_, p. 504).
Compare with this a similar superstition noted in Carew’s _History of
Cornwall_, p. 325, and Mr. Keary’s treatment of this cult in his
_Outlines of Primitive Belief_, pp. 66-67. In folk-tales this incident
also appears; the spirit of the dead enters the tree and resents robbery
of its fruit, possession of which gives power over the soul or spirit of
the dead.
The game is, therefore, not merely the acting of a funeral, but more
particularly shows the belief that a dead person is cognisant of actions
done by the living, and capable of resenting personal wrongs and
desecration of the grave. It shows clearly the sacredness of the grave;
but what, perhaps to us, is the most interesting feature, is the way in
which the game is played. This clearly shows a survival of the method of
portraying old plays. The ring of children act the part of “chorus,” and
relate the incidents of the play. The three actors say nothing, only act
their several parts in dumb show. The raising and lowering of the arms
on the part of the child who plays “apple tree,” the quiet of “Old
Roger” until he has to jump up, certainly show the early method of
actors when details were presented by action instead of words. Children
see no absurdity in being a “tree,” or a “wall,” “apple,” or animal.
They simply _are_ these things if the game demands it, and they think
nothing of incongruities.
I do not, of course, suggest that children have preserved in this game
an old play, but I consider that in this and similar games they have
preserved methods of acting and detail (now styled traditional), as
given in an early or childish period of the drama, as for example in the
mumming plays. Traditional methods of acting are discussed by Mr.
Ordish, _Folk-lore_, ii. 334.
Old Soldier
One player personates an old soldier, and begs of all the other players
in turn for left-off garments, or anything else he chooses. The formula
still used at Barnes by children is, “Here comes an old soldier from the
wars [or from town], pray what can you give him?” Another version is—
Here comes an old soldier from Botany Bay,
Have you got anything to give him to-day.
—Liverpool (C. C. Bell).
The questioned child replying must be careful to avoid using the words,
Yes! No! Nay! and Black, White, or Grey. These words are tabooed, and a
forfeit is exacted every time one or other is used. The old soldier
walks lame, and carries a stick. He is allowed to ask as many questions,
talk as much as he pleases, and to account for his destitute condition.
(_c_) Some years ago when colours were more limited in number, it was
difficult to promise garments for a man’s wear which were neither of
these colours tabooed. Miss Burne (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 526), in
describing this game says, “The words Red or Blue are sometimes
forbidden, as well as Yes or No,” and adds that “This favourite old game
gives scope for great ingenuity on the part of the beggar, and ‘it seems
not improbable’ (to use a time-honoured antiquarian phrase!) that the
expression ‘To come the old soldier over a person’ may allude to it.”
Halliwell (_Nursery Rhymes_, p. 224) describes the game as above.
Oliver, Oliver, follow the King!
Oliver, Oliver, follow the King!
Oliver, Oliver, last in the ring!
_Jim Burguin_ wants a wife, and a wife he shall have,
_Nelly_ he kissed at the back-cellar door,
_Nelly_ made a pudding, she made it over sweet,
She never stuck a knife in till he came home at night,
So next Monday morning is our wedding-day,
The bells they shall ring, and the music shall play!
Oliver, Oliver, follow the King! (_da capo_).
—Berrington (Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 508).
(_b_) The children form a ring and move round, singing the first two
lines. Then they curtsey, or “douk down,” all together; the one who is
last has to tell her sweetheart’s name. The other lines are then sung
and the game is continued. The children’s names are mentioned as each
one names his or her sweetheart.
This is apparently the game of which “All the Boys,” “Down in the
Valley,” and “Mary Mixed a Pudding up,” are also portions.
One Catch-all
The words “Cowardy, cowardy custard” are repeated by children playing at
this game when they advance towards the one who is selected to catch
them, and dare or provoke her to capture them. Ray, _Localisms_, gives
Costard, the head; a kind of opprobrious word used by way of contempt.
Bailey gives Costead-head, a blockhead; thus elucidating this
exclamation which may be interpreted, “You cowardly blockhead, catch me
if you dare” (Baker’s _Northamptonshire Glossary_).
The words used were, as far as I remember,
Cowardy, cowardy custard, eat your father’s mustard,
Catch me if you can.
To compel a person to “eat” something disagreeable is a well-known form
of expressing contempt. The rhyme was supposed to be very efficacious in
rousing an indifferent or lazy player when playing “touch” (A. B.
Gomme).
Oranges and Lemons
[Music]
An older and more general version of the last five bars (the tail piece)
is as follows:—
[Music]
—London (A. B. Gomme).
[Music]
—Yorkshire (H. Hardy).
[Music]
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
I. Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement’s;
You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin’s;
When will you pay me,
Say the bells of Old Bailey;
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch;
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney;
I’m sure I don’t know,
Says the Great Bell of Bow.
Here comes a light to light you to bed;
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head;
The last, last, last, last man’s head.
—London (A. B. Gomme).
II. Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement’s;
You owe me four farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin’s;
When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey;
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch;
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney;
I’m sure I don’t know,
Says the Great Bell of Bow.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed;
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head;
Last, last, last, last, last man’s head.
—Winterton and Leadenham, Lincolnshire; also Nottinghamshire (Miss M.
Peacock).
III. Oranges and lemons,
Says the bells of S. Clemen’s.
Brickdust and tiles,
Says the bells of S. Giles.
You owe me five farthings,
Says the bells of S. Martin’s.
I do not know you,
Says the bells of S. Bow.
When will you pay me?
Says the bells of Old Bailey.
When I get rich,
Says the bells of Shoreditch.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
—Derbyshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, i. 386).
IV. Oranges and lemons,
The bells of St. Clemen’s;
You owe me five farthings,
The bells of St. Martin’s;
When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey;
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch;
When will that be?
Say the bells of Shorlea;
I don’t know,
Says the Great Bell Bow.
Here comes the candle to light you to bed,
Here comes the chop to chop off your head.
Chop, chop, chop, &c.
—Middlesex (Miss Winfield).
V. Orange or lemon,
The bells of St. Clement’s [or the bells are a clemming].
I owe you five farthings,
And when shall I pay you,
To-day or to-morrow?
To-morrow will do.
Here come some great candles
To light you to bed,
Here come some great choppers
To chop off your head.
Come under, come under,
Come run as you ought;
Come under, come under,
Until you are caught;
Then stand just behind us
And pull either way;
Which side pulls the strongest
That side wins the day.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
VI. Oranges and lemons,
The bells of St. Clement’s.
I owe you three farthings,
When shall I pay you?
When I get rich.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a hatchet to chop off your head.
—Brigg (from a Lincolnshire friend of Miss Barker).
VII. Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clemen’s.
I owe you five farthins,
Say the bells of St. Martin’s.
When shall I pay you?
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
Or Sunday?
—Symondsbury, Dorset (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 216).
VIII. I owe you five farthings.
When will you pay me,
To-day or to-morrow?
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
—Broadwinsor, Dorset (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 217).
IX. Oranges and lemons, the bells of St. Clement’s [or St.
Helen’s].
I owe you five farthings. And when will you pay me?
I’m sure I don’t know.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a chop’n bill to chop off your head—
Chop—chop—chop—chop.
[Or Here comes a chop’n bill to chop off the last man’s
head.]
—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).
X. Lend me five shillings,
Said the bells of St. Helen’s.
When will you pay me?
Said the bells of St. Philip’s.
I do not know,
Said the Great Bell of Bold.
Ring a ding, ding,
Ring a ding, ding,
Ring a ding, ding, ding, ding.
—Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy, as told him by A. K.).
XI. Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement’s;
You owe me five farthings, and when will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch.
And the last one that comes shall be chop, chop.
—Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 86).
XII. Orange and lemon,
Say the bells of St. Martin (or the bells of Sweet Lemon);
I owe you five farthings,
But when shall I pay you?
Here comes a candle
To light you to bed,
Here comes a hatchet
To chop off your head.
—Eckington, Derbyshire (S. O. Addy).
XIII. Oranges and lemons,
The bells of St. Clement’s;
I owe you five farthings,
And when will you pay me?
Oh, that I can’t tell you;
Sim, Bim, bim, bow, bay.
—Settle, Yorks. (Rev. W. E. Sykes).
XIV. Oranges or lemons,
The bells of St. Clement’s;
You owe me five farthings,
Pray, when will you pay me?
Here come the clappers to knock you down backwards, carwoo!
—Suffolk (Mrs. Haddon).
XV. Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement’s;
Brick dust and tiles, say the bells of St. Giles;
You owe me three farthings, say the bells of St. Martin’s;
When will you pay me? say the bells of Old Bailey;
When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch;
When will that be? say the bells of Stepney;
I’m sure I don’t know, says the Great Bell of Bow.
—Perth (Rev. W. Gregor).
XVI. Pancakes and fritters,
Says the bells of St. Peter’s;
Where must we fry ’em?
Says the bells of Cold Higham;
In yonder land thurrow (furrow),
Says the bells of Wellingborough;
You owe me a shilling,
Says the bells of Great Billing;
When will you pay me?
Says the bells of Widdleton Cheney;
When I am able,
Say the bells at Dunstable;
That will never be,
Says the bells at Coventry;
Oh, yes, it will,
Says Northampton Great Bell;
White bread and sop,
Says the bells at Kingsthorp;
Trundle a lantern,
Says the bells at Northampton.
—Northamptonshire (Baker’s _Words and Phrases_).
(_c_) This game is generally played as follows:—
Two of the taller children stand facing each other, holding up their
clasped hands. One is named Orange and the other Lemon. The other
players, grasping one another’s dresses, run underneath the raised arms
and round Orange, and then under the arms again and round Lemon, while
singing the verses. The three concluding lines are sung by “Orange” and
“Lemon” in a slow emphatic manner, and at the word “head” they drop
their arms over one of the children passing between them, and ask her
secretly whether she will be _orange_ or _lemon_. The captive chooses
her side, and stands behind whichever leader she selects, placing her
arms round her waist. The game continues till every one engaged in it
has ranged herself behind one or other of the chiefs. When the two
parties are ranged a “tug of war” takes place until one of the parties
breaks down, or is pulled over a given mark.
[Illustration: Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3]
In the Middlesex version (Miss Winfield) the children form a ring and go
round singing the verses, and apparently there is neither catching the
“last man” nor the “tug.” Mr. Emslie says he has seen and played the
game in Middlesex, and it always terminated with the cutting off the
last man’s head. In the Symondsbury version the players drop their hands
when they say “Sunday.” No tug is mentioned in the first Earls Heaton
version of the game (Mr. Hardy). In the second version he says bells are
represented by children. They should have in their hands, bells, or some
article to represent them. All stand in a row. First, second, and third
bells stand out in turn to sing. All rush for bells to sing chorus. Miss
Barclay writes: The children of the Fernham and Longcot choir, playing
on Christmas Eve, 1891, pulled across a handkerchief. In Monton,
Lancashire, Miss Dendy says the game is played as elsewhere, but without
words. In a Swaffham version (Miss Matthews), the girls sometimes call
themselves “Plum pudding and roast beef,” or whatever fancy may suggest,
instead of oranges and lemons. They join hands high enough for the
others to pass under, which they do to a call of “Ducky, Ducky,”
presently the hands come down and catch one, who is asked in
_confidence_ which she likes best. The game then proceeds in the usual
way, one side trying to pull the other over a marked line. Oranges and
lemons at Bocking, Essex, is an abbreviated variant of the rhyme printed
by Halliwell (_Folk-lore Record_, iii., part II., 171). In
Nottinghamshire, Miss Peacock says it is sometimes called “Tarts and
Cheesecakes.” Moor (_Suffolk Words_) mentions “Oranges and Lemons” as
played by both girls and boys, and adds, “I believe it is nearly the
same as ‘Plum Pudding and Roast Beef.’” In the Suffolk version sent by
Mrs. Haddon a new word is introduced, “carwoo.” This is the signal for
one of the line to be caught. Miss Eddleston, Gainford, Durham, says
this game is called—
Through and through the shally go,
The last shall be taken.
Mr. Halliwell (_Nursery Rhymes_, No. cclxxxi.) adopts the verses
entitled, “The Merry Bells of London,” from Gammer Gurton’s _Garland_,
1783, as the origin of this game. In Aberdeen, Mr. M. L. Rouse tells me
he has heard Scotch children apparently playing the same game, “Oranges
and Lemons, ask, Which would you have, ‘A sack of corn or a sack of
coals?’”
(_d_) This game indicates a contest between two opposing parties, and a
punishment, and although in the game the sequence of events is not at
all clear, the contest taking place after the supposed execution, these
two events stand out very clearly as the chief factors. In the endeavour
to ascertain who the contending parties were, one cannot but be struck
with the significance of the bells having different saint’s names. Now
the only places where it would be probable for bells to be associated
with more than one saint’s name within the circuit of a small area are
the old parish units of cities and boroughs. Bells were rung on
occasions when it was necessary or advisable to call the people
together. At the ringing of the “alarm bell” the market places were
quickly filled by crowds of citizens; and by turning to the customs of
these places in England, it will be found that contest games between
parishes, and between the wards of parishes, were very frequent (see
Gomme’s _Village Community_, pp. 241-243). These contests were generally
conducted by the aid of the football, and in one or two cases, such as
at Ludlow, the contest was with a rope, and, in the case of Derby, it is
specially stated that the victors were announced by the joyful ringing
of their parish bells. Indeed, Halliwell has preserved the “song on the
bells of Derby on football morning” (No. clxix.) as follows:—
Pancake and fritters,
Say All Saints and St. Peter’s;
When will the _ball_ come,
Say the bells of St. Alkmun;
At two they will throw,
Says Saint Werabo;
O! very well,
Says little Michel.
This custom is quite sufficient to have originated the game, and the
parallel which it supplies is evidence of the connection between the
two. Oranges and lemons were, in all probability, originally intended
to mean the _colours_ of the two contesting parties, and not _fruits_ of
those names. In contests between the people of a town and the authority
of baron or earl, the adherents of each side ranged themselves under and
wore the colours of their chiefs, as is now done by political partizans.
The rhymes are probably corrupted, but whether from some early cries or
calls of the different parishes, or from sentences which the bells were
supposed to have said or sung when tolled, it is impossible to say. The
“clemming” of the bells in the Norfolk version (No. 5) may have
originated “St. Clements,” and the other saints have been added at
different times. On the other hand, the general similarity of the rhymes
indicates the influence of some particular place, and, judging by the
parish names, London seems to be that place. If this is so, the main
incident of the rhymes may perhaps be due to the too frequent
distribution of a traitor’s head and limbs among different towns who had
taken up his cause. The exhibitions of this nature at London were more
frequent than at any other place. The procession of a criminal to
execution was generally accompanied by the tolling of bells, and by
torches. It is not unlikely that the monotonous chant of the last lines,
“Here comes a light to light you to bed,” &c., indicates this.
’Otmillo
A boy (A) kneels with his face in another’s (B) lap; the other players
standing in the background. They step forward one by one at a signal
from B, who says to each in turn—
’Otmillo, ’Otmillo,
Where is this poor man to go?
A then designates a place for each one. When all are despatched A
removes his face from B’s knees, and standing up exclaims, “Hot! Hot!
Hot!” The others then run to him, and the laggard is blinded instead of
A.—Warwickshire (Northall’s _Folk Rhymes_, p. 402).
This is probably the same game as “Hot Cockles,” although it apparently
lacks the hitting or buffeting the blinded wizard.
Over Clover
The name for the game of “Warner” in Oxfordshire. They have a song used
in the game commencing—
Over clover,
Nine times over.
—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
See “Stag Warning.”
Paddy from Home
[Music]
—Long Eaton, Notts. (Miss Youngman).
Paddy from home has never been,
A railway train he’s never seen,
He longs to see the great machine
That travels along the railway.
—Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire borders (Miss Youngman).
(_c_) The children form a ring, and hold in their hands a string tied at
the ends, and on which a ring is strung. They pass the ring from one to
another, backwards and forwards. One child stands in the centre, who
tries to find the holder of the ring. Whoever is discovered holding it
takes the place of the child in the centre.
(_d_) This game is similar to “Find the Ring.” The verse is, no doubt,
modern, though the action and the string and ring are borrowed from an
older game. Another verse used for the same game at Earl’s Heaton (Mr.
Hardy) is—
The ring it is going;
Oh where? oh where?
I don’t care where,
I can’t tell where.
Paip
Three cherry stones are placed together, and another above them. These
are all called a castle. The player takes aim with a cherry stone, and
when he overturns the castle he claims the spoil.—Jamieson. See “Cob
Nut.”
Pallall
A Scottish name for “Hop Scotch.”—Jamieson.
Pally Ully
See “Hop Scotch.”
Pat-ball
A child’s name for the simple game of throwing a ball from one to
another.—Lowsley’s _Berkshire Glossary_.
Pay-swad
A boys’ game, somewhat similar to “Duckstone.” Each boy, when he threw
his stone, had to say “Pay-swad,” or he had to go down
himself.—Holland’s _Cheshire Glossary_.
See “Duckstone.”
Pednameny
A game played with pins: also called “Pinny Ninny,” “Pedna-a mean,”
“Heads and Tails,” a game of pins.—Courtenay’s _West Cornwall Glossary_.
Peesie Weet
The game of “Hide and Seek.” When the object is hidden the word
“Peesie-weet” is called out.—Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire (Rev. W.
Gregor).
See “Hide and Seek (2).”
Peg and Stick
The players provide themselves with short, stout sticks, and a peg (a
piece of wood sharpened at one or both ends). A ring is made, and the
peg is placed on the ground so as to balance. One boy then strikes it
with his stick to make it spring or bounce up into the air; while in the
air he strikes it with his stick, and sends it as far as he possibly
can. His opponent declares the number of leaps in which the striker is
to cover the distance the peg has gone. If successful, he counts the
number of leaps to his score. If he fails, his opponent leaps, and, if
successful, the number of leaps count to his score. He strikes the next
time, and the same process is gone through.—Earls Heaton, Yorks.
(Herbert Hardy).
See “Tip-cat.”
Peg-fiched
A west country game. The performers in this game are each furnished with
a sharp-pointed stake. One of them then strikes it into the ground, and
the others, throwing their sticks across it, endeavour to dislodge it.
When a stick falls, the owner has to run to a prescribed distance and
back, while the rest, placing the stick upright, endeavour to beat it
into the ground up to the very top.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Peggy Nut
A boyish game with nuts.—Dickinson’s _Cumberland Glossary_.
Peg-in-the-Ring
A game of “Peg-top.” The object of this game is to spin the top within a
certain circle marked out, in which the top is to exhaust itself without
once overstepping the bounds prescribed (Halliwell’s _Dict.
Provincialisms_). Holloway (_Dictionary_) says, “When boys play at
‘Peg-top,’ a ring is formed on the ground, within which each boy is to
spin his top. If the top, when it has ceased spinning, does not roll
without the circle, it must remain in the ring to be pegged at by the
other boys, or he redeems it by putting in an inferior one, which is
called a ‘Mull.’ When the top does not roll out, it is said to be
‘mulled.’” Mr. Emslie writes: “When the top fell within the ring the
boys cried, ‘One a penny!’ When two had fallen within the ring it was,
‘Two a penny!’ When three, ‘Three a penny, good as any!’ The aim of each
spinner was to do what was called ‘drawing,’ _i.e._, bring his top down
into the ring, and at the same time draw the string so as to make the
top spin within the ring, and yet come towards the player and out of the
ring so as to fall without.”
See “Tops.”
Peg-top
One of the players, chosen by lot, spins his top. The other players
endeavour to strike this top with the pegs of their own tops as they
fling them down to spin. If any one fails to spin his top in due form,
he has to lay his top on the ground for the others to strike at when
spinning. The object of each spinner is to split the top which is being
aimed at, so as to release the peg, and the boy whose top has succeeded
in splitting the other top obtains the peg as his trophy of victory. It
is a matter of ambition to obtain as many pegs in this manner as
possible.—London (G. L. Gomme).
See “Peg-in-the-Ring,” “Tops.”
Penny Cast
A game played with round flat stones, about four or six inches across,
being similar to the game of quoits; sometimes played with pennies when
the hobs are a deal higher. It was not played with pennies in
1810.—Easther’s _Almondbury Glossary_. In an article in _Blackwood’s
Magazine_, August 1821, p. 35, dealing with children’s games, the writer
says, Pennystanes are played much in the same manner as the quoits or
discus of the ancient Romans, to which warlike people the idle tradesmen
of Edinburgh probably owe this favourite game.
See “Penny Prick.”
Penny Hop
A rude dance, which formerly took place in the common taverns of
Sheffield, usually held after the bull-baiting.—Wilson’s Notes to
_Mather’s Songs_, p. 74, cited by Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_.
Penny Prick
“A game consisting of casting oblong pieces of iron at a mark.”—Hunter’s
_Hallamsh. Gloss._, p. 71. Grose explains it, “Throwing at halfpence
placed on sticks which are called hobs.”
Their idle houres, I meane all houres beside
Their houres to eate, to drinke, drab, sleepe, and ride,
They spend at shove-boord, or at pennie-pricke.
—Scots’ _Philomythie_, 1616.
Halliwell gives these references in his _Dictionary_; Addy, _Sheffield
Glossary_, describes it as above; adding, “An old game once played by
people of fashion.”
See “Penny Cast.”
Penny Stanes
See “Penny Cast.”
Phœbe
The name of a dance mentioned in an old nursery rhyme. A correspondent
gave Halliwell the following lines of a very old song, the only ones he
recollected:—
Cannot you dance the Phœbe?
Don’t you see what pains I take;
Don’t you see how my shoulders shake?
Cannot you dance the Phœbe?
—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
These words are somewhat of the same character as those of “Auntie
Loomie,” and are evidently the accompaniment of an old dance.
See “Lubin.”
Pick and Hotch
The game of “Pitch and Toss.”—Brogden’s _Provincial Words_,
Lincolnshire. It is called Pickenhotch in Peacock’s _Manley and
Corringham Glossary_.
Pi-cow
A game in which one half of the players are supposed to keep a castle,
while the others go out as a foraging or marauding party. When the
latter are all gone out, one of them cries _Pee-ku_, which is a signal
to those within to be on the alert. Then those who are without attempt
to get in. If any one of them gets in without being seized by the
holders of the castle, he cries to his companions, _The hole’s won_; and
those who are within must yield the fortress. If one of the assailants
be taken before getting in he is obliged to change sides and to guard
the castle. Sometimes the guards are successful in making prisoners of
all the assailants. Also the name given to the game of Hide and
Seek.—Jamieson.
Pigeon Walk
A boy’s game [undescribed].—Patterson’s _Antrim and Down Glossary_.
Pig-ring
A game at marbles where a ring is made about four feet in diameter, and
boys “shoot” in turn from any point in the circumference, keeping such
marbles as they may knock out of the ring, but loosing their own “taw”
if it should stop within.—Lowsley’s _Berkshire Glossary_. See “Ring
Taw.”
Pillie-Winkie
A sport among children in Fife. An egg, an unfledged bird, or a whole
nest is placed on a convenient spot. He who has what is called the first
_pill_, retires a few paces, and being provided with a cowt or rung, is
blindfolded, or gives his promise to wink hard (whence he is called
_Winkie_), and moves forward in the direction of the object, as he
supposes, striking the ground with the stick all the way. He must not
shuffle the stick along the ground, but always strike perpendicularly.
If he touches the nest without destroying it, or the egg without
breaking it, he loses his vice or turn. The same mode is observed by
those who succeed him. When one of the party breaks an egg he is
entitled to all the rest as his property, or to some other reward that
has been previously agreed on. Every art is employed, without removing
the nest or egg, to mislead the blindfolded player, who is also called
the Pinkie.—Jamieson. See “Blind Man’s Stan.”
Pinch
The game of “Pitch-Halfpenny,” or “Pitch and Hustle.”—Halliwell’s
_Dictionary_. Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_) says this game consists of
pitching halfpence at a mark.
See “Penny Cast,” “Penny Prick.”
Pinny Show
A child’s peep-show. The charge for a peep is a pin, and, under
extraordinary circumstances of novelty, two pins.
I remember well being shown how to make a peep or poppet-show. It was
made by arranging combinations of colours from flowers under a piece of
glass, and then framing it with paper in such a way that a cover was
left over the front, which could be raised when any one paid a pin to
peep. The following words were said, or rather sung, in a sing-song
manner:—
A pin to see the poppet-show,
All manner of colours oh!
See the ladies all below.
—(A. B. Gomme).
Pansies or other flowers are pressed beneath a piece of glass, which is
laid upon a piece of paper, a hole or opening, which can be shut at
pleasure, being cut in the paper. The charge for looking at the show is
a pin. The children say, “A pin to look at a pippy-show.” They also say—
A pinnet a piece to look at a show,
All the fine ladies sat in a row.
Blackbirds with blue feet
Walking up a new street;
One behind and one before,
And one beknocking at t’barber’s door.
—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
In Perth (Rev. W. Gregor) the rhyme is—
A pin to see a poppy show,
A pin to see a die,
A pin to see an old man
Sitting in the sky.
Described also in Holland’s _Cheshire Glossary_, and Lowsley’s
_Berkshire Glossary_. Atkinson’s _Cleveland Glossary_ describes it as
having coloured pictures pasted inside, and an eye-hole at one of the
ends. The _Leed’s Glossary_ gives the rhyme as—
A pin to look in,
A very fine thing.
Northall (_English Folk-rhymes_, p. 357), also gives a rhyme.
Pins
On the 1st of January the children beg for some pins, using the words,
“Please pay Nab’s New Year’s gift.” They then play “a very childish
game,” but I have not succeeded in getting a description of
it.—Yorkshire.
See “Prickie and Jockie.”
Pirley Pease-weep
A game played by boys, “and the name demonstrates that it is a native
one, for it would require a page of close writing to make it
intelligible to an Englishman.” The rhyme used at this play is—
Scotsman, Scotsman, lo!
Where shall this poor Scotsman go?
Send him east, or send him west,
Send him to the craw’s nest.
—_Blackwood’s Magazine_, August 1821, p. 37.
The rhyme suggests comparison with the game of “Hot Cockles.”
Pitch
A game played with pennies, or other round discs. The object is to pitch
the penny into a hole in the ground from a certain point.—Elworthy,
_West Somerset Words_.
Probably “Pick and Hotch,” mentioned in an article in _Blackwood’s
Mag._, Aug. 1821, p. 35. Common in London streets.
Pitch and Hustle
“Chuck-Farthing.” The game of “Pitch and Toss” is very common, being
merely the throwing up of halfpence, the result depending on a guess of
heads or tails.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Pitch and Toss
This game was played by two or more players with “pitchers”—the stakes
being buttons. The ordinary bone button, or “scroggy,” being the unit of
value. The “pitcher” was made of lead, circular in form, from one and a
half inch to two inches in diameter, and about a quarter of an inch
thick, with an “[H]” to stand for “Heads” cut on one side, and a “[T]”
for “Tails” on the other side. An old-fashioned penny was sometimes
used, and an old “two-penny” piece I have by me bears the marks of much
service in the same cause. A mark having been set up—generally a
stone—and the order of play having been fixed, the first player, A,
threw his “pitcher” to the mark, from a point six or seven yards
distant. If he thought he lay sufficiently near the mark to make it
probable that he would be the nearest after the others had thrown, he
said he would “lie.” The effect of that was that the players who
followed had to lie also, whatever the character of their throw. If A’s
throw was a poor one he took up his “pitcher.” B then threw, if he threw
well he “lay,” if not he took up his pitcher, in hope of making a better
throw, as A had done. C then played in the same manner. D followed and
“lay.” E played his pitcher, and had no choice but to lie. F followed
in the same way. These being all the players, A threw again, and though
his second might have been worse than his first, he has to lie like the
others. B and C followed. All the pitchers have been thrown, and are
lying round the mark, in the following order of proximity—for that
regulates the subsequent play—B’s is nearest, then D’s follows, in order
by A, C, F, E. B takes the pitchers, and piles them up one above the
other, and tosses them into the air. Three (let us say) fall head up,
D’s, A’s, and F’s. These three B keeps in his hand. D, who was next
nearest the mark, takes the three remaining pitchers, and in the same
manner tosses them into the air. B’s and C’s fall head up, and are
retained by D. A, who comes third, takes the remaining pitcher, E’s, and
throws it up. If it falls a head he keeps it, and the game is finished
except the reckoning; if it falls a tail it passes on to the next
player, C, who throws it up. If it falls a head he keeps it, if a tail,
it is passed on to F, and from him to E, and on to B, till it turns up a
head. Let us suppose that happens when F throws it up. The game is now
finished, and the reckoning takes place—
B has three pitchers, D’s, A’s, and F’s.
D „ two „ B’s and C’s.
F „ one „ E’s.
A, C, and E have none.
Strictly speaking, D, A, and F should each pay a button to B. B and C
should each pay one to D. E should pay one to F. But in practice it was
simpler, F holding one pitcher had, in the language of the game, “freed
himself.” D had “freed himself,” and was in addition one to the good. B
had “freed himself,” and was two to the good. A, C, and E, not having
“freed themselves,” were liable for the one D had won and the two B had
won, and settled with D and B, without regard to the actual hand that
held the respective pitchers. It simplified the reckoning, though
theoretically the reckoning should have followed the more roundabout
method. Afterwards the game was begun _de novo_. E, who was last, having
first pitch—the advantage of that place being meant to compensate him
in a measure for his ill luck in the former game. The stakes were the
plain horn or bone buttons—buttons with nicks were more valuable—a plain
one being valued at two “scroggies,” or “scrogs,” the fancy ones, and
especially livery buttons, commanding a higher price.—Rev. W. Gregor.
See “Buttons.”
Pit-counter
A game played by boys, who roll counters in a small hole. The exact
description I have not been able to get.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Pits
A game at marbles. The favourite recreation with the young fishermen in
West Cornwall. Forty years ago “Pits” and “Towns” were the common games,
but the latter only is now played. Boys who hit their nails are looked
on with great contempt, and are said “to fire Kibby.” When two are
partners, and one in playing accidentally hits the other’s marble, he
cries out, “No custance,” meaning that he has a right to put back the
marble struck; should he fail to do so, he would be considered
“out.”—_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 60. There is no description of the method
of playing. It may be the same as “Cherry Pits,” played with marbles
instead of cherry stones (vol. i. p. 66). Mr. Newell, _Games and Songs
of American Children_, p. 187, says “The pits are thrown over the palm;
they must fall so far apart that the fingers can be passed between them.
Then with a fillip of the thumb the player makes his pit strike the
enemy’s and wins both.”
Pize Ball
Sides are picked; as, for example, six on one side and six on the other,
and three or four marks or tuts are fixed in a field. Six go out to
field, as in cricket, and one of these throws the ball to one of those
who remain “at home,” and the one “at home” strikes or pizes it with his
hand. After pizing it he runs to one of the “tuts,” but if before he can
get to the “tut” he is struck with the ball by one of those in the
field, he is said to be _burnt_, or out. In that case the other side go
out to field.—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
See “Rounders.”
Plum Pudding
A game at marbles of two or more boys. Each puts an equal number of
marbles in a row close together, a mark is made at some little distance
called taw; the distance is varied according to the number of marbles in
a row. The first boy tosses at the row in such a way as to pitch just on
the marbles, and so strike as many as he can out of the line; all that
he strikes out he takes; the rest are put close together again, and two
other players take their turn in the same manner, till all the marbles
are struck out of the line, when they all stake afresh and the game
begins again.—Baker’s _Northamptonshire Glossary_.
Plum Pudding and Roast Beef
Mentioned by Moor, _Suffolk Words and Phrases_, as the name of a game.
Undescribed, but nearly the same as French and English.
Pointing out a Point
A small mark is made on the wall. The one to point out the point, who
must not know what is intended, is blindfolded, and is then sent to put
the finger on the point or mark. Another player has taken a place in
front of the point, and bites the finger of the blindfolded
pointer.—Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire (Rev. W. Gregor).
Poncake
Name of a girl’s game the same as Cheeses.—Holland’s _Cheshire
Glossary_. See “Turn Cheeses, Turn.”
Poor and Rich
An old game mentioned in Taylor’s _Motto_, sig. D, iv. London, 1622.
Poor Mary sits a-weeping
[Music]
[Music]
—Barnes (A. B. Gomme).
[Illustration: “Poor Mary sits a-weeping.”]
I. Poor Mary sits a-weepin’,
A-weepin’, a-weepin’;
Poor Mary sits a-weepin’
On a bright summer’s day.
Pray, Mary, what’re you weepin’ for,
A-weepin’ for, a-weepin’ for?
Pray, Mary, what’re you weepin’ for?
On a bright summer’s day.
I’m weepin’ for a sweetheart,
A sweetheart, a sweetheart;
I’m weepin’ for a sweetheart,
On a bright summer’s day.
Pray, Mary, choose your lover,
Your lover, your lover;
Pray, Mary, choose your lover
On a bright summer’s day.
Now you’re married, I wish you joy;
First a girl, and then a boy;
Seven years after, son and daughter;
Pray, young couple, come kiss together.
Kiss her once, kiss her twice,
Kiss her three times over.
—Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).
II. Poor Mary is weeping, is weeping, is weeping,
Poor Mary is weeping on a bright summer’s day.
Pray tell me what you’re weeping for, weeping for, weeping
for,
Pray tell me what you’re weeping for, on a bright summer’s
day?
I’m weeping for my true love, my true love, my true love,
I’m weeping for my true love, on a bright summer’s day.
Stand up and choose your lover, your lover, your lover,
Stand up and choose your lover, on a bright summer’s day.
Go to church with your lover, your lover, your lover,
Go to church with your lover, on a bright summer’s day.
Be happy in a ring, love; a ring, love; a ring, love.
Kiss both together, love, on this bright summer’s day.
—Upton-on-Severn, Worcestershire (Miss Broadwood).
III. Pray, Sally, what are you weeping for—
Weeping for—weeping for?
Pray, Sally, what are you weeping for,
On a bright shiny day?
I am weeping for a sweetheart—
A sweetheart—a sweetheart;
I am weeping for a sweetheart,
On a bright shiny day.
Pray, Sally, go and get one—
Go and get one—get one;
Pray, Sally, go and get one,
On a bright shiny day.
Pray, Sally, now you’ve got one—
You’ve got one—got one;
Pray, Sally, now you’ve got one,
On a bright sunny day.
One kiss will never part you—
Never part you—part you;
One kiss will never part you,
On a bright sunny day.
—Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 209).
IV. Poor —— sat a-weeping,
A-weeping, a-weeping;
Poor —— sat a-weeping,
On a bright summer’s day.
I’m weeping for a sweetheart,
A sweetheart, a sweetheart;
I’m weeping for a sweetheart,
On a bright summer’s day.
Oh, pray get up and choose one,
And choose one, and choose one;
Oh, pray get up and choose one,
On a bright summer’s day.
Now you’re married, you must obey;
You must be true to all you say.
You must be kind, you must be good,
And help your wife to chop the wood.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
V. Poor Mary sat a-weeping, a-weeping, a-weeping,
Poor Mary sat a-weeping, down by the sea-side.
By the side of the river, by the side of the river,
She sat down and cried.
Oh, pray get up and choose one, and choose one, and choose
one,
Oh, pray get up and choose one, down by the sea-side.
Now you’re married, I wish you joy;
Father and mother you must obey;
Love one another like sister and brother,
And pray, young couple, come kiss one another.
—Colchester (Miss G. M. Frances).
VI. Poor Mary is a-weeping, a-weeping, a-weeping,
Poor Mary is a-weeping on a fine summer’s day.
What is she weeping for, weeping for, weeping for,
What is she weeping for on a fine summer’s day?
She’s weeping for her sweetheart, her sweetheart, her
sweetheart,
She’s weeping for her sweetheart on a fine summer’s day.
Pray get up and choose one, choose one, choose one,
Pray get up and choose one on a fine summer’s day.
Pray go to church, love; church, love; church, love;
Pray go to church, love, on a fine summer’s day.
Pray put the ring on, ring on, ring on,
Pray put the ring on, on a fine summer’s day.
Pray come back, love; back, love; back, love;
Pray come back, love, on a fine summer’s day.
Now you’re married, we wish you joy;
Your father and mother you must obey;
Love one another like sister and brother;
And now it’s time to go away.
—(_Suffolk County Folk-lore_, pp. 66, 67.)
VII. Poor Mary sits a-weeping, a-weeping, a-weeping,
Poor Mary sits a-weeping on a bright summer’s day.
Pray tell me what you are weeping for, weeping for, weeping
for,
Pray tell me what you are weeping for on a bright summer’s
day?
I’m weeping for a sweetheart, a sweetheart, a sweetheart,
I’m weeping for a sweetheart on a bright summer’s day.
Poor Mary’s got a shepherd’s cross, a shepherd’s cross, a
shepherd’s cross,
Poor Mary’s got a shepherd’s cross on a bright summer’s day.
—Berkshire (Miss Thoyts, _Antiquary_, xxvii. 254).
VIII. Mary sits a-weeping, a-weeping, a-weeping,
Mary sits a-weeping, close by the sea-side.
Mary, what are you weeping for, weeping for, weeping for,
Mary, what are you weeping for, close by the sea-side?
I’m a-weeping for my sweetheart, my sweetheart, my
sweetheart,
I’m a-weeping for my sweetheart, close by the sea-side.
Pray get up and choose one, and choose one, and choose one,
Pray get up and choose one, close by the sea-side.
—Winterton and Lincoln (Miss M. Peacock).
IX. Poor Mary sits a-weeping, a-weeping,
Poor Mary sits a-weeping, on a bright summer’s day.
She is weeping for her lover, her lover,
She is weeping for her lover on a bright summer’s day.
Stand up and choose your lover, your lover,
Stand up and choose your lover, on a bright summer’s day.
And now she’s got a lover, a lover,
And now she’s got a lover, on a bright summer’s day.
—Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss E. Hollis).
X. Oh, what is Nellie weeping for,
A-weeping for, a-weeping for?
Oh, what is Nellie weeping for,
On a cold and sunshine day?
I’m weeping for my sweetheart,
My sweetheart, my sweetheart;
I’m weeping for my sweetheart
On a cold and sunshine day.
So now stand up and choose the one,
And choose the one, and choose the one;
So now stand up and choose the one,
On a cold and sunshine day.
—Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire (Miss Matthews).
XI. Poor Mary sits a-weeping, a-weeping, a-weeping,
Poor Mary sits a-weeping, on a bright summer’s day.
Pray what are you a-weeping for, a-weeping for, a-weeping
for,
Pray what are you a-weeping for on a bright summer’s day?
She’s weeping for a lover, a lover, a lover,
She’s weeping for a lover, this bright summer’s day.
Rise up and choose your lover, your lover, your lover,
Rise up and choose your lover, this bright summer’s day.
Now Mary she is married, is married, is married,
Now Mary she is married this bright summer’s day.
—Enborne School, Newbury, Berks. (Miss M. Kimber).
XII. Poor Sarah’s a-weeping,
A-weeping, a-weeping;
Oh, what is she a-weeping for,
A-weeping for, a-weeping for?
I’m weeping for a sweetheart,
A sweetheart, a sweetheart;
I’m weeping for a sweetheart
This bright summer day.
Oh, she shall have a sweetheart,
A sweetheart, a sweetheart;
Oh, she shall have a sweetheart
This bright summer day.
Go to church, loves,
Go to church, loves.
Say your prayers, loves,
Say your prayers, loves.
Kiss your lovers,
Kiss your lovers;
Rise up and choose your love.
—Liphook, Hants. (Miss Fowler).
XIII. Poor Mary sits weeping, weeping, weeping,
Poor Mary sits weeping on a bright summer’s day;
On the carpet she must kneel till the grass grows on the
field.
Stand up straight upon your feet,
And show me the one you love so sweet.
Now you’re married, I wish you joy;
First a girl, and second a boy;
If one don’t kiss, the other must,
So kiss, kiss, kiss.
—Cambridge (Mrs. Haddon).
XIV. Poor Mary is a-weeping, a-weeping, a-weeping,
Poor Mary is a-weeping on a bright summer’s day;
Pray what is she a-weeping for, a-weeping for, a-weeping
for,
Pray what is she a-weeping for, on a bright summer’s day?
I’m weeping for my true love, my true love, my true love,
I’m weeping for my true love, on a bright summer’s day.
Stand up and choose your true love, your true love, your
true love,
Stand up and choose your true love, on a bright summer’s
day.
Ring a ring o’ roses, o’ roses, o’ roses,
Ring a ring o’ roses; a pocketful of posies.
—Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).
XV. Poor Sally is a-weeping, a-weeping, a-weeping,
Poor Sally is a-weeping, down by the sea-side.
Pray tell me what you’re weeping for, you’re weeping for,
you’re weeping for,
Pray tell me what you’re weeping for, down by the sea-side?
I’m weeping for my sweetheart, my sweetheart, my sweetheart,
I’m weeping for my sweetheart, down by the sea-side.
A ring o’ roses,
A pocketful of posies;
Isham! Isham!
We all tumble down.
—Manton, Marlborough, Wilts. (H. S. May).
XVI. Poor Mary is a-weeping, a-weeping, a-weeping,
On a fine summer’s day;
What is she weeping for, weeping for, weeping for?
She is weeping for her lover, her lover, her lover;
And who is her love, who is her lover?
Johnny Baxter is her lover, Johnny Baxter is her lover;
And where is her lover, where is her lover?
Her lover is a-sleeping, her lover is a-sleeping,
Is a-sleeping at the bottom of the sea.
—South Devon (_Notes and Queries_, 8th Series, i. 249, Miss R. H. Busk).
XVII. Poor Mary, what are you weeping for?
You weeping for?
You weeping for?
Poor Mary, what are you weeping for,
On a bright summer’s day?
Pray tell us what you are weeping for?
You are weeping for?
You are weeping for?
Pray tell us what you are weeping for,
On a bright summer’s day.
My father he is dead, sir;
Is dead, sir;
Is dead, sir.
My father he is dead, sir,
On a bright summer’s day.
—Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy).
XVIII. Poor Mary is a-weeping, a-weeping, a-weeping,
Poor Mary is a-weeping, on a fine summer’s day.
Pray tell me what you’re weeping for? &c.
Because my father’s dead and gone, is dead and gone, is dead
and gone;
Because my father’s dead and gone, on a fine summer’s day.
She is kneeling by her father’s grave, her father’s grave,
her father’s grave;
She is kneeling by her father’s grave, on a fine summer’s
day.
Stand up and choose your love, choose your love, choose your
love;
Stand up and choose your love, on a bright summer’s day.
—(Rev. W. Gregor).
XIX. Oh, what is Jennie weeping for,
A-weeping for, a-weeping for?
Oh, what is Jennie weeping for,
All on this summer’s day?
I’m weeping for my own true love,
My own true love, my own true love;
I’m weeping for my own true love,
All on this summer’s day.
Rise up and choose another love,
Another love, another love;
Rise up and choose another love,
All on this summer’s day.
—Berwickshire (A. M. Bell, _Antiquary_, xxx. 16).
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Barnes. | Enborne. | Dorsetshire. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Poor Mary sits a- |Poor Mary sits a- | — |
| |weeping. |weeping. | |
| 2.|Pray, Mary, what are |Pray, what are you a- |Pray, Sally, what are |
| |you weeping for? |weeping for? |you weeping for? |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.|I’m weeping for a |She’s weeping for a |I’m weeping for a |
| |sweetheart. |lover. |sweetheart. |
| 5.|On a bright summer’s |This bright summer’s |On a bright shiny day.|
| |day. |day. | |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.|Pray, Mary, choose |Rise up and choose | — |
| |your lover. |your lover. | |
|11.| — | — |Pray, Sally, go and |
| | | |get one. |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — | — | — |
|14.|Now you’re married, I |Now Mary she is | — |
| |wish you joy. |married. | |
|15.|First a girl, then a | — | — |
| |boy. | | |
|16.|Seven years after, son| — | — |
| |and daughter. | | |
|17.| — | — |Pray, Sally, now |
| | | |you’ve got one. |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — | — | — |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.|Pray, young couple, | — | — |
| |come kiss together. | | |
|25.| — | — |One kiss will never |
| | | |part you. |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
|28.| — | — | — |
|29.|Kiss her once, twice, | — | — |
| |kiss three times over.| | |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
|35.| — | — | — |
|36.| — | — | — |
|37.| — | — | — |
|38.| — | — | — |
|39.| — | — | — |
|40.| — | — | — |
|41.| — | — | — |
|42.| — | — | — |
|43.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Upton. | Sporle. | Colchester. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Poor Mary is weeping. |Poor [ ] sat a- |Poor Mary sat a- |
| | |weeping. |weeping. |
| 2.|Pray, tell me what | — | — |
| |you’re weeping for. | | |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.|I am weeping for my |I’m weeping for a | — |
| |true love. |sweetheart. | |
| 5.|On a bright summer’s |On a bright summer’s | — |
| |day. |day. | |
| 6.| — | — |By the side of the |
| | | |river. |
| 7.| — | — |She sat down and |
| | | |cried. |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.|Stand up and choose |Pray, get up and |Pray, get up and |
| |your lover. |choose one. |choose one. |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — | — | — |
|14.| — | — |Now you’re married, I |
| | | |wish you joy. |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — |Now you’re married you| — |
| | |must obey. | |
|19.| — |You must be true to | — |
| | |all you say. | |
|20.| — |You must be kind and | — |
| | |good. | |
|21.| — |Help wife to chop | — |
| | |wood. | |
|22.| — | — |Father and mother you |
| | | |must obey. |
|23.| — | — |Love one another like |
| | | |sister and brother. |
|24.| — | — |Pray, young couple, |
| | | |come kiss together. |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.|Go to church with your| — | — |
| |lover. | | |
|27.|Be happy in a ring, | — | — |
| |love. | | |
|28.| — | — | — |
|29.|Kiss both together, | — | — |
| |love. | | |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
|35.| — | — | — |
|36.| — | — | — |
|37.| — | — | — |
|38.| — | — | — |
|39.| — | — | — |
|40.| — | — | — |
|41.| — | — | — |
|42.| — | — | — |
|43.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Winterton. | Forest of Dean. | Liphook. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Mary sits a-weeping. | — |Poor Sarah’s a- |
| | | |weeping. |
| 2.|Mary, what are you |Oh! what is Nellie |Oh, what is she a- |
| |weep’ng for? |weeping for? |weeping for? |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.|I’m weeping for a |I’m weeping for my |I’m weeping for a |
| |sweetheart. |sweetheart. |sweetheart. |
| 5.| — | — |This bright summer’s |
| | | |day. |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.|Close by the sea side.| — | — |
| 9.| — |On a cold and sunshine| — |
| | |day. | |
|10.|Pray, get up and |Now stand up and |Rise up and choose |
| |choose one. |choose one. |your lover. |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — |She shall have a |
| | | |sweetheart. |
|13.| — | — | — |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — | — | — |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — |Go to church, love. |
|27.| — | — | — |
|28.| — | — |Say your prayers, |
| | | |love. |
|29.| — | — |Kiss your lovers. |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
|35.| — | — | — |
|36.| — | — | — |
|37.| — | — | — |
|38.| — | — | — |
|39.| — | — | — |
|40.| — | — | — |
|41.| — | — | — |
|42.| — | — | — |
|43.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Earls Heaton. | Suffolk. | Berkshire. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — |Poor Mary sits a- |Poor Mary sits a- |
| | |weeping. |weeping. |
| 2.|Poor Mary, what are |What is she weeping | — |
| |you weeping for? |for? | |
| 3.|Pray tell us what you | — |Pray tell me what she |
| |are weeping for? | |is weeping for?| |
| 4.| — |She’s weeping for a |I’m weeping for a |
| | |sweetheart. | |
| 5.|On a bright summer’s |On a fine summer’s |On a bright summer’s |
| |day. |day. |day. |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — |Pray get up and choose| — |
| | |one. | |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — | — | — |
|14.| — |Now you’re married, we| — |
| | |wish you joy. | |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — | — | — |
|22.| — |Father and mother you | — |
| | |must obey. | |
|23.| — |Love one another like | — |
| | |brother and sister. | |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — |Pray go to church, | — |
| | |love. | |
|27.| — | — | — |
|28.| — | — | — |
|29.| — | — | — |
|30.|My father he is dead, | — | — |
| |sir. | | |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — |Pray put the ring on. | — |
|33.| — |Pray come back, love. | — |
|34.| — |Now it’s time to go | — |
| | |away. | |
|35.| — | — |Mary’s got a |
| | | |shepherd’s cross. |
|36.| — | — | — |
|37.| — | — | — |
|38.| — | — | — |
|39.| — | — | — |
|40.| — | — | — |
|41.| — | — | — |
|42.| — | — | — |
|43.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Staffordshire. | Newbury. | South Devon. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Poor Mary sits a- |Poor Mary sits a- |Poor Mary is a- |
| |weeping. |weeping. |weeping. |
| 2.| — |Pray what are you |What is she weeping |
| | |weeping for? |for? |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.|She’s weeping for her |She’s weeping for a |She’s weeping for her |
| |lover. |lover. |lover. |
| 5.|On a bright summer’s |This bright summer’s |On a fine summer’s |
| |day. |day. |day. |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — |[See No. 41.] |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.|Stand up and choose |Rise up and choose | — |
| |your lover. |your lover. | |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — | — | — |
|14.| — |Now Mary she is | — |
| | |married. | |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — | — | — |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
|28.| — | — | — |
|29.| — | — | — |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
|35.| — | — | — |
|36.|Now she’s got a lover.| — | — |
|37.| — | — |Who is her lover? |
|38.| — | — |I. O. is her lover. |
|39.| — | — |Where is her lover? |
|40.| — | — |Her lover is sleeping.|
|41.| — | — |At the bottom of the |
| | | |sea. |
|42.| — | — | — |
|43.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Cambridge. | Ogbourne. | Manton. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Poor Mary is a- |Poor Mary is a- |Poor Sally is a- |
| |weeping. |weeping. |weeping. |
| 2.| — |Pray what is she |Pray tell me what |
| | |weeping for? |you’re weeping for. |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — |I’m weeping for my |I’m weeping for my |
| | |true love. |sweetheart. |
| 5.| — |On a bright summer’s | — |
| | |day. | |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — |Down by the seaside. |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.|Stand up upon your |Stand up and choose | — |
| |feet and show the one |your true love. | |
| |you love so sweet. | | |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.|On the carpet she | — | — |
| |shall kneel till the | | |
| |grass grows on the | | |
| |field. | | |
|14.|Now you’re married I | — | — |
| |wish you joy. | | |
|15.|First a girl and | — | — |
| |second a boy. | | |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — | — | — |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
|28.| — | — | — |
|29.|If one don’t kiss, the| — | — |
| |other must. | | |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
|35.| — | — | — |
|36.| — | — | — |
|37.| — | — | — |
|38.| — | — | — |
|39.| — | — | — |
|40.| — | — | — |
|41.| — | — | — |
|42.| — |Ring a ring o’ roses a|A ring of roses a |
| | |pocketful of posies. |pocketful of posies. |
|43.| — | — |We all tumble down. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Berwickshire. | Scotland. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|What is Jennie weeping|Poor Mary is a- |
| |for? |weeping. |
| 2.| — |Pray tell me what |
| | |you’re weeping for. |
| 3.| — | — |
| 4.|I’m weeping for my own| — |
| |true love. | |
| 5.|All on this summer’s |On a fine summer’s |
| |day. |day. |
| 6.| — | — |
| 7.| — | — |
| 8.| — | — |
| 9.| — | — |
|10.| — |Stand up and choose |
| | |your love. |
|11.| — | — |
|12.|Rise up and choose | — |
| |another love. | |
|13.| — | — |
|14.| — | — |
|15.| — | — |
|16.| — | — |
|17.| — | — |
|18.| — | — |
|19.| — | — |
|20.| — | — |
|21.| — | — |
|22.| — | — |
|23.| — | — |
|24.| — | — |
|25.| — | — |
|26.| — | — |
|27.| — | — |
|28.| — | — |
|29.| — | — |
|30.| — |Because my father’s |
| | |dead and gone. |
|31.| — |She’s kneeling by her |
| | |father’s grave. |
|32.| — | — |
|33.| — | — |
|34.| — | — |
|35.| — | — |
|36.| — | — |
|37.| — | — |
|38.| — | — |
|39.| — | — |
|40.| — | — |
|41.| — | — |
|42.| — | — |
|43.| — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+
(_b_) A ring is formed by the children joining hands. One child kneels
in the centre, covering her face with her hands. The ring dances round,
and sings the first two verses. The kneeling child then takes her hands
from her face and sings the next verse, still kneeling. While the ring
sings the next verse, she rises and chooses one child out of the ring.
They stand together, holding hands while the others sing the marriage
formula, and kiss each other at the command. The ring of children dance
round quickly while singing this. When finished the first “Mary” takes a
place in the ring, and the other child kneels down (Barnes and other
places). At Enborne school, Newbury (Miss Kimber), this game is played
by boys and girls. All the children in the ring sing the first two
verses. Then the boys alone in the ring sing the next verse; all the
ring singing the fourth. While singing this the kneeling child rises and
holds out her hand to any boy she prefers, who goes into the ring with
her. When he is left in the ring at the commencement of the game again,
a boy’s name is substituted for that of “Mary.” There appears to be no
kissing. In the Liphook version (Miss Fowler), after the girl has chosen
her sweetheart the ring breaks, and the two walk out and then kneel
down, returning to the ring and kissing each other. A version identical
with that of Barnes is played by the girls of Clapham High School. All
tunes sent me were similar to that given.
(_c_) The analysis of the game rhymes is on pp. 56-60.
This analysis shows that the incidents expressed by the rhymes are
practically the same in all the versions. In the majority of the cases
the weeping is depicted as part of a ceremony, by which it is known that
a girl desires a lover; she is enabled then to choose one, and to be
married. The marriage formula is the usual one in the Barnes’ version,
but follows another set of words in three other versions. In the cases
where the marriage is neither expressed by a formula, nor implied by
other means (Winterton and Forest of Dean), the versions are evidently
fragments only, and probably at one time ended, as in the other cases,
with marriage. But in three other cases the ending is not with marriage.
The Earls Heaton and Scottish versions represent the cause of weeping as
the death of a father, the Berkshire version introduces the apparently
unmeaning incident of Mary bearing a shepherd’s cross, and the South
Devon version represents the cause of weeping the death of a lover at
sea. It is obvious that at places where sailors abound, the incident of
weeping for a sailor-lover who is dead would get inserted, and the fact
of this change only occurring once in the versions I have collected,
tells all the more strongly in favour of the original version having
represented marriage and love, and not death, but it does not follow
that the marriage formula belongs to the oldest or original form of the
game. I am inclined to think this has been added since marriage was
thought to be the natural and proper result of choosing a sweetheart.
(_d_) The change in some of the verses, as in the Cambridge version, is
due to corruption and the marked decadence now occurring in these games.
No. 13 in the analysis is from the game “Pretty little girl of mine,”
and Nos. 42-3 “Ring o’ Roses.”
Poor Widow
I. Here’s an old widow who lies alone,
Lies alone, lies alone,
Here’s an old widow who lies alone,
She wants a man and can’t get one.
Choose one, choose two, choose the fairest.
The fairest one that I can see
Is [Mary Hamilton], come unto me.
Now she is married and tied to a bag,
She has got a man with a wooden leg.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
II. There was an old soldier he came from the war,
His age it was sixty and three.
Go you, old soldier, and choose a wife,
Choose a good one or else choose none.
Here’s a poor widow she lives her lone,
She hasn’t a daughter to marry but one.
Come choose to the east, choose to the west,
And choose the very one you love best.
Here’s a couple married in joy,
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after, and seven years come,
Pree[1] young couple kiss and have done.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
III. There was a poor widow left alone,
And all her children dead and gone.
Come, choose you east,
Come, choose you west,
Take the man you love best.
Now they’re married,
I wish them joy,
Every year a girl or a boy,
I hope this couple may kiss each other.
—Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).
(_b_) One child is chosen to act the part of the widow. The players join
hands and form a circle. The widow takes her stand in the centre of the
circle in a posture indicating sorrow. The girls in the circle trip
round and round, and sing the first five lines. The widow then chooses
one of the ring. The ring then sings the marriage formula, the two kiss
each other, and the game is continued, the one chosen to be the mate of
the first widow becoming the widow in turn (Nairn).
(_c_) This game is probably the same as “Silly Old Man.” Two separate
versions may have arisen by girls playing by themselves without boys.
[1] Sometimes “pray,” but “pree” seems to be the Scotch for
taste:—“pree her moo” = taste her mouth = to kiss.
Pop Goes the Weasel
Half a pound of tup’ny rice,
Half a pound of treacle;
Mix it up and make it nice,
Pop goes the weasel.
—Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy).
(_b_) Children stand in two rows facing each other, they sing while
moving backwards and forwards. At the close one from each side selects a
partner, and then, all having partners, they whirl round and round.
(_c_) An additional verse is sometimes sung with or in place of the
above in London.
Up and down the City Road;
In and out the Eagle;
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop goes the weasel.
—(A. Nutt).
Mr. Nutt writes: “The Eagle was (and may be still) a well-known tavern
and dancing saloon.”
Pop-the-Bonnet
A game in which two, each putting down a pin on the crown of a hat or
bonnet, alternately pop on the bonnet till one of the pins crosses the
other; then he at whose pop or tap this takes place, lifts the
stakes.—Teviotdale (Jamieson). The same game is now played by boys with
steel pens or nibs.
See “Hattie.”
Poppet-Show
See “Pinny Show.”
Port the Helm
This is a boys’ game. Any number may join in it. The players join hands
and stand in line. The leader, generally a bigger boy, begins to bend
round, at first slowly, then with more speed, drawing the whole line
after him. The circular motion is communicated to the whole line, and,
unless the boys at the end farthest from the leader run very quickly,
the momentum throws them off their feet with a dash if they do not drop
their hold.—Keith, Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).
Pots, or Potts
Throwing a ball against a wall, letting it bounce and catching it,
accompanied by the following movements:—
1. Simply three times each.
2. Throw, twist hands, and catch.
3. Clap hands in front, behind, in front.
4. Turn round.
5. Beat down ball on ground three times, and catch.
6. Again on ground and catch (once) at end of first “pot,” and twice for
second “pot.”
—Hexham (Miss J. Barker).
Pray, Pretty Miss
I. Priperty Miss, will you come out,
Will you come out, will you come out?
Priperty Miss, will you come out
To help us with our dancing?
No!
The naughty girl, she won’t come out,
She won’t come out, she won’t come out;
The naughty girl, she won’t come out
To help us with our dancing.
Priperty Miss, will you come out,
Will you come out, will you come out?
Priperty Miss, will you come out
To help us with our dancing?
Yes!
Now we’ve got another girl,
Another girl, another girl;
Now we’ve got another girl
To help us with our dancing.
—Fochabers (Rev. W. Gregor).
II. Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out,
Will you come out, will you come out?
Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out
To help me in my dancing?
No!
Then you are a naughty Miss!
Then you are a naughty Miss!
Then you are a naughty Miss!
Won’t help me in my dancing.
Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out,
Will you come out, will you come out?
Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out
To help me in my dancing?
Yes!
Now you are a good Miss!
Now you are a good Miss!
Now you are a good Miss!
To help me in my dancing.
—Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 47, 48).
III. Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out to help us in our
dancing?
No!
Oh, then you are a naughty Miss, won’t help us with our
dancing.
Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out to help us in our
dancing?
Yes!
Now we’ve got our jolly old lass to help us with our
dancing.
—Sheffield, Yorks. (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 87).
IV. Oh, will you come and dance with me,
Oh, will you come and dance with me?
No!
[They say as above to the next girl, who says “Yes.”]
Now we’ve got our bonny bunch
To help us with our dancing.
—Hurstmonceux, Sussex (Miss Chase).
(_b_) The Scottish version of this game is played as follows:—All the
players stand in a line except two, who stand facing them. These two
join hands crosswise, and then advancing and retiring, sing to the child
at the end of the line the first four lines. The first child refuses,
and they then dance round, singing the second verse. They sing the first
verse again, and on her compliance she joins the two, and all three
dance round together, singing the last verse. The three then advance and
retire, singing the first verse to another child.
The Cornish version is played differently: a ring is formed, boy and
girl standing alternately in the centre. The child in the middle holds
a white handkerchief by two of its corners; if a boy he would single out
one of the girls, dance backwards and forwards opposite to her, and sing
the first verse. If the answer were “No!” spoken with averted head over
the left shoulder, he sang the second verse. Occasionally three or four
in turn refused. When the request was granted the words were changed to
the fourth verse. The handkerchief was then carefully spread on the
floor; the couple knelt on it and kissed: the child formerly in the
middle joined the ring, and the other took his place, or if he preferred
it remained in the centre; in that case the children clasped hands and
sang together the first verse over again, the last to enter the ring
having the privilege of selecting the next partner.
(_c_) Miss Courtney says (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 47), that this game is
quite a thing of the past. Of the Hurstmonceux version, Miss Chase says,
“This game is not fully remembered. It was played about 1850.” The words
indicate an invitation to the dance similar to those in “Cushion Dance,”
“Green Grass.”
Pretty Little Girl of Mine
[Music]
—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
[Music]
—Tean, North Staffordshire (Miss Burne).
[Music]
—Eccleshall (Miss Burne).
[Music]
—Nottingham (Miss Youngman).
[Music]
—Hanbury, Staffordshire (Edith Hollis).
I. Here’s a pretty little girl of mine,
She’s brought me many a bottle of wine;
A bottle of wine she gave me too—
See what this little girl can do.
On the carpet she shall kneel
As the grass grows on the fiel’;
Stand upright on your feet,
And choose the one you love so sweet.
Now you are married I wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years after, son and daughter;
Pray, young couple, kiss together.
—Symondsbury, Dorset (Folk-lore Journal, vii. 207).
II. Oh, this pretty little girl of mine,
Brought me many a bottle of wine;
A bottle of wine and a guinea, too,
See what my little girl _can_ do.
Down on the carpet she shall kneel,
As the grass grows in the field;
Stand upright on your feet,
And choose the one you love so sweet.
Now I’m married and wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years after, seven years past,
Kiss one another and go to your class.
—Hampshire (Miss Mendham).
III. Here’s a pretty little girl of mine,
Who’s brought her bottle and glass of wine;
A glass of wine and a biscuit too,
See what my pretty girl will do.
On the carpet she shall kneel,
While the grass grows in the field;
Stand upright upon your feet,
Choose the one you love so sweet.
When you’re married I wish you joy,
First a girl and second a boy,
Seven years after, son and daughter,
Now, young couple, kiss together.
—Gambledown, Hants (Mrs. Pinsent).
IV. Oh! this pretty little girl of mine,
Has cost me many a bottle of wine;
A bottle of wine and a guinea or two,
So see what my little girl can do.
Down on the carpet she shall kneel,
While the grass grows on her field;
Stand upright upon your feet,
And choose the one you love so sweet.
Now you are married you must obey,
Must be true in all you say;
You must be kind and very good,
And help your wife to chop the wood.
—Maxey (_Northants Notes and Queries_, i. 214).
V. Here’s a pretty little girl of mine,
She’s cost me many a bottle of wine;
A bottle of wine and a guinea too,
See what my little girl can do.
Down on the carpet she must kneel,
As the grass grows in the field;
Stand upright upon her feet,
And choose the one she loves so sweet.
Now you’re married I wish you joy,
Father and mother you must obey;
Love one another like sister and brother,
And pray, young couple, come kiss one another.
—Colchester (Miss G. M. Frances).
VI. Oh! this pretty little girl of mine,
She bought me many a bottle of wine,
A bottle of wine she gave me too,
So see what my little girl could do.
Stand up, stand up upon your feet,
And choose the one you love so sweet.
—Liphook, Hants (Miss Fowler).
VII. See what a pretty little girl have I,
She brings me many a bottle of wi’;
A bottle of wine and a biscuit too,
See what a little girl can do.
On the carpet she shall kneel,
As the grass grows in the fiel’;
Stand upright upon your feet,
And choose the one you love so sweet.
Now you’re married we wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after, son and daughter,
May you couple kiss together.
—South Devon (_Notes and Queries_, 8th series, i. 249; Miss R. H. Busk).
VIII. See what a pretty little girl I am,
She gave me many a bottle of wine,
Many a bottle of wine, and a biscuit too,
See what a pretty little girl can do.
On the carpet you shall kneel,
Stand up straight all in the field,
Choose the one that you love best.
Now we are married and hope we enjoy,
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after and seven years to come,
May young company kiss have done.
—Holywood, Co. Down (Miss C. M. Patterson).
IX. See what a pretty little girl I am!
Brought me many a bottle o’ wine!
Bottle o’ wine to make me shine!
See what a pretty little girl I am!
Upon the carpets we shall kneel,
As the grass grows in yonder field;
Stand up lightly on your feet,
And choose the one you love so sweet.
Now these two are going to die,
First a girl, and then a boy;
Seven years at afterwards, seven years ago,
And now they are parted with a kiss and a go.
—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
X. See this pretty little maid of mine!
She’s brought me many a bottle of wine;
A bottle of wine, a good thing, too;
See what this pretty maid can do!
Down on the carpet she must kneel,
Till the grass grows on her feet;
Stand up straight upon thy feet,
Choose the very one that you love sweet.
Take her by her lily-white hand,
Lean across the water;
Give a kiss,—one, two, three,—
To Mrs. ——’s daughter.
—Suffolk (Mrs. Haddon).
XI. See what a pretty little girl I am!
They brought me many a bottle of wine—
Bottle of wine to make me shine;
See what a pretty little girl I am!
On the carpets we must kneel,
As the grass grows in yonder field;
Rise up lightly on your feet,
And kiss the one you love so sweet.
My sister’s going to get married,
My sister’s going to get married,
My sister’s going to get married,
Ee! Ii! Oh!
Open your gates as wide as high,
And let the pretty girls come by,
And let the {jolly} matrons[2] by.
{bonny}
One in a bush,
Two in a bush,
Ee! Ii! Oh!
—Colleyhurst, Manchester (Miss Dendy).
XII. On the carpet you shall kneel
Where the grass grows fresh and {green;
{clean;
Stand up, stand up on your pretty feet,
And show me the one you love so sweet.
Now Sally’s got married, we wish her good joy,
First a girl, and then a boy;
Seven years arter, a son and darter,
So, young couple, kiss together.
Or,
Seven years now, and seven to come,
Take her and kiss her and send her off home.
—Eccleshall, Staffs. (Miss Burne).
XIII. On the carpet you shall kneel,
As the grass grows on the field;
Stand up straight upon your feet,
And tell me the one you love so sweet.
—— is married with a good child,
First with a girl and then with a boy;
Seven years after son and daughter,
Play with a couple and kiss together.
—Tean, North Staffs. (from a Monitor in the National School).
XIV. On the carpet you shall kneel,
As the grass grows in the field;
Stand up, stand up upon your feet,
And tell me whom you love so sweet.
Now you’re married I wish you joy,
First a girl, and then a boy;
Seven years after son and daughter,
Come, young couple, come kiss together.
—Middlesex (Miss Winfield).
XV. On the carpet you shall kneel,
As the grass grows in the field;
Stand up, stand up on your feet,
Show the girl you love so sweet.
Now you’re married I hope you’ll enjoy
A son and a daughter, so
Kiss and good-bye.
—Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire (Miss Youngman).
XVI. Down on the carpet you shall kneel,
While the grass grows on your field;[3]
Stand up straight upon your feet,
And choose the one you love so sweet.
Marry couple, married in joy,
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years after, seven years come,
Please,[4] young couple, kiss and have done.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
XVII. On the carpet you shall kneel,
While the grass grows fresh and green;
Stand up straight upon your feet,
And kiss the one you love so sweet.
Now they’re married, love and joy,
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years after, seven years ago,
Now’s the time to kiss and go.
—Liverpool and neighbourhood (Mrs. Harley).
XVIII. On the carpet you shall kneel,
As the grass grows in the field;
Stand up, stand up on your feet,
And shew me the girl you love so sweet.
Now Sally’s married I hope she’ll enjoy,
First with a girl and then with a boy;
Seven years old and seven years young,
Pray, young lady, walk out of your ring.
—Derbyshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, i. 385).
XIX. On the carpet you shall kneel,
Where the grass grows fresh and green;
Stand up, stand up on your pretty feet,
And show me the one you love so sweet.
—Berrington (Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 509).
[Same ending as Eccleshall version.]
XX. On the carpitt you shall kneel,
While the grass grows in the field;
Stand up, stand up on your feet,
Pick the one you love so sweet.
—Wakefield, Yorks. (Miss Fowler).
XXI. King William was King David’s son,
And all the royal race is run;
Choose from the east, choose from the west,
Choose the one you love the best.[5]
Down on this carpet you shall kneel,
While the grass grows in yond field;
Salute your bride and kiss her sweet,
Rise again upon your feet.
—Hanging Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).
XXII. On the carpet you shall kneel, while the grass grows at your
feet;
Stand up straight upon your feet, and choose the one you
love so sweet.
Now Sally is married, life and joy, first a girl and then a
boy;
Seven years after, seven years ago, three on the carpet,
kiss and go.
—Hanbury, Staffordshire (Miss Edith Hollis).
XXIII. I had a bonnet trimmed wi’ blue.
Why dosn’t wëare it? Zo I do;
I’d wëare it where I con,
To tëake a walk wi’ my young mon.
My young mon is a-gone to sea,
When he’d come back he’ll marry me.
Zee what a purty zister is mine,
Doan’t ’e think she’s ter’ble fine?
She’s a most ter’ble cunnèn too,
Just zee what my zister can do.
On the carpet she can kneel,
As the grass grow in the fiel’.
Stand upright upon thy feet,
And choose the prettiest you like, sweet.
—Hazelbury Bryan, Dorset (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 208).
XXIV. Kneel down on the carpets, we shall kneel;
The grass grows away in yonder fiel’,
Stand up, stand up upon your feet,
And show me the one you love so sweet.
Now they get married, I wish they may joy
Every year a girl or a boy;
Loving together like sister and brother,
Now they are coupled to kiss together.
—Galloway, N.B. (J. G. Carter).
(_c_) This game is played in the same way in all the different variants
I have given, except a slight addition in the Suffolk (Mrs. Haddon). A
ring is formed by the children joining hands—one child stands in the
centre. The ring dances or moves slowly round, singing the verses. The
child in the centre kneels down when the words are sung, rises and
chooses a partner from the ring, kisses her when so commanded, and then
takes a place in the ring, leaving the other child in the centre. In
those cases where the marriage formula is not given, the kissing would
probably be omitted.
(_d_) Of the twenty-four versions given there are not two alike, and
this game is distinguished from all others by the singular diversity of
its variants; although the original structure of the verses has been
preserved to some extent, they seem to have been the sport of the
inventive faculty of each different set of players. Lines have been
added, left out, and altered in every direction, and in the example from
Hazelbury Bryan, in Dorsetshire (No. xxiii.), a portion of an old song
or ballad has been added to the game rhyme. These alterations occur not
only in different counties, but in the same counties, as may be seen by
the Dorset, Hants, Staffordshire, and Northants examples. Mr. Carter
says of the Galloway game that the kissing match sometimes degenerates
into a spitting match, according to the temper of the parties concerned.
In the Suffolk version (Mrs. Haddon), at the words “Lean across the
water,” the two in the centre lean over the arms of those forming the
ring. These words and action are probably an addition. They belong to
the “Rosy Apple, Lemon and Pear” game.
These peculiar characteristics of the game do not permit of much
investigation into the original words of the game-rhyme, but they serve
to illustrate, in a very forcible manner, the exactly opposite
characteristics of nearly all the other games, which preserve, in almost
stereotyped fashion, the words of the rhymes. It appears most probable
that the verses belonged originally to some independent game like
“Sally, Sally Water,” and that, when divorced from their original
context, they lent themselves to the various changes which have been
made. The minute application of modern ideas is seen in the version from
Gambledown, where “A bottle of wine and a guinea, too,” becomes “A
bottle of wine and a biscuit, too;” and at West Haddon, in
Northamptonshire, a variant of the marriage formula is given in
_Northants Notes and Queries_, ii. 106, as—
Now you’re married, we wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy;
Cups and saucers, sons and daughters,
Now join hands and kiss one another.
Another version from Long Itchington, given in _Notes and Queries_, 7th
series, x. 450, concludes with—
Up the kitchen and down the hall,
Choose the fairest of them all;
Seven years now and seven years then,
Kiss poor Sally and part again.
[2] Matron is _not_ a word in common use among Lancashire people.
[3] _d_ not sounded.
[4] Another version has “pree,” which means in Scotch, _taste_, hence
_kiss_.
[5] At Earls Heaton two verses or lines are added, viz.:—
“If she is not here to take her part,
Choose another with all your heart.”
Pretty Miss Pink
Pretty Miss Pink, will you come out,
Will you come out, will you come out?
Pretty Miss Pink, will you come out,
To see the ladies dancing?
No, I won’t.
Pretty Miss Pink, she won’t come out,
Won’t come out, won’t come out, &c.
She will come out.
Pretty Miss Pink, she has come out, &c.
—Winterton, Lincs and Nottinghamshire (Miss M. Peacock.)
(_b_) The children place themselves in a row. They each choose a colour
to represent them. One player must be _pink_. Another player stands
facing them, and dances to and fro, singing the first four lines. The
dancer then sings the next two lines, and Miss Pink having answered
rushes forward, catches hold of the dancer’s hand, and sings the next
verse. Each colour is then taken in turn, but Miss Pink must always be
first.
(_c_) This is clearly a variant of “Pray, Pretty Miss,” colours being
used perhaps from a local custom at fairs and May meetings, where girls
were called by the colours of the ribbons they wore.
Prick at the Loop
A cheating game, played with a strap and skewer at fairs, &c, by persons
of the thimble-rig class, probably the same as the game called “Fast and
Loose.”
Prickey Sockey
Christmas morning is ushered in by the little maidens playing at the
game of “Prickey Sockey,” as they call it. They are dressed up in their
best, with their wrists adorned with rows of pins, and run about from
house to house inquiring who will play at the game. The door is opened
and one cries out—
Prickey sockey for a pin,
I car not whether I loss or win.
The game is played by the one holding between her two forefingers and
thumbs a pin, which she clasps tightly to prevent her antagonist seeing
either part of it, while her opponent guesses. The head of the pin is
“sockey,” and the point is “prickey,” and when the other guesses she
touches the end she guesses at, saying, “this for prickey,” or “this for
sockey,” At night the other delivers her two pins. Thus the game is
played, and when the clock strikes twelve it is declared up; that is, no
one can play after that time.—_Mirror_, 1828, vol. x. p. 443.
See “Headicks and Pinticks.”
Prickie and Jockie
A childish game, played with pins, and similar to “Odds or
Evens,”—Teviotdale (Jamieson), but it is more probable that this is the
game of “Prickey Sockey,” which Jamieson did not see played.
Priest-Cat (1)
See “Jack’s Alive.”
Priest-Cat (2)
A peat clod is put into the shell of the crook by one person, who then
shuts his eyes. Some one steals it. The other then goes round the circle
trying to discover the thief, and addressing particular individuals in a
rhyme—
Ye’re fair and leal,
Ye canna steal;
Ye’re black and fat,
Ye’re the thief of my priest-cat!
If he guesses wrong he is in a wadd, if right he has found the
thief.—Chambers’ _Popular Rhymes_, p. 128.
This is an entirely different game to the “Priest-Cat” given by
Mactaggart (see “Jack’s Alive”), and seems to have originated in the
discovery of stolen articles by divination.
Priest of the Parish
William Carleton describes this game as follows:—“One of the boys gets a
wig upon himself, goes out on the floor, places the boys in a row, calls
on his man Jack, and says to each, ‘What will you be?’ One answers,
‘I’ll be Black Cap,’ another, ‘Red Cap,’ and so on. He then says, ‘The
priest of the parish has lost his considering-cap. Some says this, and
some says that, but I say my man Jack.’ Man Jack then, to put it off
himself, says, ‘Is it me, sir?’ ‘Yes you, sir.’ ‘You lie, sir.’ ‘Who
then, sir?’ ‘Black Cap.’ If Black Cap then doesn’t say, ‘Is it me, sir?’
before the priest has time to call him he must put his hand on his ham
and get a pelt of the brogue. A boy must be supple with the tongue in
it.”—_Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry_, p. 106 (Tegg’s
reprint).
This game is no doubt the original form of the game imperfectly played
under the name of “King Plaster Palacey” (see _ante_, i. 301).
Prisoner’s Base or Bars
The game of “The Country Base” is mentioned by Shakespeare in
“Cymbeline”—
“He, with two striplings (lads more like to run
The country base, than to commit such slaughter),
Made good the passage.”—Act v., sc. 3.
Also in the tragedy of Hoffman, 1632—
“I’ll run a little course
At _base_, or barley-brake.”
Again, in the Antipodes, 1638—
“My men can runne at _base_.”
Also, in the thirtieth song of Drayton’s “Polyolbion”—
“At hood-wink, barley-brake, at tick, or _prison-base_.”
Again, in Spenser’s “Faerie Queen,” v. 8—
“So ran they all as they had been at _bace_.”
Strutt (_Sports and Pastimes_, p. 78), says, “This game was much
practised in former times. The first mention of this sport that I have
met with occurs in the Proclamations at the head of the Parliamentary
proceedings, early in the reign of Edward III., where it is spoken of as
a childish amusement; and prohibited to be played in the avenues of the
palace at Westminster during the Sessions of Parliament, because of the
interruption it occasioned to the members and others in passing to and
fro. . . . The performance of this pastime requires two parties of equal
number, each of them having a base or home, as it is usually called to
themselves, at the distance of about twenty or thirty yards. The players
then on either side taking hold of hands extend themselves in length and
opposite to each other, as far as they conveniently can, always
remembering that one of them must touch the base; when any one of them
quits the hand of his fellow and runs into the field, which is called
giving the chase, he is immediately followed by a second from the former
side, and he by a second opponent; and so on alternately, until as many
are out as choose to run, every one pursuing the man he first followed
and no other; and if he overtake him near enough to touch him, his party
claims one toward their game, and both return home. Then they run forth
again and again in like manner, until the number is completed that
decides the victory; this number is optional. It is to be observed that
every person on either side who touches another during the chase, claims
one for his party.”
Strutt describes the game in Essex as follows:—“They play this game
with the addition of two prisons, which are stakes driven into the
ground, parallel with the home boundaries, and about thirty yards from
them; and every person who is touched on either side in the chase is
sent to one or other of these prisons, where he must remain till the
conclusion of the game, if not delivered previously by one of his
associates, and this can only be accomplished by touching him, which is
a difficult task, requiring the performance of the most skilful players,
because the prison belonging to either party is always much nearer to
the base of their opponents than to their own; and if the person sent to
relieve his confederate be touched by an antagonist before he reaches
him, he also becomes a prisoner, and stands in equal need of
deliverance.”—_Sports and Pastimes_, p. 80.
[Illustration]
But this is not quite the same as it is played in London. There the
school ground is divided in the following manner:— The boys being
divided into equal sides, with a captain for each, one party takes up
its quarters in A, the other in B. Lots are chosen as to which side
commences. Then one member of the side so chosen (say B) starts off for
the middle of the playground and cries out “Chevy, Chevy Chase, one,
two, three;” thereupon it becomes the object of the side B to touch him
before reaching home again. If unsuccessful one from side B goes to the
middle, and so on until a prisoner is secured from one of the sides.
Then the struggle commences in earnest, after the fashion described by
Strutt as above. If a boy succeeds in getting to the prison of his side
without being touched by an opponent, he releases a prisoner, and brings
him back home again to help in the struggle. The object of the
respective sides is to place all their opponents in prison, and when
that is accomplished they rush over to the empty home and take
possession of it. The game then begins again from opposite sides, the
winning side counting one towards the victory.—London (G. L. Gomme).
This was once a favourite game among young men in North Shropshire (and
Cheshire). It was played yearly at Norton-in-Hales Wakes, and the
winning party were decorated with ribbons. Men-servants, in the last
century, were wont to ask a day’s holiday to join or witness a game of
“Prison-bars,” arranged beforehand as a cricket-match might be (see
_Byegones_, 2nd May 1883). A form of the game still survives there among
the school-children, under the name of “Prison Birds.” The Birds arrange
themselves in pairs behind each other, facing a large stone or stump
placed at some little distance. Before them, also facing the stone,
stands one player, called the Keeper. When he calls, “Last pair out!”
the couple next behind him run to the stone and touch hands over it. If
they can do so without being touched by the Keeper, they are free, and
return to a position behind the other birds; but any one whom he touches
must remain behind the stone “in prison.”—Ellesmere (Burne’s _Shropshire
Folk-lore_, p. 524).
The Ellesmere inhabitants were formerly accustomed to devote their
holiday occasions to the game, and in the year 1764 the poet laureate of
the town (Mr. David Studley) composed some lines on the game as it was
played by the Married _v._ Single at Ellesmere. They are as follows:—
“Ye lovers of pleasure, give ear and attend,
Unto these few lines which here I have penned,
I sing not of sea fights, of battles nor wars,
But of a fine game, which is called ‘Prison Bars.’
This game was admired by men of renown,
And played by the natives of fair Ellesmere town;
On the eighth day of August in the year sixty-four,
These nimble heel’d fellows approached on the moor.
Twenty-two were the number appear’d on the green,
For swiftness and courage none like them were seen;
Eleven were married to females so fair,
The other young gallants bachelors were.
Jacob Hitchen the weaver commands the whole round,
Looks this way, and that way, all over the ground,
Gives proper directions, and sets out his men,
So far go, my lads, and return back again.
Proper stations being fixed, each party advance,
And lead one another a many fine dance.
There’s Gleaves after Ellis, and Platt after he,
Such running before I never did see.
Huzza! for the young men, the fair maids did say,
May heaven protect you to conquer this day,
Now, my brave boys, you’re not to blame,
Take courage, my lads, nine and eight is the game.
Now behold the Breeches makers, master and man,
Saddlers, Slaters, and Joiners, do all they can;
The Tailor so nimble, he brings up the rear,
Cheer up, my brave boys, you need not to fear.
Alas! poor old Jacob, thy hopes are in vain,
Dick Chidley is artful, and spoils all thy schemes.
The Barber is taken, the Currier is down,
The Sawyer is tired, and so is the Clown.”
The moor referred to in the last line of the second verse was the
Pitchmoor. The Clown was a nickname for one of the players, who, on
hearing the song repeated in the presence of the author, became so
exasperated, that, to appease him, the words “the game is our’n” were
substituted for the words “so is the Clown “in the last line of the
concluding verse.
Puff-the-Dart
A game played with a long needle inserted in some worsted, and blown at
a target through a tin tube.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_. This game is also
mentioned in Baker’s _Northamptonshire Glossary_.
Pun o’ mair Weight
A rough play among boys, adding their weight one upon another, and all
upon the one at the bottom.—Dickinson’s _Cumberland Glossary_.
Punch Bowl
I. Round about the punch bowl,—
One, two, three;
If anybody wants a bonnie lassie,
Just take me.
Another form of words is—
The fillan o’ the punch bowl,
That wearies me;
The fillan o’t up, an’ the drinkan’ o’t doon,
An’ the kissan o’ a bonnie lass,
That cheeries me.
—Fochabers (Rev. W. Gregor).
II. Round about the punch bowl,
Punch bowl, punch bowl;
Round about the punch bowl, one, two, three.
First time never to fall,
Never to fall, never to fall;
First time never to fall, one, two, three.
Second time, the catching time,
Catching time, catching time;
Second time, the catching time, one, two, three.
Third time, the kissing time,
Kissing time, kissing time,
Third time, the kissing time, one, two, three.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
III. Round about the punch bowl,—one, two, three;
Open the gates and let the bride through.
Half-a-crown to know his name, to know his name, to know his
name,
Half-a-crown to know his name,
On a cold and frosty morning.
Ah! (Michael Matthews) is his name, is his name, is his
name;
(Michael Matthews) is his name,
On a cold and frosty morning.
Half-a-crown to know her name, to know her name, to know her
name,
Half-a-crown to know her name,
On a cold and frosty morning.
(Annie Keenan) is her name, is her name, is her name,
(Annie Keenan) is her name,
On a cold and frosty morning.
They’ll be married in the morning,
Round about the punch bowl, I [? Hi!].
—Annaverna, Ravensdale, Co. Louth, Ireland (Miss R. Stephen).
(_b_) The Fochabers’ game is played by girls only. The players join
hands and form a ring. They dance briskly round, singing the verse. The
last word, “me,” is pronounced with strong emphasis, and all the girls
jump, and if one falls she has to leave the ring. The game is carried on
until all the players fall. In the Belfast game, at the words “one, two,
three,” the players drop down in a crouching position for a few seconds.
In the Louth (Ireland) game the players all curtsey after the first
line, and the one who rises last is the bride. She is led outside the
ring by another, and asked to whom she is engaged. She tells without
letting those in the ring hear, and the two return to the ring saying
the second line. Then all the ring sing the next three lines, and then
the girl who has been told the name tells it to the ring, who thereupon
sing or say the remaining lines of the verse.
(_c_) The Louth version has more detail in its movements, and probably
represents the oldest form. At all events, it supplies the reason for
the words and movements, which are not quite so obvious in the other
versions. Many ancient monoliths are known as “Punch Bowls,” and it may
be that this game is the relic of an old marriage ceremony, “at the
stones.”
Purposes
A kind of game. “The prettie game which we call purposes” (Cotgrave in
_v._ “Opinion”).—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Push in the Wash Tub
A ring of girls is formed. Two go in opposite directions outside the
ring, and try to get back first to the starting-point; the one
succeeding stops there, rejoining the ring, the other girl _pushes_
another girl into the ring, or _wash tub_, with whom the race is
renewed.—Crockham Hill, Kent (Miss Chase).
Push-pin, or Put-pin
A child’s play, in which pins are pushed with an endeavour to cross
them. So explained by Ash, but it would seem, from Beaumont and
Fletcher, vii. 25, that the game was played by aiming pins at some
object.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
“To see the sonne you would admire,
Goe play at push-pin with his sire.”
—_Men’s Miracles_, 1656, p. 15.
“Love and myselfe, beleeve me on a day,
At childish push-pin for our sport did play.”
—Herrick’s _Works_, i. 22.
There is an allusion to it under the name of put-pin in Nash’s
_Apologie_, 1593—
“That can lay down maidens bedds,
And that can hold ther sickly heds;
That can play at put-pin,
Blow poynte and near lin.”
Two pins are laid upon a table, and the object of each player is to push
his pin across his opponent’s pin.—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
See “Hattie,” “Pop the Bonnet.”
Push the Business On
I. I hired a horse and borrowed a gig,
And all the world shall have a jig;
And I’ll do all ’at ever I can
To push the business on.
To push the business on,
To push the business on;
And I’ll do all ’at ever I can
To push the business on.
—North Kelsey, Anderby, and near the Trent, Nottinghamshire (Miss M.
Peacock).
II. Beeswax and turpentine make the best of plaster,
The more you try to pull it off, it’s sure to stick the
faster.
I’ll buy a horse and hire a gig,
And all the world shall have a jig;
And you and I’ll do all we can
To push the business on,
To push the business on;
And we’ll do all that ever we can
To push the business on.
—Brigg, Lincolnshire (Miss Barker, from a Lincolnshire friend).
III. I’ll buy a horse and steal a gig,
And all the world shall have a jig;
And I’ll do all that ever I can
To pass the business on.
To pass the business on,
To pass the business on;
And I’ll do all that ever I can
To pass the business on.
—Wolstanton, North Staffs. (Miss Bush, Schoolmistress)
IV. We’ll borrow a horse and steal a gig,
And round the world we’ll have a jig;
And I’ll do all that ever I can
To push the business on.
—Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy).
V. I’ll hire a horse and steal a gig,
And all the world shall have a jig;
And I’ll do all that ever I can
To push the business on,
To push the business on, to push the business on,
And I’ll do all that ever I can to push the business on.
—Settle, Yorkshire (Rev. W. S. Sykes).
(_b_) The players stand in a circle, boy and girl alternately, and sing
the lines. At the fourth line they all clap their hands, keeping time
with the song. When singing the seventh line each boy takes the girl on
his left hand,—dances round with her and places her on his right hand.
This is done till each girl has been all round the circle, and has been
turned or danced with by each boy. In the Wolstanton version (Miss
Bush), after singing the first four lines, the children fall behind one
another, march round, clapping their hands and singing; at the seventh
line they all join in couples and gallop round very quickly to the end.
When they finish, the girls stand at the side of the boys in couples,
and change places every time they go round until each girl has partnered
each boy. At Hexham there is rather more of the regular dance about the
game at the beginning. At the fourth line they set to partners and swing
round, the girls changing places at the end, and continuing until they
have been all round each time with a different partner.
(_c_) This game seems of kin to the old-fashioned country dances. Miss
Bush writes that this game was introduced into the school playground
from Derbyshire a few years ago, and is sung to a simple tune.
Puss in the Corner
The children stand at fixed points: one stands in the middle and chants,
“Poor puss wants a corner.” The others beckon with the fore-finger, and
calling, “Puss, puss,” run from point to point. Puss runs also to one of
the vacant spaces. The one left out becomes puss.—Monton, Lancashire
(Miss Dendy).
[Illustration]
The players place themselves each in some “coign of vantage,” as the
play place allows; one player in the middle is “out.” Those in the
corners change places with each other at choice, calling, “Puss, puss,
puss,” to attract each other’s attention. The one who is out watches his
opportunity to slip into a vacant corner, and oblige some one else to be
“out.” A favourite game _in the streets_ of Market Drayton.—Burne’s
_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 523.
When we played this game, the child who was to be “Puss” was invariably
decided upon by a counting-out rhyme. He or she being the last of the
five players “not he.” The words we used when wishful to change corners
were, “Puss, puss, give me a drop of milk.” The players in the corners
beckoned with the finger to an opposite player in another corner (A. B.
Gomme).
The game in Scotland is called “Moosie in the Corner,” and is played by
boys or girls, or by both together, either outside or in a room. Each
player takes a corner, and one stands in the middle. On a given signal,
usually by calling out the word “Change,” a rush is made from the
corners. The aim of the one standing in the middle is to reach a vacant
corner. If the game is played in a room, as many chairs, or other seats,
are placed as there are players, less one. Each takes a seat, and one is
left standing. On the word “Change” being called out, each jumps from
the seat and makes for another. The one standing strives to get a seat
in the course of the change.—Nairn and Macduff (Rev. W. Gregor).
Pussy’s Ground
Name for Tom Tiddler’s Ground in Norfolk.
See “Tom Tiddler’s Ground.”
Pyramid
A circle of about two feet in diameter is made on the ground, in the
centre of which a pyramid is formed by several marbles. Nine are placed
as the base, then six, then four, and then one on the top. The keeper of
the pyramid then desires the other players to shoot. Each player gives
the keeper one marble for leave to shoot at the pyramid, and all that
the players can strike out of the circle belong to them.—London streets
(A. B. Gomme), and _Book of Sports_.
See “Castles.”
Quaker
Men and women stand alternately in a circle, and one man begins by
placing his left hand on his left knee, and saying, “There was an old
Quaker and he went so.” This is repeated all round the circle; the first
man then says the same thing again, but this time he places his _right_
hand on his _right_ knee. Then he places his hand on the girl’s
shoulder, then round her neck, and on her far shoulder, then looks into
her face, and, lastly, kisses her.—Sharleston, Yorks (Miss Fowler).
Quaker’s Wedding
Hast thou ever been to a Quaker’s wedding?
Nay, friend, nay.
Do as I do; twiddle thy thumbs and follow me.
The leader walks round chanting these lines, with her eyes fixed on the
ground. Each new comer goes behind till a long train is formed, then
they kneel side by side as close together as possible. The leader then
gives a vigorous push to the one at the end of the line [next herself,
and that one to the next], and the whole line tumble over.—Berkshire
(Miss Thoyts in the _Antiquary_, xxvii. 194).
See “Obadiah,” “Solomon.”
Queen Anne
I. Lady Queen Ann she sits in her stand,
And a pair of green gloves upon her hand,
As white as a lily, as fair as a swan,
The fairest lady in a’ the land;
Come smell my lily, come smell my rose,
Which of my maidens do you choose?
I choose you one, and I choose you all,
And I pray, Miss ( ), yield up the ball.
The ball is mine, and none of yours,
Go to the woods and gather flowers.
Cats and kittens bide within,
But we young ladies walk out and in.
—Chambers’ _Pop. Rhymes_, p. 136.
II. Queen Anne, Queen Anne, who sits on her throne,
As fair as a lily, as white as a swan;
The king sends you three letters,
And begs you’ll read one.
I cannot read one unless I read all,
So pray ( ) deliver the ball.
The ball is mine and none of thine,
So you, proud Queen, may sit on your throne,
While we, your messengers, go and come.
(Or sometimes)—
The ball is mine, and none of thine,
You are the fair lady to sit on;
And we’re the black gipsies to go and come.
—Halliwell’s _Pop. Rhymes_, p. 230.
III. Queen Anne, Queen Anne, you sit in the sun,
As fair as a lily, as white as a wand,
I send you three letters, and pray read one.
You must read one, if you can’t read all,
So pray, Miss or Master, throw up the ball.
—Halliwell’s _Pop. Rhymes_, p. 64.
IV. Here we come a-piping,
First in spring and then in May.
The Queen she sits upon the sand,
Fair as a lily, white as a wand:
King John has sent you letters three,
And begs you’ll read them unto me.
We can’t read one without them all,
So pray, Miss Bridget, deliver the ball.
—Halliwell’s _Pop. Rhymes_, p. 73.
V. Queen Anne, Queen Anne,
She sot in the sun;
So fair as a lily,
So white as a nun;
She had a white glove on,
She drew it off, she drew it on.
Turn, ladies, turn.
The more we turn, the more we may,
Queen Anne was born on Midsummer Day;
We have brought dree letters from the Queen,
Wone of these only by thee must be seen.
We can’t rëade wone, we must rëade all,
Please ( ) deliver the ball.
—Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 229).
VI. Here come we to Lady Queen Anne,
With a pair of white gloves to cover our hand;
As white as a lily, as fair as the rose,
But not so fair as you may suppose.
Turn, ladies, turn.
The more we turn the more we may,
Queen Anne was born on Midsummer Day.
The king sent me three letters, I never read them all,
So pray, Miss ——, deliver the ball.
The ball is yours, and not ours,
You must go to the garden and gather the flowers.
The ball is ours, and not yours,
We go out and gather the flowers.
—Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 52-53).
VII. Queen Anne, Queen Anne, she sits in the sun,
As fair as a lily, so white and wan;
A pair of kid gloves she holds in her hand,
There’s no such a lady in all the fair land.
Turn all.
The more we turn the better we are,
For we’ve got the ball between us.
—North Kelsey, Lincolnshire (Miss M. Peacock).
VIII. Lady Queen Anne she sits on a stand [sedan],
She is fair as a lily, she is white as a swan;
A pair of green gloves all over her hand,
She is the fairest lady in all the land.
Come taste my lily, come smell my rose,
Which of my babes do you choose?
I choose not one, but I choose them all,
So please, Miss Nell, give up the ball.
The ball is ours, it is not yours,
We will go to the woods and gather flowers;
We will get pins to pin our clothes,
You will get nails to nail your toes.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
IX. Queen Anne, Queen Anne, she sits in the sun,
As fair as a lily, as brown as a bun;
We’ve brought you three letters, pray can you read one?
I can’t read one without I read all,
So pray —— deliver the ball.
You old gipsy, sit in the sun,
And we fair ladies go and come;
The ball is mine, and none o’ thine,
And so good-morning, Valentine.
—Swaffham. Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
X. Queen Anne, Queen Anne, she sits in the sun,
As fair as a lily, as brown as a bun.
Turn, fair ladies, turn.
We bring you three letters, and pray you read one.
I cannot read one without I read all,
So please ( ) give up the ball.
[If the wrong guess is made the girls say—]
The ball is ours, and none of yours,
And we’ve the right to keep it.
[If the right child is named, they say—]
The ball is yours, and is not ours,
And you’ve the right to take it.
[Some of the children said this rhyme should be—]
The ball is ours, and none of yours,
So you, black gipsies, sit in the sun,
While we the fair ladies go as we come.
—London (A. B. Gomme).
XI. Queen Anne, Queen Anne, she sits in the sun,
As fair as a lily, as white as a swan;
I bring you three letters, so pray you choose one,
I cannot read one without I read all,
So pray —— give up the ball.
[If the wrong girl is asked, they say—]
The ball is ours, it is not yours,
And we’ve the right to keep it.
[When the right one is guessed—]
The ball is yours, it is not ours,
And you’ve the right to keep it.
—Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).
XII. The lady Queen Anne she sat in a tan (sedan),
As fair as a lily, as white as a swan;
The Queen of Morocco she sent you a letter,
So please to read one.
I won’t read one except them all,
So please, Miss ——, deliver the ball.
—Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 87).
XIII. Queen Ann, Queen Ann,
She sits in the sun,
As fair as a lily, and bright as one;
King George has sent you three letters,
And desires you to read one.
I cannot read one
Without I read all,
So pray, Miss ( ),
Deliver the ball.
[Rhyme when right is seldom in use, and the one when wrong forgotten.]
The ball is ours, and none of yours,
So, black gipsies, sit in the sun,
And we, fair ladies, go as we come.
—Sussex, about 1850 (Miss Chase).
XIV. Queen Ann, Queen Ann,
She sat in the sun;
A pair of white gloves to cover her hands,
As white as a lily, as red as a rose,
To which young lady do you propose?
—Devon (Miss Chase).
XV. Here come seven sisters,
And seven milken daughters,
And with the ladies of the land,
And please will you grant us.
I grant you once, I grant you twice,
I grant you three times over;
A for all, and B for ball,
And please [ ] deliver the ball.
—Bocking, Essex (_Folk-lore Journal_, vi. 211).
[Illustration]
(_b_) Sides are chosen, and two lines are formed; the words are said by
each line alternately. One line, in which is the Queen, standing still
or sitting down, the other line advancing and retiring while singing the
words. The latter line gives one of their number a ball or some other
small object to hold in the hand in such a manner that it cannot be
perceived. All the players on this side then assume the same
position—either all put their hands behind them or fold their arms, put
their hands under their armpits, or under their skirts or pinafores. The
object of the other side is to guess which child in the line has the
ball. The line which has the ball commences the game by advancing
singing or saying the first three or four lines. Queen Anne answers, and
then names one of the girls on the opposite side whom she suspects to
have the ball, and if she be right in her guess the lines change sides.
If she be wrong, the line retires in triumph, the girl who possesses the
ball holding it up to show the Queen she is wrong. The children all
curtsey when leaving the Queen’s presence. Another girl of the line then
takes the ball and the game continues till the right holder of the ball
is named. When the Queen tells the line of players to “turn,” they all
spin round, coming back to face the Queen, and then stand still again.
In the North Kelsey version (Miss Peacock) there is only one player on
Queen Anne’s side, the rest form the line. This is also the case with
the Cornish game.
(_c_) The analysis of the game-rhymes is as follows:—
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Scotland (Chambers). | Halliwell (1). | Halliwell (2). |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — | — |
| 2.| — | — | — |
| 3.|Lady Q. Anne. |Q. Anne, Anne. | Queen Anne. |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.|Sits in her stand. | — | — |
| 6.| — |Sits on her throne. | — |
| 7.| — | — |Sits in the sun. |
| 8.|Pair of green gloves | — | — |
| |on her hand. | | |
| 9.|White as a lily, fair |Fair as lily, white as| — |
| |as a swan. |swan. | |
|10.| — | — |Fair as lily, white as|
| | | |wand. |
|11.|Fairest lady in the | — | — |
| |land. | | |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.|Smell my lily, smell | — | — |
| |my rose. | | |
|14.|Which of my maidens do| — | — |
| |you choose? | | |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — |King sends three |I send you three |
| | |letters. |letters. |
|19.| — |Begs you’ll read one. |Pray read one. |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Choose you one and |Cannot read one |You must read one, |
| |choose you all. |unless I read all. |if you can’t all. |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.|Pray, Miss, yield up |Pray [ ] deliver |Pray, Miss [ ], |
| |the ball. |the ball. |throw up the ball. |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.|The ball is mine, and |The ball is mine, and | — |
| |none of yours. |none of thine. | |
|26.| — |You, proud Queen, may | — |
| | |sit on your throne. | |
|27.| — |While we, your | — |
| | |messengers, go and | |
| | |come. | |
|28.|Go to the woods and | — | — |
| |gather flowers. | | |
|29.| — | — | — |
|30.| — |The ball is mine, and | — |
| | |none of thine. | |
|31.| — |You are the fair lady | — |
| | |to sit on. | |
|32.| — |And we’re black gip- | — |
| | |sies to go and come. | |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
|35.|Cats and kittens, bide| — | — |
| |within. | | |
|36.|We young ladies walk | — | — |
| |out and in. | | |
|37.| — | — | — |
|38.| — | — | — |
|39.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Halliwell (3). | Dorsetshire. | Cornwall. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Here we come a-piping.| — | — |
| 2.|First in Spring, then | — | — |
| |in May. | | |
| 3.| — |Queen Anne. |Lady Queen Anne. |
| 4.|Queen. | — | — |
| 5.|Sits upon the sand. | — | — |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — |Sot in the sun. | — |
| 8.| — |White glove on. |Pair of white gloves |
| | | |to cover our hand. |
| 9.| — | — |White as lily, fair as|
| | | |rose. |
|10.|Fair as lily, white as|Fair as lily, white as| — |
| |wand. |nun. | |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — |Not so fair as you may|
| | | |suppose. |
|13.| — | — | — |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.| — |Turn, ladies. |Turn, ladies. |
|16.| — |More we turn, more we |More we turn, more we |
| | |may. |may. |
|17.| — |Queen Anne was born on|Q. Anne was born on |
| | |midsummer day. |midsummer day. |
|18.|King John has sent |We’ve brought three |King sent me three |
| |three letters. |letters. |letters. |
|19.|Begs you’ll read them | — | — |
| |unto me. | | |
|20.| — |One of these only by | — |
| | |you must be seen. | |
|21.|We can’t read one |We can’t read one, | — |
| |without all. |must read all. | |
|22.| — | — |I never read them all.|
|23.|Pray, Miss [ ], |Please [ ] deliver |Pray, Miss [ ], |
| |deliver the ball. |the ball. |deliver the ball. |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — |The ball is yours, and|
| | | |not ours. |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
|28.| — | — |Go to the garden and |
| | | |gather flowers. |
|29.| — | — | — |
|30.| — | — |The ball is ours, and |
| | | |none of yours. |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — |We must go to the |
| | | |garden and gather |
| | | |flowers. |
|34.| — | — | — |
|35.| — | — | — |
|36.| — | — | — |
|37.| — | — | — |
|38.| — | — | — |
|39.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| North Kelsey. | Belfast. | Swaffham. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — | — |
| 2.| — | — | — |
| 3.|Queen Anne. |Lady Queen Anne. | Queen Anne. |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — |Sits on a stand. | — |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.|Sits in the sun. | — |Sits in the sun. |
| 8.|Pair of kid gloves in |Pair of green gloves | — |
| |her hand. |all over her hand. | |
| 9.| — |Fair as lily, white as| — |
| | |swan. | |
|10.|Fair as lily, white | — |Fair as lily, brown as|
| |and wan. | |bun. |
|11.|No such lady in the |Fairest lady in the | — |
| |land. |land. | |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — |Taste my lily, smell | — |
| | |my rose. | |
|14.| — |Which of my babes do | — |
| | |you choose? | |
|15.|Turn all. | — | — |
|16.|More we turn, better | — | — |
| |we are. | | |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — |We’ve brought three |
| | | |letters. |
|19.| — | — |Pray can you read one.|
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — |Choose not one but | — |
| | |choose all. | |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.| — |Please, Miss Nell, |Pray deliver the ball.|
| | |give up the ball. | |
|24.|We’ve got the ball | — | — |
| |between us. | | |
|25.| — | — |You, old gipsy sit in |
| | | |the sun. |
|26.| — | — |We fair ladies, go and|
| | | |come. |
|27.| — |The ball is ours, it |The ball is mine, and |
| | |is not yours. |none of thine. |
|28.| — |We’ll go to the woods | — |
| | |and gather flowers. | |
|29.| — | — | — |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
|35.| — | — | — |
|36.| — | — | — |
|37.| — |We will get pins to | — |
| | |pin our clothes. | |
|38.| — |You will get nails to | — |
| | |nail your toes. | |
|39.| — | — |So good morning |
| | | |Valentine. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| London. | Barnes. | Hersham. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — | — |
| 2.| — | — | — |
| 3.|Queen Anne. |Queen Anne. |Lady Queen Anne. |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — |Sits in a tan. |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.|Sits in the sun. |Sits in the sun. | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — |Fair as lily, white as|Fair as lily, white as|
| | |swan. |swan. |
|10.|Fair as lily, brown as| — | — |
| |bun. | | |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — | — | — |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.|We bring you three |I bring you three |Queen of Morocco sent |
| |letters. |letters. |you a letter. |
|19.| Pray you read one. |Pray you choose one. |Please to read one. |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Cannot read one |Cannot read one |I won’t read one |
| |without all. |without all. |except all. |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.|Please give up the |Pray give up the ball.|Please, Miss [ ], |
| |ball. | |deliver the ball. |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.|The ball is ours, and |The ball is ours, it | — |
| |none of yours. |is not yours. | |
|28.| — | — | — |
|29.|And we’ve the right to|And we’ve the right to| — |
| |keep it. |keep it. | |
|30.|The ball is yours, and|The ball is yours, it | — |
| |not ours. |is not ours. | |
|31.|You, black gipsies, | — | — |
| |sit in the sun. | | |
|32.|While we, fair ladies,| — | — |
| |go as we come. | | |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — |And you’ve the right | — |
| | |to keep it. | |
|35.| — | — | — |
|36.| — | — | — |
|37.| — | — | — |
|38.| — | — | — |
|39.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Sussex. | Devon. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — |
| 2.| — | — |
| 3.|Queen Ann. |Queen Ann. |
| 4.| — | — |
| 5.| — | — |
| 6.| — | — |
| 7.|Sits in the sun. |Sat in the sun. |
| 8.| — |Pair of white gloves |
| | |to cover her hand. |
| 9.| — |White as lily, red as |
| | |rose. |
|10.|Fair as lily, bright | — |
| |as one. | |
|11.| — | — |
|12.| — | — |
|13.| — | — |
|14.| — |To which young lady do|
| | |you propose? |
|15.| — | — |
|16.| — | — |
|17.| — | — |
|18.|King Geo. has sent you| — |
| |three letters. | |
|19.|Desires you to read | — |
| |one. | |
|20.| — | — |
|21.|Cannot read one | — |
| |without all. | |
|22.| — | — |
|23.|Pray, Miss [ ], | — |
| |deliver the ball. | |
|24.| — | — |
|25.|So, black gipsies, sit| — |
| |in the sun. | |
|26.|We fair ladies, go as | — |
| |we come. | |
|27.|The ball is ours, and | — |
| |none of yours. | |
|28.| — | — |
|29.| — | — |
|30.| — | — |
|31.| — | — |
|32.| — | — |
|33.| — | — |
|34.| — | — |
|35.| — | — |
|36.| — | — |
|37.| — | — |
|38.| — | — |
|39.| — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+
This game appears to be in such a state of decadence that it is
difficult to do more than suggest an origin. It may be that “Queen Anne”
represents an oracle, and the petition is addressed to her to discover
the stolen treasure; but more probably the players represent disguised
damsels, one of whom is a bride whose identity has to be found out by
her showing or possessing some object which belongs to or has been given
previously by her suitor. The “guessing” or “naming” a particular person
runs through all the versions, and is undoubtedly the clue to the game.
If the Belfast version is the nearest to the original of those at
present existing, and there is every probability that this is so,
especially as Chambers’ version is so similar, an early form of the game
might be restored, and from this its origin may be ascertained. Using
the first four lines of one of Halliwell’s versions, and what appear to
be the common lines of the other versions, the reading is—
_Suitor and Friends._
Here we come a-piping,
First in Spring and then in May.
The Queen she sits upon the sand,
Fair as a lily, white as a wand [swan].
Here’s a pair of {white} gloves to cover the hands [suitors offer
{green} gloves],
Of the fairest lady in all the land.
_Guardian (or Mother) and Maidens._
Come {taste} my lily, come {taste} my rose,
{smell} {smell}
For which of my maidens do you propose?
_Suitors or Queen Anne._
I chose but one, I chose from all,
I pray, Miss ( ), receive the ball [throwing ball to one girl,
who catches it].
Or—
I pray this hand receive the ball, [putting a ball into the extended
hands of one of three girls.]
Guardian then disguises three girls (one with the ball) with veils or
other coverings, so that they precisely resemble each other, and returns
with the girls to the suitors, saying to the girls—
Turn, ladies, turn; turn, ladies, turn;
and to the suitors—
Come choose your own, come choose from all.
I’ve brought you three letters, pray can you read one?
_Suitor_
(touching one of the disguised girls).
I cannot read one without I read all.
I pray, Miss ( ), yield up the ball.
_Disguised Maiden_
(one who did not receive the ball).
The ball is mine, and none of thine,
And so, good morning, Valentine.
_Chorus of Maidens_ (curtseying).
We will go to the wood and gather flowers,
We will get pins to pin our clothes,
You will get nails to nail your toes.
Cats and kittens bide within,
But we, young maidens, come out and in.
The inference being that the chosen maiden is still free until the
suitor can try again, and is fortunate enough to indicate the right
maiden.
If this conjectural restoration of the verses be accepted on the
evidence, it would suggest that this game originated from one of the not
uncommon customs practised at weddings or betrothals—when the suitor has
to discriminate between several girls all dressed precisely alike and
distinguish his bride by some token. (See “King William.”) This incident
of actual primitive custom also obtains in folk tales, thus showing its
strong hold upon popular tradition, and hence increasing the probability
that it would reappear in games. It must be remembered that the giving
of gloves was a significant fact in betrothals.
This game is said by some to have its origin in the use of the sedan
chair. A version taken from a newspaper cutting (unfortunately I had not
recorded the name and date, but think it was probably the _Leeds
Mercury_ some years ago) gives the following rhyme. The writer does not
say whether he knows it as a game—
Lady Lucan she sits in a sedan,
As fair as a lily, as white as a swan;
A pair of green gloves to doff and to don.
My mistress desires you will read one,
I can’t read one without them all,
So I pray this hand decline the ball.
In this version there is still the puzzle to solve, or riddle to read.
Queen Mary
[Music: Verses 1, 2.]
[Music: Verses 3, 4, 5.]
—Hexham (Miss J. Barker).
I. Queen Mary, Queen Mary, my age is sixteen,
My father’s a farmer on yonder green;
He has plenty of money to dress me in silk—
Come away, my sweet laddie, and take me a walk.
One morning I rose and I looked in the glass,
I thought to myself what a handsome young lass;
My hands by my side, and a gentle ha, ha,
Come away, my sweet lassie, and take me a walk.
Father, mother, may I go, may I go, may I go;
Father, mother, may I go, to buy a bunch of roses?
Oh yes, you may go, you may go, you may go;
Oh yes, you may go, buy a bunch of roses!
Pick up her tail and away she goes, away she goes, away
she goes;
Pick up her tail and away she goes, to buy a bunch of
roses.
—Sang by the children of Hexham Workhouse (Miss J. Barker).
II. Queen Mary, Queen Mary, my age is sixteen,
My father’s a farmer on yonder green;
He has plenty of money to keep me sae braw,
Yet nae bonnie laddie will tak’ me awa’.
The morning so early I looked in the glass,
And I said to myself what a handsome young lass;
My hands by my side, and I gave a ha, ha,
Come awa’, bonnie laddie, and tak’ me awa’.
—Berwickshire, A. M. Bell, _Antiquary_, xxx. 17.
III. My name is Queen Mary,
My age is sixteen,
My father’s a farmer in Old Aberdeen;
He has plenty of money to dress me in black—
There’s nae [no] bonnie laddie ’ill tack me awa’.
Next mornin’ I wakened and looked in the glass,
I said to myself, what a handsome young lass;
Put your hands to your haunches and give a ha, ha,
For there’s nae bonnie laddie will tack ye awa’.
—N. E. Scotland (Rev. W. Gregor).
IV. My name is Queen Mary,
My age is sixteen,
My father’s a farmer in yonder green;
He’s plenty of money to dress in silk [fu’ braw’],
For there’s nae bonnie laddie can tack me awa’.
One morning I rose and I looked in the glass,
Says I to myself, I’m a handsome young lass;
My hands by my edges, and I give a ha, ha,
For there’s nae bonnie laddie t’ tack me awa’.
—Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).
(_b_) The Scottish game is played by girls. The players join hands, form
a circle with one in the centre, and dance round singing. At the words
“’ill tack me awa’,” the centre player chooses another one, and the two
wheel round. Then the singing proceeds. At the exclamation “ha! ha!” the
players suit the action to the words of the line. In the Cullen game the
girls stand in a row with one in front, who sings the verses and chooses
another player from the line. The two then join hands and go round and
round, singing the remaining verses.
Queen of Sheba
Two rows of people sit on chairs face to face on each side of a door,
leaving just sufficient space between the lines for a player to pass. At
the end of the rows furthest from the door sits the “Queen of Sheba,”
with a veil or shawl over her head. A player, hitherto unacquainted with
the game, is brought to the door, shown the Queen, and told to go up
between the rows, after being blindfolded, to kiss her, taking care,
meanwhile, to avoid treading on the toes of the people on each side the
alley leading to the lady. While his mind is diverted by these
instructions, and by the process of blindfolding, the Queen gives up her
seat to “the King,” who has been lurking in the background. He assumes
the veil and receives the kiss, to the amusement of every one but the
uninitiated player.
—Anderby, Lincolnshire, and near the Trent, Nottinghamshire (Miss M.
Peacock).
Ragman
An ancient game, at which persons drew by chance poetical descriptions
of their characters, the amusement consisting—as at modern games of a
similar kind—in the peculiar application or misapplication of the verses
so selected at hazard by the drawers.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Halliwell goes on to say that the meaning of this term was first
developed by Mr. Wright in his _Anecdota Literaria_, 1844, where he has
printed two collections of ancient verses used in the game of “Ragman.”
Mr. Wright conjectures that the stanzas were written one after another
on a roll of parchment; that to each stanza a string was attached at the
side, with a seal or piece of metal or wood at the end; and that when
used the parchment was rolled up with all the strings and their seals
hanging together, so that the drawer had no reason for choosing one more
than another, but drew one of the strings by mere chance, and which he
opened to see on what stanza he had fallen. If such were the form of the
game, we can very easily imagine why the name was applied to a charter
with an unusual number of seals attached to it, which, when rolled up,
would present exactly the same appearance. Mr. Wright is borne out in
his opinion by an English poem, termed “Ragmane roelle,” printed from
MS., Fairfax, 16:—
“My ladyes and my maistresses echone,
Lyke hit unto your humbyble wommanhede,
Resave in gré of my sympill persone
This rolle, which, withouten any drede,
Kynge Ragman me bad me sowe in brede,
And cristyned yt the merour of your chaunce;
Drawith a strynge, and that shal streight yow leyde
Unto the verry path of your governaunce.”
That the verses were generally written in a roll may perhaps be gathered
from a passage in Douglas’s Virgil:—
“With that he raucht me ane roll: to rede I begane,
The royetest ane ragment with mony ratt rime.”
Halliwell also quotes the following:—
“Venus, whiche stant withoute lawe,
In non certeyne, but as men drawe
Of Ragemon upon the chaunce,
Sche leyeth no peys in the balaunce.”
—Gower, MS. _Society of Antiquaries_, 134, 244.
The term rageman is applied to the devil in “Piers Ploughman,” 335.
Rag-stag
See “Stag Warning.”
Rakes and Roans
A boys’ game, in which the younger ones are chased by the larger boys,
and when caught carried home pick-a-back.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Moor (_Suffolk Words and Phrases_) says this game is often called
“Rakes” only, and is the same, probably, that is thus alluded to: “To
play Reaks, to domineer, to show mad pranks.” The jest of it is to be
carried home a pig-back, by the less swift wight who you may catch.
Rakkeps
A game among boys [undescribed].—Dickinson’s _Cumberland Glossary_.
Range the Bus
Sides are chosen, and a line made across the playground. One of the
sides goes up and the other goes down, and throws their bonnets on the
ground. Then one side tries to get one of the opposite side across the
line and crown him, and one of the opposite side tries to crown him
back. If another boy can catch this player before he gets near him, he
is crowned also. All the time the one side is trying to take the
bonnets.—Old Aberdeen (Rev. W. Gregor).
See “French and English,” “Scotch and English.”
Rax, or Raxie-boxie, King of Scotland
The players, except one, take their stand at one side, and one stands at
the other side in front of them. When all are ready, the one in front
calls out “Cock,” or “Caron,” when all rush across to the other side,
and he tries to catch one of them in crossing. The one caught helps to
catch the others as they run back. Each time the players run from the
one side to the other the word “Cock,” or “Caron,” is called out, and
the change is continued till all are caught—each one as caught becoming
a catcher. In Tyrie the game is called “Dyke King” when played by boys,
and “Queen” when played by girls. The word “King,” or “Queen,” is
called out before each run, according as the game is played by boys or
girls.—Ballindalloch (Rev. W. Gregor).
This game is called “Red Rover” in Liverpool (Mr. C. C. Bell). “Red
Rover” is shouted out by the catcher when players are ready to rush
across.
See “King Cæsar.”
Relievo
This game is played by one child trying to catch the rest. The first
prisoner taken joins hands with the captor and helps in the pursuit, and
so on till all the playmates have been taken.—Anderby, Lincs. (Miss M.
Peacock).
This game is the same as “Chickiddy Hand,” “Stag Warning.”
Religious Church
The children stand in a line. One child on the opposite side, facing
them, says—
Have you been to a religious church?
Row of children answer—
No!
Have I asked you?
No!
Put your fingers on your lips and follow me.
All the row follow behind her to some other part of the ground, where
she stands with her back to them, and they form a new row. One child out
of the row now steps forward, and standing behind the first girl says—
Guess who stands behind you?
If the first girl guesses right she keeps her old place, and they begin
again. If she is wrong the child who has come from the row takes her
place, and a new game is begun. Of course the child who asks the last
question alters its voice as much as possible, so as not to be
recognised.—Liphook, Hants. (Miss Fowler).
Rigs
A game of children in Aberdeenshire, said to be the same as Scotch and
English, and also called Rockety Row.—Jamieson’s _Dictionary_.
Ring
See “Ring-taw.”
Ring a Ring o’ Roses
[Music]
—Marlborough (H. S. May).
[Music]
—Yorkshire (H. Hardy).
[Music]
—Sporle (Miss Matthews).
I. Ring a ring o’ roses,
A pocket-full o’ posies;
One for me, and one for you,
And one for little Moses—
Hasher, Hasher, Hasher, all fall down.
—Winterton, Lincoln, and Leadenham (Miss M. Peacock).
II. A ring, a ring o’ roses,
A pocket-full o’ posies;
One for Jack, and one for Jim, and one for little Moses—
A-tisha! a-tisha! a-tisha!
—Shropshire (Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 511).
III. A ring, a ring o’ roses,
A pocket-full o’ posies;
A curchey in, and a curchey out,
And a curchey all together.
—Edgmond (Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 571).
IV. Ring, a ring o’ roses,
A pocket full o’ posies;
Up-stairs and down-stairs,
In my lady’s chamber—
Husher! Husher! Cuckoo!
—Wakefield, Yorks. (Miss Fowler).
V. Ring, a ring of roses,
Basket full of posies—
Tisha! Tisha! all fall down.
—Penzance, Cornwall (Mrs. Mabbott).
VI. Ring, a ring a roses,
A pocketful of posies;
Hush, oh! hush, oh!
All fall down!
—Colchester, Essex (Miss G. M. Frances).
VII. Ring, a ring a rosy,
A pocket full of posies;
One for you, and one for me,
And one for little Moses—
Atishm! Atishm!
—Beddgelert (Mrs. Williams).
VIII. A ring, a ring of roses,
A pocket full of posies—
Hist! hush! last down dead!
—Gainford, Durham (Miss A. Eddleston).
IX. Ring, a ring a row-o,
See the children go-o,
Sit below the goose-berry bush;
Hark! they all cry Hush! hush! hush!
Sitty down, sit down.
Duzzy, duzzy gander,
Sugar, milk, and candy;
Hatch-u, hatch-u, all fall down together.
—South Shields (Miss Blair, aged 9).
X. Ringey, ringey rosies,
A pocketful of posies—
Hach-ho, hach-ho, all fall down.
Another version—
Hash-ho! Tzhu-ho! all fall down.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
XI. Windy, windy weather,
Cold and frosty weather,
When the wind blows
We all blow together.
I saw Peter!
When did you meet him?
Merrily, cherrily [so pronounced]
All fall down.
A ring, a ring of roses,
A pocketful of posies—
Ashem, ashem, all fall down.
—Sheffield (S. O. Addy).
(_b_) A ring is formed by the children joining hands. They all dance
round, singing the lines. At the word “Hasher” or “Atcha” they all raise
their hands [still clasped] up and down, and at “all fall down” they sit
suddenly down on the ground. In Lancashire (Morton) they pause and
curtsey deeply. The imitation of sneezing is common to all. Miss Peacock
says, in Nottinghamshire they say “Hashem! Hashem!” and shake their
heads. In the Sheffield version the children sing the first eight lines
going round, and all fall down when the eighth is sang. They then form a
ring by holding hands, and move round singing the next three lines, and
then they all fall either on their knees or flat on their faces.
(_c_) Versions of this game, identical with the Winterton one, have been
sent me by Miss Winfield, Nottingham; others, almost identical with the
second Norfolk version, from Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy), North
Staffs. Potteries, Norbury, Staffs., (Miss A. Keary), Earls Heaton,
Yorks. (H. Hardy). Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_, gives a version almost
identical with the last Sporle version.
Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_, compares the old stories about rose-laughing
in Grimm’s _Teut. Myth._ iii. 1101. “Gifted children of fortune have the
power to laugh roses, as Treyja wept gold. Probably in the first
instance they were Pagan beings of light, who spread their brightness in
the sky over the earth—‘rose children,’ ‘sun children.’” This seems to
me to be a very apposite explanation of the game, the rhymes of which
are fairly well preserved, though showing in some of the variants that
decay towards a practical interpretation which will soon abolish all
traces of the mythical origin of game-rhyme. It may, however, simply be
the making, or “ringing,” a ring or circle of roses or other flowers and
bowing to this. Mr. Addy’s suggestion does not account for the imitation
of sneezing, evidently an important incident, which runs through all
versions. Sneezing has always been regarded as an important or
supernatural event in every-day life, and many superstitious beliefs and
practices are connected with it both in savage and civilised life.
Newell (_Games and Songs of American Children_, p. 127) describes “Ring
around the Rosie,” apparently this game, but the imitation of sneezing
has been lost.
Ring by Ring
Here we go round by ring, by ring,
As ladies do in Yorkshire;
A curtsey here, a curtsey there,
A curtsey to the ground, sir.
—Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 86).
There is no description of the way this game is played, but it is
evidently a similar game to “Ring-a-Ring o’ Roses.”
Ringie, Ringie, Red Belt
Take a small splint of wood, kindle it, and when it is burning turn it
rapidly round in a circle, repeating the words—
Ringie, ringie, Red Belt, rides wi’ the king,
Nae a penny in’s purse t’buy a gold ring.
Bow—ow—ow, fat dog art thou,
Tam Tinker’s dog, bow—ow—ow.
—Corgarff (Rev. W. Gregor).
This goes by the name of “Willie Wogie” at Keith, but no words are
repeated as the splint is whirled.
See “Jack’s Alive.”
Ring-me-rary
I. Ring me (1), ring me (2), ring me rary (3),
As I go round (4) ring by ring (5),
A virgin (6) goes a-maying (7);
Here’s a flower (8), and there’s a flower (9),
Growing in my lady’s garden (10).
If you set your foot awry (11),
Gentle John will make you cry (12);
If you set your foot amiss (13),
Gentle John (14) will give you a kiss.
This [lady or gentleman] is none of ours,
Has put [him or her] self in [child’s name] power;
So clap all hands and ring all bells, and make the wedding
o’er.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 67.
II. As I go round ring by ring,
A maiden goes a-maying;
And here’s a flower, and there’s a flower,
As red as any daisy.
If you set your foot amiss,
Gentle John will give you a kiss.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 125.
(_b_) A number of boys and girls stand round one in the middle, who
repeats the lines, counting the children until one is counted out by the
end of the verse. The child upon whom (14) falls is then taken out and
forced to select one of the other sex. The middle child then proceeds to
say the three last lines. All the children clap hands during the saying
(or singing) of the last line. If the child taken by lot joins in the
clapping, the selected child is rejected, and, I believe, takes the
middle place. Otherwise, I think there is a salute.—Halliwell.
(_c_) This game is recorded by no authority except Halliwell, and no
version has reached me, so that I suppose it is now obsolete. It is a
very good example of the oldest kind of game, choosing partners or
lovers by the “lot,” and may be a relic of the May-day festival, when
the worship of Flora was accompanied by rites of marriage not in accord
with later ideas.
Ring-taw
A rough ring is made on the ground, and the players each place in it an
equal share in “stonies,” or alleys. They each bowl to the ring with
another marble from a distance. The boy whose marble is nearest has the
first chance to “taw;” if he misses a shot the second boy, whose marble
was next nearest to the ring, follows, and if he misses, the next, and
so on. If one player knocks out a marble, he is entitled to “taw” at the
rest in the ring until he misses; and if a sure “tawer” not one of the
others may have the chance to taw. Any one’s “taw” staying within the
ring after being tawn at the “shots,” is said to be “fat,” and the owner
of the “taw” must then replace any marbles he has knocked out in the
ring.—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy). Halliwell (_Dictionary_)
describes this game very much as above, except that a fine is imposed on
those who leave the taw in the ring. Ross and Stead (_Holderness
Glossary_) give this game as follows:—“Two boys place an equal number of
marbles in the form of a circle, which are then shot at alternately,
each boy pocketing the marbles he hits.” Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_)
says, “Ring-taw” is a marble marked with a red ring used in the game of
marbles. This is commonly called “ring” for short. Evans
(_Leicestershire Glossary_) describes the game much the same as above,
but adds some further details of interest. “If the game be knuckle-up
the player stands and shoots in that position. If the game be
knuckle-down he must stoop and shoot with the knuckle of the first
finger touching the ground at taw. In both cases, however, the player’s
toe must be on taw. The line was thus called taw as marking the place
for the toe of the player, and the marble a taw as being the one shot
from the taw-line, in contradistinction to those placed passively in
the ring-‘line’ in the one case, and ‘marble’ in the other being dropped
as superfluous.”—Strutt (_Sports and Pastimes_, p. 384) alludes to the
game.
In Ireland this game is also called “Ring,” and is played with marbles
and buttons. A ring is marked out on a level hard place, and every boy
puts down a button. The buttons are lightly struck in the centre of the
ring, and all play their marbles to the buttons. The nearest to them
play first. The line from which they play is generally about eight feet
away, and everybody does his best to strike the buttons. Any put out are
kept by the boy putting them out, and if a boy strikes a button, or
buttons, out, he can play on until he misses.—Waterville, Cos. Kerry and
Cork, T. J. Dennachy (through Mrs. B. B. Green of Dublin).
Rin-im-o’er
A game among children, in which one stands in the middle of a street,
road, or lane, while others run across it within a certain given
distance from the person so placed, and whose business it is to catch
one in passing, when he is released, and the captive takes his
place.—Teviotdale (Jamieson’s _Dictionary_).
It nearly resembles “Willie Wastle.”
Robbing the Parson’s Hen-Roost
This game is played by every player, except one (the questioner),
choosing a word, and introducing it into his phrase whenever he gives an
answer. For example, X, Y, and Z have chosen the words elephant,
key-hole, and mouse-trap.
Questioner. “What did you steal from the parson’s hen-roost?”
X. “An elephant.”
Q. “How did you get into the hen-roost?”
Y. “Through the key-hole.”
Q. “Where did you put what was stolen?”
Z. “Into a mouse-trap.”
And so on with the other players.—Lincoln [generally known] (Miss M.
Peacock).
The players choose a name, and another player asks them questions,
beginning with, “The Parson’s hen-roost was robbed last night, were you
there?” To all questions each player must answer by repeating his own
name only: if he forgets and says, “Yes” or “No,” he has to take the
questioner’s place.—Haxey, Lincolnshire (Mr. C. C. Bell).
Rockety Row
A play in which two persons stand with their backs to each other, one
passing his arms under the shoulders of the other, they alternately lift
each other from the ground.—Jamieson’s _Dictionary_.
See “Bag o’ Malt,” “Weigh the Butter.”
Roll up Tobacco
See “Bulliheisle,” “Eller Tree,” “Wind up the Bush Faggot.”
Roly-poly
[Illustration]
A game played with a certain number of pins and a ball, resembling half
a cricket ball. One pin is placed in the centre, the rest (with the
exception of one called the Jack) are placed in a circle round it; the
Jack is placed about a foot or so from the circle, in a line with the
one in the circle and the one in the centre. The centre one is called
the King, the one between that and the Jack, the Queen. The King counts
for three, the Queen two, and each of the other pins for one each,
except Jack. The art of the game lies in bowling down all the pins
except Jack, for if Jack is bowled down, the player has just so many
deducted from his former score as would have been added if he had not
struck the Jack (Holloway’s _Dict. Provincialisms_). This game was
formerly called “Half-bowl,” and was prohibited by a statute of Edward
IV. (Halliwell’s _Dictionary_). Brockett (_North Country Words and
Phrases_) says it is a game played at fairs and races. It is, under the
name of “Kayles,” well described and illustrated by Strutt (_Sports and
Pastimes_, p. 270, 271), which is reproduced here. It will be seen that
Jamieson describes it as played with a pole or cudgel. He says this game
no doubt gave origin to the modern one of “Nine-pins;” though
primitively the Kayle-pins do not appear to have been confined to any
certain number nor shape. . . . The Kayle-pins appear to have been
placed in one row only. He also says that “Half-bowl,” played in
Hertfordshire, was called “Roly-poly.”
[Illustration]
Jamieson (_Dictionary_) gives this as “Rollie-poly,” a game of
nine-pins, called also _Kayles_. The name “Rollie-poly” was given to it
because it was played with a pole, or cudgel, by which the pins were
knocked over. In the West of Scotland, where this game was in great
repute in olden times, it formed one of the chief sports of
Fastern’s-e’en, and was a favourite amusement at fairs and races. The
awards for successful throwing were generally in the form of small cakes
of gingerbread, which were powerful incentives to the game, and never
failed to attract players in response to the cry, “Wha’ll try the lucky
Kayles?”
Ronin the Bee
A rude game. A cazzie, or cassie, is unexpectedly thrown over the head
of a person. When thus blindfolded he is pressed down, and buckets of
water are thrown upon the cassie till the victim is thoroughly
saturated.—Jamieson’s _Dictionary_.
See “Carrying the Queen a Letter,” “Ezzeka.”
Rosy Apple, Lemon and Pear
[Music]
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
I. Rosy apple, lemon, or pear,
Bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
I know who will be the bride.
Take her by her lily-white hand,
Lead her to the altar;
Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—
Mrs. (child’s name) daughter.
—Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 58).
II. Rosy apple, lemon, and pear,
A bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
Choose the one shall be her bride.
Take her by her lily-white hand,
Lead her to the altar;
Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—
To old mother’s runaway daughter.
—Symondsbury, Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 210).
III. Rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,
A bunch of ribbons she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
I know who will be her bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her over the water;
Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—
For Mrs. —— daughter.
—Maxey, Northants. (Rev. W. D. Sweeting).
IV. Rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,
Bunch of roses you shall wear;
Gold and silver by your side,
I know who shall be a bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her ’cross the water;
Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—
For Mrs. (So-and-so’s) daughter.
—Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).
V. Rosie had an apple and a pear,
A bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
I knows who shall be her bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her across the water;
Give her a kiss, and one, two, three,
Old Mother Sack-a-biddy’s daughter!
—Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).
VI. Rosy apples, mellow pears,
Bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
Tell me who shall be her bride.
Take her by her lily-white hand,
Lead her across the ocean;
Give her a kiss, and one, two, three,
Mrs. —— daughter.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
VII. A rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,
A bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by your side,
Choose the one to be your bride.
Take her by her lily-white hand,
Lead her to the altar;
Give her a kiss by one, two, three,
Mrs. —— daughter.
—Cowes, I. of Wight (Miss E. Smith).
VIII. Roses up, and roses down,
Roses in the garden;
I wadna gie ye a bunch o’ flowers
For tenpence halfpenny farden.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her across the water;
Gie her a kiss, and one, two, three,
For she’s a lady’s daughter.
—Berwickshire (A. M. Bell) _Antiquary_, xxx. 16.
IX. Maggie Littlejohn, fresh and fair,
A bunch of roses in her hair;
Gold and silver by her side,
I know who is her bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her over the water;
Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—
For she’s a lady’s daughter.
Roses up, and roses down,
And roses in the garden;
I widna give a bunch of roses
For twopence ha’penny farthing.
—Rev. W. Gregor.
X. Roses up, and roses down,
And roses in the garden;
I widna gie a bunch o’ roses
For tippence ha’penny farden.
So and so, fresh and fair,
A bunch o’ roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
Crying out, “Cheese and bride” (bread).
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her on the water;
Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—
For she’s her mother’s daughter.
—Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).
XI. Roses up, and roses down,
And roses in the garden;
I wadna gie a bunch o’ roses
For twopence ha’penny farthin’.
——, fresh and fair,
A bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
I know who’s her bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
And lead her o’er the water;
And give her kisses,—one, two, three,—
For she’s the princess’ daughter.
—Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).
XII. Maggie Black, fresh and fair,
A bunch of roses she shall wear;
I know who I’ll take.
Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—
For she’s a lady’s daughter.
Roses in, and roses out,
Roses in a garden;
I would not give a bunch of roses
For twopence halfpenny “farden.”
—Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).
(_c_) The players form a ring, one child stands in the centre, who
chooses a sweetheart from the ring when the fifth line is sung; the two
kiss, the first child takes her place in the ring, the second child
remains in the centre, and the game begins again. This is the method
adopted in most of the versions. The Symondsbury game is slightly
different; the first part is the same, but when the last line is sung
the child who was first in the middle must run away and take a place in
the ring as soon as she can. The second one remains in the centre. The
Maxey (Northants.) version is altogether different. All the children but
one stand in a row. The one stands in front of them and sings the lines
by herself; at the last line she selects one from the line by naming
her. These two then sing the lines, “swinging round,” so described by
Mr. Sweeting’s informant. They then select a third when singing the last
line, and the three then swing round. This is repeated till all the
children from the line come into the ring.
In the Scotch versions the players all stand in a line, with one in
front, and sing. At the end of the fourth line the one in front chooses
one from the line, and all again sing, mentioning the name of the one
chosen (Fraserburgh). At Cullen, one child stands out of the line and
goes backwards and forwards singing, then chooses her partner, and the
two go round the line singing.
(_d_) A version which I collected in Barnes is not so perfect as those
given here, only the four first lines being sung. A Kentish version sent
me by Miss Broadwood is almost identical with the Deptford game. Miss
Broadwood’s version commences—
Rosy apple, miller, miller, pear.
An Ipswich version is almost identical with that of Hersham, Surrey
(Lady C. Gurdon’s _Suffolk County Folk-lore_, p. 64), except that it
begins “Golden apple” and ends with the marriage formula—
Now you’re married, I wish you joy,
Father and mother you must obey;
Love one another like sister and brother,
And now’s the time to kiss away.
(_e_) This game is probably derived from the mode of dressing the bride
in the marriage ceremony, and is not very ancient. The line “Lead her to
the altar” probably indicates the earliest version, corrupted later into
“Lead her across the water,” and this would prove a comparatively modern
origin. If, however, the “altar” version is a corruption of the “water”
version, the game may go back to the pre-Christian marriage ceremony,
but of this there is little evidence.
Roundabout, or Cheshire Round
This is danced by two only, one of each sex; after leading off into the
middle of an imaginary circle, and dancing a short time opposite to each
other, the one strives by celerity of steps in the circumference of the
circle to overtake and chase the other round it; the other in the
meantime endeavouring to maintain an opposite situation by equal
celerity in receding.—Roberts’ _Cambrian Popular Antiquities_, p. 46.
Halliwell gives Round, a kind of dance. “The round dance, or the dancing
of the rounds.”—_Nomenclator_, 1585, p. 299. There was a sort of song or
ballad also so called.—_Dict. Provincialisms._
Round and Round the Village
[Music]
—Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).
[Music]
—Hanbury, Staff. (Edith Hollis).
I. Round and round the village,
Round and round the village;
Round and round the village,
As we have done before.
In and out the windows,
In and out the windows;
In and out the windows,
As we have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover;
Stand and face your lover,
As we have done before.
Follow her to London,
Follow her to London;
Follow her to London,
As we have done before.
Kiss her before you leave her,
Kiss her before you leave her;
Kiss her before you leave her,
As we have done before.
—Barnes, Surrey (taken down from children of village school—A. B.
Gomme).
II. Round and round the village,
Round and round the village;
Round and round the village,
As you have done before.
In and out the window,
In and out the window;
In and out the window,
As you have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover;
Stand and face your lover,
As you have done before.
—Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).
III. Round and round the village,
In and out of the window;
Stand and face your lover,
As you have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover;
Oh, stand and face your lover,
As you have done before.
Follow me to London,
Follow me to London;
Oh, follow me to London,
As you have done before.
—Wakefield, Yorks. (Miss Fowler).
IV. Round and round the village,
In and out of the window;
Stand and face your lover,
As you have done before;
Oh, stand and face your lover,
As you have done before, O.
Follow me to London,
Follow me to London;
Follow me to London,
As you have done before.
—Winterton and Bottesford, Lincolnshire (Miss M. Peacock).
V. Round and round the village,
Round and round the village;
Round and round the village,
As you have done before.
In and out the windows,
In and out the windows;
In and out the windows,
As you have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover;
Stand and face your lover,
As you have done before.
Shake hands with your lover,
Shake hands with your lover;
Shake hands with your lover,
As you have done before.
—From girls of Clapham High School (Miss F. D. Richardson).
VI. Out and in the villages,
Out and in the villages;
Out and in the villages,
As you have done before.
Out and in the windows,
Out and in the windows;
Out and in the windows,
As you have done before.
Stand before your lover,
Stand before your lover;
Stand before your lover,
As you have done before.
—Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).
VII. Go round and round the village,
Go round and round the village,
As we have done before.
Go in and out the window,
Go in and out the window,
As we have done before.
Come in and face your lover,
Come in and face your lover,
As we have done before.
I measure my love to show you,
I measure my love to show you,
As we have done before.
I kneel because I love you,
I kneel because I love you,
As we have done before.
Follow me to London,
Follow me to London,
As we have done before.
Back again to Westerham,
Back again to Westerham,
As we have done before.
—Crockham Hill, Kent (Miss Chase).
VIII. Walking round the village,
Walking round the village;
Walking round the village,
As we have done before.
In and out the windows,
In and out the windows;
In and out the windows,
As you have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover;
Stand and face your lover,
As you have done before.
Now they go off courting,
Now they go off courting;
Now they go off courting,
As they have done before.
Chase her back to Scotland,
Chase her back to Scotland;
Chase her back to Scotland,
As you have done before.
—Penzance, Cornwall (Mrs. Mabbott).
IX. Round about the village,
Round about the village;
Round about the village,
As you have done before.
In and out of the windows,
In and out of the windows;
In and out of the windows,
As you have done before.
I stand before my lover,
I stand before my lover;
I stand before my lover,
As I have done before.
Follow me to London,
Follow me to London;
Follow me to London,
As you have done before.
Dance away to Fairyland,
Dance away to Fairyland;
Dance away to Fairyland,
As we have done before.
—Stevenage, Herts. (Mrs. Lloyd, taught to a friend’s children by a nurse
from Stevenage).
X. All round the village,
All round the village;
All round the village,
As we have done before.
In and out of the window,
In and out of the window;
In and out of the window,
As we have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover;
Stand and face your lover,
As we have done before.
Kiss her if you love her,
Kiss her if you love her;
Kiss her if you love her,
As we have done before.
Take her off to London,
Take her off to London;
Take her off to London,
As we have done before.
—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).
XI. All round the village,
All round the village;
All round the village,
As you have done before.
In and out the windows,
In and out the windows;
In and out the windows,
As you have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover;
Stand and face your lover,
As you have done before.
Follow her to London,
Follow her to London;
Follow her to London,
As you have done before.
—Tean, North Staffs, (from a Monitor in the School).
XII. Round and round the village, &c.,
As you have done before.
In and out the windows, as you have done before.
Stand and face your lover, &c.
Follow me to London, &c.
—Roxton, St. Neots (Miss E. Lumley).
XIII. Out and in the windows,
Out and in the windows;
Out and in the windows,
As you have done before.
Stand before your lover,
Stand before your lover;
Stand before your lover,
As you have done before.
Follow her to London,
Follow her to London;
Follow her to London,
Before the break of day.
—Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).
XIV. In and out of the window,
In and out of the window;
In and out of the window,
As you have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover;
Stand and face your lover,
As you have done before.
Give me a kiss, my darling,
Give me a kiss, my darling;
Give me a kiss, my darling,
As you have done before.
Follow me to London,
Follow me to London;
Follow me to London,
As you have done before.
—Hanbury, Staffordshire (Miss E. Hollis).
XV. Marching round the ladies,
Marching round the ladies, as you have done before.
In and out the windows,
In and out the windows, as you have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover, as you have done before.
Follow me to London,
Follow me to London, as you have done before.
Bring me back to Belfast,
Bring me back to Belfast, as you have done before.
—Belfast, Ireland (W. R. Patterson).
XVI. Come gather again on the old village green,
Come young and come old, who once children have been.
Such frolics and games as ne’er before were seen,
We join in riots and play [? riotous].
Take her off to London,
Take her off to London,
Take her off to London.
In and out the windows,
In and out the windows;
In and out the windows,
As you have gone before.
Round about the village,
Round about the village;
Round about the village,
As you have gone before.
Soon we will get married,
Soon we will get married;
Soon we will get married,
And never more depart.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
XVII. Three jolly sailor boys
Lately come ashore,
Spend their time in drinking lager wine,
As they have done before.
We go round, and round, and round,
As we have done before;
And this is a girl, and a very pretty girl,
A kiss for kneeling there.
Go in and out the window,
Go in and out the window;
Go in and out the window,
As we have done before.
Follow me to London,
Follow me to London;
Follow me to London,
As we have done before.
Go back and face your lover,
Go back and face your lover;
Go back and face your lover,
As we have done before.
—Brigg (from a Lincolnshire friend of Miss J. Barker).
XVIII. Up and down the valley,
Up and down the valley;
Up and down the valley,
As I have done before.
In and out the window,
In and out the window;
In and out the window,
As I have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover;
Stand and face your lover,
As I have done before.
Follow me to London,
Follow me to London;
Follow me to London,
As I have done before.
—Settle, Yorks. (Rev. W. S. Sykes).
XIX. In and out the willows,
In and out the willows;
In and out the willows,
As you have done before.
Stand and face your lover,
Stand and face your lover;
Stand and face your lover,
As you have done before.
Follow me to London,
Follow me to London;
Follow me to London,
As you have done before.
—West Grinstead, Sussex (_Notes and Queries_, 8th Series, i. 249, Miss
Busk).
[Illustration: Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5]
(_c_) The children join hands and form a ring with one child standing
outside. The ring stands perfectly still throughout this game and sings
the verses, the action being confined to at first one child, and then to
two together. During the singing of the first verse the outside child
dances round the ring on the outside. When the ring commences to sing
the second verse the children hold up their arms to form arches, and the
child who has been running round outside runs into the ring under one
pair of joined hands, and out again under the next pair of arms,
continuing this “in and out” movement until the third verse is
commenced. The child should try and run in and out under all the joined
hands. At the third verse the child stops in the ring and stands facing
one, whom she chooses for her lover, until the end of the verse; the
chosen child then leaves the ring, followed by the first child, and they
walk round the ring, or they walk away a little distance, returning at
the commencement of next verse. In the first three versions the second
child is chased back and caught by the first child. In the Clapham
version the two shake hands in the last verse. The Barnes version has
kissing for its finale. The Hanbury also has kissing, but it precedes
the following to London. In the Brigg, Lincolnshire (Miss Barker), a
child stands in the middle and points with her finger to each one she
passes; finally selects one, who leaves the ring and kneels in front of
the girl in the middle. At the end of the second verse the kneeling
child gets up and the first child goes in and out under the arms of the
players, followed by the other. At the fourth they reverse and go back
under the arms in the opposite direction, finally stopping in the middle
of the ring, when another child is chosen and the first one in goes out.
In the Winterton and Bottesford versions (Miss Peacock), at the words
“Stand and face your lover,” the child who has been going “in and out”
stands before the one she chooses, beckons to her, and sings the next
verse. Then the chosen one chases her until she can catch her. In the
Crockham Hill version (Miss Chase) the love is measured out with a
handkerchief three times, and after kneeling in the road, the chosen
partner follows round the ring and reverses for the return.
(_d_) The analysis of the game-rhymes is on pp. 134-39. This shows that
we are dealing with a game which represents a village, and also the
houses in it. The village only disappears in six out of the twenty
versions. In three of these (Hanbury, Fraserburgh, and West Grinstead)
the line has gone altogether. In the fourth (Lincolnshire) it becomes
“Round and round and round,” no mention being made of the village. In
the fifth (Belfast) the line has become “Marching round the ladies.” In
the sixth (Settle) it has become “Up and down the valley,” which also
occurs in another imperfect version, of which a note was sent me by Miss
Matthews from the Forest of Dean, where the line has become “Round and
round the valley.” The substitution of “ladies” for “village” is very
significant as evidence that the game, like all its compeers, is in a
declining stage, and is, therefore, not the invention of modern times.
The idea of a circle of children representing a village would
necessarily be the first to die out if the game was no longer supported
by the influence of any custom it might represent. The line of decadence
becomes in this way an important argument for the discovery of the
original form.
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Cornwall, Penzance. | Kent, Crockham Hill. | Herts, Stevenage. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — | — |
| 2.|Walking round the |Go round and round the|Round about the |
| |village. |village. |village. |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.|As we have done |As we have done |As you have done |
| |before. |before. |before. |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.|In and out the |Go in and out the |In and out of the |
| |windows. |windows. |windows. |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.|As you have done |As we have done |As you have done |
| |before. |before. |before. |
|13.|Stand and face your | — |Stand before my lover.|
| |lover. | | |
|14.| — |Come in and face your | — |
| | |lover. | |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.|As you have done |As we have done |As I have done before.|
| |before. |before. | |
|17.|Now they go off | — | — |
| |courting. | | |
|18.| — |I measure my love to | — |
| | |show you. | |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — | — | — |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.|As they have done |As we have done | — |
| |before. |before. | |
|24.| — |I kneel because I love| — |
| | |you. | |
|25.| — |As we have done | — |
| | |before. | |
|26.|Chase her back to | — | — |
| |Scotland. | | |
|27.| — |Follow me to London. |Follow me to London. |
|28.| — | — | — |
|29.|As you have done |As we have done |As you have done |
| |before. |before. |before. |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — |Back again to | — |
| | |Westerham. | |
|32.| — | — |Dance away to |
| | | |fairyland. |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — |As we have done |As we have done |
| | |before. |before. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Yorks, Earls Heaton. | N. Staffordshire, | Surrey, Clapham. |
| | | Tean. | |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — | — |
| 2.|All round the village.|All round the village.|Round and round the |
| | | |village. |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.|As we have done |As you have done |As you have done |
| |before. |before. |before. |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.|In and out of the |In and out the window.|In and out the window.|
| |window. | | |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.|As we have done |As you have done |As you have done |
| |before. |before. |before. |
|13.|Stand and face your |Stand and face your |Stand and face your |
| |lover. |lover. |lover. |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.|As we have done |As you have done |As you have done |
| |before. |before. |before. |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.|Kiss her if you love | — | — |
| |her. | | |
|20.| — | — |Shake hands with your |
| | | |lover. |
|21.| — | — | — |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.|As we have done | — |As you have done |
| |before. | |before. |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — |Follow her to London. | — |
|28.|Take her off to | — | — |
| |London. | | |
|29.|As we have done |As you have done | — |
| |before. |before. | |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Lincolnshire. | Surrey, Barnes. | Norfolk, Sporle. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Three jolly sailor | — |Come gather again on |
| |boys. | |the old village green.|
| 2.| — |Round and round the |Round about the |
| | |village. |village. |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.|We go round and round | — | — |
| |and round. | | |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.|As we have done |As we have done |As you have done |
| |before. |before. |before. |
| 8.|And this a girl and a | — | — |
| |very pretty girl. | | |
| 9.|A kiss for kneeling | — | — |
| |here. | | |
|10.|Go in and out the |In and out the |In and out the |
| |window. |windows. |windows. |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.|As we have done |As we have done |As you have done |
| |before. |before. |before. |
|13.| — |Stand and face your | — |
| | |lover. | |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.|Go back and face your | — | — |
| |lover. | | |
|16.|As we have done |As we have done | — |
| |before. |before. | |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — |Kiss her before you | — |
| | |leave her. | |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — | — |Soon we will get |
| | | |married. |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.| — |As we have done | — |
| | |before. | |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.|Follow me to London. |Follow her to London. | — |
|28.| — | — |Take her off to |
| | | |London. |
|29.|As we have done |As we have done | — |
| |before. |before. | |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Staffordshire, | Belfast. | Wakefield. |
| | Hanbury. | | |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — | — |
| 2.| — | — |Round and round the |
| | | |village. |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.| — |Marching round the | — |
| | |ladies. | |
| 7.| — |As you have done | — |
| | |before. | |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.|In and out of the |In and out the |In and out of the |
| |windows. |windows. |window. |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.|As you have done |As you have done | — |
| |before. |before. | |
|13.|Stand and face your |Stand and face your |Stand and face your |
| |lover. |lover. |lover. |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.|As you have done |As you have done |As you have done |
| |before. |before. |before. |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — | — | — |
|22.|Give me a kiss, my | — | — |
| |darling. | | |
|23.|As you have done | — | — |
| |before. | | |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.|Follow me to London. |Follow me to London. |Follow me to London. |
|28.| — | — | — |
|29.|As you have done |As you have done |As you have done |
| |before. |before. |before. |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — |Bring me back to | — |
| | |Belfast. | |
|34.| — |As you have done | — |
| | |before. | |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Lincolnshire, | Deptford. | Cullen. |
| | Winterton. | | |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — | — |
| 2.|Round and round the |Round and round the | — |
| |village. |village. | |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — |Out and in the |
| | | |villages. |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — |As you have done |As you have done |
| | |before. |before. |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.|In and out of the |In and out the |Out and in the |
| |window. |windows. |windows. |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — |As you have done |As you have done |
| | |before. |before. |
|13.|Stand and face your |Stand and face your |Stand before your |
| |lover. |lover. |lover. |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.|As you have done |As you have done | — |
| |before. |before. | |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — | — | — |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.|Follow me to London. | — | — |
|28.| — | — | — |
|29.|As you have done | — | — |
| |before. | | |
|30.| — | — | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Roxton. | Fraserburgh. | Settle. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — | — |
| 2.|Round and round the | — | — |
| |village. | | |
| 3.| — | — |Up and down the |
| | | |valley. |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.|As you have done | — |As I have done before.|
| |before. | | |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.|In and out the |Out and in the |In and out the window.|
| |windows. |windows. | |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.|As you have done |As you have done |As I have done before.|
| |before. |before. | |
|13.|Stand and face your |Stand before your |Stand and face your |
| |lover. |lover. |lover. |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — |As you have done |As I have done |
| | |before. |before. |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — | — | — |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.|Follow me to London. |Follow her to London. |Follow me to London. |
|28.| — | — | — |
|29.| — | — |As I have done before.|
|30.| — |Before the break of | — |
| | |day. | — |
|31.| — | — | — |
|32.| — | — | — |
|33.| — | — | — |
|34.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+
|No.| West Grinstead. |
+---+----------------------+
| 1.| — |
| 2.| — |
| 3.| — |
| 4.| — |
| 5.| — |
| 6.| — |
| 7.| — |
| 8.| — |
| 9.| — |
|10.|In and out the |
| |windows. |
|11.| — |
|12.|As you have done |
| |before. |
|13.|Stand and face your |
| |lover. |
|14.| — |
|15.| — |
|16.|As you have done |
| |before. |
|17.| — |
|18.| — |
|19.| — |
|20.| — |
|21.| — |
|22.| — |
|23.| — |
|24.| — |
|25.| — |
|26.| — |
|27.|Follow me to London. |
|28.| — |
|29.|As you have done |
| |before. |
|30.| — |
|31.| — |
|32.| — |
|33.| — |
|34.| — |
+---+----------------------+
The next incident, No. 10 of the analysis, goes through all the games
except one (West Grinstead), where the very obvious corruption of
“willows” for “windows” occurs. This incident takes us to the houses of
the village; and thus the two lines show us a procession, first, going
round outside the boundary of the village, and, secondly, proceeding in
serpentine fashion through the houses. Incident 13 has a few variations
which do not point to anything more than verbal alteration, due to the
changes which have occurred in the conception of the game. Incidents 17
to 22 are not constant to all the versions, and their variations are of
an unimportant character. Incident 27 is an important element in the
game. The prevalence of London as the place of assignation is probably
due to the influence of that city in the popular mind; but the real
significance seems to be that the lover-husband follows his bride to her
own village. In only two versions is this incident varied (No. 28) to
indicate that the husband took his wife with him, and only three
versions have dropped out the incident altogether.
Abnormal incidents occur in only seven versions, and they are not of
great significance. The Lincolnshire and Sporle versions have a line of
general introduction (No. 1) before the game proper begins. Incidents 8
and 9 occur only in the Lincolnshire version, and do not disturb the
general movement beyond indicating that the game has become, or is
becoming, an indoor game. Incident 21 is obviously a modern line. Nos.
26 and 31 suggest a chase after a fugitive pair which, as they do not
occur in other versions, must be considered as later introductions,
belonging, however, to the period when runaway marriages were more
frequent than they are now, and thus taking us back to, at least, the
beginning of this century; while the significant and pretty variant No.
32 shows that the game has lost touch with the actual life of the
people. No. 30 in the Fraserburgh version has a suspicious likeness to a
line in the American song “I’m off to Charlestown,” but as it occurs
only in this one version it cannot count as an important element in the
history of the game.
(_e_) Miss Matthews notes a Forest of Dean version. The children form a
ring, singing, “Round and round the valley, where we have been before,”
while one child walks round the outside. Then they stand with uplifted
hands, joined together, and sing, “In and out of the windows, as we have
done before,” while the child threads her way in and out of the ring.
Then they sing, “Stand and face your lover, as we have done before;” the
child then stands in the centre of the ring and faces some one, whom she
afterwards touches, and who succeeds her. A version from North
Derbyshire (Mr. S. O. Addy) is practically the same as the Tean, North
Staffs. version, except that the third verse is “Run to meet your
lover,” instead of “Stand and face your lover.” The first child, during
the singing of the third verse, walks round outside the ring, and
touches one she chooses, who then runs away. While the fourth verse is
being sung she is chased and caught, and the game begins again with the
second child walking round the village. So far as Lancashire is
concerned, Miss Dendy says, “I have no good evidence as yet that it is a
Lancashire play. I think it has been imported here by board-school
mistresses from other counties.”
(_f_) The burden of this game-rhyme is undoubtedly the oldest part that
has been preserved to modern times. It runs through all the versions
without exception, though variations in the other lines is shown by the
analysis to occur. The words of the line, “As we have done before,”
convey the idea of a recurring event, and inasmuch as that event is
undoubtedly marriage, it seems possible to suggest that we have here a
survival of the periodical village festival at which marriages took
place. If the incidents in the game compare closely with incidents in
village custom, the necessary proof will be supplied, and we will first
examine how far the words of the rhyme and the action of the game supply
us with incidents; and, secondly, how far these incidents have been kept
up in the village custom.
There is nothing in the words to suggest that the incidents which the
game depicts belong to a fixed time, but it is an important fact that
they are alluded to as having previously taken place. If, then, we have
eventually to compare the game with a fixed periodical custom, we can
at least say that the rhymes, though not suggesting this, do not oppose
it.
This game belongs to the group of “custom games.” The first
characteristic which suggests this is that the children, who join hands
and form a circle, are always stationary, and do not move about as in
dance games. To the minds of the children who play the game, each child
in the circle represents something other than human beings, and this
“something” is indicated in the first and second verses, which speak of
the “windows,” of houses, and a journey round “a village.” In this game,
too, the children, who thus represent a village, also act as “chorus,”
for they describe in the words they sing the various actions of those
who are performing their parts, as in the game of “Old Roger.”
With this evidence from the game itself, without reference to anything
outside, it is possible to turn to custom to ascertain if there is
anything still extant which might explain the origin of the game.
Children copy the manners and customs of their elders. If they saw a
custom periodically and often practised with some degree of ceremonial
and importance, they would in their own way act in play what their
elders do seriously.
Such a custom is the perambulation of boundaries, often associated with
festive dances, courtship, and marriage. More particularly indicative of
the origin of the game is the Helston Furry Dance—“About the middle of
the day the people collect together to dance hand-in-hand round the
streets, to the sound of the fiddler playing a particular tune, which
they continue to do till it is dark. This is called a ‘Faddy.’ In the
afternoon the gentility go to some farmhouse in the neighbourhood to
drink tea, syllabab, &c, and return in a morrice-dance to the town,
where they form a Faddy and dance through the streets till it is dark,
claiming a right of going through any person’s house, in at one door and
out at the other.”—_Gent. Mag. Lib. Manners and Customs_, p. 217. “In
one, if not more, of the villages,” says Mr. Gregor (_Folk-lore N.E.
Scotland_, p. 98), “when the marriage takes place in the home of the
bride the whole of the marriage party makes the circuit of the
village.” In South-Eastern Russia, on the eve of marriage the bride
goes the round of the village, throwing herself on her knees before the
head of each house. In an Indian custom the bride and bridegroom are
conveyed in a particular “car” around the village.—Gomme, _Folk-lore
Relics_, pp. 214, 215. According to Valle, a sixteenth century
traveller, “At night the married couples passed by, and, according to
their mode, went round about the city with a numerous company.”—Valle’s
_Travels in India_ (Hakluyt Soc.), p. 31.[6]
In these marriage customs there is ample evidence to suggest that the
Indo-European marriage-rite contained just such features as are
represented in this game, and the changes from rite to popular custom,
from popular custom to children’s game, do much to suggest consideration
of the evidence that folk-lore supplies.
This game is not mentioned by Halliwell or Chambers, nor, so far as I am
aware, has it been previously printed or recorded in collections of
English games. It appears in America as “Go round and round the Valley”
(Newell, _Games_, p. 128).
See “Thread the Needle.”
[6] Among the Ovahererí tribe, at the end of the festive time, the
newly-married pair take a walk to visit all the houses of the
“Werst.” The husband goes first and the wife closely follows
him.—_South African Folk-lore Journal_, i. 50.
Round and Round went the Gallant Ship
I. Round and round went the gallant, gallant ship,
And round and round went she;
Round and round went the gallant, gallant ship,
Till she sank to the bottom of the sea, the sea, the sea,
Till she sank to the bottom of the sea.
All go down as the ship sinks.
—Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).
II. Three times round goes our gallant ship,
And three times round went she;
Three times round went our gallant ship,
Then she sank to the bottom of the sea.
As the players all “bob” down they cry out “the sea, the sea, the sea.”
—Aberdeen Training College (Rev. W. Gregor).
Round Tag
A large ring is formed, two deep, with wide right and left hand
intervals between each couple, and one child stands in the ring and
another outside. When the play begins the child in the middle runs and
places herself in front of one of the groups of two, thus forming a
group of three. Thereupon the third child, that is, the one standing on
the outer ring, has to run and try to get a place in front of another
two before the one outside the ring can catch her. Then she who is at
the back of this newly-formed three must be on the alert not to be
caught, and must try in her turn to gain a front place. The one catching
has all along to keep outside the ring, but those trying to escape her
may run in and out and anywhere; whoever is caught has to take the
catcher’s place.—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
[Illustration]
This game, called “Short Terrace” at East Kirkby, is played in the same
way as that described from Sporle, with the exception that three players
stand together instead of one in the centre to start the game. The
player who stands immediately outside the circle is called the
“clapper;” it is his object to _hit_ the player who stands behind two
others.—East Kirkby, Lincolnshire (Miss K. Maughan).
“Twos and Threes” is the name by which this game is known in Hampshire,
Monton in Lancashire (Miss Dendy), and other places. It is played in
precisely the same manner as at Sporle.
Halliwell’s _Dictionary_ says of this game as played in Devon, “A round
game, in which they all stand in a ring.”
See “Tag.”
Rounders
This is a boys’ game. A round area is marked out by boundary sticks, and
at a chosen point of the boundary the base is fixed. This is marked out
independently of the boundary, but inside it. Sides are then chosen. One
side are the “ins,” and strike the ball; the other side are the “outs,”
and deliver the ball, scout, and endeavour to get their opponents, the
“ins,” out as soon as possible. The ball (an indiarubber one) is
delivered by the “feeder,” by pitching it to a player, who stands inside
the base armed with a short stick. The player endeavours to strike the
ball as far away as possible from the fielders or scouts. As soon as the
ball is struck away he runs from the base to the first boundary stick,
then to the second, and so on. His opponents in the meantime secure the
ball and endeavour to hit him with it as he is running from stage to
stage. If he succeeds in running completely round the boundary before
the ball is returned it counts as one rounder. If he is hit he is out of
the game. He can stay at any stage in the boundary as soon as the ball
is in hand, getting home again when the next player of his own side has
in turn hit the ball away. When a ball is returned the feeder can bounce
it within the base, and the player cannot then run to any new stage of
the boundary until after the ball has again been hit away by another
player. If a player misses a ball when endeavouring to strike at it he
has two more chances, but at the third failure he is bound to run to the
first boundary stick and take his chance of being hit with the ball. If
a ball is caught the whole side is out at once; otherwise, the side
keeps in until either all the players have been hit out with the ball or
until the base is crowned. This can be done by bouncing the ball in the
base whenever there is no player there to receive the delivery from the
feeder. When a complete rounder is obtained, the player has the
privilege either of counting the rounder to the credit of his side, or
of ransoming one of the players who have been hit out, who then takes
his part in the game as before. When all but one of the players are
“out,” this last player in hitting the ball must hit it away so as to be
able to make a rounder, and return to the base before his opponents get
back the ball to crown the base.
An elaborate form of this game has become the national game of the
United States.
Rounds
See “Roundabout.”
Row-chow-Tobacco
See “Bulliheisle,” “Eller Tree,” “Snail Creep,” “Wind up the Bush
Faggot.”
Rowland-Ho
A Christmas game.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Rumps
A game with marbles [undescribed].—Dickinson’s _Cumberland Glossary_.
Rusty
A boys’ game, exactly the same as “Ships.”—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
Sacks
A number of children place their closed fists on top of one another in a
pile. The leader asks, pointing to the topmost fist, “What’s in that
sack?” Answer, Potatoes, or anything the child chooses. The leader tips
it off with her finger, saying, “Knock it away,” and so to the very
undermost fist, when she asks, “What’s in this sack?” The answer must
be, “Bread and cheese;” and then the following dialogue takes place:—
Where’s my share?
The mouse eat it.
Where’s the mouse?
The cat killed it.
Where’s the cat?
The dog worried it.
Where’s the dog?
The cow tossed it.
Where’s the cow?
The butcher killed it.
Where’s the butcher?
Behind the door.
And who ever speaks the first word shall get a sound round box on the
ear.—Co. Cork (Mrs. B. B. Green).
Saddle the Nag
An equal number of players is chosen on each side. Two chiefs are chosen
by lot. One of the chiefs takes his stand by a wall, and all his party
bend their backs, joined in a line. One of the opposite side leaps on
the back of the one farthest from the one standing at the wall, and
tries to make his way over the backs of all the stooping boys, up to the
one standing. Those stooping move and wriggle to cast him off, and if
they succeed in doing so, he stands aside till all his side have tried.
When all have tried and none succeed in crowning the one standing, the
sides change. If one or more succeed, then each such has a second chance
before the sides change. Each side commonly has six chances. The side
that succeeds in oftenest touching the chief’s head wins the game.—Dyke
(Rev. W. Gregor).
See “Skin the Goatie.”
Saggy
A game with marbles [undescribed].—Dickinson’s _Cumberland Glossary_.
Sailor Lad
A sailor lad and a tailor lad,
And they were baith for me;
I wid raither tack the sailor lad,
And lat the tailor be.
What can a tailor laddie dee
Bit sit and sew a cloot,
When the bonnie sailor laddie
Can turn the ship aboot.
He can turn her east, and he can turn her west,
He can turn her far awa’;
He aye tells me t’ keep up my hairt
For the time that he’s awa’.
I saw ’im lower his anchor,
I saw ’im as he sailed;
I saw ’im cast his jacket
To try and catch a whale.
He skips upon the planestanes,
He sails upon the sea;
A fancy man wi’ a curly pow
Is aye the boy for me,
Is aye the boy for me;
A fancy man wi’ a curly pow
Is aye the boy for me.
He daurna brack a biscuit,
He daurna smoke a pipe;
He daurna kiss a bonnie lass
At ten o’clock at night.
I can wash a sailor’s shirt,
And I can wash it clean;
I can wash a sailor’s shirt,
And bleach it on the green.
Come a-rinkle-tinkle, fal-a-la, fal-a-la,
Aboun a man-o’-war.
—Rosehearty (Rev. W. Gregor).
A circle is formed by joining hands. They dance round and sing.
Sometimes at Rosehearty two play the game by the one taking hold of the
other’s left hand with her right.
Sally go Round the Moon
Sally go round the moon,
Sally go round the stars;
Sally go round the moon
On a Sunday afternoon.
—Deptford, Kent (Miss E. Chase).
Three or more girls take hold of hands, forming a ring; as they spin
round they sing the lines. They then reverse and run round in the other
direction with an _O!_ or repeat over again.
This game is mentioned in the _Church Reformer_, by the Rev. S. D.
Headlam, as one being played at Hoxton, but no account of how the game
is played is given.
Sally Water
[Music]
—Yorkshire (Mr. H. Hardy).
[Music]
—Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
[Music]
—Enborne (Miss Kimber).
[Music]
—Welford (Mrs. Stephen Batson).
[Music]
—Liverpool (Mr. C. C. Bell).
[Music]
—Beddgelert, Wales (Mrs. Williams).
[Music]
—Nottingham (Miss Youngman).
I. Sally, Sally Water,
Sprinkle in the pan;
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally,
And choose a young man.
Choose [or bow] to the east,
Choose [or bow] to the west,
And choose [or bow to] the pretty girl [or young man]
That you love best.
[Another version has:
Choose for the best one,
Choose for the worst one,
Choose for the pretty girl
That you love best.]
And now you’re married I wish you joy;
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years after son and daughter;
And now, young people, jump over the water.
—Symondsbury, Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 207).
II. Sally, Sally Walker, sprinkle water in the pan;
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, and seek your young man;
Turn to the east and turn to the west,
And choose the one that you love best.
Now you’re married we wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after a son and a daughter,
So young lovers kiss together.
—Chudleigh Knighton, Devon (Henderson’s _Folk-lore of the Northern
Counties_, p. 27).
III. Sally, Sally Water,
Sprinkle in the pan;
Hi! Sally; Ho! Sally,
Choose a young man;
Choose for the best,
Choose for the worst,
Choose for the very one you love best.
Now you’re married we wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after sister and brother;
Kiss each other and come out of the water.
—Somersetshire, _Notes and Queries_, 8th series, i. 249 (Miss R. H.
Busk).
IV. Sally Waters, Sally Waters, come sprinkle in the pan;
Rise, Sally; rise, Sally, for a young man!
Choose for the best, choose for the worst,
Choose for the very one you love the best.
Now you are married, we wish you joy;
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years afterwards son and daughter;
Pray, young couple, kiss together.
—London version (Miss Dendy).
V. Sally, Sally Walker,
Sprinkling in a pan;
Rise, Sally; rise, Sally,
For a young man.
Come, choose from the east,
Come, choose from the west,
Come, choose out the very one
That you love best.
Now there’s a couple
Married in joy;
First a girl,
And then a boy.
Now you’re married;
You must obey
Every word
Your husband says.
Take a kiss
And walk away,
And remember the promise
You’ve made to-day.
—Fochabers (Rev. W. M’Gregor).
VI. Sally, Sally Waters,
Sprinkled in the pan;
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally,
For a young man,
Choose the best and choose the worst,
And choose the prettiest you love best.
—Welford, Berks (Mrs. Stephen Batson).
VII. Sally, Sally Wallflower,
Sprinkled in the pan, &c.,
Now you’re married, &c.,
On the carpet you shall kneel, &c.
—_Notes and Queries_, 5th series, iii.
VIII. Sallie, Sallie Waters,
Sprinkled in a pan;
Rise, Sallie, rise, Sallie,
Choose a young man.
Choose the best, and
Choose the worst, and
Choose the one that you love best.
Now that you are married,
I’m sure we wish you joy,
First a girl, then a boy;
Seven years after,
Son and daughter,
Pray, young couple, come kiss together.
—Enborne, Berks; Marlborough, Wilts; Lewes, Sussex (Miss Kimber).
IX. Sally, Sally Waters,
Sprinkle in a pan;
Cry, Sally, cry, Sally,
For a young man.
Come choose the worst,
Come choose the best,
Come choose the young man
That you like the best.
And now you’re married
I wish yer good joy,
Every year a girl and a boy.
Come love one another
Like sister and brother,
And kiss together for joy.
Clash the bells,
Clash the bells.
—Maxey, Northants; and Suffolk (Rev. W. D. Sweeting).
X. Sally, Sally Water, sprinkle in the pan;
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, for a young man.
Pick and choose, but choose not me,
Choose the fairest you can see.
Now Sally is married, we wish her much joy,
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years after a son and a daughter,
Please to come and kiss together.
—Summertown, Oxford (A. H. Franklin in _Midland Garner_, N. S. ii. 32).
XI. Sally, Sally Waters, sprinkle in the pan;
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, for a young man.
Choose for the worst, choose for the best,[7]
Choose for the prettiest that you loves best.
Now you are married, &c.
—Longcot, Berkshire, (Miss J. Barclay).
XII. Sally, Sally Waters,
Sprinkle in a pan;
Cry, Sally, cry, Sally,
For a young man.
Rise up, Sally,
Dry your tears;
Choose the one you love the best,
Sally, my dear.
—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).
XIII. Sally, Sally Water, sprinkle in the pan,
Is not —— a nice young man? and
Is not (girl’s name) as good as he?
They shall be married if they can agree.
I went to her house and I dropped a pin,
I asked if Mrs. —— was in.
She is not within, she is not without,
She is up in the garret walking about.
Down she comes as white as milk,
With a rose in her bosom as soft as silk.
She off with her glove and showed me her ring,
To-morrow, to-morrow the wedding begins.
—Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 88).
XIV. Sally, Sally Walker, come sprinkle your pan,
For down in the meadows there’s a nice young man;
Rise up, Sally, don’t look sad,
For you shall have a husband, good or bad.
On the carpet you shall kneel
Till the grass grows round your feet;
Stand up straightly on your feet,
And choose the one you love so sweet.
Now Sally’s married, we wish her joy,
First a girl, then a boy;
If it’s a boy, we’ll buy him a cap,
If it’s a girl, we will buy her a hat.
If one won’t do, will buy you two,
If two won’t do, will buy you three,
If three won’t do, will get you four,
If four won’t do, will get no more,
So kiss and shake hands, and come out.
—Tong, Shropshire (Miss C. F. Keary).
XV. Sally, Sally Water, come sprinkle your pan (_or_ plants),
For down in the meadows there lies a young man.
Rise, Sally, rise, and don’t you look sad,
For you shall have a husband, good or bad.
Choose you one, choose you two,
Choose the fairest you can see!
The fairest one as I can see,
Is _Jenny Wood_, pray come to me!
Now you are married, I wish you good joy,
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years now, and seven to come,
Take her and kiss her, and send her off home.
—_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 509.
XVI. Sally, Sally Water (or Slauter),
Come sprinkle in your can,
Why do you get married
To a foolish young man?
Pick the worst, and pick the best,
And pick the one that you love best.
. . . . .
To a nice young man
. . . . .
So kiss and say good-bye.
[My informant forgets the rest.]
—Nottinghamshire (Miss M. Peacock).
XVII. Sally Water, Sally Water,
Come sprinkle your can,
Why don’t you rise, Sally,
And choose a young man?
Come choose of the wisest,
Come choose of the best,
Come choose of the young man
That lies in your breast.
—Gloucestershire and Warwickshire (Northall, 378).
XVIII. Sally Water, Sally Water,
Come, sprinkle your can;
Who do you lie mourning,
All for a young man?
Come, choose of the wisest,
Come, choose of the best,
Come, choose of the young men
The one you love best.
—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
XIX. Sally, Sally Salter,
Sprinkle in some water;
Knock it in a mortar,
And send it in a silver saucer
To —— —— door.
—Stixwould, Lincolnshire, seventy years ago (Miss M. Peacock).
XX. Sally Water, Sally Water,
Springin’ in a pan;
Cry, Sally, cry, Sally,
For a young man;
Choose for the worst ’un,
Choose for the best ’un,
Choose the little gell ’at you love the best.
Now you’re married
I wish you joy;
First a girl, and then a boy;
Seven years after
Son and daughter.
Pray, young couple, come kiss together.
—Wakefield, Yorkshire (Miss Fowler).
XXI. Sally, Sally Water,
Come, water your can,
Such a young lady before a young man;
Rise, Sally Water,
Don’t look so sad,
For you shall have a husband, good or bad.
Now you’re married we wish you joy;
Father and mother, you need not cry;
Kiss and kiss each other again;
Now we’re happy, let’s part again.
—Long Itchington, Warwickshire (_Northamptonshire Notes and Queries_,
ii. 105).
XXII. Sally, Sally Slarter,
Sitting by the water,
Crying out and weeping
For a young man.
Rise, Sally, rise,
Dry up your eyes;
Turn to the east,
Turn to the west,
Turn to the young man
That you love the best.
So now you’ve got married
I hope you’ll enjoy
Your sons and your daughters,
So kiss and good-bye.
—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
XXIII. Sally, Sally Walker, sprinkled in a pan;
What did she sprinkle for? for a young man;
Sprinkle, sprinkle, daughter, and you shall have a cow;
I cannot sprinkle, mother, because I don’t know how.
Sprinkle, sprinkle, daughter, and you shall have a man;
I cannot sprinkle, mother, but I’ll do the best I can.
Pick and choose, but don’t you pick me;
Pick the fairest you can see.
The fairest one that I can see is ——. Come to me.
Now you’re married I wish you much joy;
Your father and mother you must obey;
Seven long years a girl and a boy;
So hush, a bush, bush, get out of the way.
—Buckingham (Thos. Baker in _Midland Garner_, New Series, ii. 31).
XXIV. Little Sally Walker sitting in a sigh,
Weeping and waiting for a young man.
Come choose you east, come choose you west,
The very one that you love best.
—Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXV. Little Sally Walker sitting on the sand,
Crying and weeping for a young man.
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, wipe away your tears,
Try for the east, and try for the west,
Try for the (little) very one you love best.
Now they’re married I wish them joy,
Every year a girl and boy,
Loving each other like sister and brother,
I hope to see them meet again.
—Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXVI. Little Sally Sander
Sitting in the sander,
Weeping and crying for her young man.
Rise, Sally, rise
And wipe away your tears;
Choose to the east,
Choose to the west,
And choose to the very one that you love best.
Now you’re married we wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy;
Twelve months after son and daughter,
All join hands and kiss together.
—Penzance, Cornwall (Mrs. Mabbott).
XXVII. Sally, Sally Walker, tinkle in a can;
Rise up, Sally, and choose a young man.
Look to the east, and look to the west,
Choose the one that you love the best.
—Settle, Yorkshire (Rev. W. S. Sykes).
XXVIII. Sally Water, Sally Water,
Come sprinkle your fan;
Sally, Sally Waters, sprinkle in a pan;
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, for a young man.
Choose to the east, and choose to the west,
And choose the dearest one that you love best.
Now you’re married, we wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy;
Love one another like sister and brother,
And never lose time by kissing one another.
—West Haddon (_Northamptonshire Notes and Queries_, ii. 104).
XXIX. Little Sally Waters, sitting in the sun,
Crying and weeping for her young man.
Rise, Sally, rise, wipe up your tears,
Fly to the east, fly to the west,
Fly to the one that you love the best.
—Brigg, Lincolnshire (Miss Barker).
XXX. Hie Sally Walker, hie Sally Ken,
Hie Sally Walker, follow young men.
Choose to the east, and choose to the west,
Choose to the very one you love best.
Marriage comfort and marriage joy,
First a girl and then a boy.
Seven years after, seven years to come,
Fire on the mountain, kiss and run.
—Belfast, Ireland (W. H. Patterson).
XXXI. Little Alice Sander
Sat upon a cinder,
Weeping and crying for her young man.
Rise up, Alice, dry your tears,
Choose the one that you love best,
Alice my dear.
Now they have got married
I hope they will joy,
Seven years afterwards, seven years ago,
Now is the time to kiss and go.
—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).
XXXII. Rise, Sally Walker,
Rise if you can,
Rise, Sally Walker, and follow your good man;
Choose to the east, and choose to the west,
Choose to the one you love best.
There is a couple married in joy,
Past a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after, seven years to come,
Kiss you couple, kiss and be done.
A’ the many hours to us a happy life,
Except —— and he wants a wife.
A wife shall he have,
And a widower shall he be,
Except —— that sits on his knee,
A guid fauld hoose and a blacket fireside,
Draw up your gartens and show all your bride.
—(Rev. W. Gregor).
XXXIII. Arise, Sally Walker, arise, if you can,
Arise, Sally Walker, and follow your good man;
Come choose to the east, come choose to the west,
Come choose to the very one you love best.
This is a couple married with joy;
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after and seven years to come,
This young couple married and begun.
[The Christian name of a girl] made a pudding so nice and
sweet,
[Boy’s Christian name] took a knife and tasted it.
Taste love, taste love, don’t say No,
The next Sunday morning
To church we shall go.
Clean the brazen candlesticks,
And clean the fireside,
Draw back the curtains.
And lat’s see the bride.
A’ the men in oor toon leads a happy life,
Except [a boy’s full name], and he wants a wife.
A wife shall he hae, and a widow she shall be;
For look at [a girl’s full name] diddling on’s knee.
He paints her cheeks and he curls her hair,
And he kisses the lass at the foot o’ the stair.
—Tyrie (Rev. W. Gregor).
[The form of words at Cullen is the same for the first seven lines, and
then the words are:—]
XXXIV. This young couple be married and be done,
A’ the men in oor toon leads a happy life,
Except —— and he wants a wife.
A wife he shall have, and a widow she shall be,
Except [a girl’s name] that sits on his knee,
Painting her face and curling her hair,
Kissing [a girl’s name] at the foot o’ the stair.
—Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXXV. Rise, Sally Walker, rise if you can,
Rise, Sally Walker, follow your gudeman.
Come choose to the east, come choose to the west,
Come choose to the very one that you love best.
Now they’re married I wish them joy,
Every year a girl or boy,
Loving each other like sister and brother,
And so they may be kissed together.
Cheese and bread for gentlemen,
And corn and hay for horses,
A cup of tea for a’ good wives,
And bonnie lads and lassies.
When are we to meet again?
And when are we to marry?
Raffles up, and raffles down, and raffles a’ a dancin’,
The bonniest lassie that ever I saw,
Was [child in the centre] dancin’.
—Aberdeen Training College (Rev. W. Gregor.)
XXXVI. Sally, Sally Walker, sitting in the sun,
Weeping and wailing for a young man,
Rise, Sally, rise, and wipe away your tears,
Fly to the east, fly to the west,
And fly to the very one that you love best.
Uncle John is very sick,
He goes a courting night and day;
Sword and pistol by his side,
Little Sally is his bride.
He takes her by the lily white hand,
He leads her over the water;
Now they kiss and now they clap,
Mrs. Molly’s daughter.
—Nairn, Perth, Forfar (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXXVII. Sally, Sally Waters, why are you so sad?
You shall have a husband, either good or bad;
Then rise, Sally Waters, and sprinkle your pan,
For you’re just the young woman to get a nice man.
Now you’re married, we wish you joy,
Father and mother and little boy,
Love one another like sister and brother,
And now, good people, kiss each other.
—Halliwell, _Popular Rhymer_, p. 229.
XXXVIII.Rise, Sally Walker,
Rise if you can (Northumberland),
Sprinkle in the pan (Yorks. and Midlands),
Rise, Sally Walker,
For a young man.
Choose to the east,
Choose to the west,
Choose to the { very one (Northumberland),
{ pretty girl (Yorks., &c.)
You love best.
Now you’re married,
I wish you joy,
First a girl,
And then a boy.
Seven years after, }
Seven years over, }(Northumberland).
Now’s the time to }
Kiss and give over. }
Five years after }
A son and daughter, } (Yorks., &c.)
Pray, young couple, }
Kiss away. }
—Hexham (Miss J. Barker).
XXXIX. Sally Waters, Sally Waters, come rise if you can,
Come rise in the morning, all for a young man;
Come choose, come choose, come choose if you can,
Come choose a good one or let it alone.
—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
XL. Sally Waters, Sally Waters,
Come rise if you can,
Come rise in the morning,
All for a young man.
First to the east, then to the west,
Then to the bonny lass that you love best.
Now, Sally, you are married,
I hope you’ll agree,
Seven years at afterwards, seven years ago,
And now they are parted with a kiss and a blow.
—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
The last two lines were supplied by a girl in a very poor district of
Manchester (note by Miss Dendy).
XLI. Rise, Sally Walker, rise, if you can,
Rise, Sally Walker, and follow your gueedman,
Choose to the east, and choose to the west,
Choose to the one that you love best.
There is a couple married in joy,
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after, seven years to come.
—Rosehearty (Rev. W. Gregor).
XLII. Little Polly Sanders sits on the sand,
Weeping and crying for her young man;
Rise up, Polly, wipe your tears,
Pick the one you love so sweet.
Now Polly’s got married, we hope she’ll have joy,
For ever and ever a girl or a boy.
If one won’t do, she must have two,
So I pray you, young damsels, to kiss two and two.
—Liverpool (C. C. Bell).
XLIII. Here sits poor Sally on the ground,
Sighing and sobbing for her young man.
Arise, Sally, rise, and wipe your weeping eyes,
And turn to the east, and turn to the west,
And show the little boys that you love best.
A bogie in, a bogie out,
A bogie in the garden,
I wouldn’t part with my young man
For fourpence ha’penny farthing.
—Long Eaton, Nottingham (Miss Youngman).
[In London the above is:]—
XLIV. A beau in front and a beau behind,
And a bogie in the garden oh!
I wouldn’t part with my sweetheart
For tuppence (two) ha’penny farthing.
—London (Mrs. Merck).
XLV. Sally Walker, Sally Walker,
Come spring time and love,
She’s lamenting, she’s lamenting,
All for her young man.
Come choose to the east, come choose to the west,
Come choose the one that you love best.
Here’s a couple got married together,
Father and mother they must agree,
Love each other like sister and brother,
I pray this couple to kiss together.
—Morpeth (Henderson’s _Folk-lore of Northern Counties_, p. 26).
XLVI. Rise, Sally Walker, rise if you can,
Rise, Sally Walker, and choose your good man,
Choose to the east, and choose to the west,
And choose the very one you love best.
Now they’re married, wish them joy,
First a girl, and then a boy,
Seven years after, seven years to come,
Now’s the time to kiss and be done.
—Gainford, Durham (Miss A. Edleston).
XLVII. Little Alexander sitting on the sand,
Weeping and crying for a young man;
Rise up, Sally, and wipe your tears,
Pick the very one that you like best.
Now, Sally, now married, I hope she’ll (or you’ll) enjoy,
For ever and ever with that little boy
(or with her or your young boy).
—Beddgelert, Wales (Mrs. Williams).
XLVIII. Rice, Sally Water, rice if you can,
Rice, Sally Water, and choose your young man;
Choose to the east, choose to the west,
Choose to the prettiest that you love.
Now you’re married, we wish you good joy,
First a little girl, and then a little boy;
Seven years after, seven years to come,
Seven years of plenty, and kiss when you done.
—Norfolk (Mrs. Haddon).
(_c_) A ring is formed by the children joining hands. One girl kneels or
sits down in the centre, and covers her face with her hands as if
weeping. The ring dances round and sings the words. The child in the
centre rises when the command is given, and chooses a boy or girl from
the ring, who goes into the centre with her. These two kiss together
when the words are said. The child who was first in the centre then
joins the ring, the second remaining in the centre, and the game
continues.
All versions of this game are played in the same way, except slight
variations in a few instances. Kissing does not prevail in all the
versions. In the Earls Heaton game, the child who kneels in the centre
also pretends to weep and dries her tears before choosing a partner.
Miss Burne, in _Shropshire Folklore_, says the girl kneels
disconsolately in the middle of the ring. In the Stixwould version, the
child stands in the centre holding in her hands something resembling a
saucer; she then pretends to “knock it in a mortar,” and gives the
saucer to the one whom she chooses. This one exchanges places with her.
In the Northants version, at the words “clash the bells,” the children
dash down their joined hands to imitate ringing bells. Addy, _Sheffield
Glossary_, says one girl sits in the middle weeping. When the girl has
chosen, the young man remains in the centre, and the word “Sally” is
changed to “Billy,” or some other name, and “man” to “girl.” In the
Beddgelert version, the centre child wipes her eyes with a handkerchief
in the beginning of the game. Several other versions have been sent me,
all being the same as those printed here, or varying so slightly, it is
unnecessary to repeat them.
(_d_) The analysis of the game-rhymes is as follows:—
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Dorsetshire. | Devonshire. | Somersetshire. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Sally Water. | — |Sally Water. |
| 2.| — |Sally Walker. | — |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.|Sprinkle in pan. |Sprinkle water in the |Sprinkle in the pan. |
| | |pan. | |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — | — |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.|Rise and choose a |Rise and seek a young |Hi, choose a young |
| |young man. |man. |man. |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.|Choose east, west. |Turn east, west. | — |
|19.| — | — |Choose best, worst. |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|
|22.|Now you’re married, |Now you’re married, |Now you’re married, |
| |&c. |&c. |&c. |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| London. | Fochabers. | Berkshire. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Sally Waters. | — |Sally Waters. |
| 2.| — |Sally Walker. | — |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.|Sprinkle in the pan. |Sprinkling in a pan. |Sprinkled in the pan. |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — | — |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.|Rise for a young man. |Rise for a young man. |Rise for a young man. |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — |Choose east, west. | — |
|19.|Choose best, worst. | — |Choose best, worst. |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|
|22.|Now you’re married, | — | — |
| |&c. | | |
|23.| — |You must obey, &c. | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Crockham Hill, Kent. | Wiltshire. | Northants. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — |Sally Waters. |Sally Waters. |
| 2.| — | — | — |
| 3.|Sally Wallflowers. | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.|Sprinkled in the pan. |Sprinkled in a pan. |Sprinkle in a pan. |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — | — |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — |Rise and choose a | — |
| | |young man. | |
|14.| — | — |Cry for a young man. |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — |Choose best, worst. |Choose best, worst. |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.| — |Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|
|22.| — |Now you’re married, |Now you’re married, |
| | |&c. |&c. |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Oxford. | Yorkshire. | Surrey. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Sally Water. |Sally Waters. |Sally Water. |
| 2.| — | — | — |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.|Sprinkle in the pan. |Sprinkle in a pan. |Sprinkle in the pan. |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — | — |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.|Rise for a young man. | — | — |
|14.| — |Cry for a young man. | — |
|15.| — | — |Is not — a nice young |
| | | |man. |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.|Choose fairest. | — | — |
|21.| — |Choose the best loved.| — |
|22.|Now she’s married, &c.| — | — |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — |They shall be married |
| | | |if they agree, &c. |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Shropshire (1). | Shropshire (2). | Notts. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — |Sally Water. |Sally Water. |
| 2.|Sally Walker. | — | — |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.|Sprinkle in your pan. |Sprinkle in your pan. |Sprinkle in your can. |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — | — |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — |Rise,for you shall | — |
| | |have a husband. | |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.|Down in the meadow | — |Why do you marry a |
| |there’s a nice young | |foolish young man. |
| |man. | | |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.| — | — |Pick worst, best. |
|20.| — |Choose fairest. | — |
|21.| — | — |Choose the best loved.|
|22.| — |Now you’re married, | — |
| | |&c. | |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.|On the carpet she | — | — |
| |shall kneel, &c. | | |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Gloucestershire. | Sheffield. | Lincolnshire. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Sally Water. |Sally Water. | — |
| 2.| — | — | — |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — |Sally Salter. |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.|Sprinkle your can. |Sprinkle your can. | — |
| 7.| — | — |Sprinkle in some |
| | | |water. |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — | — |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.|Why don’t you rise for| — | — |
| |a young man. | | |
|14.| — |Who do you lie | — |
| | |mourning for a young | |
| | |man. | |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — |Send it in a silver |
| | | |saucer to [ ]. |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — | — |
|19.|Choose wisest, best. |Choose wisest, best. | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Choose the one that |Choose the best loved.| — |
| |lies in your breast. | | |
|22.| — | — | — |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Wakefield. | Warwickshire. | Sheffield. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Sally Water. |Sally Water. | — |
| 2.| — | — | — |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — |Sally Slarter. |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — |Water your can. |Sitting by the water. |
| 8.|Springin’ in a pan. | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — | — |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — |Rise for a husband. | — |
|14.|Cry for a young man. | — |Crying for a young |
| | | |man. |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.| — | — |Turn east, west. |
|19.|Choose worst, best. | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Choose the best loved.| — |Choose the best loved.|
|22.|Now you’re married, |Now you’re married, |Now you’re married, |
| |&c. |&c. |&c. |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Bucks. | Nairn. | Fraserburgh. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — | — |
| 2.|Sally Walker. |Sally Walker. |Sally Walker. |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.|Sprinkled in a pan. | — | — |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — |Sitting in a sigh. | — |
|10.| — | — |Sitting on the sand. |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — | — | — |
|14.| — |Weeping for a young |Weeping for a young |
| | |man. |man. |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.|Sprinkle for a young | — | — |
| |man. | | |
|18.| — |Choose east, west. |Try east, west. |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.|Choose fairest. | — | — |
|21.| — |Choose the best |Choose the best loved.|
| | |loved. | |
|22.|Now you’re married, | — |Now they’re married, |
| |&c. | |&c. |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Cornwall. | Settle. | Northants. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — |Sally Water. |
| 2.| — |Sally Walker. | — |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.|Sally Sander. | — | — |
| 6.| — | — |Sprinkle in a pan. |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.|Sitting in the sander.| — | — |
|11.| — |Tinkle in a can. | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — |Rise and choose a |Rise for a young man. |
| | |young man. | |
|14.|Weeping for a young | — | — |
| |man. | | |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.|Choose east, west. |Look east, west. |Choose east, west. |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|
|22.|Now you’re married, | — |Now you’re married, |
| |&c. | |&c. |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Brigg. | Belfast. | Earls Heaton. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Sally Waters. | — | — |
| 2.| — |Sally Walker. | — |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — |Alice Sander. |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — |Sat upon a cinder. |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.|Sitting in the sun. | — | — |
|13.| — |Hi for a young man. | — |
|14.|Crying for a young | — |Weeping for a young |
| |man. | |man. |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.|Fly east, west. |Choose east, west. | — |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|
|22.| — |Married, &c. |Now they’re married, |
| | | |&c. |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Scotland. | Tyrie. | Aberdeen. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — | — |
| 2.|Sally Walker. |Sally Walker. |Sally Walker. |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — | — |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.|Rise for a young man. |Rise for a young man. |Rise for a young man. |
|14.| — | — | — |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.|Choose east, west. |Choose east, west. |Choose east, west. |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|
|22.|Now they are married, |Now they’re married, |Now they’re married, |
| |&c. |&c. |&c. |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Nairn. | Halliwell. | Hexham. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — |Sally Water. | — |
| 2.|Sally Walker. | — |Sally Walker. |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.| — | — |Sprinkle in the pan. |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — | — |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.|Sitting in the sun. | — | — |
|13.| — | — |Rise for a young man. |
|14.|Weeping for a young | — | — |
| |man. | | |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — |Sprinkle for a young | — |
| | |man. | |
|18.|Fly east, west. | — |Choose east, west. |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Fly to the best loved.| — |Choose the best loved.|
|22.| — |Now you’re married, |Now you’re married, |
| | |&c. |&c. |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.|Goes courting, &c. | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Lancashire. | Rosehearty. | Notts. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.|Sally Waters. | — |Sallie [ ]. |
| 2.| — |Sally Walker. | — |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — |Sitting on the ground.|
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.|Rise for a young man. |Rise for a good man. | — |
|14.| — | — |Sobbing for a young |
| | | |man. |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.|First east, west. |Choose east, west. |Turn east, west. |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Then to the bestloved.| — |Turn to the best |
| | | |loved. |
|22.|Now you’re married, |There’s a couple, &c. | — |
| |&c. | | |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — |A bogie in, &c. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|No.| Morpeth. | Gainford. | Norfolk. |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 1.| — | — |Sallie [ ]. |
| 2.|Sally Walker. |Sally Walker. | — |
| 3.| — | — | — |
| 4.| — | — | — |
| 5.| — | — | — |
| 6.| — | — | — |
| 7.| — | — | — |
| 8.| — | — | — |
| 9.| — | — | — |
|10.| — | — | — |
|11.| — | — | — |
|12.| — | — | — |
|13.| — |Rise and choose your |Rise and choose. |
| | |good man. | |
|14.|Lamenting for a young | — | — |
| |man. | | |
|15.| — | — | — |
|16.| — | — | — |
|17.| — | — | — |
|18.|Choose east, west. |Choose east, west. |Choose east, west. |
|19.| — | — | — |
|20.| — | — | — |
|21.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the best loved.|Choose the prettiest. |
|22.|Here’s a couple, &c. |Now they’re married, |Now you’re married, |
| | |&c. |&c. |
|23.| — | — | — |
|24.| — | — | — |
|25.| — | — | — |
|26.| — | — | — |
|27.| — | — | — |
+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
+---+----------------------+
|No.| Beddgelert. |
+---+----------------------+
| 1.|Sallie [ ]. |
| 2.| — |
| 3.| — |
| 4.| — |
| 5.| — |
| 6.| — |
| 7.| — |
| 8.| — |
| 9.| — |
|10.|Sitting in sand. |
|11.| — |
|12.| — |
|13.| — |
|14.|Crying for a young |
| |man. |
|15.| — |
|16.| — |
|17.| — |
|18.| — |
|19.| — |
|20.| — |
|21.|Pick the one you like |
| |best. |
|22.|Now you’re married, |
| |&c. |
|23.| — |
|24.| — |
|25.| — |
|26.| — |
|27.| — |
+---+----------------------+
The first thing to note from this analysis are the words Sally and
Water. In twenty-three versions they are Sally Water or Waters, in
seventeen versions it is Sally Walker, in six versions it is another
name altogether, while in two versions it is Sallie only. The most
constant name, therefore, points to Sally Water as the oldest version;
and it is noticeable that in the Lincolnshire and Sheffield versions,
where the name is not Sally Water, the word water is introduced later on
in the line which directs the action of sprinkling water. Is it
possible, then, that Sally Water may be a corruption from an earlier
form where Sally is some other word, not the name of a girl, as it is
usually supposed to be, and the word water is connected, not with the
name of the maiden, but with the action of sprinkling which she is
called upon to perform? If we could surmise that the early form was
“Sallie, Sallie, water sprinkle in the pan,” the accusative being placed
before the verb, the problem would be solved in this manner; but there
is no warrant for this poetical licence in popular verses, and I prefer
to suggest that “water” got attached as a surname by simple
transposition, such as the Norfolk and Beddgelert versions allow as
evidence. It follows from this that Walker and other names appear as
degraded forms of the original, and do not enter into the question of
origins, a point which may readily be conceded, considering that the
general evidence of all these singing games is, that no special names
are ever used, but that names change to suit the players. The next
incident in the analysis is the ceremony of “sprinkling the water,”
which is constant in twenty-one versions, while the Wakefield “Springin’
in the pan,” the Settle “Tinkle in a can,” Halliwell’s “Sprinkle for a
young man,” and the eight versions in which this incident is wholly
absent in any form, are evident corruptions. The tendency of the
corruption is shown by this to be that the “sprinkling of water” came to
be omitted from the verse, and therefore the other variants—
Sitting by the water (Sheffield),
Water your can (Warwickshire),
Sitting in a sigh (Nairn),
Sitting on the sand (Fraserburgh and Beddgelert).
Sitting in the sander (Cornwall),
Sitting in the sun (Brigg and Nairn),
Sat upon a cinder (Earls Heaton),
Sitting on the ground (Notts.),
are but the steps through which the entire omission of the water
incident was finally attained. The third incident is “Rise and choose” a
young man, the alternative being “Crying for a young man.” The first
indicates a kneeling and reverential attitude before the water, and
occurs in twenty-one versions, while the second only occurs in fourteen
versions.
The expression “crying” is really to “announce a want,” as “wants” were
formerly cried by the official “crier” of every township, and indeed as
children still in games “cry” the forfeits; but losing this meaning, the
expression came to mean crying in the sense of “weeping,” and appearing
to the minds of children as a natural way of expressing a want, would
therefore succeed in ousting any more archaic notion. The incident of
crying for a lover appears in other singing games, as, for instance, in
“Poor Mary.” Especially may this be considered the process which has
been going on when it is seen that “choosing” is an actual incident of
the game, even in those cases where “crying” has replaced the kneeling.
The choosing incident also assumes two forms, namely, with respect to
“east and west” in twenty-two versions, and “best and worst” in nine
versions. Now, the expression, “for better for worse,” is an old
marriage formula preserved in the vernacular portion of the ancient
English marriage service (see Palgrave, _English Commonwealth_, ii., p.
cxxxvi.); and I cannot but think that we have the same formula in this
game, especially as the final admonition in nearly all the versions is
to choose “the one loved best.” Following upon this comes the very
general marriage formula noted so frequently in these games. It is
slightly varied in some versions, and is replaced by a different
formula, but one that also appears in other games, in two or three
versions. One feature is very noticeable in the less common versions of
this game, viz., the assumption of the marriage being connected with the
birth of children, and the indulgences of the lovers, as in the Tong
and Scottish versions xxxii., xxxiii., and xxxiv.
(_e_) In considering the probable origin of the game, the first thing
will be to ascertain as far as possible what ideas the words are
intended to convey. Taking note of the results of the analysis, so far
as they show the corruptions which have taken place in the words, it
seems clear that though it is not possible to restore the original
words, their original meaning is still preserved. This is, that they
accompanied the performance of a marriage ceremony, and that a chief
feature of this ceremony was connected with some form of water-worship,
or some rite in which water played a chief part. Now it has been noted
before that the games of children have preserved, by adaptation, the
marriage ceremony of ancient times (_e.g._, “Merry ma Tansa,” “Nuts in
May,” “Poor Mary,” “Round and Round the Village”); but this is the first
instance where such an important particularisation as that implied by
water-worship qualifies the marriage ceremony. It is therefore necessary
to see what this exactly means. Mr. Hartland, in his _Perseus_ (i.
167-9), draws attention to the general significance of the water
ceremonial in marriage customs, and Mr. F. B. Jevons, in his
introduction to Plutarch’s _Romane Questions_, and in the _Transactions
of the Folk-lore Congress_, 1891, deals with the subject in reference to
the origin of custom obtaining among both Aryan and non-Aryan speaking
people. In this connection an important consideration arises. The
Esthonian brides, on the morning after the wedding, are taken to make
offerings to the water spirit, and they throw offerings into the spring
(or a vessel of water), overturn a vessel of water in the house, and
sprinkle their bridegrooms with water. The Hindoo offerings of the bride
were cast into a water vessel, and the bride sprinkles the court of the
new house with water by way of exorcism, and also sprinkles the
bridegroom (Jevons, _loc. cit._, p. 345). Here the parallel between the
non-Aryan Esthonian custom and the Aryan Hindoo custom is very close,
and it is a part of Mr. Jevons’ argument that, among the Teutons, with
whom alone of Aryan speaking peoples the Esthonians came into contact,
the custom was limited to the bride simply stepping over a vessel of
water. There is certainly something a great deal more than the parallel
to the Teutonic custom in the game of “Sally, Sally Water,” and as it
equates more nearly to Hindoo and Esthonian custom, the question is,
Does it help Mr. Jevons in the important point he raises? I think it
does. A custom is very low down among the strata of survivals when it is
only to be recognised as part of a children’s singing game, and the
proposition it suggests is that children have preserved more of the old
custom than was preserved by the people who adopted a portion of it into
their marriage ceremony. A custom so treated must be older than the
marriage ceremony with which it thus came into contact, and if this is a
true conclusion, we have in this children’s game a relic of the
pre-Celtic peoples of these islands—a relic therefore going back many
centuries for its origin, and which is of inestimable service in
discussing some important problems of the ethnic significance of
folk-lore. These conclusions are entirely derived from the significant
position which this game occupies in relation to Esthonian (non-Aryan)
and to Teutonic (Aryan) marriage customs respectively, and therefore it
is of considerable importance to note that it entirely fits in with the
conclusion which my husband has drawn as to the non-Aryan origin of
water-worship (see Gomme’s _Ethnology of Folk-lore_, pp. 79-105).
There is, however, something further which seems to bring this game into
line with non-Aryan marriage customs. The marriage signified by the game
is acknowledged and sanctioned by the presence of witnesses; is made
between two people who choose each other without any form of compulsion;
is accompanied by blessings upon the young couple and prognostications
of the birth of children. These points show that the marriage ceremony
belongs to a time when the object of the union was to have children, and
when its duration was not necessarily for life. It is curious to note
that water worship is distinctly connected with the desire to have
children (_Proc. Roy. Irish Acad._, 3rd ser., ii. 9); and that the idea
of the temporary character of the marriage status of the lower classes
of the people is still extant I have certain evidence of. Early in
November of 1895, a man tried for bigamy gave as his defence that he
thought his marriage was ended with his first wife, as he had been away
seven years. It is a frequently told story. A year and a day and seven
years are the two periods for which the popular mind regards marriage
binding. “I was faithful to him for seven years, and had more than my
two children,” a woman said to me once, as if two children were the
required or expected number to be born in that period. If there is a
popular belief of this kind, it is strangely borne out by this
game-rhyme. “First a girl, and then a boy,” may also be shown to be a
result to be desired and prayed for, in the popular belief that a man’s
cycle of life is not complete until he is the father of a daughter, who,
in her turn, shall have a son. Miss Hawkins Dempster obtained evidence
of such a belief from the lips of a man who considered he was entitled
to marry another woman, as his wife had only borne him sons, and
therefore his life was not (like hers) complete.
The free choice of both woman and man is opposed to the theory of our
present marriage ceremony, where permission or authority to marry is
only necessary for the woman, the man being able to do as he pleases.
This is now regarded as a sign of women’s early subjection to the
authority of men and their subordinate place in the household. But it
does not follow that this was the relative position of men and women
when a ceremony was first found needful and instituted. I am inclined to
think it must have been, rather, the importance attached to the woman’s
act of ratification, in the presence of witnesses, of her formal promise
to bear children to a particular man. Marriage would then consist of
contracts between two parties for the purpose of, and which actually
resulted in, the birth of children; of concubinage, or the wife
consenting to children being born to her husband by another woman in her
stead, if she herself failed in this respect (such children being hers
and her husband’s jointly); of marriage without ceremony or set purpose,
resulting from young people being thrown together at feast times,
gathering in of harvests, &c., which might or might not result in the
birth of children. These conditions of the marriage rite are at variance
with what we know of the Aryan marriage generally and its results; and
that they flow from the customs preserved in the game under
consideration is further proof of the origin of the game from a marriage
rite of the pre-Celtic people of these islands. The “kissing together”
of the married couple is the token to the witnesses of their mutual
consent to the contract.
Attention has already been directed to the fact that parts of the
formula preserved in this game are also found in other games, and it may
possibly be assumed therefrom that the same origin must be given to
these games as to “Sally Water.” The objection to such a conclusion is
mainly that it is impossible to decide to which game the popular
marriage formula originally belonged, and from which it has been
borrowed by the other games. Seeing how exactly it fits the
circumstances of “Sally Water,” it might not be too much to suggest that
it rightly belongs to this game. Another point to be noted is that the
tune to which the words of the marriage formula are sung is always the
same, irrespective of that to which the previous verses are sung, and
this rule obtains in all those games in which this formula appears—a
further proof of the antiquity of the formula as an outcome of the early
marriage ceremony.
[7] Redruth version—
Fly for the east, fly for the west,
Fly for the very one you love best.
Sally Sober
A game among girls [undescribed].—Dickinson’s _Cumberland Glossary_
(_Supplement_).
Salmon Fishers
I. Cam’ ye by the salmon fishers,
Cam’ ye by the roperee?
Saw ye a sailor laddie
Sailing on the raging sea?
Oh, dear ——, are ye going to marry?
Yes, indeed, and that I am.
Tell to me your own true lover,
Tell to me your lover’s name?
_He’s_ a bonnie lad, _he’s_ a bonnie fellow,
Oh, he’s a bonnie lad,
Wi’ ribbons blue and yellow,
Stockings of blue silk;
Shoes of patent leather,
Points to tie them up.
A gold ring on his finger.
Did you see the ship he came in?
Did you see it comin’ in?
Every lassie wi’ her laddie,
Every widow wi’ her son.
Mother, struck eight o’clock,
Mother, may I get out?
For my love is waiting
For to get me out.
First he gave me apples,
Then he gave me pears,
Then he gave me a sixpence
To kiss him on the stairs.
Oh, dear me, I wish I had my tea,
To write a letter to my love
To come back and marry me.
—Rosehearty (Rev. W. Gregor).
II. Cam’ ye by the salmon fishers?
Cam’ ye by the roperee?
Saw ye a sailor laddie
Waiting on the coast for me?
I ken fahr I’m gyain,
I ken fahs gyain wi’ me;
I ha’e a lad o’ my ain,
Ye daurna tack ’im fae me.
Stockings of blue silk,
Shoes of patent leather,
Kid to tie them up,
And gold rings on his finger.
Oh for six o’clock!
Oh for seven I weary!
Oh for eight o’clock!
And then I’ll see my dearie.
—Fochabers (Rev. W. Gregor).
III. Come ye by the salmon fishers?
Come ye by the roperee?
Saw ye my dear sailor laddie
Sailing on the raging sea?
Tip for gold and tip for silver,
Tip for the bonnie laddie I do adore;
My delight’s for a sailor laddie,
And shall be for evermore.
Sit you down, my lovely Elsie,
Take your baby on your knee;
Drink your health for a jolly sailor,
He will come back and marry you.
He will give you beads and ear-rings,
He will give you diamonds free;
Sailors they are bonnie laddies,
Oh, but they are neat and clean!
They can kiss a bonnie lassie
In the dark, and A, B, C;
When the sailors come home at evening
They take off their tarry clothes,
They put on their light blue jackets,
That is the way the sailors go.
—Rev. W. Gregor.
A circle is formed, and the children dance round singing. Before
beginning they agree which of the players is to be named in the fifth
line of the Rosehearty version.
Jamieson’s _Dictionary_ (_sub voce_), “Schamon’s Dance,” says, “Some
particular kind of dance anciently used in Scotland.”
Blaw up the bagpyp than,
The schamon’s dance I mon begin,
I trow it sall not pane.
—“Peblis to the Play,” _Chronicles of Scottish Poetry_, i. 135.
Pinkerton defines salmon as “probably _show-man_, _shaw-man_.”
See “Shame Reel, or Shamit Dance.”
Salt Eel
This is something like “Hide and Find.” The name of Salt Eel may have
been given it from one of the points of the game, which is to baste the
runaway individual, whom you may overtake, all the way home with your
handkerchief, twisted hard for that purpose. Salt Eel implies on board
ship a rope’s ending, and on shore an equivalent process.—Moor’s
_Suffolk Words and Phrases_.
Save All
Two sides are chosen in this game. An even number of boys, say eight on
each side. Half of these run out of the line, and are chased by half of
the boys from the other side. If two out of four get “home” to door or
lamp-post, they _save all_ the prisoners which have been made; if two
out of four are caught before the others get “home,” the side catching
them beats.—Deptford (Miss Chase).
Say Girl
A game undescribed, recorded by the Rev. S. D. Headlam as played by some
Hoxton school children.—_Church Reformer_, 1894.
Scat
A paper-knife, or thin slip of wood, is placed by one player on his open
palm. Another takes it up quickly, and tries to “scat” his opponent’s
hand before he can draw it away. Sometimes a feint of taking the
paper-knife is made three or four times before it is really done. When
the “scat” is given, the “scatter” in his turn rests the knife on his
palm. Scat is the Cornish for “slap.”—_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 50.
Scop-peril, or Scoperel
Name for teetotum ordinarily manufactured by sticking a pointed peg
through a bone button.—Easther’s _Almondbury Glossary_; also in SW.
Lincolnshire, Cole’s _Glossary_.
See “Totum.”
Scotch-hoppers
In _Poor Robin’s Almanack_ for 1677, in the verses to the reader, on the
back of the title-page, concerning the chief matters in the volume,
among many other articles of intelligence, the author professes to show—
“The time when school boys should play at _Scotch-hoppers_.”
Another allusion occurs in the same periodical for 1707—“Lawyers and
Physitians have little to do this month, and therefore they may (if they
will) play at _Scotch-hoppers_. Some men put their hands into peoples’
pockets open, and extract it clutch’d, of that beware. But counsel
without a cure, is a body without a soul.” And again, in 1740—“The fifth
house tells ye whether whores be sound or not; when it is good to eat
tripes, bloat herrings, fry’d frogs, rotten eggs, and monkey’s tails
butter’d, or an ox liver well stuck with fish hooks; when it is the most
convenient time for an old man to play at _Scotch-hoppers_ amongst the
boys. In it also is found plainly, that the best armour of proof against
the fleas, is to go drunk to bed.”
See “Hopscotch,” “Tray-Trip.”
Scots and English
Boys first choose sides. The two chosen leaders join both hands, and
raising them high enough to let the others pass through below, cry—
Brother Jack, if ye’ll be mine,
I’ll gie ye claret wine;
Claret wine is good and fine,
Through the needle ee, boys.
Letting their arms fall they enclose a boy and ask him to which side he
will belong, and he is disposed of according to his own decision. The
parties being at length formed, are separated by a real or imaginary
line, and place at some distance behind them, in a heap, their hats,
coats, &c. They stand opposite to each other, the object being to make a
successful incursion over the line into the enemy’s country, and bring
off part of the heap of clothes. It requires both address and swiftness
of foot to do so without being taken by the foe. The winning of the game
is decided by which party first loses all its men or its property. At
Hawick, where the legendary mimicry of old Border warfare peculiarly
flourishes, the boys are accustomed to use the following rhymes of
defiance:—
King Covenanter, come out if ye daur venture!
Set your foot on Scots’ ground, English, if ye daur!
—Chambers’ _Popular Rhymes_, p. 127.
The following version was written down in 1821 under the name of Scotch
and English:—Two parties of boys, divided by a fixed line, endeavoured
to pull one another across this line, or to seize by bodily strength or
nimbleness a “wad” (the coats or hats of the players) from the little
heap deposited in the different territories at a convenient distance.
The person pulled across or seized in his attempt to rob the camp was
made a prisoner and conducted to the enemy’s station, where he remained
under the denomination of “stinkard” till relieved by one of the same
side, or by a general exchange of prisoners.—_Blackwood’s Magazine_,
August 1821, p. 25. The _Denham Tracts_, i. 150, gives a version of the
game much the same as these, except that the words used by the English
are, “Here’s a leap into thy kingdom, dry-bellied Scot.” See also
Hutton’s _History of Roman Wall_ (1804), p. 104. Brockett’s account,
under the title of “Stealy Clothes, or Watch Webs,” is as follows:—The
players divide into two parties and draw a line as the boundary of their
respective territories. At an equal distance from this line each player
deposits his hat or some other article of his dress. The object of the
game is to seize and convey these singly to your own store from that of
the enemy, but if you are unfortunately caught in the attempt, you not
only restore the plunder but become a prisoner yourself. This evidently
takes its origin from the inroads of the English and Scotch; indeed, it
is plainly proved from the language used on the occasion, which consists
in a great measure of the terms of reproach still common among the
Borderers.—Brockett’s _North Country Words_.
Jamieson, also, describes the game under the title of “English and
Scotch,” and says the game has originated from the mutual incursions of
the two nations.
See “French and English,” “Prisoner’s Base,” “Rigs.”
Scratch Cradle
The game of “Cat’s Cradle.”
Scrush
A game much like Shinty between two sides of boys, each with bandies
(scrushes) trying to knock a roundish stone over the other’s
line.—Barnes’ _Dorset Glossary_. See “Shinney.”
Scurran-Meggy
A game much in vogue in Cumberland during the last century, and in which
a peculiar form of top called a “scurran top” was used.—Halliwell’s
_Dictionary_.
See-Saw
[Music]
—London (A. B. Gomme).
I. Titty cum tawtay,
The ducks in the water;
Titty cum tawtay,
The geese follow after.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 213.
II. See-saw, Margery Daw,
Sold her bed to lie upon straw;
Wasn’t she a dirty slut
To sell her bed to lie upon dirt?
—London (A. B. Gomme).
III. See-saw, Margery Daw,
Johnny shall have a new master;
He shan’t have but a farthing a day,
Because he can’t work any faster.
—London (G. L. Gomme).
IV. See-saw, sacradown,
Which is the way to London town?
One boot up, and the other down,
And that is the way to London town.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, No. cccxxx.
V. The poor man was digging,
To and fro, to and fro;
And his spade on his shoulder,
To and fro, to and fro.
The poor man was digging,
To and fro, to and fro;
And he caught the black cross,
To and fro, to and fro.
—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
A common game, children sitting on either end of a plank supported on
its centre, and made to rock up and down. While enjoying this
recreation, they sing the verse. Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_, gives Ranty
or Rantypole, a plank or pole balanced evenly, upon which children rock
up and down in see-saw fashion. Jamieson, _Etymological Dictionary_,
gives Coup-the-Ladle as the name for See-saw in Aberdeen. Moor, _Suffolk
Words and Phrases_, describes this game, and gives the same words to be
sung while playing as Halliwell’s above. Grose gives “Weigh,” to play at
See-saw. Holloway, _Dictionary of Provincialisms_, says, in Norfolk
See-saw is called Titti cum Totter; and in Gainford, Durham, Ewiggy
Shog. Halliwell gives versions of Nos. II. and III. in his _Nursery
Rhymes_, and also other verses with the opening words “See-saw,” namely,
“See-saw, Jack-a-Daw,” “See-saw, Sack-a-day;” but these are not
connected with the game by Halliwell, and there is nothing in the words
to indicate such a connection. Mactaggart, _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_,
calls the game “Coggle-te-Carry,” but gives no verses, and Strutt calls
it “Titter Totter.”—_Sports_, p. 303. He does not give any rhymes,
except to quote Gay’s poem, but it is possible that the rhyme to his
game may be No. I. Brogden gives “Hightte” as the game of See-saw. The
Manx version has not before been published, and Mr. Moore says is now
quite forgotten in the Isle. The game is called “Shuggy-shoo” in Irish,
and also “Copple-thurrish,” evidently “Horse and Pig,” as if the two
animals were balancing against each other, and alternately becoming
elevated and depressed.—_Ulster Journ. Arch._, vi. 102. The child who
stands on the plank in the centre and balances it, is frequently called
the “canstick” or “candlestick.”
See-Sim
A children’s game. If one of the party is blindfolded, it is
“Blind-Sim.”—Spurden’s _East Anglian Glossary_.
Shame Reel, or Shamit Dance
In several counties of Scotland this was the name of the first dance
after the celebration of marriages. It was performed by the bride and
best man and the bridegroom and best maid. The bride’s partner asked
what was to be the “sham spring,” and she commonly answered, “Through
the world will I gang wi’ the lad that lo’es me,” which, on being
communicated to the fiddlers, was struck up, and the dance went on
somewhat punctiliously, while the guests looked on in silence, and
greeted the close with applause. This dance was common in Forfarshire
twenty years ago.—Jamieson’s _Dictionary_.
See “Cushion Dance,” “Salmon Fishers.”
She Said, and She Said
This game requires two confederates; one leaves the room, and the other
in the secret asks a player in the room to whisper to him whom she (or
he) loved; he then calls in his companion, and the following dialogue is
carried on:—
“She said, and she said!
And what did she say?”
“She said that she loved.”
“And whom did she love?
Suppose she said she loved ——?”
“No! she never said that, whatever she said.”
An indefinite number of names are mentioned before the right one. When
that came, to the surprise of the whisperer, the answer is—
“Yes! she said that.”
The secret was very simple; the name of a widow or widower known to both
players was always given before that whispered.—Cornwall (_Folk-lore
Journal_, v. 50).
Shepherd and Sheep
Children choose, by “counting out,” or otherwise, a Shepherd and a Wolf
(or Mother Sheep, and Wolf). The Wolf goes away, and the rest of the
players are the Sheep (or Lambs) and stand in a row. The Shepherd counts
them—Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, &c. Then—
_Shepherd_—“What shall I bring home for you for dinner, Sunday, I’m
going to market?”
Sunday chooses something—roast veal, apple tart, or anything else that
she likes. Then Monday, Tuesday, and the rest choose also. Shepherd goes
away, saying—
“Mind you are all good children.”
The Wolf comes directly the Shepherd goes out of sight, and takes away
one of the Sheep. Shepherd comes back and begins to distribute the
different things—
“Sunday, Monday,——why, where’s Tuesday?” (or Wednesday, as the case
may be.)
The Children cry in chorus—
“Old Wolf came down the chimney and took him (or her) away.”
This formula is repeated till all the children (sheep) are stolen.
The Shepherd now goes to the Wolf’s house to look for his sheep—
_Shepherd_—“Good morning, have you seen my sheep?”
_Wolf_—“Yes, they went down Red Lane.”
[Shepherd looks down Red Lane.]
_Shepherd_—“I’ve been down Red Lane, and they’re not there.”
_Wolf_—“I’ve just seen them pass, they’re gone down Green Lane,” &c.
These questions and answers continue as long as the children’s fancy
holds out; then the Shepherd comes back.
_Shepherd_—“I’ve looked everywhere, and can’t find them. I b’lieve
you’ve got them? I smell meat; may I go up and taste your soup?”
_Wolf_—“You can’t go upstairs, your shoes are too dirty.”
_Shepherd_—“I’ll take off my shoes” (pretends to take them off).
_Wolf_—“Your stockings are too dirty.”
_Shepherd_—“I’ll take off my stockings” (suits the action).
_Wolf_—“Your feet are too dirty.”
_Shepherd_—“I’ll cut my feet off” (pretends to cut them off).
(Milder version, “I’ll wash my feet.”)
_Wolf_—“Then the blood’ll run about.”
(Milder version, “Then they’ll wet my carpet.”)
_Shepherd_—“I’ll tie up my feet.”
(Or, “I’ll wipe my feet”)
_Wolf_—-“Well, now you may go up.”
_Shepherd_—“I smell my sheep.”
The Shepherd then goes to one child, pretends to taste—using fingers of
both hands as though holding a spoon and fork—on the top of the child’s
head, saying, “That’s my sheep,” “That’s Tuesday,” &c., till he comes to
the end of the row, then they all shout out and rush home to the fold,
the Wolf with them. A fresh Shepherd and Wolf are chosen, and the game
starts once more.—Cornwall (Miss I. Barclay).
One player is chosen to be the Shepherd, another the Thief, and the rest
the sheep, who are arranged in a long row. The Shepherd pretends to be
asleep; the Thief takes away one of the sheep and hides it; he then
says—
_Thief_—“Shepherdy, shepherdy, count your sheep!”
_Shepherd_—“I can’t come now, I’m fast asleep.”
_Thief_—“If you don’t come now, they’ll all be gone,
So shepherdy, shepherdy, come along!”
The Shepherd counts the sheep, and missing one, asks where it is gone.
The Thief says, “It is gone to get fat!” The Shepherd goes to sleep
again, and the same performance is repeated till all the sheep are
hidden; the Shepherd goes in search of them, and when found they join
him in the pursuit of the Thief.—Oswestry (Burne’s _Shropshire
Folk-lore_, p. 520).
Mr. Northall (_Folk Rhymes_, p. 391) gives a version from Warwickshire,
and says he believes the Shepherd’s dog to be the true thief who hides
his propensity in the dialogue—
Bow, wow, wow, What’s the matter now?
A leg of a louse came over my house,
And stole one of my fat sheep away.
The game is played as in Shropshire. The dialogue in the Cornish game is
similar to that of “Witch.” See “Wolf.”
Shepherds
One child stands alone, facing the others in a line opposite. The single
child shouts, “Shepherds, shepherds, give warning.” The others reply,
“Warn away! warn away!” Then she asks, “How many sheep have you got?”
They answer, “More than you can carry away.” She runs and catches
one—they two join hands and chase the rest; each one, as caught,
joining hands with the chasers until all are caught.—Liverpool (Mr. C.
C. Bell.) See “Stag,” “Warney.”
Shinney, or Shinty, or Shinnops
A writer in _Blackwood’s Magazine_, August 1821, p. 36, says: The boys
attempt to drive with curved sticks a ball, or what is more common, part
of the vertebral bone of a sheep, in opposite directions. When the
object driven along reaches the appointed place in either termination,
the cry of hail! stops the play till it is knocked off anew by the boy
who was so fortunate as to drive it past the gog. In the Sheffield
district it is played as described by Halliwell. During the game the
boys call out, “Hun you, shin you.” It is called Shinny in
Derbyshire.—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_. Halliwell’s description does
not materially differ from the account given above except that when the
knur is down over the line it is called a “bye.”—(_Dictionary_). In
_Notes and Queries_, 8th series, viii. 446; ix. 115 _et seq._, the game
is described as played in Lincolnshire under the name of “Cabsow,” which
perhaps accounts for the Barnes game of Crab-sowl.
In Perthshire it is described as a game in which bats somewhat
resembling a golf club are used. At every fair or meeting of the country
people there were contests at racing, wrestling, putting the stone, &c.,
and on holidays all the males of a district, young and old, met to play
at football, but oftener at shinty.—_Perthshire Statistical Account_, v.
72; Jamieson’s description is the same.
Mactaggart’s _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_ says: A game described by Scotch
writers by the name of Shintie; the shins, or under parts of the legs,
are in danger during the game of being struck, hence the name from
shin.—Dickinson, _Cumberland Glossary_, mentions Shinny as a boyish
game, also called Scabskew, catty; it is also the name of the
crook-ended stick used in the game. Patterson, _Antrim and Down
Glossary_, under name Shinney, says, This game is played with shinneys,
_i.e._, hooked sticks, and a ball or small block of wood called the
“Golley,” or “Nag.”
In London this game is called Hockey. It seems to be the same which is
designed _Not_ in Gloucestershire; the name being borrowed from the
ball, which is made of a knotty piece of wood.—Grose’s _Glossary_.
It has been said that Shinty and Hockey differ in this respect, that in
the latter two goals are erected, each being formed by a piece of stick
with both ends stuck in the ground. The players divide into two parties;
to each of these the care of one of the goals belongs. The game consists
in endeavouring to drive the ball through the goal of the opposite
party.—_Book of Sports_ (1810), pp. 11-13. But in Shinty there are also
two goals, called hails; the object of each party being to drive the
ball beyond their own hail, but there is no hole through which it must
be driven. The ball, or knot of wood, is called Shintie.
See “Bandy,” “Camp,” “Chinnup,” “Crab-sowl,” “Doddart,” “Hockey,”
“Scrush.”
Ship
A boy’s game. It is played in two ways—(1) Of a single character. One
boy bends down against a wall (sometimes another stands pillow for his
head), then an opponent jumps on his back, crying “Ships” simply, or
“Ships a-sailing, coming on.” If he slips off, he has to bend as the
other; but if not, he can remain as long as he pleases, provided he does
not laugh or speak. If he forgets to cry “Ships,” he has to bend down.
(2) Sometimes sides are chosen; then the whole side go down heads and
tails, and all the boys on the other side have to jump on their backs.
The game in each case is much the same. The “naming” was formerly “Ships
and sailors coming on.”—Easther’s _Almondbury Glossary_. Mr. H. Hardy
sends an account from Earls Heaton, which is practically the same as
these.
Ship Sail
A game usually played with marbles. One boy puts his hand into his
trousers pocket and takes out as many marbles as he feels inclined; he
closes his fingers over them, and holds out his hand with the palm down
to the opposite player, saying, “Ship sail, sail fast. How many men on
board?” A guess is made by his opponent; if less he has to give as many
marbles as will make up the true number; if more, as many as he said
over. But should the guess be correct he takes them, and then in his
turn says, “Ship sail,” &c.—Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 59).
See “Handy Dandy,” “Neivvie-nick-nack.”
Shiver the Goose
A boys’ game. Two persons are trussed somewhat like fowls; they then hop
about on their “hunkers,” each trying to upset the other.—Patterson’s
_Antrim and Down Glossary_.
See “Curcuddie.”
Shoeing the Auld Mare
A dangerous kind of sport. A beam of wood is slung between two ropes, a
person gets on to this and contrives to steady himself until he goes
through a number of antics; if he can do this he shoes the auld mare, if
he cannot do it he generally tumbles to the ground and gets hurt with
the fall.—Mactaggart’s _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_.
Shue-Gled-Wylie
A game in which the strongest acts as the Gled or Kite, and the next in
strength as the mother of a brood of birds; for those under her
protection, perhaps to the number of a dozen, keep all in a string
behind her, each holding by the tail of one another. The Gled still
tries to catch the last of them, while the mother cries “Shue! Shue!”
spreading out her arms to keep him off. If he catch all the birds he
wins the game.—Fife, Teviotdale (Jamieson).
See “Fox and Geese,” “Gled-Wylie,” “Hen and Chickens.”
Shuttlefeather
This game is generally known as “Battledore and Shuttlecock.” The
battledore is a small hand bat, formerly made of wood, then of a skin
stretched over a frame, and since of catgut strings stretched over a
frame. The shuttlecock consists of a small cork into which feathers of
equal size are fixed at even distances. The game may be played by one,
two, or more persons. If by one person, it merely consists of batting up
the shuttlecock into the air for as long a time as possible; if by two
persons, it consists of batting the shuttlecock from one to the other;
if by more than two, sides are chosen, and a game has been invented, and
known as “Badminton.” This latter game is not a traditional game, and
does not therefore concern us now.
Strutt (_Sports and Pastimes_, p. 303) says this is a sport of long
standing, and he gives an illustration, said to be of the fourteenth
century, from a MS. in the possession of Mr. F. Douce. This would
probably be the earliest mention of the game. It appears to have been a
fashionable pastime among grown persons in the reign of James I. In the
_Two Maids of Moreclacke_, 1609, it is said, “To play at Shuttlecock
methinkes is the game now,” and among the anecdotes related of Prince
Henry, son to James I., is the following: “His Highness playing at
shittle-cocke with one farr taller than himself, and hittyng him by
chance with the shittle-cock upon the forehead” (_Harl. MS._, 6391).
Among the accounts of money paid for the Earl of Northumberland while he
was prisoner in the Tower for supposed complicity in the Gunpowder Plot,
is an item for the purchase of shuttlecocks (_Hist. MSS. Com._, v. p.
354).
But the popular nature of the game is not indicated by these facts. For
this we have to turn to the doings of the people. In the villages of the
West Riding the streets may be seen on the second Sunday in May full of
grown-up men and women playing “Battledore and Shuttlefeathers”
(Henderson’s _Folk-lore of the Northern Counties_, p. 80). In Leicester
the approach of Shrove Tuesday (known amongst the youngsters as
“Shuttlecock Day”) is signalised by the appearance in the streets of a
number of children playing at the game of “Battledore and Shuttlecock.”
On the day itself the streets literally swarm with juveniles, and even
grown men and women engage in the pastime. Passing through a by-street
the other day I heard a little girl singing—
Shuttlecock, shuttlecock, tell me true
How many years have I to go through?
One, two, three, four, &c.
—_Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, iii. 87.
The occurrence of this rhyme suggests that there is some sort of
divination in the oldest form of the game, and it appears to me that the
origin of the game must be sought for among the ancient practices of
divination. An example is found among the customs of the children of
Glamorganshire during the cowslip season. The cowslip heads are strung
on a piece of thread and tied into a “posty,” and the play is to throw
it up a tolerable height, catching it on the distended palm with a blow
that sends it up again, while the player sings:—
Pisty, posty, four and forty,
How many years shall I live?
One, two, three, four, &c.
Of course, if it falls to the ground uncaught, or even if caught in the
clenched hand, there is an end of the player’s “life.” There is a good
deal of emulation amongst the children as to who shall live the longest
(_Notes and Queries_, 3rd ser., iii. 172). Miss Burne (_Shropshire
Folk-lore_, p. 530) mentions the same custom, giving the rhyme as—
Toss-a-ball, toss-a-ball, tell me true
How many years I’ve got to go through,
and she says the cowslip is thence called a “tissy-ball.” In this custom
we have no artificial aids to form a game, but we have a significant
form of divination from natural flowers, accompanied by a rhyming
formula exactly parallel to the rhymes used in the Leicestershire game
of “Shuttlecock,” and I conclude therefore that we have here the true
origin of the game. This conclusion is confirmed when it is found that
divinatory verses generally accompany the popular form of the game.
At Wakefield the children playing “Battledore and Shuttlecock” take it
in turn, and say the following sentences, one clause to each bat, and
repeated until the shuttlecock falls:—
1st. This year, next year, long time, never.
2nd. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
3rd. Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar-man,
thief.
4th. Silk, satin, cotton, rags.
5th. Coach, carriage, wheelbarrow, donkey-cart.—Miss Fowler
At Deptford the rhymes were—
Grandmother, grandmother,
Tell me the truth,
How many years have I been to school?
One, two, three, &c.
Grandmother, grandmother,
Tell me no lie,
How many children
Before I die?
One, two, three, &c.
In the same way the following questions are put and answered:—
How old am I?
How long am I going to live?
How many children shall I have?
Black currant,
Red currant,
Raspberry tart,
Tell me the name
Of my sweetheart.
A, B, C, D, &c.
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, potter’s boy, flour boy, thief.
Silk, satin, cotton, muslin, rags.
Coach, carriage, wheelbarrow, dungcart.
On their buttons they say: “Bought, given, stolen,” to show how
acquired.—Miss Chase.
In London the rhymes were—
One, two, buckle my shoe,
Three, four, knock at the door,
Five, six, pick up sticks,
Seven, eight, lay them straight,
Nine, ten, a good fat hen,
Eleven, twelve, ring the bell,
Thirteen, fourteen, maids a courting,
Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen,
Seventeen, eighteen, mistress waiting,
Nineteen, twenty, my plate’s empty.
One, two, three, four,
Mary at the cottage door,
Eating cherries off a plate,
Five, six, seven, eight.
Up the ladder, down the wall,
A twopenny loaf to serve us all;
You buy milk and I’ll buy flour,
And we’ll have pudding in half an hour.
One, two, three, four, five, six, &c.
This year, next year, some time, never, repeated.
A, B, C, D, E, &c., repeated for the initial letter of the future
husband’s name.
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, apothecary, ploughboy, thief, for
future husband’s vocation.
Monday, Tuesday, &c., for the wedding day.
Silk, satin, cotton, rags, for the material of the wedding gown.
Coach, carriage, wheelbarrow, dungcart, for conveyance on wedding day.
Big house, little house, pigsty, barn, for future home.—(A. B. Gomme.)
It will be seen that many of these divination formulæ are used in other
connections than that of “Shuttlecock,” but this rather emphasises the
divinatory character of the game in its original form.—See “Ball,”
“Teesty-tosty.”
Shuvvy-Hawle
A boys’ game at marbles. A small hole is made in the ground, and marbles
are pushed in turn with the side of the first finger; these are won by
the player pushing them into the shuvvy-hawle.—Lowsley’s _Berkshire
Glossary_.
Silly Old Man
[Music]
—Leicester (Miss Ellis).
[Music]
—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
I. Silly old man, he’s all alone,
He wants a wife and can’t get one;
Round and round and choose a good one,
Or else choose none.
This young couple are married together,
Their fathers and mothers they must obey;
Love one another like sister and brother,
And down on their knees and kiss one another.
—Leicester (Miss Ellis).
II. Silly old man, he walks alone,
He walks alone, he walks alone;
Silly old man, he walks alone,
He wants a wife and can’t get one.
All go round and choose your own,
Choose your own, choose your own;
All go round and choose your own,
And choose a good one or else choose none.
Now young couple you’re married together,
Married together, married together;
Now young couple you’re married together,
Your father and mother you must obey.
So love one another like sister and brother,
And now young couple pray kiss together.
—Lancashire (_Notes and Queries_, 5th series, iv. 157).
III. Silly old maid (_or_ man), she walks alone,
She walks alone, she walks alone;
Silly old maid, she walks alone,
She wants a man (_or_ wife) and she can’t get one.
Go around and choose your own,
Choose your own, choose your own;
Go around and choose your own,
And take whoever you like in.
Now these two are married together,
Married together, married together;
Now these two are married together,
I pray love, kiss again.
—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
IV. Here’s a silly ould man that lies all alone,
That lies all alone, that lies all alone;
Here’s a silly ould man that lies all alone,
He wants a wife and he can get none.
Now young couple you’re married together,
You’re married together, you’re married together;
You must obey your father and mother,
And love one another like sister and brother.
I pray, young couple, you’ll kiss together.
—Carleton’s _Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry_, p. 107.
V. Silly old man, he walks alone,
Walks alone, walks alone;
Silly old man, he walks alone,
Wants a wife and he canna get one.
All go round and choose your own,
Choose your own, choose your own;
All go round and choose your own,
Choose a good one or let it alone.
Now he’s got married and tied to a peg,
Tied to a peg, tied to a peg;
Now he’s got married and tied to a peg,
Married a wife with a wooden leg.
—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
VI. Silly old maid, she lives alone,
She lives alone, she lives alone;
[Silly old maid, she lives alone,]
Wants a husband but can’t get one.
So now go round and choose your own,
Choose your own, choose your own;
Now go round and choose your own,
Choose the very one you love best.
Now young couple, you’re married for ever,
Your father and mother you must obey;
Love another like sister and brother,
And now young couple, pray kiss together.
—Dublin (Mrs. Lincoln).
(_c_) The children form a ring, joining hands. A child, usually a boy,
stands in the middle. The ring dances round and sings the verses. The
boy in the centre chooses a girl when bidden by the ring. These two then
stand in the centre and kiss each other at the command. The boy then
takes a place in the ring, and the girl remains in the centre and
chooses a boy in her turn. In the Dublin and Isle of Man versions a girl
is first in the centre; in the Manx version (A. W. Moore) the two
children hold hands when in the centre.
(_d_) In the _Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry_, Mr. Carleton
gives this game as one of those played by young people of both sexes at
funeral wakes. It is played in the same way as the game now is; boys and
girls stand alternately in a ring holding hands, choosing each other in
turn, and kissing. The other versions do not differ materially from each
other, except that the Lancashire version described by Miss Dendy has
evidently been corrupted quite lately, because a purer form is quoted
from the same county in _Notes and Queries_. The game seems to be one of
the group of marriage games arising from the fact that at any gathering
of people for the purpose of a ceremonial, whether a funeral or a
festival, it was the custom to form matrimonial alliances. The words are
used for kiss-in-the-ring games, and also in some marriage games when
the last player is left without a partner.
Skin the Goatie
One boy takes his stand in an upright position at a wall. Another boy
stoops with his head in the breast of the one standing upright. A third
boy jumps stride-leg on his back, and tries to “crown,” _i.e._, put his
hand on the head of the boy at the wall. The boy on whose back he is
tries every means by shifting from side to side, and by throwing up his
back, to prevent him from doing so, and to cast him off. If he succeeds
in doing so, he takes his stand behind the stooping boy in the same
position. Another boy then tries to do the same thing over the two
stooping boys. If he succeeds in crowning the standing boy, he takes his
station at the wall. If not, he takes his stand behind the two stooping
boys. The game goes on till a boy “crowns” the one standing at the
wall.—Banchory (Rev. W. Gregor).
See “Saddle the Nag.”
Skipping
Strutt says (_Sports_, p. 383), “This amusement is probably very
ancient. Boys often contend for superiority of skill in this game, and
he who passes the rope about most times without interruption is the
conqueror. In the hop season a hop-stem, stripped of its leaves, is used
instead of a rope, and, in my opinion, it is preferable.” On Good Friday
on Brighton beach the fisher folk used to play at skipping, six to ten
grown-up people skipping at one rope.
Apart from the ordinary, and probably later way of playing, by one child
holding a rope in both hands, turning it over the head, and either
stepping over it while running, or standing still and jumping until the
feet catch the rope and a trip is made, skipping appears to be performed
in two ways, jumping or stepping across with (1) more or less
complicated movements of the rope and feet, and (2) the ordinary jumping
over a turned rope while chanting rhymes, for the purpose of deciding
whether the players are to be married or single, occupation of future
husband, &c.
Of the first class of game there are the following variants:—
“Pepper, salt, mustard, cider, vinegar.”—Two girls turn the rope slowly
at first, repeating the above words, then they turn it as quickly as
possible until the skipper is tired out, or trips.
“Rock the Cradle.”—In this the holders of the rope do not throw it
completely over, but swing it from side to side with an even motion like
the swinging of the pendulum of a clock.
“Chase the Fox.”—One girl is chosen as a leader, or fox. The first runs
through the rope, as it is turned towards her, without skipping; the
others all follow her; then she runs through from the other side as the
rope is turned from her, and the others follow. Then she runs in and
jumps or skips once, and the others follow suit; then she skips twice
and runs out, then three times, the others all following in turn until
one trips or fails. The first one to do this takes the place of one of
the turners, the turner taking her place as one of the skippers.
“Visiting.”—One girl turns the rope over herself, and another jumps in
and faces her, while skipping in time with the girl she visits. She then
runs out again without stopping the rope, and another girl runs in.
“Begging.”—Two girls turn, and two others run and skip together side by
side. While still skipping they change places; one says, as she passes,
“Give me some bread and butter;” the other answering, “Try my next door
neighbour.” This is continued until one trips.
“Winding the Clock.”—Two turn the rope, and the skipper counts one, two,
three, up to twelve, turning round each time she jumps or skips.
“Baking Bread.”—Two girls turn, and another runs in with a stone in her
hand, which she puts down on the ground, and picks up again while
skipping.
“The Ladder.”—The girls run in to skip, first on one foot and then the
other, with a stepping motion.
Two other games are as follows:—(1.) Two ropes are used, and a girl
holds either end in each hand, turning them alternately; the skipper has
to jump or skip over each in turn. When the rope is turned inwards, it
is called “double dutch,” when turned outwards, “French dutch.” (2.) The
skipper has a short rope which she turns over herself, while two other
girls turn a longer rope over her head.
The second class of games consists of those cases where the skipping is
accompanied by rhymes, and is used for the purpose of foretelling the
future destiny of the skipper. These rhymes are as follows (all
collected by Miss Chase):—
Ipsey, Pipsey, tell me true
Who shall I be married to?
A, B, C, &c.
Letters—initial of one to whom you’ll be married.—Hurstmonceux, Sussex.
Half pound tuppeny rice,
Half a pound of treacle,
Penny ’orth of spice
To make it nice,
Pop goes the weazle.
—Crockham Hill, Kent.
When I was young and able,
I sat upon the table;
The table broke,
And gave me a poke,
When I was young and able.
[The children now add that when singing
Pass the baker,[8]
Cook the tater,
is the full couplet.]—Deptford.
Every morning at eight o’clock,
You all may hear the postman’s knock.
1, 2, 3, 4. There goes “Polly.”
Girl named running out, and another girl running in
directly.—Marylebone.
Up and down the ladder wall,
Ha’penny loaf to feed us all;
A bit for you, and a bit for me,
And a bit for Punch and Judy.
—Paddington Green.
As they run thus, each calls in turn, “Red, yellow, blue, white.” Where
you are tripped, the colour stopped on marks that of your wedding
gown.—Deptford.
Each of the two girls turning the rope takes a colour, and as the line
of children run through, they guess by shouting, “Red?” “Green?” When
wrong nothing happens; they take the place of turner, however, if they
hit upon her colour. Another way is to call it “Sweet stuff shop,” or
“green grocers,” and guess various candies and fruits until they choose
right.—Deptford.
When several girls start running in to skip, they say,
“All in, a bottle of gin,”
and as they leave at a dash, they cry—
“All out, a bottle of stout.”
While “in” jumping, the turners time the skippers’ movements by a sing
song.
Up and down the city wall,
Ha’penny loaf to feed us all;
I buy milk, you buy flour,
You shall have _pepper_ in half an hour.
—Deptford.
At pepper turn swiftly.
Up and down the ladder wall,
Penny loaf to feed us all;
A bit for you, and a bit for me,
And a bit for all the familee.
—Marylebone.
Up and down the city wall,
In and out “The Eagle,”
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop goes the weazel.
—From “A London Maid.”
Dancing Dolly had no sense,
For to fiddle for eighteenpence;
All the tunes that she could play,
Were “Sally get out of the donkey’s way.”
—Deptford.
My mother said
That the rope must go
Over my head.
—Deptford.
Andy Pandy,
Sugardy candy,
French almond
Rock.
—Deptford.
B-L-E-S-S-I-N-G.
Roses red, roses white,
Roses in my garden;
I would not part
With my sweetheart
For tuppence hapenny farthing.
A, B, C, &c., to X, Y, Z.—Deptford.
Knife and fork,
Lay the cloth,[9]
Don’t forget the salt,
Mustard, vinegar,
Pepper!
—Deptford.
They sometimes make a girl skip back and forth the long way of the rope,
using this dialogue—
Girl skipping.—“Father, give me the key.”
Father.—“Go to your mother.”
Girl jumping in opposite direction.—“Mother, give me the key.”
Mother.—“Go to your father.”
Lady, lady, drop your handkerchief,
Lady, lady, pick it up.
Suiting action to the words, still skipping.
Rhyme to time the jumps—
Cups and saucers,
Plates and dishes,
My old man wears
Calico breeches.
[8] To change from left to right side, crossing a second skipper, is
called “Pass the Baker.”
[9] In Marylebone add here, “Bring me up a leg of pork.”
Skyte the Bob
This game might be played by two, three, or more. A small stone of a
squarish form, called the “bob,” was placed on a level piece of ground.
On this stone each player placed an old button, for buttons were the
stakes. A point was fixed several yards from the stone, and a line was
drawn. Along this line, “the stance,” the players took their stand, each
holding in his hand a small flat stone named “the pitcher.” This stone
was thrown so as to strike “the bob” and make the buttons fall on “the
pitcher,” or nearer it than “the bob.” The button or buttons that lay
nearer “the pitcher” than “the bob” fell to the lot of the player. The
second player did the same, but he had to guard against driving any of
the buttons nearer the first player’s stone. If a button was nearer his
stone than “the bob,” or the first player’s stone, he claimed it. The
third player followed the same course if all the buttons had not been
won by the two players. If the buttons were not all won at the first
throw, the first player had a second chance, and so on till all the
buttons were won. If two played, if each won a button, they alternately
began, but if one gained the two buttons, the other began. When three
played, if one had two for his share he played last in the following
game, and the one that had nothing played first. If the players, when
three played, were experts, the one whose lot it was to play second, who
was called the “poust,” lost heavily, and to be “pousted” was always
looked upon as a misfortune, for the reason that the first player often
by the first throw gained the whole stake, and then in the following
game the last player became the first, and the gainer in the foregoing
game became the last. If this player carried off the whole stake, he in
the next game took the last place, and the last took the first, and so
between the two good players the “poust” had no chance.—Aberdeenshire
(Rev. W. Gregor).—See “Buttons.”
Smuggle the Gig
Mr. Ballantyne describes the game as played in his young days at Biggar
as follows:—Two boys would each select his own side. “First pick” was
decided by lot. A third boy took two straws, one shorter than the other,
and held them between his finger and thumb in such a way that only
equal lengths were visible. Each leader drew a straw. The one who drew
the longest had “first pick” of all the intended players, the other
leader had the next; alternate choice was then made by them until both
sides were complete, and were ranged by their leaders. Then lots were
again drawn as to which side should go out first. The side going out had
to show the Gig; anything easily carried in the hand sufficed. The
“outs” went out from the den twenty or thirty yards, sometimes round the
end of a house, to “smuggle the Gig”—that is, to give one of their
number the Gig to carry, care being taken that the “ins” did not know
who had it. During this time the leader of the ins called “out” in a
loud voice—
Zimerie, twaerie, hickeri seeven,
Aucherie, daucherie, ten and eleven;
Twall ran musha dan
Tweedledum, twadledum, twenty-one. Time’s up!
Outs had all to appear by “Ready” when the chase began. Boundary limits
were fixed, beyond which outs could not run and ins could not stand,
within a fixed distance of the den. This den was a place marked by a
mark or rut in the ground, about four feet by six feet. The outs
endeavoured (particularly the one carrying the Gig) to get into the den
before any one could catch and “crown” him. The pursued, when caught,
was held by the pursuer, his cap taken off, and the palm of the hand was
placed on the crown of his head. As he did so the pursuer would say,
“Deliver up the Gig.” If he had it not, the pursuer went off after
another player. If he had the Gig, and succeeded in getting into the den
without being “crowned,” outs won the game; but if the Gig was caught
and “crowned,” ins won.
At Fraserburgh the players are divided equally. A spot is marked off,
called the Nestie. Any small object known to all is chosen as the Gig.
One half of the players receive the Gig and retire, so as not to be seen
distinctly by the other half that remains in and near the Nestie. The
Gig is concealed on the person of one of the players that retire. When
everything is ready those having the Gig move towards the Nestie, and
those in the Nestie come to meet them. The aim is to catch the player
who has the Gig before reaching the Nestie. If this is done the same
players again hide the Gig, but if the Gig is discovered, the players
discovering it now hide it.
At Old Aberdeen sides are chosen, then a small article (such as a knife)
is made the _gig_. Then one side, determined by a toss, goes out and
smuggles the gig and cries out, “Smuggle the gig.” Then the other side
rushes in and tries to catch the one that has the “gig.” If the one that
has the gig is free, the same side goes out again.—Rev. W. Gregor.
See “Gegg.”
Snail Creep
In Mid-Cornwall, in the second week of June, at St. Roche, and in one or
two adjacent parishes, a curious dance is performed at their annual
“feasts.” It enjoys the rather undignified name of “Snail Creep,” but
would be more properly called the “Serpent’s Coil.” The following is
scarcely a perfect description of it:—“The young people being all
assembled in a large meadow, the village band strikes up a simple but
lively air and marches forward, followed by the whole assemblage,
leading hand-in-hand (or more closely linked in case of engaged
couples), the whole keeping time to the tune with a lively step. The
band, or head of the serpent, keeps marching in an ever-narrowing
circle, whilst its train of dancing followers becomes coiled around it
in circle after circle. It is now that the most interesting part of the
dance commences, for the band, taking a sharp turn about, begins to
retrace the circle, still followed as before, and a number of young men,
with long leafy branches in their hands as standards, direct this
counter movement with almost military precision.”—W. C. Wade (_Western
Antiquary_, April 1881).
A game similar to the above dance is often played by Sunday school
children in West Cornwall, at their out-of-door summer treats, called by
them “Roll tobacco.” They join hands in one long line, the taller
children at their head. The first child stands still, whilst the others
in ever-narrowing circles dance around singing until they are coiled
into a tight mass. The outer coil then wheels sharply in a contrary
direction, followed by the remainder, retracing their steps.—Courtney’s
_Cornish Feasts and Folk-lore_, p. 39. A Scottish game, “Row Chow
Tobacco,” described by Jamieson, is played in the same way, the boy at
the extremity being called the “Pin.” A clamorous noise succeeds
the “winding up,” the players crying out “Row Chow Tobacco” while
giving and receiving the fraternal hug. The words are pronounced
Rowity-chowity-bacco. The naming of this game in connection with tobacco
is curious. It is undoubtedly the same as “Snail Creep.” I am inclined
to think that all these games are connected with an ancient form of
Tree-worship, and that the analogy of tobacco-rolling is quite modern.
See “Bulliheisle,” “Eller Tree,” “Tuilyie-waps,” “Wind up the Bush
Faggot.”
Snapping Tongs
See “Musical Chairs.”
Snatch Apple
A game similar to “Bob Cherry,” but played with an apple.—Halliwell’s
_Dictionary_.
Snatch Hood
An undescribed boy’s game mentioned in a statute of Edward III.’s
time.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Soldier
I am an old soldier, I come from the war,
Come from the war;
I am an old soldier, I come from the war,
And my age it is sixty-and-three.
I have but one son and he lies alone, lies alone,
I have but one son and he lies alone;
And he’s still making moan for lying alone.
Son, go choose a wife of your own,
Choose a good one or else choose none,
Or bring none home to me.
Now they’re got married, they’re bound to obey,
Bound to obey in every degree;
And as you go round kiss all but me.
—Belfast, Ireland (W. H. Patterson).
The players form a ring and sing the first three verses. Then one of the
players chooses a girl from the ring. The first three verses are again
sung until the whole ring is arranged in couples; then the first couple
kneels in the middle, and the rest dance round them singing the marriage
formula; then the second couple, and so on, each couple kissing.
Solomon
The players knelt in a line; the one at the head, in a very solemn tone,
chaunted, “Solomon had a great dog;” the others answered in the same
way, “Just so” (this was always the refrain). Then the first speaker
made two or three more ridiculous speeches, ending with, “And at last
this great dog died, and fell down,” giving at the same time a violent
lurch against his next neighbour, who, not expecting it, fell against
his, and so on, to the end of the line.—Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_,
v. 50).
See “Obadiah,” “Quaker’s Wedding.”
Sort’em-billyort’em
A Lancashire game, very similar to “Hot Peas and Bacon.”—Halliwell’s
_Dictionary_.
Sow-in-the-Kirk
A large hole is made in the ground, surrounded by smaller ones,
according to the number of the players, every one of whom has a shintie,
or hooked stick. The middle hole is called the kirk. He who takes the
lead in the game is called the sow-driver. His object is to drive a
small piece of wood or bone, called the sow, into the large hole or
kirk; while that of his opponents, every one of whom keeps his shintie
in one of the smaller holes, is to frustrate his exertions by driving
back the sow. If he succeeds, either in knocking it into one of the
small holes, while one of his antagonists is in the act of striking it
back, he is released from the drudgery of being driver. In the latter
case, the person whose vacancy he has occupied takes the servile station
which he formerly held.—Lothian (Jamieson). This is said to be the same
game with “Church and Mice” in Fife. Jamieson’s description is not very
lucid. It appears that each player must hold his shintie with its end in
his hole, and it is only when he takes it out to prevent the sow-driver
getting his sow into or towards the kirk, that the sow-driver has the
chance of putting the sow into the player’s hole, and so causing that
player to take the place of sow-driver.
See “Kirk the Gussie.”
Span Counter
A common game among boys. “You shall finde me playing at Span
Counter.”—Dekker’s _Northward Hoe_. Toone, _Etymological Dictionary_,
mentions this as a juvenile game played with counters.
Boys shall not play
At span counter or blow pipe.
—Donne (_Satire_ iv.).
Dr. Grosart, in noting this passage, says, “I rather think the game is
still played by boys when they directly, or by rebound, endeavour to
play their button or marble into a hole.” Strutt briefly notes the game
as being similar to “Boss Out.”—_Sports_, p. 384. Halliwell
(_Dictionary_) simply gives the quotation from Donne’s Poems, p. 131,
mentioning the game.
See “Boss Out.”
Spang and Purley
A mode resorted to by boys of measuring distances, particularly at the
game of marbles. It means a space and something more.—Brockett’s _North
Country Words_.
Spangie
A game played by boys with marbles or halfpence. A marble or halfpenny
is struck against the wall. If the second player can bring his so near
that of his antagonist as to include both within a _span_, he claims
both as his.—Jamieson.
This is the same game as “Banger,” “Boss Out.” Probably the Old English
game of “Span Counter,” or “Span Farthing,” was originally the same.—See
Johnson’s _Dictionary_.
Spannims
A game at marbles played in the eastern parts of England.—Halliwell’s
_Dictionary_.
Spawnie
The same game as “Spangie.”—Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).
Spinny-Wye
The name of a game among children at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I suspect this
is nearly the same with “Hide and Seek.” “I spye” is the usual
exclamation at a childish game called “Hie, spy, hie.”—Brand, ii. 442.
Splints
A game at marbles, in which they are dropped from the hand in
heaps.—Easther’s _Almondbury Glossary_.
Spurn point
An old game (undescribed) mentioned in the play _Apollo Shroving_,
London, 1627, p. 49.
Spy-arm
A game of Hide-and-Seek, with this difference, that when those are found
who are hid the finder cries Spy-arm; and if the one discovered can
catch the discoverer, he has a ride upon his back to the
dools.—Mactaggart’s _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_.
See “Hide and Seek” (1).
Stacks
A stack in the centre of the stackyard was selected, and round a part of
one side a rut was marked in the earth usually by the toe-bit of the
ploughman’s boot. This enclosure, not over four feet wide at the
broadest part, was called the den. One of the players, selected to be
the catcher, stood within this den, and when all the players were ready
turned his face to the stack, and counted out loud the numerals from one
to twenty, the last with a great shout. During the count the players ran
round the stacks out of sight, but no hiding nor leaving the stackyard,
this was “not fair.” When twenty was heard one would shout back “Ready!”
Then out came the catcher. He was not permitted to stand in or near the
den, but went out among the stacks and caught as many players as he
could before they reached the den. The great aim of those “out” was to
get into the den unseen and untouched. If all the players got in, then
the catcher had to try again; but when all were caught (which was seldom
or never), the last one caught was catcher for the next game. When one
player was touched by the catcher he or she had to remain in the den
till the rest were all in.—Biggar (Wm. Ballantyne).
Mr. Ballantyne says, “This game usually ended in a promiscuous
‘catching’ and ‘touching’ game, each lad trying to catch the lass he
liked best, and some lads, for the fun of the thing, would try and get a
particular girl first, her wishes and will not being considered in the
matter; and it seemed to be an unwritten law among them for the lass to
‘gang wi’ the lad that catched her first,’ yet I have known lassies take
this opportunity to favour the lad they preferred. It was the correct
thing for the people to visit each other’s farms in rotation to play
‘the stacks.’” This game was played when all the crops of grain were in
the stackyard under thack and rape (?nape). Then it was customary for
the servant lads and lasses of neighbours’ “ferm toons” to gather
together and play at this game. Mr. Ballantyne considers it was the
third of three festivals formerly held at the ingathering of the crops.
See “Barley Break.”
Stag
A boys’ game. One boy issues forth and tries to “tig” another,
previously saying this nominy, or the first two lines—
Stag, stag arony,
Ma’ dog’s bony,
Them ’at Aw catch
’Ill ha’ to go wi’ me.
When one boy is tigged (or “tug”) the two issue forth hand in hand, and
when more, all hand in hand. The other players have the privilege of
breaking the chain, and if they succeed the parties forming it are
liable to be ridden back to the den. At Lepton, where the game was
publicly played, the boundaries were “Billy tour end, Penny Haas end,
and I’ Horsin step.” So played in 1810, and is still.—Easther’s
_Almondbury Glossary_.
In the Sheffield district it is called “Rag Stag,” and is usually
played in the playground, or yard, attached to a school. Any number can
play. A place is chalked out in a corner or angle formed by the walls or
hedges surrounding the playground. This is called the den, and a boy
stands within the den. Sometimes the den is formed by chalking an area
out upon a footpath, as in the game of “Bedlams.” The boy in the den
walks or runs out, crying, “Rag-stag, jinny I over, catching,” and
having said this he attempts to catch one of the boys in the playground
who have agreed to play the game. Having caught him he takes him back
into the den. When they have got into the den they run out hand-in-hand,
one of them crying, “Rag-stag, jinny I over, touching,” whilst the other
immediately afterwards calls out, “Rag-stag, jinny I over, catching.”
They must keep hold of each other’s hands, and whilst doing so the one
who cried out “Touching” attempts to touch one of the boys in the
playground, whilst the one who cried “Catching” attempts to catch one of
such boys. If a boy is caught or touched, the two boys who came out of
the den, together with their prisoner, run back as quickly as possible
into the den, with their hands separated. If whilst they are running
back into the den any boy in the playground can catch any one of the
three who are running back, he jumps on his back and rides as far as the
den, but he must take care not to ride too far, for when the boys who
are already caught enter the den they can seize their riders, and pull
them into the den. In this case the riders too are caught. The process
is repeated until all are caught.—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
Another name for the game is “Stag-out.” One player is Stag, and has a
place marked out for his bounds. He stands inside, and then rushes out
with his hands clasped together, and endeavours to touch one of the
other players, which being accomplished, he has the privilege of riding
on the boy’s back to his bounds again.—_Book of Sports._ In a London
version the hands were held above the head, and joined by interlacing
the thumbs, the fingers being outspread, the boy had to touch another
while in this position.
In Shropshire it is called “Stag-warning.” One boy is chosen Stag; he
runs about the playground with his clasped hands held palms together in
front of him, trying to tick (= touch) others. Each whom he touches
joins hands with him, and they run together in an ever-lengthening
chain, sweeping the playground from end to end, the boys at each end of
the chain “ticking” others with their disengaged hands, till all are
caught but one, who becomes the next “Stag.” The Stag gives notice of
his start by exclaiming—
Stag-warning, stag-warning,
Come out to-morrow morning!
—Shrewsbury.
Stag a-rag a-rorning
Very frosty morning!
What I cannot catch to-night I’ll catch to-morrow morning!
—Chirbury (Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 523).
The game is mentioned by Mr. Patterson in his _Antrim and Down
Glossary_. Northall’s _English Folk Rhymes_, p. 392, gives a
Warwickshire and Staffordshire version, in which the first player
“ticked” or “tagged” becomes Stag when the first game is concluded, all
having been caught. The words used are—
Stag aloney,
My long poney,
Kick the bucket over.
Halliwell (_Dictionary_) also describes the game, and indicates its
origin. The boy chosen for the game clasps his hands together, and,
holding them out, threatens his companions as though pursuing them with
horns, and a chase ensues in which the Stag endeavours to strike one of
them, who then becomes Stag in his turn. Unfortunately, Halliwell does
not, in this instance, give his authority, but if it is taken from the
players themselves, it is a sufficient account of the origin of the
game, apart from the evidence of the name. All this group of games is
evidently to be traced to one original, though in different places the
detail of the game has developed somewhat differently. It evidently
comes down from the time when stags were hunted not so much for sport as
for food.
See “Chickidy Hand,” “Hornie,” “Hunt the Stagie,” “Shepherds,”
“Warney.”
Stagging
A man’s game. Two men have their ankles tied together and their wrists
tied behind their backs. They then try to knock each other
down.—Patterson’s _Antrim Glossary_.
See “Hirtschin Hairy.”
Steal the Pigs
The game represents the stealing of a woman’s children and the recovery
of them. The mother, before beginning to wash, disposes of her children
in a safe place. She proceeds to do her washing. While she is busy a
child-snatcher comes and takes away one. The others begin to cry. The
mother hears them crying. She goes and asks the reason of their crying,
and is told that a woman came and took away one of them. She scolds and
beats them all; tells them to be more careful for the time to come, and
returns to her washing. Again the children cry, and the mother goes to
see what is the matter with them, and is told the same thing. She
repeats her admonition and bodily correction, and returns to her work.
This process is repeated till all the children are stolen. After
finishing her washing, she goes to her children and finds the last one
gone. She sets out in search of them, and meets a woman whom she
questions if she had seen her children. She denies all knowledge of
them. The mother persists, and at last discovers all her stolen
children. She demands them back. The stealer refuses, and puts them
behind her and stands on her defence. A tussel takes place. The mother
in the long run rescues her children.—Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).
See “Mother, Mother, Pot boils over,” “Witch.”
Stealy Clothes
See “Scots and English.”
Steik and Hide
The game of Hide and Seek.—Aberdeen (Jamieson).
Sticky-stack
A game among young people in running up the face or cut part of a
hay-stack to try who can put in a stick the highest.—Brockett’s _North
Country Words_.
Sticky Toffey
Name of a game (undescribed) recorded by the Rev. S. D. Headlam, as
played by Hoxton School children at Hoxton.—_Church Reformer_, 1894.
Stiff Police
A game (undescribed) recorded by the Rev. S. D. Headlam, as played by
Hoxton School children.—_Church Reformer_, 1894.
Stik-n Snael (Stick and Snell)
Game of cat.—Elworthy, _West Somerset Words_. The short stick, pointed
at both ends, is called a snell.
Stocks
A schoolboys’ game. Two boys pick a side, and there is one den only, and
they toss to see which side shall keep it. The side which wins the toss
then goes out, and when two boys have got a good distance off they cry
“Stocks.” The boys who keep the den run after them to catch them. When
one is caught his capturer counts ten while he holds him (in a more
primitive but less refined state, spat over his head) and cries
_Stocks_. This prisoner is taken into the den. If they are all caught
the other side turns out. But if one of the outer side can manage to run
through the den and cry “Stocks,” all the prisoners are relieved, and
can go out again.—Easther’s _Almondbury Glossary_. See “Stacks.”
Stones
A circle of stones is formed according to the number of players,
generally five or seven each side. One of the out party stands in the
centre of the circle, and lobs at the different stones in rotation; each
hit a player gives all his side must change stations, in some places
going round to the left and in others to the right. The stones are
defended by the hand or a stick, according as a ball or stick is lobbed.
All the players are out if the stone is hit, or the ball or stick
caught, or one of the players is hit while running. In different
counties or places these games are more or less modified.—Dublin,
_Folk-lore Journal_, ii. 264-265.
Mr. Kinahan, who describes this game, adds a very instructive note,
which is worth quoting:—
“These games I have seen played over half a century ago, with a
lob-stick, but of later years with a ball, long before a cricket club
existed, in Trinity College, Dublin, and when the game was quite unknown
in a great part of Ireland. At the same time, they may have been
introduced by some of the earlier settlers, and afterwards degenerated
into the games mentioned above; but I would be inclined to suspect that
the Irish are the primitive games, they having since been improved into
cricket. At the present day these games nearly everywhere are succeeded
by cricket, but often of a very primitive form, the wickets being stones
set on end, or a pillar of stones; while the ball is often wooden, and
very rudely formed.”
Stool-ball
The first mention of this game is by Smyth in his _Berkeley
Manuscripts_. In the reign of Elizabeth, the Earl of Leicester, with an
extraordinary number of attendants and multitudes of country people, and
“whom my neighbours parallel to Bartholomew faire in London, came to
Wotton, and thence to Michaelwood Lodge, castinge down part of the
pales, which like a little park then enclosed the Lodge (for the gates
were too narrow to let in his Trayne), and thence went to Wotton Hill,
where hee plaid a match at stoball.”—_Gloucestershire County Folk-lore_,
p. 26.
The earliest description of the game, however, is by Aubrey. He says “it
is peculiar to North Wilts, North Gloucestershire, and a little part of
Somerset near Bath. They smite a ball, stuffed very hard with quills and
covered with soale leather, with a staffe, commonly made of withy, about
three feet and a half long. Colerne down is the place so famous and so
frequented for stobball playing. The turfe is very fine and the rock
(freestone) is within an inch and a halfe of the surface which gives the
ball so quick a rebound. A stobball ball is of about four inches
diameter and as hard as a stone. I do not heare that this game is used
anywhere in England but in this part of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire
adjoining.” (Aubrey’s _Natural History of Wiltshire_, p. 117;
_Collections for North Wilts_, p. 77). It is no doubt the same game as
Stool-ball, which is alluded to by Herrick in 1648 (_Hesperides_), and
in Poor Robin’s Almanack for 1677 (see Halliwell’s _Dictionary_).
D’Urfey’s _Don Quixote_, written in 1694, alludes to it as follows:—
“Down in a vale, on a summer’s day,
All the lads and lasses met to be merry;
A match for kisses at stool-ball to play,
And for cakes and ale, and cider and perry.”
_Chorus;_
“Come all, great, small, short, tall—
Away to stool-ball.”
It is also alluded to in Poor Robin’s Almanack for 1740:
“Now milkmaids pails are deckt with flowers,
And men begin to drink in bowers,
The mackarels come up in shoals,
To fill the mouths of hungry souls;
Sweet sillabubs, and lip-lov’d tansey,
For William is prepared by Nancy.
Much time is wasted now away,
At pigeon-holes, and nine-pin play,
Whilst hob-nail Dick, and simpring Frances,
Trip it away in country dances;
At _stool-ball_ and at barley-break,
Wherewith they harmless pastime make.”
It is described by Strutt in _Sports and Pastimes_, p. 103, as a variety
of game more commonly known as “goff” or “bandy ball,” the paganica of
the Romans, who also stuffed their balls with feathers. According to Dr.
Johnson, the balls are driven from stool to stool, hence the name.
In spite of Aubrey’s opinion as to the limited range of this game, it
appears to have been pretty generally played. Thus, Roberts’ _Cambrian
Antiquities_ says, “Stool-ball, resembling cricket, except that no bats
are used and that a stool was substituted for the wicket, was in my
memory also a favourite game on holydays, but it is now seldom or ever
played. It generally began on Easter Eve” (p. 123). It was also an old
Sussex game. Mr. Parish’s account is that it was “similar in many
respects to cricket, played by females. It has lately been revived in
East Sussex by the establishment of stool-ball clubs in many villages.
The elevens go long distances to play their matches; they practise
regularly and frequently, display such perfection of fielding and
wicket-keeping as would put most amateur cricketers to shame. The rules
are printed and implicitly obeyed.”—Parish’s _Dictionary of Sussex
Dialect_.
Miss Edith Mendham says of the Sussex game, it is supposed to derive its
name from being played by milkmaids when they returned from milking.
Their stools were (I think) used as wickets, and the rules were as
follows:—
1. The wickets to be boards one foot square, mounted on a stake, which,
when fixed in the ground, must be four feet nine inches from the ground.
2. The wickets to be sixteen yards apart, the bowling crease to be eight
yards from the wicket.
3. The bowler to stand with one foot behind the crease, and in bowling
must neither jerk nor throw the ball.
4. The ball to be of that kind known as “Best Tennis,” No. 3.
5. The bats to be of wood, and made the same size and shape as
battledores.
6. The striker to be out if the ball when bowled hits the wicket, or if
the ball be caught in the _hands_ of any of the opposing side, or if in
running, preparing to run, or pretending to run, the ball be thrown or
touch the wicket before the striker reaches it, and the ball in all
cases must strike the face of the wicket, and in running the striker
must at each run strike the wicket with her bat.
7. There should be eleven players on each side.
8. Overs to consist of eight balls.
Miss F. Hagden, in her short History of Alfriston, Sussex, says, “In the
Jubilee year the game of stool-ball was revived and played in the Tye
field. The rules resemble those of cricket, but the wickets are square
boards on posts; the bowler stands in the centre of the pitch, the bats
used are round boards with a handle. The game in Alfriston seems now to
have died out again, but in many villages there are regular clubs for
the girls,” p. 43. It also appears to be a game among Lancashire
children to this day. A stool is used as a wicket, at which it is
attempted to throw the ball; a player stands near the stool, and using
his or her hand as a bat, wards off the blow. If the ball hits the stool
the thrower takes the place at wicket; or if the ball is caught the
catcher becomes the guardian of the stool. Stool-ball, like all ball
games, was usually played at Easter for tansy cakes. Mr. Newell (_Games
and Songs_) says this game is recorded by the second governor of
Massachusetts as being played under date of the second Christmas of the
colony.
See “Bittle-battle,” “Cricket,” “Stool-ball.”
Strik a Licht
A version of hide and seek. One player is chosen to be “it.” The other
players go away to a distance and “show a light,” to let “it” understand
they are ready. They then hide, and the first one found has to be “it”
in place of the previous seeker.—Aberdeen (Rev. W. Gregor).
See “Hide and Seek.”
Stroke
A game at marbles, where each player places a certain number on a line
and plays in turns from a distance mark called “scratch,” keeping such
as he may knock off.—Lowsley’s _Berkshire Glossary_.
Stroke Bias
Brome, in his _Travels over England_, 1700, p. 264, says: “The Kentish
men have a peculiar exercise, especially in the eastern parts, which is
nowhere else used in any other country, I believe, but their own; it is
called ‘Stroke Bias,’ and the manner of it is thus. In the summer time
one or two parishes convening make choice of twenty, and sometimes more,
of the best runners which they can cull out in their precincts, who send
a challenge to an equal number of racers within the liberties of two
other parishes, to meet them at a set day upon some neighbouring plain;
which challenge, if accepted, they repair to the place appointed,
whither also the county resort in great numbers to behold the match,
when having stripped themselves at the goal to their shirts and drawers,
they begin the course, every one bearing in his eye a particular man at
which he aims; but after several traverses and courses on both sides,
that side, whose legs are the nimblest to gain the first seven strokes
from their antagonists, carry the day and win the prize. Nor is this
game only appropriated to the men, but in some places the maids have
their set matches too, and are as vigorous and active to obtain a
victory.”
Sun and Moon
“A kinde of play wherein two companies of boyes holding hands all on a
rowe, doe pull with hard hold one another, till one be overcome.”—Quoted
by Halliwell (_Dictionary_), from _Thomasii Dictionarium_, London, 1644.
Sunday Night
I. Sunday night an’ Nancy, oh!
My delight and fancy, oh!
All the world that I should know
If I had a Katey, oh!
“He! ho! my Katey, oh!
My bonny, bonny Katey, oh!
All the world that I should keep
If I had a Katey, oh!”
—Liphook, Hants (Miss Fowler).
II. Sunday night and brandy, O!
My life and saying so,
My life and saying so,
Call upon me Annie, O!
I Annie, O!
Bonnie, bonnie Annie, O!
She’s the girl that I should like
If I had an Annie, O!
—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (H. Hardy).
(_b_) The children stand in a row with backs against a wall or fence,
whilst one stands out and stepping backwards and forwards to the tune
sings the first verse. Then she rushes to pick out one, taking her by
the hands and standing face to face with her, sings the other verse.
Then the two separate their hands, and standing side by side sing the
first verse over again, taking another girl from the row, and so on
again.
“Monday night,” or “Pimlico,” is the name of a singing game mentioned by
the Rev. S. D. Headlam, in _The Church Reformer_, as played by children
in the schools at Hoxton, which he says was accompanied by a kind of
chaunt of a very fascinating kind.
Sun Shines
The sun shines above and the sun shines below,
And a’ the lasses in this school is dying in love I know,
Especially (girl’s name) she’s beautiful and fair;
She’s awa wi’ (a boy’s name) for the curl o’s hair.
In comes (girl’s name) mother with the glass in her han’,
Says—My dearest daughter, I’m glad you’re gettin a man,
I’m glad you’re gettin a man and a cooper to trade,
And let a’ the world say he is a rovin’ blade.
—Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).
All sing to “especially,” boy chooses girl, and then the two whirl
round, and all sing to the end.
Sweer Tree
Two persons sit down feet to feet and catch a stick with their hands;
then whoever lifteth the other is the strongest.—Mactaggart’s
_Gallovidian Encyclopædia_.
Compare “Honey pots.”
Swinging
Rhymes were said or sung by children and young people when swinging.
They were of the same character, and in many instances the same as those
given in “See-saw” and “Shuttlefeather,” and were used formerly for
purposes of divination. The following extract, from the _Pall Mall
Gazette_ of Sept. 19th, 1895, seems to indicate an early notion
connected with swinging. It is taken from one of the articles in that
paper upon Jabez Balfour’s diary during his residence in the Argentine
Republic:—“On the 2nd November he (Balfour) mentions a curious Bolivian
custom on All Souls’ Day, when ‘they erect high swings, and old and
young swing all day long, in the hope that while they swing they may
approach the spirits of their departed friends as they fly from
Purgatory to Paradise.’ Two days later he adds: ‘I have to-day heard
another explanation of the Bolivian practice of swinging on All Souls’
Day. They swing as high as they can so as to reach the topmost branches
of the trees, and whenever they are thereby able to pull off a branch
they release a soul from Purgatory.’”—_Notes and Queries_, 8th series,
vi. 345. With this may be compared one of the methods and words used
while swinging which I remember playing, namely, that while swinging,
either in a room or garden, the object was to endeavour to touch either
a beam in the ceiling or the top branches of a tree, singing at the same
time a rhyme of which I only recollect this fragment:
One to earth and one to heaven,
And _this_ to carry my soul to heaven.
The last was said when the effort was made to touch the ceiling or tree
with the feet.—(A. B. Gomme.)
Miss Chase has sent me the following rhymes:
I went down the garden
And there I found a farth’ng;
I gave it to my mother
To buy a little brother;
The brother was so cross
I sat him on the horse;
The horse was so bandy
I gave him a drop (_or_ glass) of brandy;
The brandy was so strong
I set him on the pond;
The pond was so deep
I sent him off to sleep;
The sleep was so sound
I set him on the ground;
The ground was so flat
I set him on the cat;
The cat ran away
With the boy on his back;
And a good bounce [A great push here]
Over the high gate wall.
Said while swing stops itself:—
Die, pussy, die,
Shut your little eye,
When you wake,
Find a cake;
Die, pussy, die.
—Deptford.
Wingy, wongy,
Days are longy,
Cuckoo and the sparrow;
Little dog has lost his tail,
And he shall be hung to-morrow.
—Marylebone.
The Deptford version is practically the same as known in several parts
of the country, and Mr. Gerish has printed a Norfolk version in
_Folk-lore_ (vi. 202), which agrees down to the line “sent him off to
sleep,” and then finishes with—
With a heigh-ho!
Over the bowling green.
When they came to the “heigh-ho” a more energetic push than usual was
given to the occupant of the swing, who was then expected to vacate the
swing and allow another child a turn. Thus the rhyme served as an
allowance of time to each child.
An amusement of boys in Galloway is described as on the slack rope,
riding and shoving one another on the curve of the rope: they recite
this to the swings—
Shuggie show, druggie draw,
Haud the grip, ye canna fa’;
Haud the grup or down ye come,
And danceth on your braid bum.
—Mactaggart’s _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_.
Brockett (_North Country Words_) describes as a swing: a long rope
fastened at each end, and thrown over a beam, on which young persons
seat themselves and are swung backwards and forwards in the manner of a
pendulum.
See “Merritot.”
Tait
The Dorset game of “See-saw.”—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Teesty-Tosty
The blossoms of cowslips collected together tied in a globular form, and
used to toss to and fro for an amusement called “Teesty-Tosty,” or
simply sometimes “Tosty.”—Somerset (Holloway’s _Dict. of
Provincialisms_).
A writer in _Byegones_ for July 1890, p. 142, says, “Tuswball” means a
bunch. He gives the following rhyme, used when tossing the ball:—
Tuswball, tuswball, tell unto me
What my sweetheart’s name shall be.
Then repeating letters of the alphabet until the ball falls, and the
letter last called will indicate the sweetheart’s name.
See “Ball,” “Shuttlefeather,” “Trip Trout.”
Teter-cum-Tawter
The East Anglian game of “See-saw.”—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Tee-to-tum.
See “Totum.”
Thimble Ring
I come with my ringle jingles
Under my lady’s apron strings.
First comes summer, and then comes May,
The queen’s to be married on midsummer day.
Here she sits and here she stands,
As fair as a lily, as white as a swan;
A pair of green gloves to draw on her hands,
As ladies wear in Cumberland.
I’ve brought you three letters, so pray you read one,
I can’t read one unless I read all,
So pray, Miss Nancy, deliver them all.
—Sheffield (S. O. Addy).
A number of young men and women form themselves into an oval ring, and
one stands in the centre. A thimble is given to one of those who form
the ring, and it is passed round from one to another, so that nobody
knows who has it. Then the one who stands in the centre goes to the man
at the top of the oval ring and says, “My lady’s lost her gold ring.
Have you got it?” He answers “Me, sir? no, sir.” The one in the middle
says, “I think you lie, sir, but tell me who has got it.” Then he points
out the one who has the thimble, of which he takes possession, and then
says the above lines. Then the one who was found to have had the thimble
takes the place of the one inside the ring, and the game is repeated.
Halliwell gives a version of this game under the name of Diamond Ring
(_Nursery Rhymes_, p. 223), but the words used consist only of the
following lines:—
My lady’s lost her diamond ring,
I pitch upon you to find it.
In the two following games from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire there are no
words used in rhymes or couplets.
One child stands in the centre of a ring, which is formed by each member
clasping the wrist of his or her left hand neighbour with the left hand,
thus leaving the right hand free. A thimble is provided, and is held by
one of the players in the right hand. No circular movement is necessary,
but as the tune is sung, the right hand of each member is placed
alternately in that of their right and left hand neighbour, each
performing the action in a swinging style, as if they had to pass the
ring on, and in such a manner, that the one standing in the centre
cannot detect it. The thimble may be detained or passed on just as the
players think fit. The words are the following:—
The thimble is going,
I don’t know where.
Varied with
It’s first over here,
Or
It’s over there,
as the case may be, or rather may not be, in order to throw the victim
in the centre off the scent.—West Riding of Yorkshire (Miss Bush).
The players sit in a row or circle, with their hands held palm to palm
in their laps. The leader of the game takes a thimble, and going to
every member of the company in turn, pretends to slip it between their
fingers, or to hide it in their pinafores, saying as she does so—“I
bring you my lady’s thimble, you must hold it fast, and very fast
indeed.” Whereon each child thus addressed should assume an air of
triumph suitable to the possession of such a treasure. After the whole
party have gone through the farce of receiving the thimble, the girl who
carried it round calls a player from the circle to discover who holds
it. For every wrong guess a fine must be paid. When the searcher
discovers the thimble she begins a new round of the game by taking the
place of leader; and so on, till the accumulation of forfeits is
sufficient to afford amusement in “loosing the tines.” The game is
called “Lady’s Thimble.”—Lincoln, Scawby and Stixwould 76 years ago
(Miss M. Peacock).
The rhyme used in the Sheffield game is that used in “Queen Anne,” but
it appears to have no relevance to this game.
Thing done
A game described by Ben Jonson in his play of _Cynthia’s Revels_ (act
iv. scene 1). The passage is as follows:—
“PHANTASTE. Nay, we have another sport afore this, of ‘A thing done,
and who did it,’ &c.
“PHILANTIA. Ay, good Phantaste, let’s have that: distribute the
places.
“PHANTASTE. Why, I imagine A thing done; Hedon thinks who did it;
Maria, with what it was done; Anaides, where it was done; Argurion,
when it was done; Amorphus, for what cause was it done; you,
Philantia, what followed upon the doing of it; and this gentleman,
who would have done it better. . . .”
Gifford thinks that this sport was probably the diversion of the age,
and of the same stamp with our modern “Cross Purposes,” “Questions,” and
“Commands,” &c.
Thread the Needle
[Music]
—Miss Dendy.
[Music]
—Harpenden (Miss Lloyd).
I. Thread my grandmother’s needle!
Thread my grandmother’s needle!
Thread my grandmother’s needle!
Open your gates as wide as high,
And let King George and me go by.
It is so dark I cannot see
To thread my grandmother’s needle!
_Who stole the money-box?_
—London (Miss Dendy).
II. Open your gates as wide as I, [high?]
And let King George’s horses by;
For the night is dark and we cannot see,
But thread your long needle and sew.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
III. Thread the tailor’s needle,
The tailor’s blind, so he can’t see;
So open the gates as wide as wide,
And let King George and his lady pass by.
—Bocking, Essex (_Folk-lore Record_, iii. 170).
IV. Thread my grandmother’s needle,
Thread my grandmother’s needle;
It is too dark we cannot see
To thread my grandmother’s needle.
—Harpenden (Mrs. Lloyd).
V. Thread the needle,
Thread the needle,
Nine, nine, nine,
Let King George and I pass by.
—Liphook, Hants (Miss Fowler).
VI. Open the gates as wide as wide,
And let King George go through with his bride;
It is so dark, we cannot see
To threaddle the tailor’s needle.
—Parish _Dictionary of the Sussex Dialect_.
VII. Brother Jack, if ye were mine,
I would give you claret wine;
Claret wine’s gude and fine—
Through the needle-e’e, boys!
—_Blackwood’s Magazine_, August 1821.
VIII. Through the needle-e’e, boys,
One, two, three, boys.
—Ross-shire (Rev. W. Gregor).
IX. Hop my needle, burn my thread,
Come thread my needle, Jo-hey.
—Lincoln (C. C. Bell).
X. Come thread a long needle, come thread,
The eye is too little, the needle’s too big.
—Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss Edith Hollis).
XI. Thread the needle thro’ the skin,
Sometimes out and sometimes in.
—Warwickshire, Northall’s _Folk Rhymes_, 397.
XII. Open the gates as wide as the sky,
And let King George and his lady go by.
—Ellesmere, Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 321.
(_b._) The children stand in two long rows, each holding the hands of
the opposite child, the two last forming an arch. They sing the lines,
and while doing so the other children run under the raised arms. When
all have passed under, the first two hold up their hands, and so on
again and again, each pair in turn becoming the arch. Mrs. Lloyd
(Harpenden version) says the two first hold up a handkerchief, and the
children all run under, beginning with the last couple. In the London
version (Miss Dendy) the “last line is called out in quite different
tones from the rest of the rhyme. It is reported to have a most
startling effect.” The Warwickshire version is played differently. The
players, after passing under the clasped hands, all circle or wind round
one of their number, who stands still.
(_c._) In some cases the verse, “How many miles to Babylon?” is sung
before the verses for “Thread the needle,” and the reference made
(_ante_, vol. i., p. 238) to an old version seems to suggest the origin
of the game. This, at all events, goes far to prove that the central
idea of the game is not connected with the sewing needle, but with an
interesting dance movement, which is called by analogy, Thread the
needle. It is, however, impossible to say whether the verses of this
game are the fragments of an older and more lengthy original, which
included both the words of “How many miles to Babylon” and “Thread the
needle,” or whether these two were independent games, which have become
joined; but, on the whole, I am inclined to think that “Thread the
needle,” at all events, is an independent game, or the central idea of
an independent game, and one of some antiquity.
This game is well illustrated by custom. At Trowbridge, in Wilts, a
game, known as “Thread the needle,” used to be the favourite sport with
the lads and lasses on the evening of Shrove Tuesday festival. The vocal
accompaniment was always the following:—
Shrove Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, when Jack went to plough,
His mother made pancakes, she didn’t know how;
She tipped them, she tossed them, she made them so black,
She put so much pepper she poisoned poor Jack.
—_Notes and Queries_, 5th series, xi. p. 227.
At Bradford-on-Avon, as soon as the “pancake bell” rang at eleven A.M.,
the school children had holiday for the remainder of the day, and when
the factories closed for the night, at dusk the boys and girls of the
town would run through the streets in long strings playing “Thread the
needle,” and whooping and hallooing their best as they ran, and so
collecting all they could together by seven or eight o’clock, when they
would adjourn to the churchyard, where the old sexton had opened the
churchyard gates for them; the children would then join hands in a long
line until they encompassed the church; they then, with hands still
joined, would walk round the church three times; and when dismissed by
the old sexton, would return to their homes much pleased that they
“Clipped the Church,” and shouting similar lines to those said at
Trowbridge.
At South Petherton, in South Somerset, sixty or seventy years ago, it
was the practice of the young folk of both sexes to meet in or near the
market-place, and there commence “Threading the needle” through the
streets, collecting numbers as they went. When this method of recruiting
ceased to add to their ranks, they proceeded, still threading the
needle, to the church, which they tried to encircle with joined hands;
and then, whether successful or not, they returned to their respective
homes. Old people, who remember having taken part in the game, say that
it always commenced in the afternoon or evening of Shrove Tuesday,
“after having eaten of their pancakes.” In _Leicestershire County
Folk-lore_, p. 114, Mr. Billson records that it was formerly the custom
on Shrove Tuesday for the lads and lasses to meet in the gallery of the
Women’s Ward in Trinity Hospital to play at “Thread the Needle” and
similar games.
At Evesham the custom is still more distinctly connected with the game,
as the following quotation shows:—“One custom of the town is connected
with a sport called ‘Thread my needle,’ a game played here by the
children of the town throughout the various streets at sunset upon
Easter Monday, and at no other period throughout the year. The players
cry while elevating their arms arch-wise—
Open the gates as high as the sky,
And let Victoria’s troops pass by.”
—May’s _History of Evesham_, p. 319.
As all these customs occur in the early spring of the year, there is
reason to think that in this game we have a relic of the oldest sacred
dances, and it is at least a curious point that in two versions
(Bocking and Ellesmere) the Anglo-Saxon title of “Lady” is applied to
the Queen.
The writer in _Blackwood’s Magazine_, who quotes the rhymes as
“immemorial,” says: “Another game played by a number of children, with a
hold of one another, or ‘tickle tails,’ as it is technically called in
Scotland, is ‘Through the needle-e’e.’” Moor (_Suffolk Words and
Phrases_) mentions the game. Patterson (_Antrim and Down Glossary_)
gives it as “Thread the needle and sew.” Barnes (_Dorset Glossary_)
calls it “Dred the wold woman’s needle,” in which two children join
hands, and the last leads the train under the lifted arms of the first
two. Holloway (_Dictionary of Provincialisms_) says the children form a
ring, holding each other’s hands; then one lets go and passes under the
arms of two who still join hands, and the others all follow, holding
either by each other’s hands or by a part of their dress. “At
Ellesmere,” Miss Burne says, “this game was formerly called ‘Crew Duck.’
It now only survives among little girls, and is only played on a special
day.” It is alluded to in _Poor Robin’s Almanack_ for 1738: “The summer
quarter follows spring as close as girls do one another when playing at
Thread my needle; they tread upon each other’s heels.” Strutt calls this
“Threading the Taylor’s needle.” Newell (_Games of American Children_)
gives some verses, and describes it as played in America.
See “How many miles to Babylon,” “Through the Needle ’ee.”
Three Days’ Holidays
Two players hold up their joined hands, the rest pass under one by one,
repeating, “Three days’ holidays, three days’ holidays!” They pass under
a second time, all repeating, “Bumping day, bumping day!” when the two
leaders strike each player on the back in passing. The third time they
say, “Catch, catch, catch!” and the leaders catch the last in the train
between their arms. He has the choice of “strawberries or grapes,” and
is placed behind one of the leaders, according to his answer. When all
have been “caught,” the two parties pull against each other.—Berrington
(Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 522).
“Holidays,” says Miss Burne, “anciently consisted of three days, as at
Easter and Whitsuntide, which explains the words of this game;” and the
manorial work days were formerly three a week. See “Currants and
Raisins.”
Three Dukes
[Music]
—Madeley, Shropshire (Miss Burne).
[Music]
—Biggar, Lanarkshire (W. Ballantyne).
[Music]
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
[Music]
—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
I. Here come three dukes a-riding,
A-riding, a-riding;
Here come three dukes a-riding,
With a rancy, tancy, tay!
What is your good will, sirs?
Will, sirs? will, sirs?
What is your good will, sirs?
With a rancy, tancy, tay!
Our good will is to marry,
To marry, to marry;
Our good will is to marry,
With a rancy, tancy, tay!
Marry one of us, sirs,
Us, sirs, us, sirs;
Marry one of us, sirs,
With a rancy, tancy, tay!
You’re all too black and greasy [or dirty],
Greasy, greasy;
You’re all too black and greasy,
With a rancy, tancy, tay!
We’re good enough for you, sirs,
You, sirs, you, sirs;
We’re good enough for you, sirs,
With a rancy, tancy, tay!
You’re all as stiff as pokers,
Pokers, pokers;
You’re all as stiff as pokers,
With a rancy, tancy, tay!
We can bend as much as you, sirs,
You, sirs, you, sirs;
We can bend as much as you, sirs,
With a rancy, tancy, tay!
Through the kitchen and down the hall,
I choose the fairest of you all;
The fairest one that I can see
Is pretty Miss ——, walk with me.
—Madeley, Salop (Miss Burne), 1891.
[Another Shropshire version has for the fourth verse—
Which of us will you choose, sirs?
Or,
Will you marry one of my daughters?]
II. Here comes three dukes a-riding, a-riding,
With a ransome dansome day!
Pray what is your intent, sirs, intent, sirs?
With a ransome dansome day!
My intent is to marry, to marry!
Will you marry one of my daughters, my daughters?
You are as stiff as pokers, as pokers!
We can bend like you, sir, like you, sir!
You’re all too black and too blowsy, too blowsy,
For a dilly-dally officer!
Good enough for _you_, sir! for _you_, sir!
If I must have any, I will have this,
So come along, my pretty miss!
—Chirbury (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 517).
III. Here come three dukes a-riding,
A-riding, a-riding;
Here come three dukes a-riding,
With a rancy, tancy, tee!
Pray what is your good will, sirs?
Will, sirs, will, sirs?
Pray what is your good will, sirs?
With a rancy, tancy, tee!
My will is for to marry you,
To marry you, to marry you;
My will is for to marry you,
With a rancy, tancy, tee!
You’re all so black and blousey (blowsy?),
Sitting in the sun so drowsy;
With silver chains about ye,
With a rancy, tancy, tee!
Or,
[With golden chains about your necks,
Which makes you look so frowsy.]
Walk through the kitchen, and through the hall,
And pick the fairest of them all.
This is the fairest I can see,
So pray, Miss ——, walk with me.
—Leicester (Miss Ellis).
IV. Here come three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding,
Here come three dukes riding, riding, riding;
Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea (_sic_).
Pray what is your good will, sir, will, sir, will, sir?
Pray what is your good will, sir?
Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!
My will is for to marry, to marry, to marry,
My will is for to marry;
Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!
Pray who will you marry, you marry, you marry?
Pray who will you marry?
Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!
You’re all too black and too brown for me,
You’re all too black and too brown for me,
Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!
We’re quite as white as you, sir; as you, sir; as you, sir;
We’re quite as white as you, sir;
Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!
You are all as stiff as pokers, as pokers, as pokers,
You are all, &c.,
Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!
We can bend as well as you, sir; as you, sir; as you, sir;
We can bend as well as you, sir;
Ransam, tansam, tisum ma tea!
Go through the kitchen, and through the hall,
And take the fairest of them all;
The fairest one that I can see is “——,”
So come to me.
—Oxfordshire version, brought into Worcestershire (Miss Broadwood).
V. Here come three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding;
With a ransom, tansom, titty foll-la!
With a ransom, tansom, tay!
And pray what do you want, sirs? want, sirs? want, sirs?
With a ransom, tansom, titty foll-la!
With a ransom, tansom, tay!
I want a handsome wife, sir; wife, sir; wife, sir;
With a ransom, tansom, titty foll-la!
With a ransom, tansom, tay!
I have three daughters fair, sir; fair, sir; fair, sir;
With a ransom, tansom, titty foll-la!
With a ransom, tansom, tay!
They are all too black and too browny,
They sit in the sun so cloudy;
With a ransom, tansom, titty foll-la!
With a ransom, tansom, tay!
Go through my kitchen and my hall,
And find the fairest of them all;
With a ransom, tansom, titty foll-la!
With a ransom, tansom, tay!
The fairest one that I can see,
Is little —— ——, so come to me.
—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
VI. Here come three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding;
Here come three dukes a-riding, with a ransom, tansom, te!
Pray what is your intention, sir [repeat as above].
My intention is to marry, &c.
Which of us will you choose, sir, &c.
You’re all too black and too browsy, &c.
We’re good enough for you, sir, &c.
Through the kitchen and over the wall,
Pick the fairest of us all.
The fairest is that I can see, pretty Miss ——, come to me.
—East Kirkby, Lincolnshire (Miss K. Maughan).
VII. Here come three dukes a-riding,
A-riding, a-riding;
Here come three dukes a-riding,
With a dusty, dusty, die!
What do you want with us, sirs? [repeat as above].
We’ve come to choose a wife, Miss, &c.
Which one of us will you have, sirs? &c.
You’re all too black and too browsy,
You sit in the sun so drowsy;
With a golden chain about your neck,
You’re all too black and too browsy.
Quite good enough for you, sirs, &c.
We walk in our chamber,
We sit in our hall,
We choose the fairest of you all;
The fairest one that we can see
Is little —— ——, come to me.
—Wakefield, Yorks. (Miss Fowler).
VIII. Here come three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding,
Here come three dukes a-riding;
A randy, dandy, very fine day!
And pray what is your will, sirs? &c. [as above].
We come for one of your daughters, &c.
Which one will you have, sir? &c.
They are all as black as a browsie, browsie, browsie, &c.
One can knit, and one can sew,
One can make a lily-white bow;
One can make a bed for a king,
Please take one of my daughters in.
The fairest one that I can see
Is [ ], come to me.
—Gainford, co. Durham (Miss A. Edleston).
IX. Here comes a poor duke a-riding, a-riding,
Here comes a poor duke a-riding;
With the ransom, tansom, tee!
Pray who will you have to marry, sir? &c.
You’re all so black and so dirty, &c.
We are quite as clean as you, sir, &c.
Through the kitchen, and through the hall,
Pick the fairest one of all.
The fairest one that I can see
Is ——,
The fairest one that I can see,
With a ransom, tansom, tee!
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
X. Here comes one duke a-riding,
A-riding, a-riding;
Here comes one duke a-riding,
With a ransom, tansom, terrimus, hey!
What is your intention, sir? &c. [as above].
My intention is to marry, &c.
Marry one of us, sir? &c.
You’re all too black and dirty (or greasy), &c.
We’re good enough for you, sir, &c.
You’re all as stiff as pokers, &c.
We can bend as much as you, sir, &c.
Through the kitchen and through the hall,
I choose the fairest of you all;
The fairest one as I can see
Is pretty —— ——, come to me.
Now I’ve got my bonny lass,
Bonny lass, bonny lass;
Now I’ve got my bonny lass
To help us with our dancing.
—Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).
XI. Here comes one duke a-riding, a-riding, a-riding;
Here comes one duke a-riding
On a ransom, dansom bay!
You’re all so black and dirty, &c.
Pray which of us will you choose, sir, &c.
Up in the kitchen, down in the hall,
And choose the fairest one of all.
The fairest one that I can see
Is pretty Miss ——, so come to me.
—Bocking, Essex (_Folk-lore Record_, vol. iii., pt. ii., pp. 170-171).
XII. Here comes one duke a-riding, a-riding, a-riding,
Here comes one duke a-riding, with a ransom, tansom, ta!
Pray which of us will you choose, sir? &c.
You’re all so black and so blousey, &c.
We’re quite as white as you, sir, &c.
Up of the kitchen, down of the hall,
Pick the fairest girl of all;
The fairest one that I can see
Is —— ——, come to me.
—Suffolk (Mrs. Haddon).
XIII. Here comes the Duke of Rideo,
Of Rideo, of Rideo;
Here comes the Duke of Rideo,
Of a cold and frosty morning.
My will is for to get married, &c.
Will any of my fair daughters do? &c.
[The word “do” must be said in a drawling way.]
They are all too black or too proudy,
They sit in the sun so cloudy;
With golden chains around their necks,
That makes them look so proudy.
They’re good enough for you, sir! &c.
I’ll walk the kitchen and the hall,
And take the fairest of them all;
The fairest one that I can see
Is Miss ——
So Miss ——, come to me.
Now we’ve got this pretty girl,
This pretty girl, this pretty girl;
Now we’ve got this pretty girl,
Of a cold and frosty morning.
—Symondsbury, Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 222-223).
XIV. Here come three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding,
Here come three dukes a-riding;
With a ransom, tansom, tisamy, tea!
What is your good will, sirs? &c.
My good will is to marry, &c.
One of my fair daughters? &c.
You’re all too black and browsy, &c.
Quite as good as you, sirs, &c.
[The dukes select a girl who refuses to go to them.]
O, naughty maid! O, naughty maid!
You won’t come out to me!
You shall see a blackbird,
A blackbird and a swan;
You should see a nice young man
Persuading you to come.
—Wrotham, Kent (Miss Dora Kimball).
XV. Here comes a duke a-riding, a-riding, a-riding;
Here comes a duke a-riding, to my nancy, pancy, disimi, oh!
Which of us will you have, sir? &c.
You’re all so fat and greasy, &c.
We’re all as clean as you, sir, &c.
Come down to my kitchen, come down to my hall,
I’ll pick the finest of you all. The fairest is that girl
I shall say, “Come to me.”
I will buy a silk and satin dress, to trail a yard as we go
to church,
Madam, will you walk? madam, will you talk?
Madam, will you marry me?
I will buy you a gold watch and chain, to hang by your side
as we go to church;
Madam, will you walk? madam, will you talk?
Madam, will you marry me?
I will buy you the key of the house, to enter in when my
son’s out;
Madam, will you walk? madam, will you talk?
Madam, will you marry me?
—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (H. Hardy).
XVI. Here comes one duke a-riding,
With a rancey, tancey, tiddy boys, O!
Rancey, tancey, tay!
Pray which will you take of us, sir? &c.
You’re all as dark as gipsies, &c.
Quite good enough for you, &c.
Then we’ll take this one, &c.
[After all are taken, the dukes say]—
Now we’ve got this bonny bunch, &c.
—Hurstmonceux, Sussex, about 1880 (Miss E. Chase).
[A Devon variant gives for the third verse—
You are all too black and ugly, and ugly, and ugly.
And—
You are all too black and _browsie_, &c.
With the additional verse—
I walked through the kitchen,
I walked through the hall,
For the prettiest and fairest
Of you all.
Ending with—
Now I have got my bonny lass, &c.
And something like—
Will you come and dance with me?
—Devon (Miss E. Chase)].
XVII. Here comes a duke a-riding, a-riding, a-riding;
Here comes a duke a-riding to the ransy, tansy, tay!
Pray what do you come riding for? &c.
For one of your fairy [? fair] daughters, &c.
Will either one of these do? &c.
They’re all too black and too dirty, &c.
They’re quite as clean as you, sir, &c.
Suppose, then, I take you, Miss, &c.
—Clapham, London (Mrs. Herbertson).
[Another version is played by the duke announcing that he wants a wife.
The circle of maids and duke then reply to each other as follows:—
Open the door and let him in.
They’re all as stiff as pokers.
Quite as good as you, sir.
I suppose I must take one of them?
Not unless you like, sir.
I choose the fairest of you all,
The fairest one that I can see
Is ——, come to me.
—Clapham Middle-class Girls School (Mrs. Herbertson)].
XVIII. Here comes the duke a-riding,
With my rantum, tantum, tantum, tee!
Here comes the duke a-riding,
With my rantum, tantum, tee!
What does the duke a-riding want?
With his rantum, tantum, tantum, tee, &c.
The youngest and fairest daughter you’ve got, &c.
—Dublin (Mrs. Coffey).
XIX. Here comes a duke a-riding, a-riding, a-riding;
Here comes a duke a-riding, a ransom, tansom, tee!
What is your good will, sir, &c.
My will is for to marry, &c.
Will ever a one of us do? &c.
You’re all so black and so browsy.
You sit in the sun and get frowsy,
With golden chains about your necks,
You’re all so black and so browsy.
Quite as good as you, sir, &c.
[There is more of this, but it has been forgotten by my authority.]
—Thos. Baker, junr. (_Midland Garner_, N. S., ii. 32).
XX. Here comes a duke a-riding,
With a ransom, tansom, titta passee!
Here comes a duke a-riding,
With a ransom, tansom, tee!
Pray what is your good will, sir?
With a ransom, tansom, titta passee!
Pray what is your good will, sir?
With a ransom, tansom, tee!
My will is for to marry you (as above).
Pray which of us will you have, sir? &c.
Through the gardens and through the hall,
With a ransom, tansom, titta passee!
I choose the fairest of you all,
With a ransom, tansom, tee!
—Settle, Yorks. (Rev. W. G. Sykes).
XXI. There came three dukes a-riding, ride, ride, riding;
There came three dukes a-riding,
With a tinsy, tinsy, tee!
Come away, fair lady, there is no time to spare;
Let us dance, let us sing,
Let us join the wedding ring.
—West of Scotland (_Folk-lore Record_, iv. 174).
XXII. Here come three dukes a-riding,
A-riding, a-riding.
. . . . .
They will give you pots and pans,
They will give you brass;
They will give you pots and pans
For a pretty lass.
—Penzance, Cornwall (Mrs. Mabbott).
XXIII. Here come four dukes a-riding,
Ring a me, ding a me, ding.
What is your good will, sirs?
Ring a me, ding a me, ding.
Our good will’s to marry, &c.
Marry one of us then, &c.
You’re too poor and shabby, &c.
We’re quite as good as you are, &c.
Suppose we have one of you then, &c.
Which one will you have, &c.
We’ll have —— to marry, &c.
Who will you send to fetch her, &c.
We’ll send —— to fetch her.
—Roxton, St. Neots (Miss E. Lumley).
XXIV. Here come three dukes a-riding,
With me rancy, tansy, tissimy tee,
Here come three dukes a-riding,
With a ransom, tansom, tissimy tee.
Here come three dukes a-riding,
With a ransom, tansom, tissimy tee.
Pray which of us will you have, sir (repeat as above).
I think I will have this one (repeat).
. . . . .
[Forgotten, but the girls evidently decline to part with one of their
number.]
You are all too black and too blousy (repeat).
We’re far too good for you, sir (repeat).
—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore). Played at a Manx Vicarage nearly sixty years
ago (Rev. T. G. Brown).
XXV. Here comes a Jew a riding,
With the ransom, tansom, tissimi, O!
And pray what is your will, sir? (as above).
Then pray take one of my daughters, &c.
They are all too black and too browsy, &c.
They are good enough for you, sir, &c.
My house is lined with silver, &c.
But ours is lined with gold, sir, &c.
Then I’ll take one of your daughters, &c.
—Forest of Dean, Gloucester (Miss Matthews).
XXVI. The Campsie dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding;
The Campsie dukes a riding, come a rincey, dincey, dee.
—Biggar (Wm. Ballantyne).
XXVII. Five dukes comes here a-ridin’,
A-ridin’ fast one day;
Five dukes comes here a-riding,
With a hansom, dansom day.
What do you want with us, sirs,
With us, sirs, &c.
We want some wives to marry us,
To marry us, to marry us, &c.
Will you marry us, Miss Nancy,
Miss Nancy, Miss Nancy, &c.
We won’t marry you to-day, sirs, &c.
Will you marry us to-day, Miss? &c. (to another girl).
We will marry you to-day, sirs, &c.
—London, Regent’s Park (A. B. Gomme).
XXVIII. There’s three dukes a-riding, a-riding,
There’s three dukes a-riding,
Come a ransin, tansin, my gude wife.
Come a ransin, tansin te-dee,
Before I take my evening walk,
I’ll have a handsome lady,
The fairest one that I do see.
—Rosehearty, Pitsligo (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXIX. One duck comes a-ridin’, sir, a-ridin’, sir,
A-ridin’ to marry you.
And what do you want with me, sir?
I come to marry you two.
There’s some of us ready to dance, sir;
Ready to dance and sing;
There’s some of us ready to dance, sir,
And ready to marry you.
Then come to me, my darlin’, my darlin’, darlin’ day,
With a ransom, tansom, tansom, tansom tay.
—London, Regent’s Park (A. B. Gomme).
XXX. There’s a young man that wants a sweetheart—
Wants a sweetheart—wants a sweetheart—
There’s a young man that wants a sweetheart,
To the ransom tansom tidi-de-o.
Let him come out and choose his own,
Choose his own, choose his own;
Let him come out and choose his own,
To the ransom tansom tidi-de-o.
Will any of my fine daughters do, &c.
They are all too black and brawny,
They sit in the sun uncloudy,
With golden chains around their necks,
They are too black and brawny.
Quite good enough for you, sir! &c.
I’ll walk in the kitchen, and walk in the hall,
I’ll take the fairest among you all;
The fairest of all that I can see,
Is pretty Miss Watts, come out to me.
Will you come out?
Oh, no! oh, no!
Naughty Miss Watts she won’t come out,
She won’t come out, she won’t come out;
Naughty Miss Watts she won’t come out,
To help us in our dancing.
Won’t you come out?
Oh, yes! oh, yes!
—Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 223-224).
(_c._) Three children, generally boys, are chosen to represent the three
dukes. The rest of the players represent maidens. The three dukes stand
in line facing the maidens, who hold hands, and also stand in line.
Sufficient space is left between the two lines to admit of each line in
turn advancing and retiring. The three dukes commence by singing the
first verse, advancing and retiring in line while doing so. The line of
maidens then advances singing the second verse. The alternate verses
demanding and answering are thus sung. The maidens make curtseys and
look coquettishly at the dukes when singing the fourth verse, and draw
themselves up stiffly and indignantly when singing the sixth, bending
and bowing lowly at the eighth. The dukes look contemptuously and
criticisingly at the girls while singing the fifth and seventh verses;
at the ninth or last verse they “name” one of the girls, who then
crosses over and joins hands with them. The game then continues by all
four singing “Here come four dukes a-riding,” and goes on until all the
maidens are ranged on the dukes’ side.
This method of playing obtains in most versions of the game, though
there are variations and additions in some places. In the Bocking,
Barnes, Dublin, Hurstmonceux, Settle, Symondsbury, Sporle, Earls Heaton,
and Clapham versions, where the verses begin with “Here comes one Duke
a-riding,” one boy stands facing the girls, and sings the first verse
advancing and retiring with a dancing step, or with a step to imitate
riding. In some instances the “three Dukes” advance in this way. In the
Barnes version, when the chosen girl has walked over to the duke, he
takes her hands and dances round with her, while singing the tenth
verse. In the Symondsbury (Dorset) version the players stand in a group,
the duke standing opposite, and when singing the sixth verse, advances
to choose the girl. When there is only one player left on the maidens’
side the dukes all sing the seventh verse; they then come forward and
claim the last girl, and embrace her as soon as they get her over to
their side. In the Hurstmonceux version, when the girls are all on the
dukes’ side, they sing the last verse. Miss Chase does not say whether
this is accompanied by dancing round, but it probably would be. In the
Dublin version, after the third verse, the duke tries to carry off the
youngest girl, and her side try to save her. In the Wrotham version,
after the girls’ retort, “Quite as good, as you, sir,” the dukes select
a girl, who refuses to go to them: they then sing the last six lines
when the girl goes over. In the second Dorset version (which appeared in
the _Yarmouth Register_, Mass., 1874) the players consisted of a dozen
boys standing in line in the usual way, and a dozen girls on the
opposite side facing them. The boys sing the first two verses
alternately; the girl at first refuses and then consents to go. Dancing
round probably accompanies this, but there is no mention of it. In
Roxton, St. Neots, after the verses are sung, the duke and the selected
girl clasp hands, and he pulls her across to the opposite side, as in
“Nuts in May.” In Settle (Yorks.) the game is called “The Dukes of York
and Lancaster.” The first duke advances with a dancing step. The game is
then played in the usual way until all the players are ranged on the
dukes’ side; then the two original dukes, one of whom is “red” and the
other “white,” join hands, and the other players pass under their raised
hands. The dukes ask each of them, in a whisper, “red?” or “white?” The
player then goes behind the one he or she has chosen, clasping the
duke’s waist. When all the players have chosen, a tug-of-war ensues
between the two sides. In the Earls Heaton version, the duke sings the
verses, offering gifts to the girl when she has been selected. In the
Oxfordshire version (Miss Broadwood) one player sings the words of the
verse, and all join in the refrain as chorus. In the Monton (Lancashire)
version the duke sings the last verse, and then takes a girl from the
opposite side; and in another version from Barnes, in which the words of
the last verse are the same as these, one of the dukes’ side crosses
over and fetches the girl. The duke bows lowly before the chosen girl in
the Liphook version before she joins his side. In the East Kirkby,
Lincolnshire, version, when the dukes sing the last verse, they advance
towards the opposite side, who, when they see the direction in which
they are coming, form two arches, by three of the players holding up
their arms, the dukes’ side going through one arch and returning through
the other, bringing the chosen girl with them. One Clapham version is
played in a totally different manner: the maidens form a circle instead
of a line, and the duke stands outside this until he is admitted at the
line which says, “let him in.” At the conclusion of the dialogue he
breaks in and carries one player off. This is an unusual form; I have
only met with one other instance of it.
(_d._) The action in many of these versions is described as very
spirited: coquetry, contempt, and annoyance being all expressed in
action as the words of the game demands. The dancing movement of the
boys in the first verse to imitate riding, though belonging to the
earlier forms, is, with the exception of two or three versions, only
retained in those which are commenced by one player, partly, perhaps,
because of the difficulty three or more players experience in “riding”
or “prancing” while holding each other’s hands in line form. I have seen
the game played when the “prancing” of the dukes (in a game where there
were a dozen or more players on each side at starting, as in the Dorset
version) was as important a feature as the maidens’ actions in the other
verses. I think the oldest form of the game is that played by a fairly
equal number of players on each side, boys on one side and girls on the
other, rather than that of “one” or “three” players on the dukes’ side,
and all the others opposite. The game then began with the present words,
“Here come three dukes;” these three each chose a girl at the same time,
and when these three were wived, another three “dukes” would pair with
three more of the girls, and after that another three, and so on. This
form would account for the modern idea that the number of dukes
increases on every occasion that the verses are sung, after the first
wife has been taken over, and until all the girls have been thus chosen.
This idea is expressed in some versions by the change of words: “Here’s
a fourth [or fifth, and so on] duke come a riding” to take a wife, the
chosen maiden becoming a duke as soon as she has passed over on to the
dukes’ side. The process of innovation may be traced by the methods of
playing. Thus, in one version played at Barnes (similar in other
respects to No. 10), beginning “three dukes a riding,” _three_ girls
were chosen by the three first dukes, one by each, at the same time, and
all three girls walked across with the three dukes to the boys’ line,
and stood next their respective partners. In two imperfect versions I
have obtained in Regent’s Park, London, the same principle occurs. One
girl began—“One duck comes a ridin’,” and two girls from the opposite
side walked across; the other “Five dukes come here a ridin’” was
played by five players on each side, and this was continued throughout.
When the verses were said, each of the five dukes took a player from the
opposite side and danced round with her. Again, in those versions
(Symondsbury and Barnes), where when one player is left on the maidens’
side without a partner, and all the dukes are mated, the additional
verse is sung, and this player is taken over too. Beyond these versions
are the large number beginning with three or more children singing the
formula of “three dukes,” and choosing one girl at a time, until all are
taken over on to the dukes’ side. Finally, there are the versions, more
in accord with modern ideas, which commence with one duke coming for a
wife, and continue by the girls taken over counting as dukes, the
formula changing into two dukes, and so on.
If this correctly represents the line of decadence in this game, those
versions in which additional verses appear are, I think, instances of
the tacking on of verses from the “invitation to the dance” or “May”
games; particularly in the cases in which the words “Now I’ve got my
bonny lass” appear. The Earls Heaton version is curious, in that it has
several verses which remind us of the old and practically obsolete “Keys
of Canterbury” (Halliwell, 96). It may well be that a remembered
fragment of that old ballad, which was probably once danced as a
dramatic round, has been tacked on to this game. The expression “walk
with me,” or “walk abroad with me,” is significant of an engaged or
betrothed couple. “I’m walking or walking out with so and so” is still
an expression used by young men and young women to indicate an
engagement. “She did ought to be married now; she’ve walked wi’ him
mor’n’er a year now.” Some of the versions show still more marked signs
of decadence. The altered wording, “Here comes a Jew a riding,” “Here
comes the Duke of Rideo,” “A duck comes a ridin’,” and the Scotch
“Campsie Dukes a riding;” a Berkshire version, collected by Miss Thoyts
(_Antiquary_, xxvii. p. 195), similar to the Shropshire game, but with a
portion of the verse of “Milking Pails” added to it, and the refrain of
“Ransome, tansome, tismatee;” together with the disappearance of some
of the verses, are all evidently the results of the words being learnt
orally, and imperfectly understood, or not understood at all.
In this game, said in Lancashire to be the “oldest play of all,” judging
both by the words and method of playing, we have, I believe, a distinct
survival or remembrance of the tribal marriage—marriage at a period when
it was the custom for men of a clan to seek wives from the girls of
another clan, both clans belonging to one tribe. The game is a purely
marriage game, and marriage in a matter-of-fact way. Young men of a clan
or village arrive at the abode of another clan for the purpose of
seeking wives, probably at a feast or fair time. The maidens are
apparently ready and expecting their arrival. They are as willing to
become wives as the dukes are to become husbands. It is not marriage by
force or capture, though the triumphant carrying off of a wife appears
in some versions. It is exogamous marriage custom, after the tribe had
settled down and arranged their system of marriage in lieu of a former
more rude system of capture. The suggested depreciation of the girls,
and their saucy rejoinders, may be looked upon as so much good-humoured
chaff and banter exchanged between the two parties to enhance each
other’s value, and to display their wit. While it does not follow that
the respective parties were complete strangers to one another, these
lines may indicate that each individual wished “to have as good a look
round as possible” before accepting the offer made. It will be seen that
there is no mention of “love” in the game, nor is there any individual
courtship between boy and girl. The marriage formula does not appear,
nor is there any sign that a “ceremony” or “sanction” to conclude the
marriage was necessary, nor does kissing occur in the game.
There is evidence of the tribal marriage system in the survivals of
exogamy and marriage by capture occasionally to be noted in traditional
local custom. Thus the custom recorded by Chambers (_Book of Days_, i.
722) of the East Anglians (Suffolk), where whole parishes have
intermarried to such an extent that almost everybody is related to or
connected with everybody else, is distinctly a case in point, the
intermarrying of “parishes” for a long series of years necessarily
resulting in close inter-relationship. One curious effect of this is
that no one is counted as a “relation” beyond first cousins; for if
“relationship” went further than that it might “almost as well include
the whole parish.” The old proverb (also from East Anglia):
“To change the name, and not the letter,
Is a change for the worse, and not for the better;”
that is, it is unlucky for a woman to marry a man whose surname begins
with the same letter as her own, also indicates a survival of the
necessity of marrying into another clan or tribal family.
Another interesting point in the game is the refrain, “With a rancy,
tancy, tay,” which with variations accompanies all versions, and
separates this game from some otherwise akin to it. There is little
doubt that this refrain represents an old tribal war cry, from which
“slogans” or family “cries” were derived. These cries were not only used
in times of warfare, tribes were assembled by them, each leader of a
clan or party having a distinguishing cry and blast of a horn peculiar
to himself, and the sounding of this particular blast or cry would be
recognised by men of the same party, who would go to each other’s
assistance if need were. The refrain is sung by all the players in
Oxfordshire and Lancashire, and in some versions the players in this
game put their hands to their mouths as if imitating a blast from a
horn, and a Lancashire version (about 1820-1830), quoted by Miss Burne,
has for the refrain, “With a rancy, tancy, terry boys horn, with a
rancy, tancy, tee.” “The burden,” says Miss Burne, “evidently
represented a flourish of trumpets.” The Barnes version, “With a rancy,
tancy, terrimus hey!” and many others confirm this.
An interesting article by Dr. Karl Blind (_Antiquary_, ix. 63-72), on
the Hawick riding song, “Teribus ye Teri Odin,” points out that this
slogan, which occurs in the “Hawick Common-Riding Song,” a song used at
the annual Riding of the Marches of the Common, is an ancient Germanic
war-cry. Dr. Blind, quoting from a pamphlet, _Flodden Field and New
Version of the Common Riding Song_, says, “It is most likely that the
inspiring strains of ‘Terribus’ would be the marching tune of our
ancestors when on their way for Flodden Field and other border battles,
feuds, and frays. The words of the common-riding song have been changed
at various periods, according to the taste and capacity of poets and
minstrels, but the refrain has remained little altered. . . . The
origin of the ancient and, at one time, imperative ceremony of the
common-riding is lost in antiquity, and this old, no longer understood,
exclamation, ‘Teribus ye Teri Odin,’ has (says Dr. Blind) all through
ages in the meanwhile clung to that ceremony.”
If we can fairly claim that the words of this game have preserved an old
slogan or tribal cry, an additional piece of evidence is supplied to the
suggestion that the game is a reflection of the tribal marriage—a
reflection preserved by children of to-day by means of oral tradition
from the children of a thousand years ago or more, who played at games
in imitation of the serious and ordinary actions of their elders.
Three Flowers
My mistress sent me unto thine,
Wi’ three young flowers baith fair and fine—
The Pink, the Rose, and the Gilliflower:
And as they here do stand,
Whilk will ye sink, whilk will ye swim,
And whilk bring hame to land?
A group of lads and lasses being assembled round the fire, two leave the
party and consult apart as to the names of three others, young men or
girls, whom they designate Red Rose, the Pink, and the Gilliflower. If
lads are first pitched upon, the two return to the fireside circle, and
having selected a lass, they say the above verse to her. The maiden must
choose one of the flowers named, on which she passes some approving
epithet, adding, at the same time, a disapproving rejection of the other
two; for instance, I will sink the Pink, swim the Rose, and bring home
the Gilliflower to land. The two young men then disclose the names of
the parties upon whom they had fixed those appellations respectively,
when of course it may chance that she has slighted the person she is
understood to be most attached to, or chosen him whom she is believed
to regard with aversion; either of which events is sure to throw the
company into a state of outrageous merriment.—Chambers’ _Popular
Rhymes_, p. 127. Mr. W. Ballantyne has given me a description of this
game as played at Biggar when he was a boy, which is practically the
same as this.
Three Holes
_T_ B
_a_ ◯ A ◯ ◯
_w_ 1 2 3
Three holes were made in the ground by the players driving the heels of
their boots into the earth, and then pirouetting. The game was played
with the large marbles (about the size of racket balls) known as
“bouncers,” sometimes as “bucks.” The first boy stood at “taw,” and
bowled his marble along the ground into 1. (It was bad form to make the
holes too large; they were then “wash-hand basins,” and made the game
too easy.) Taking the marble in his hand, and placing his foot against
1, he bowled the marble into 2. He was now “going up for his firsts.”
Starting at 2, he bowled the marble into 3, and had now “taken off his
firsts,” and was “coming down for his seconds.” He then bowled the
marble back again into 2, and afterwards into 1. He then “went up for
his thirds,” bowling the marble into 2, and afterwards into 3, and had
then won the game. When he won in this fashion, he was said to have
“taken off the game.” But he didn’t often do this. In going up for his
firsts, perhaps his marble, instead of going into 2, stopped at A; then
the second boy started from taw, and, having sent his marble into 1,
bowled at A; if he hit the marble, he started for 2, from where his
marble stopped; if he missed, or didn’t gain the hole he was making for,
or knocked his antagonist’s marble into a hole, the first boy played
again, hitting the other marble, if it brought him nearer to the hole he
was making for, or else going on. In such a case as I have supposed, it
would be the player’s aim to knock A on to B, or some place between 2
and 3, so as to enter 2, and then strike again so as to near 3, enter 3,
and strike on his way down for his seconds, and near 2 again. These
were the chances of the game; but if the boy who started went through
the game without his antagonist having a chance, he was said “to take
off the game.”—London (J. P. Emslie).
Three Jolly Welshmen
One child is supposed to be taking care of others, who take hold of her
or of each other. Three children personate the Welshmen. These try to
rob the mother or caretaker of her children. They each try to capture as
many as they can, and I think the one who gets most is to be mother next
time.—Beddgelert (Mrs. Williams).
See “Gipsy,” “Mother, Mother,” “Shepherd and Sheep,” “Witch.”
Three Knights from Spain
I. Here come two dukes all out of Spain,
A courting to your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is so young,
She can’t abide your flattering tongue.
Let her be young, or let her be old,
It is the price, she must be sold,
Either for silver or for gold.
So fare you well, my lady gay,
For I must turn another way.
Turn back, turn back, you Spanish knight,
And rub your spurs till they be bright.
My spurs they are of a costliest wrought,
And in this town they were not bought,
Nor in this town they won’t be sold,
Neither for silver, nor for gold.
So fare you well, my lady gay,
For I must turn another way.
Through the kitchen, and through the hall,
And take the fairest of them all;
The fairest is, as I can see,
Pretty Jane—come here to me.
Now I’ve got my pretty fair maid,
Now I’ve got my pretty fair maid,
To dance along with me,
To dance along with me!
—Eccleshall, Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 222.
II. Here comes three lords dressed all in green,
For the sake of your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is so young,
She learns to talk with a flattering tongue.
Let her be young, or let her be old,
For her beauty she must be sold.
My mead’s not made, my cake’s not baked,
And you cannot have my daughter Jane.
—Cambridgeshire, Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 222.
III. We are three brethren out of Spain,
Come to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is too young,
And has not learned her mother tongue.
Be she young, or be she old,
For her beauty she must be sold.
So fare you well, my lady gay,
We’ll call again another day.
Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,
And rub thy spurs till they be bright.
Of my spurs take you no thought,
For in this town they were not bought.
So fare you well, my lady gay,
We’ll call again another day.
Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,
And take the fairest in your sight.
The fairest maid that I can see,
Is pretty Nancy—come to me.
Here comes your daughter, safe and sound,
Every pocket with a thousand pound,
Every finger with a gay gold ring,
Please to take your daughter in.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, cccxxxiii.
IV. We are three brethren come from Spain,
All in French garlands;
We are come to court your daughter Jean,
And adieu to you, my darlings.
My daughter Jean, she is too young,
All in French garlands;
She cannot bide your flattering tongue,
And adieu to you, my darlings.
Be she young, or be she old,
All in French garlands;
It’s for a bride she must be sold,
And adieu to you, my darlings.
A bride, a bride, she shall not be,
All in French garlands;
Till she go through this world with me,
And adieu to you, my darlings.
[There is here a hiatus, the reply of the lovers being wanting.]
Come back, come back, you courteous knights,
All in French garlands;
Clear up your spurs, and make them bright,
And adieu to you, my darlings.
[Another hiatus.]
Smell my lilies, smell my roses,
All in French garlands;
Which of my maidens do you choose?
And adieu to you, my darlings.
Are all your daughters safe and sound?
All in French garlands;
Are all your daughters safe and sound?
And adieu to you, my darlings.
In every pocket a thousand pounds,
All in French garlands;
On every finger a gay gold ring,
And adieu to you, my darlings.
—Chambers’s _Popular Rhymes_, 143.
V. Here come three Spaniards out of Spain,
A courting to your daughter Jane.
Our daughter Jane, she is too young,
She hath not learnt the Spanish tongue.
Whether she be young, or whether she be old,
It’s for her beauty she must be sold.
Turn back, turn back, ye Spanish knight,
And rub your spurs till they be bright.
Our spurs are bright and richly wrought,
For in this town they were not bought;
And in this town they shan’t be sold,
Neither for silver nor for gold.
Pass through the kitchen, and through the hall,
And pick the fairest of them all.
This is the fairest I can see,
So pray, young lady, walk with me.
—Leicester (Miss Ellis).
VI. Here come three Spaniards out of Spain,
A courting of your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is too young,
She has not learned the Spanish tongue.
Whether she be young or old,
She must have a gift of gold;
So fare you well, my lady gay,
We’ll turn our heads another way.
Come back, come back, thou Spanish knight,
And pick the fairest in this night.
—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
VII. There were three lords they came from Spain,
They came to court my daughter Jane;
My daughter Jane, she is too young
To hear your false and flattering tongue.
So fare thee well, your daughter Jane,
I’ll call again, another day, another year.
Turn back, turn back, and choose
The fairest one that you can see.
The fairest one that I can see,
Is pretty Jane, will you come with me.
[Jane says No.]
The proud little girl, she won’t come out, she won’t come
out, to help us with our dancing;
So fare you well, I’ll come again another day.
Turn back, turn back, and choose
The fairest one that you can see.
The fairest one that I can see,
Is pretty Sarah, will you come with me?
[Yes.]
Now we have got the pretty fair maid
To help us with our dancing,
Dance round the ring.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
VIII. There was one lord came out of Spain,
He came to court our daughter Jane.
Our daughter Jane, she is too young,
To be controlled by flattering tongue.
Oh! fare thee well. Oh! fare thee well,
I’ll go and court some other girl.
Come back, come back, your coat is wide,
And choose the fairest on our side.
The fairest one that I can see,
Come unto me, come unto me.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
IX. There were three lords came out of Spain,
They came to court my daughter Jane;
My daughter Jane, she is too young
To bear your false and flattering tongue.
So fare you well, so fare you well,
I’ll go and court some other girl.
Come back, come back, your coat is white,
And choose the fairest in your sight.
The fairest one that I can see,
Is [ ] come unto me.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
X. Here come three dukes dressed all in green,
They come to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is too young
To understand your flattering tongue.
Let her be young, or let her be old,
It is for her beauty she must be sold.
Eighteenpence would buy such a wench,
As either you or your daughter Jane.[10]
—Middlesex (from Mrs. Pocklington-Coltman’s maid).
XI. There came a king from Spain,
To court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she’s yet too young
To be deluded by a flattering tongue.
Whether she’s old, or whether she’s young,
It’s for her beauty she must come.
Then turn about, her coat is thin,
And seek the fairest of your right.
The fairest one that I can see
Is fair and lovely Jan-ie.
Then here’s my daughter safe and sound,
And in her pocket three hundred pound,
And on her finger a gay gold ring,
She’s fit to walk with any king.
—Annaverna, Ravensdale, Co. Louth (Miss R. Stephens).
XII. There came three dukes a-riding, riding, riding;
Oh! we be come all out of Spain,
All for to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is too young,
She has not learned her mother-tongue.
Let her be young, or let her be old,
The fate of beauty’s to be sold.
Here’s my daughter safe and sound,
And in her pocket a thousand pound,
And on her finger a gay gold ring.
Here’s your daughter not safe nor sound,
And in her pocket no thousand pound,
And on her finger no gay gold ring;
Open your door and take her in.
—London (Miss Dendy).
XIII. There came three dukes all out of Spain,
All for to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is too young,
She has not learned her mother-tongue.
Let her be young, let her be old,
The fate of beauty’s to be sold.
Walk through the parlour, walk through the hall,
And choose the fairest one of all.
The fairest one that I can see
Is little ——, so come to me. No!
Will you come? No!
Naughty one, naughty one, you won’t come out
To join us in our dancing!
Will you come? Yes!
Now we’ve got a pretty fair one
To join us in our dancing.
—Colleyhurst, Manchester (Miss Dendy).
XIV. Two poor gentlemen are come out of Spain,
Come to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, is yet too young
To understand your flattering tongue.
Let her be young, or let her be old,
She must be sold for Spanish gold.
Turn back, turn back, you haughty knight,
And take the fairest in your sight.
This is the fairest I can see,
So ( ) must come to me.
—Bexley Heath (Miss Morris).
XV. Here come three lords all dressed in green,
All for the sake of your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is so young,
She doesn’t know her mother-tongue.
[Or,
My cake ain’t baked, my ban [_qy._ beer or barm] ain’t
brewed,
And yew can’t hev my daughter Jane.]
Fie upon you and your daughter Jane; [scornfully,]
Eighteenpence will buy a good wench,
As well as you and your daughter Jane.
—Swaffham, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
XVI. Here come three lords all dressed in green,
Here come three lords all come from Spain,
All for the sake of your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is so young,
She hath no knowledge in her tongue.
—Kent (Miss Fowler).
XVII. I am a gentleman come from Spain;
I’ve come to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, is yet too young
To understand your flattering tongue.
Let her be young, or let her be old,
She must be sold for Spanish gold.
So fare thee well, my lady gay,
I’ll call upon you another day.
Turn back, turn back, you saucy lad,[11]
And choose the fairest you can spy!
The fairest one that I can see
Is pretty Miss ——. Come to me!
I’ve brought your daughter home safe and sound,
With money in her pocket here, a thousand pound:
Take your saucy girl back again.
—Bocking, Essex (_Folk-lore Record_, iii. pt. ii. 171).
XVIII. Here comes three knights all out of Spain,
A-courting of your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is too young,
She can’t abide your flattering tongue.
If she be young, or she be old,
She for her beauty must be sold.
Go back, go back, you Spanish knight,
And rub your spurs till they are bright.
My spurs are bright and richly wrought,
And in this town they were not bought,
And in this town they shan’t be sold,
Neither for silver nor for gold.
Walk up the kitchen and down the hall,
And choose the fairest of us all.
Madams, to you I bow and bend,
I take you for my dearest friend;
You are two beauties, I declare,
So come along with me, my dear.
—Wenlock, Condover, Ellesmere, Market Drayton (_Shropshire Folk-lore_,
p. 516).
XIX. Here come three dukes all out of Spain,
In mourning for your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, is yet too young
To cast her eyes on such a one.
Let her be young, or let her be old,
’Tis for her beauty she must be sold.
So fare thee well, my lady gay,
I’ll call on you another day.
Turn back, turn back, you saucy Jack,
Up through the kitchen and through the hall,
And pick the fairest of them all.
The fairest one that I can see.
So please, Miss ——, come with me.
—Pembrokeshire, Wales (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 89).
XX. Here’s two brothers come from Spain,
For to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is too young,
She has not learned her mother tongue.
Be she young, or be she old,
For her beauty she must be sold.
But fare thee well, my lady gay,
And I’ll call back some other day.
Come back! come back! take the fairest you see.
The fairest one that I can see
Is bonnie Jeanie [or Maggie, &c.], so come to me.
Here’s your daughter, safe and sound,
In every pocket a thousand pound,
On every finger a gay gold ring,
So, pray, take your daughter back again.
—_People’s Friend_, quoted in review of “Arbroath: Past and Present.”
XXI. We are three suitors come from Spain,
Come to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane she is too young
To be beguiled by flattering tongue.
Let her be young, or let her be old,
For her beauty she must be sold.
Return, return, your coat is white,
And take the fairest in your sight.
Here’s your daughter safe and sound,
And in her pocket five hundred pound,
On her finger a gay gold ring,
Fit to walk with any king.
—Dublin (Mrs. Lincoln).
XXII. Here comes a poor duke out of Spain,
He comes to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane is yet too young,
She has a false and flattering tongue.
Let her be young, or let her be old,
Her beauty is gone, she must be sold.
Fare thee well, my lady gay,
I’ll call again another day.
Turn back, turn back, you ugly wight,
And clean your spurs till they shine bright.
My spurs they shine as bright as snow,
And fit for any king to show;
So fare thee well, my lady gay,
I’ll call again another day.
Turn back, turn back, you ugly wight,
And choose the fairest one you like.
The fairest one that I can see,
Is you, dear ——, so come with me.
—_Notes and Queries_ (1852), vol. vi. 242.
XXIII. Here comes three knights all out of Spain,
We have come to court your daughter Jane.
Our daughter Jane she is too young,
She has not learned the Spanish tongue.
Whether she be young or old,
’Tis for her beauty she must be sold.
Turn back, turn back, ye Spanish knights,
And rub your spurs till they are bright.
Our spurs are bright and richly wrought,
For in this town they were not bought;
And in this town they shan’t be sold,
Neither for silver nor for gold.
Turn back, turn back, ye Spanish knights,
And brush your buckles till they are bright.
Our buckles are bright and richly wrought,
For in this town they were not bought;
And in this town they shan’t be sold,
Neither for silver nor for gold.
—Yorkshire (Miss E. Cadman).
XXIV. There was one lord that came from Spain,
He came to court my daughter Jane;
My daughter Jane, she is too young
To be controlled by a flattering tongue.
Will you? No.
Will you? Yes.
[This second one then joins hands with the “lord,” and they dance round
together, saying—]
You dirty wee scut, you wouldn’t come out
To help us with our dancing.
—Ballymiscaw school, co. Down (Miss C. N. Patterson).
XXV. There were one lord came out of Spain,
Who came to court your daughter Jane.
Your daughter Jane, she is too young
To be controlled by flattering tongue.
Oh! fare thee well; oh! fare thee well;
I’ll go and court some other girl.
Come back, come back, your coat is white,
And choose the fairest in your sight.
The fairest one that I can see, is ——, come to me.
—Holywood, co. Down (Miss C. N. Patterson).
XXVI. Here’s two dukes come out from Spain,
For to court your daughter Jane;
My daughter Jane is far too young,
She cannot hear your flattering tongue.
Be she young, or be she old,
Her beauty must be sold,
Either for silver or for gold;
So fare you well, my lady fair,
I’ll call again some other day.
—Galloway (J. G. Carter).
XXVII. Here’s one old Jew, just come from Spain,
To ask alone your daughter Jane.
Our daughter Jane is far too young
To understand your Spanish tongue.
Go away, Coat-green.
My name is _not_ Coat-green,
I _step_ my foot, and away I go.
Come back, come back, your coat is green,
And choose the fairest one you see.
The fairest one that I can see
Is pretty Alice. Come to me.
I will not come.
Naughty girl, she won’t come out,
She won’t come out, she won’t come out;
Naughty girl, she won’t come out,
To see the ladies dancing.
I will come.
Pretty girl, she has come out,
She has come out, she has come out;
Pretty girl, she has come out,
To see the ladies dancing.
—Berwickshire (A. M. Bell, _Antiquary_, vol. xxx. p. 15).
XXVIII. Here come two Jews, just come from Spain,
To take away your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane is far too young,
She cannot bear your chattering tongue.
Farewell! farewell! we must not stay;
We’ll call again another day.
Come back, come back, your choice is free,
And choose the fairest one you see.
The fairest one that I can see
Is A—— F——. Come to me.
—Cowes, Isle of Wight (Miss E. Smith).
XXIX. There came three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding,
There came three dukes a-riding,
To court my daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane is far too young, far too young,
My daughter Jane is far too young,
She hath a flattering tongue.
They’re all as red as roses, as roses, as roses,
They’re all as red as roses with sitting in the sun.
—Perth (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXX. Here comes a duke a-riding,
To court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane is far too young
To listen to your saucy tongue;
Go back, go back, you saucy Jack,
And clean your spurs and . . . .
My spurs are bright as bright can be,
With a tissima, tissima, tissima tee.
Go through the house, go through the hall,
And choose the fairest of them all.
The fairest one that I can see
Is ——. Come to me.
—Clapham School (Mrs. Herbertson).
XXXI. Here comes three dukes a-riding, a-riding,
Here comes three dukes a-riding, to court your daughter
Jane.
My daughter Jane is yet too young
To bear your silly, flattering tongue.
Be she young, or be she old,
She for beauty must and shall be sold.
So fare thee well, my lady gay,
We’ll take our horse and ride away,
And call again another day.
Come back, come back! you Spanish knight,
And clean your spurs, they are not bright.
My spurs are bright as “rickety rock” [and richly wrought],
And in this town they were not bought,
And in this town they shan’t be sold,
Neither for silver, copper, nor gold.
So fare thee well, &c.
Come back! come back! you Spanish Jack [or coxcomb].
Spanish Jack [or coxcomb] is not my name,
I’ll stamp my foot [stamps] and say the same.
So fare thee well, &c.
Come back! come back! you Spanish knight,
And choose the fairest in your sight.
This is the fairest I can see,
So pray, young damsel, walk with me.
We’ve brought your daughter, safe and sound,
And in her pocket a thousand pound,
And on her finger a gay gold ring,
We hope you won’t refuse to take her in.
I’ll take her in with all my heart,
For she and “me” were loth to part.
—Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 46, 47).
XXXII. Here comes three dukes all out of Spain,
For to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane, she is too young,
She cannot bear your flattering tongue.
Be she young, or be she old,
For her beauty she must be sold.
So fare thee well, my lady gay,
We’ll call again another day.
Turn back, turn back, you Spanish knight,
And take the fairest in your sight.
Well through the kitchen and through the hall,
I take the fairest of you all.
The fairest one that I can see
Is pretty ——, come to me.
—Gloucestershire (Northall’s _Rhymes_, p. 385).
XXXIII. Two poor sailors dressed in blue,
Two poor sailors dressed in blue,
Two poor sailors dressed in blue,
We come for the sake of your daughter Loo.
My daughter Loo, she is too young,
She cannot bear your flattering tongue.
Whether she be young, or whether she be old,
It is our duty, she must be sold.
Take her, take her, the coach is free,
The fairest one that you can see.
The fairest one that we can see,
Is bonnie [ ]. Come to me.
Here’s all your daughters safe and sound,
In every pocket a thousand pound,
On every finger a guinea gold ring,
So please, take one of your daughters in.
—Fochabers, N.E. Scotland (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXXIV. Two poor sailors dressed in blue, dressed in blue, dressed
in blue,
Two poor sailors dressed in blue, come for the sake of your
daughter Loo.
My daughter Loo, she is too young, she is too young, she is
too young,
She cannot bear your flattering tongue.
Let her be young, or yet too old, yet too old, yet too old,
But for her beauty she must be sold.
The haughty thing, she won’t come out, she won’t come out,
she won’t come out;
The haughty thing, she won’t come out,
To help us with our dancing.
Now we have got a beautiful maid, a beautiful maid, a
beautiful maid;
Now we have got a beautiful maid,
To help us with our dancing.
—Nairn (Mrs. Jamieson, through Rev. W. Gregor).
XXXV. One poor sailor dressed in blue, dressed in blue, dressed in
blue,
One poor sailor dressed in blue,
Has come for the sake of your daughter Sue.
My daughter Sue, she is too young,
She cannot bear your flattering tongue.
Whether she be young, or whether she be old,
For her beauty she must be sold.
Take her, take her, the coach is free.
The fairest one that I can see is bonny ( ), come with
me.
[No!]
The dirty sclipe, she won’t come out, she won’t come out,
she won’t come out;
The dirty sclipe, she won’t come out to dance along with me.
Now, I have got another poor maid, &c.,
To come along with me.
—Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXXVI. Here comes two ladies down from Spain,
A len (?) [all in] French garland.
I’ve come to court your daughter Jane,
And adieu to you, my darling.
—Scotland (_Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, v. 393).
XXXVII. Here are just three tribes come down from Spain,
To call upon my sister Jane.
My sister Jane, she is far too young;
I cannot bear her chattering tongue.
The fairest lily that I can see,
Is pretty little Lizzie, will ye come to me?
[No!]
The dirty thing, she won’t come out, she won’t come out, she
won’t come out;
The dirty thing, she won’t come out, to help us with the
dancing.
[Yes!]
Now we’ve got a pretty maid, a pretty maid, a pretty maid;
Now we’ve got a pretty maid, to help us with the dancing.
—Waterford (Miss H. E. Harvey).
(_b_) The players stand in two lines, facing one another, three boys on
one side and the girls (any number) on the other. The boys advance and
retire dancing, and saying the first two lines. The girls stand still,
one who personates a mother answers with the next two lines. The boys
then advance and reply. When they are retiring the mother says the next
lines and the boys reply; they then choose a girl and take her over to
their side. The dialogue is generally spoken, not sung. The boys turn
their toes outwards to show their spurs. The number of players on the
girls’ side is generally an uneven one, the odd one is the mother and
says the dialogue. This is the most general way of playing, but there
are interesting variations. Chambers says two parties play, one
representing a dame and her daughters, the other the suitors. The
suitors move backwards and forwards with their arms entwined. The mother
offers her daughters when she says “Smell my lilies,” and the game ends
by some little childish trick, but unfortunately, he does not describe
this. Miss Ellis (Leicester) says if the number of players suited,
probably all the boys, instead of three, would be on one side and the
girls on the other, but there is no hard and fast line. They turn out
their toes to show their spurs: when they sing or say, “Pass through the
kitchen,” &c., the girls stretch out their arms, still keeping hold of
hand, and the boys, forming a long tail, wind in and out under their
arms as they stand. Having previously decided among themselves which
girl they shall seize, they go up and down the lines several times,
until the period of suspense and expectation is supposed to have lasted
long enough. Then the last boy in the line puts his arms round the
chosen girl’s waist and carries her off. This goes on until there is
only one girl left, who recommences the game on her part by singing the
first lines, choosing first a boy, who then becomes a Spaniard. In the
first version from Belfast, the first girl who is asked to go refuses,
and another is asked, who consents. In the Manchester version (Miss
Dendy), the girl refuses twice, then accepts. The “mother” is seated in
state with her “daughters” round her in the Bexley Heath (Miss Morris)
version. The two “gentlemen” advance to her and turn haughtily away
when refused. Then they choose a girl and take her over to their side.
In the Shropshire (Edgmond) version, two girls, one from each end of the
line of “daughters,” goes over to the knights’ side, who also “bow” and
“bend” when saying the lines, and the game is repeated saying five,
seven, &c., knights. Here, also, the last player left on the girls’ side
takes the knight’s part in the next game. Miss Burne adds, at other
places the knights call only one girl by name each time. Both lines in
the Shropshire game advance and retire. In the Dublin game (Mrs.
Lincoln), three young boys are chosen for the suitors, one girl is the
mother, and any number from three to six personate the daughters. The
first boy only speaks the lines. At “Return, return, your coat is
white,” he, with the other two “suitors,” takes the girl, brings her
back, and says the last verse. They then sit down, and the second suitor
does the same thing, then the third one. Then the game is begun again
[with three other boys] until all the daughters have been taken. In the
version quoted from _Notes and Queries_, two children, mother and
daughter, stand on one side, the other players opposite to them, and
advance and retire. The contributor says they chant the words to a
pleasing old melody. The Yorkshire version (Miss E. Cadman) is played in
the usual way, both sides advancing and retiring in turn, and at the end
one of the “knights” tries to catch one of the girls. They cross the
room to each other’s places. In Co. Down, at Ballymiscaw, Miss Patterson
says one player refuses when asked, and another consents, this one and
the “lord” then join hands and dance round together, saying the last
words. The Annaverna version is sung by one on each side—“king and the
mother.” The Berwickshire game was played by six children, one on one
side, five on the other. The first lines are sung on both sides; then
the rest is dialogue until the girl refuses, when the “Jew” dances round
by himself, singing the words; she then consents, and the two dance
round with joined hands as in a reel, singing the last verse. The
dialogue is spoken with animation, and the “Jew steps his foot” and
prances away when saying these words. Twelve children in the Perth
version stand in a row, another stands a little in advance, who is
called “daughter Jane,” another is the “mother.” Three more stand in
front of the twelve and are the “Dukes.” These dance forwards and
backwards before “Jane and her mother,” singing the first lines. The
mother answers. When they sing the last line the “Dukes” choose one of
the twelve, and sing the words over again until all the twelve are on
the “Dukes’” side. Then they try to carry off “Jane” and the “mother,”
and run until they are caught. In the Clapham school version (Mrs.
Herbertson), the “Duke” tries to drag by force the chosen girl across a
handkerchief or other boundary, if successful she goes on his side. In
the Cornwall version the “Dukes” retire and consult before choosing a
girl, then select one. When all have been taken they bring them back in
the same order to the “mother,” saying the last verse, and the “mother”
replies in the last two lines. In the London version, the “Dukes” take
the girl and rob her, then bring her back. In the Fochabers version
(Rev. W. Gregor), the two “sailors” join hands crosswise, walk backwards
and forwards, and sing the words. The girl crosses over to them when
chosen. When all are chosen the “sailors” bring all the girls before the
mother, singing the last verse. The mother searches the daughters one
after the other, finding neither money nor ring. She then chases the
sailors, and the one caught becomes mother next game.
(_c_) This game has been said by previous collectors, and at first sight
may be thought to be merely a variant of “Three Dukes,” but it will on
investigation, I think, prove to be more than this. In the first place,
the obvious borrowing from the “Three Dukes” of a few words, as in
versions Nos. 29, 30, and 31, tells against the theory of identity of
the two games. Then the form of marriage custom is different, though it
is still marriage under primitive conditions of society. The personal
element, entirely absent from the “Three Dukes,” is here one of the
principal characteristics. The marriage is still one without previous
courtship or love between two individuals, but the parental element is
present here, or at any rate that of some authority, and a sanction is
given, although there is no trace of any actual ceremony. The young men,
or suitors, apparently desire a particular person in marriage, and
although there is no wooing of that person a demand is made for her.
These suitors are, I think, making the demand on the part of another
rather than for themselves. They are the ambassadors or friends of the
would-be bridegrooms, and are soliciting for a marriage in which
purchase money or dowry is to be paid. The mention of “gold and silver”
in many versions, and the line, “she must be sold,” is important.
All these indications of purchase refer to a time when the custom of
offering gold, money, or other valuables for a bride was in vogue.
While, therefore, the game has traces of carrying off the bride, this
carrying off is in strict accord with the conditions prevalent when
marriage by purchase had succeeded to marriage by capture. The
bargaining spirit is not much “en evidence” in this game, not, that is
to say, in the same sense as is shown in “Three Sailors,” p. 282, but
there is sufficient evidence of a mercantile spirit to prove that women
and girls were too valuable to be parted with by their own tribe or
family without something deemed equivalent being given in return. There
is a desire shown to possess the girl for her beauty; and that a choice
of a suitor could or would be made is shown by the remarks that she is
too young and does not know the language and customs of this suitor.
The mention of the spurs conveys the suggestion that the suitors or
ambassadors are men of quality and renown. To win their spurs was an
object greatly desired by all young men. Their reply to the taunt that
their spurs are “dull” may mean that they are not bright from use, and
may also show the idea that these men have come on a journey from some
distance for a bride or brides, and this only is responsible for their
spurs not being as bright as usual. Again, being “richly wrought” is
probably an indication of wealth or consequence. Mention must be made of
the mead not being made nor the cake yet baked, which occurs in two
versions. If these two versions can be considered old ones, this would
tend to show evidence of the ceremony of the eating together of
particular food, which forms the most important element in primitive
marriage ceremonies.
There occurs in some versions the incident of asking the girl to come,
and the dancing round when she consents, mostly in connection with the
incident of invitation to dance. This may not therefore belong, and I do
not think it does, to the early forms of this game; but we must remember
that dancing formed a part of the marriage ceremonies down to quite a
late date, and it is therefore not surprising it should be found in many
versions.
It has been suggested that this game has for its origin an historical
event in the reign of Edward III., whose daughter Jane married a prince
of Spain. There is some possibility in this, as doubtless the marriage
was conducted by ambassadors first of all with pomp and ceremonial, but
I think the game really dates from a much earlier period, and if there
are any grounds for connecting it with this particular royal marriage,
it may merely have altered and fixed some of the words, such as
“daughter Jane,” “Lords from Spain,” “Spanish gold,” in people’s minds,
and in this way tended to preserve the game in its modern form.
Mr. Addy, in his _Sheffield Glossary_, considers that the mention of the
three knights and gifts of gold is a fragment of some old pageant of the
Three Kings of Cologne, who, according to ancient legend, brought gifts
to the infant Jesus, but I can see no evidence of this.
It is somewhat curious that this game is very rarely sung to a tune, nor
have I succeeded in obtaining one. It is usually said to a sort of
sing-song chant, or else it is spoken in dialogue, and that with a good
deal of animation.
Mr. Newell gives versions, as played in America, similar to many here
given, and Mr. Northall (_Folk Rhymes_, p. 385) gives one from
Gloucestershire and Warwickshire.
[10] Incomplete, there is more of the game, but the maid could not
remember it.
[11] Probably once “boy,” pronounced “by” in Essex.
Three Little Ships
[Music]
—London (A. B. Gomme).
[Music]
—Rimbault’s _Nursery Rhymes_.
I. Three little ships come sailing by,
Sailing by, sailing by;
Three little ships come sailing by,
New Year’s day in the morning.
Who do you think was in the ships,
In the ships, in the ships;
Who do you think was in the ships,
New Year’s day in the morning?
Three pretty girls were in the ships,
In the ships, in the ships;
Three pretty girls were in the ships,
New Year’s day in the morning.
One could whistle, and one could sing,
One could play on the violin;
One could whistle, and one could sing,
New Year’s day in the morning.
—London (A. B. Gomme).
II. I saw three ships come sailing by,
Come sailing by, come sailing by;
I saw three ships come sailing by
On New Year’s day in the morning.
And what do you think was in them then,
In them then, in them then;
And what do you think was in them then,
On New Year’s day in the morning?
Three pretty girls were in them then, &c.
One could whistle, and one could sing,
The other could play on the violin;
Such joy was there at my wedding,
On New Year’s day in the morning.
—Rimbault’s _Nursery Rhymes_.
III. As I sat on a sunny bank,
A sunny bank, a sunny bank;
As I sat on a sunny bank
On Christmas day in the morning.
I saw three ships come sailing by,
Come sailing by, come sailing by;
I saw three ships come sailing by
On Christmas day in the morning.
And who do you think was in those ships? &c.
But Joseph and his lady.
And he did whistle, and she did sing,
And all the bells on earth did ring
For joy our Saviour he was born
On Christmas day in the morning.
—Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 564.
[The above verses, except the last one, are sung at Oswestry with these
additional ones:—]
Pray, whither sailed those ships all three? &c.
Oh! they sailed unto Bethlehem, &c.
They combed his hair with an ivory comb, &c.
They washed his face in a golden cup, &c.
They wiped his face with a lily-white cloth, &c.
They brushed his shoes with a hairy brush, &c.
—Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 564.
(_c_) In the London version, which I obtained from a maid-servant—two
lines of children stand, hand in hand, facing one another. They advance
and retire in line, with dancing steps, alternately. The children sing
the lines. When the last verse is sung a girl from the end of each line
advances, and the two dance round together. This is continued until all
have danced in turn in the space between the lines.
(_d_) It will be seen that there is a probability of the version I
collected as a dance game and Rimbault’s nursery song being derived from
the Christmas carol, a variant of which I reprint from Miss Burne’s
_Shropshire Folk-lore_. A version of this carol from Kent is given in
_Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, iii. 7. Mr. A. H. Bullen, in _Carols
and Poems_, gives an older version of the same. In this version there is
no mention of whistling, singing, or playing the violin; but in the Kent
version, the third verse is the same as the fourth of that collected by
Miss Burne, and the dance collected by myself. In the _Revue Celtique_,
vol. iv., Mr. Fitzgerald considers this carol to have been the original
from which the pretty words and dance, “Duck Dance,” were derived, see
_ante_, vol. i. p. 113. If these words and dance owe their origin to the
carol, they may both show connection with an older form, when the carol
was danced as a dramatic round.
Three Old Bachelors
Here come three old bachelors,
Walking in a row,
Seeking wives, and can’t find ’em;
So open the ring, and take one in.
Now you’re married, you must obey;
You must be true to all you say;
You must be kind, you must be good,
And help your wife to chop the wood.
—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).
Mr. Hardy suggests that this is a variant of “See the Farmer Sow his
Seed,” but it more nearly resembles “Silly Old Man,” although the
marriage formula is that of “Oats and Beans.”
Three Sailors
[Music]
—London (A. B. Gomme).
I. Here come three sailors, three by three,
To court your daughter, a fair lady (pronounced ladee);
[_Or_, And down by your door they bend their knee].
Can we have a lodging here, here, here?
Can we have a lodging here?
Sleep, sleep, daughter, do not wake,
Here are three sailors we can’t take;
You cannot have a lodging here, here, here,
You cannot have a lodging here.
Here come three soldiers, three by three,
To court your daughter, a fair lady;
Can we have a lodging here, here, here?
Can we have a lodging here?
Sleep, sleep, daughter, do not wake,
Here are three soldiers we can’t take;
You cannot have a lodging here, here, here,
You cannot have a lodging here.
Here come three kings, three by three,
To court your daughter, a fair lady;
Can we have a lodging here, here, here?
Can we have a lodging here?
Wake, wake, daughter, do not sleep,
Here come three kings that we can take;
You can have a lodging here, here, here,
You can have a lodging here.
Here’s my daughter, safe and sound,
And in her pocket one hundred pound,
And on her finger a gay gold ring,
And she is fit to walk with a king.
Here’s your daughter, not safe nor sound,
Nor in her pocket one hundred pound,
On her finger no gay gold ring,
I’m sure she’s not fit to walk with a king.
—Barnes, Surrey, and London (A. B. Gomme).
II. Here come three tinkers, three by three,
To court your daughter, fair lady;
Oh! have you any lodgings here, oh, here?
Oh! have you any lodgings here?
Sleep, sleep, daughter, do not wake,
Here come three tinkers we cannot take;
We haven’t any lodgings here, oh, here,
We haven’t any lodgings here.
Here come three soldiers, three by three,
To court your daughter, fair lady;
Oh! have you any lodgings here, oh, here?
Oh! have you any lodgings here?
Sleep, sleep, daughter, do not wake,
Here come three soldiers we cannot take;
We haven’t any lodgings here, oh, here,
We haven’t any lodgings here.
Here come three kings, three by three,
To court your daughter, fair lady;
Oh! have you any lodgings here, oh, here?
Oh! have you any lodgings here?
Wake, wake, daughter, do not sleep,
Here come three kings that we can take;
We have some lodgings here, oh, here,
We have some lodgings here.
Here’s my daughter, safe and sound,
And in her pocket five hundred pounds,
And on her finger a five guinea gold ring,
And she is fit to walk with a king.
Here’s your daughter, nor safe nor sound,
And in her pocket no five hundred pound,
And on her finger no five guinea gold ring,
And she’s not fit to walk with the king.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
III. Here’s three sweeps, three by three,
And down by the door they bend their knee;
Oh! shall we have lodgings here, oh, here?
Oh! shall we have lodgings here?
Sleep, dear daughter, do not wake,
For here’s three sweeps coming to take;
Lodgings here they shall not have,
So sleep, dear daughter, sleep.
Here’s three bakers, three by three,
And down by the door they bend their knee;
Oh! shall we have lodgings here, oh, here?
Oh! shall we have lodgings here?
Sleep, dear daughter, do not wake, &c. (as above).
Here’s three kings, three by three, &c. (as above).
Wake, dear daughter, do not sleep,
For here’s three kings coming to take;
Lodgings here they all may have,
So wake, dear daughter, wake.
Here’s my daughter, safe and sound,
And on her finger a guinea gold ring,
And in her pocket a thousand pounds,
So she is fit to marry a king.
Here’s your daughter, safe and sound,
And on her finger no guinea gold ring,
And in her pocket no thousand pounds,
So she’s not fit to marry a king.
—Aberdeen Training College (Rev. W. Gregor).
IV. Here come three tailors, three by three,
To court your daughter, fair and fair;
Have you got a lodger here, oh, here?
Have you got a lodger here?
Sleep, daughter, sleep, sleep,
Here come three tailors we can’t take;
We haven’t got a lodger here, oh, here,
We haven’t got a lodger here.
[The verses are repeated for “sailors,” “blacksmiths,” &c., and then
“kings,” and ends in the same way as the preceding version.]
—Swaffham, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
V. Here come three sailors, three by three,
A courting your daughter, Caroline Mee;
[Some would sing it “Because your daughter”]
Can we have a lodging here to-night?
Sleep, daughter, do not wake,
Here’s three sailors we can’t take;
You cannot have a lodging here to-night.
Here come three soldiers, three by three,
A courting your daughter, Caroline Mee;
Can we have a lodging here to-night?
Sleep, daughter, do not wake,
Here’s three soldiers we can’t take;
You cannot have a lodging here to-night.
[This is repeated for “kings,” and the game ends as in the previous
versions. “Three” hundred pounds being substituted for “five.”]
—Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).
VI. Here come some travellers three by three,
And down by a door they bend their knee.
“Can we get lodgings here?”
The fairest one that I can see
Is pretty little ——, come to me,
And you’ll get lodgings here—
“Will you come?” “Yes,” or “No!”
—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
(_c_) The players form in two lines, and stand facing one another. One
line consists of a mother and daughters. The other of the suitors. The
mother stands a little in advance of her daughters. They remain
stationary during the game, the mother alone singing the words on her
side. The suitors advance and retire in line while singing their verses.
The mother turns partly round when singing the two first lines of her
verses addressing her daughters, and then faces the suitors when singing
to them the remaining two lines. When she accepts the “kings” she
brings one of her daughters forward, presents her to the suitors, and
shows them the money in her pocket, and the ring on her finger. The
daughter goes with the kings, who take her a little way apart, pretend
to rob her of her ring, money, and clothes, and then bring her back to
her mother, and sing the last verse. They then run off in all
directions, and the mother and daughters chase and catch them, and they
change sides. Sometimes all the daughters are taken by the suitors
before they are robbed and brought back. The game is also played by five
players only; three representing the sailors or suitors, and two the
mother and daughter. The mother then chases the suitors, and whoever she
catches becomes the daughter the next game. These are the usual methods
of playing. In the Norfolk version the middle one of the three suitors
takes the girl, robs her, and all three bring her back and sing the
verses. In the Isle of Man version one player sits down, the others join
hands, advance and retire singing the lines. The girl who is chosen
joins the one sitting down.
(_d_) This game points to that period of tribal society, when the youths
of one tribe sought to obtain their wives from the maidens of another
tribe according to the laws of exogamy, but a definite person is here
selected for the wife, and it is to the relatives or persons having
authority (as in “Three Knights”) that the demand for the bride is made,
and not to the girl personally, as in “Three Dukes.”
The game, while not so interesting a one to us as “Three Dukes,” and
“Three Knights,” has its particular or peculiar features. It is probably
later, and shows more clearly that position and wealth were of
importance to a man in the obtaining of a wife. Individually he has not
(apparently) courted the girl before, but he comes for that purpose now.
He may be announcing himself under the various ranks or professions
mentioned, before stating his real position; or, this may show that the
girl having many suitors, and those of all degrees, the “mother” or
relatives are actuated by purely mercenary motives, and wish to select
the best and richest suitor for her. We must remember that it was
accounted great honour to a girl to have many suitors and amongst these
men distinguished by the performance of brave deeds, which had gained
them renown and pre-eminence, or wealth. The fact that the rejection or
acceptance of the suitors is made known to the girl by the “mother,” or
person having authority, shows that “sanction” or permission is
necessary, and that “rejection” or “acceptance” is signified to the
suitors in the words, you “may not,” or, you “may” have a lodging here,
signifies admission into the family. This is a most interesting feature.
The girl is to “wake up,” that would be to rouse up, be merry, dress in
bridal array and prepare for the coming festival. She is also given to
the suitors with “in her pocket one hundred pounds,” and “on her finger
a gay gold ring.” This, it will be seen, is given her by her “mother” or
person having authority, and probably refers to the property the girl
brings with her to her new abode for her proper maintenance there; the
ring shows likewise her station and degree in her former abode, and is
the token that she is fit bride for a king, and must be treated
accordingly. Curious, too, is “Here’s my daughter safe and sound,” which
looks like a warrant or guarantee of the girl’s fitness to be a bride.
The expression “walk with,” meaning “to marry,” again occurs in this
game as in “Three Dukes.” The line occurring in two versions, “And down
by the door they bend their knee,” is suggestive of courtesy shown to
the bride and her family at the threshold of the house.
The incident of the three kings becoming robbers is not easily
understood. Robbery was common of course, particularly when money and
valuables were known to be carried on the person; but I do not think
this is sufficient in itself to account for the incident. It may be a
reflection of the later fact that a man always took possession of his
wife’s personal property after marriage, and considered it his own to do
as he pleased with. When this idea became codified in written law, the
idea might readily get reflected in the game, when _kings_ would not be
understood as apparently taking things that did not belong to them,
unless they were bandits in disguise. This last verse and the robbery
may be a later addition to the game, when robbery was of everyday
occurrence. There may have been (although there is nothing now in any
version to warrant the idea) some similar action on the part of the
kings, such as a further arraying of the bride, and presenting her to
their party or house, which has been misunderstood. Mr. Newell suggests
that children having forgotten the original happy finish, and not
understanding the “haggling” over the suitors, turned the kings into
bandits. Children think it such a natural thing to wish to marry kings,
princes, and princesses, and are so sincere in thinking it a matter of
course to refuse a sailor or soldier for a king, when it is only a
question of marriage, and not of choosing the one you like the best,
that this reason does not to me seem to apply to a game of this kind.
Through the Needle Eye, Boys
Two leaders each choose a name such as “Golden Apple” and “Golden Pear.”
The remaining children all hold each other’s waists in a long string,
the “Golden Apple” and “Golden Pear” holding hands aloft like an arch.
The string of children then runs under the arch. The last child that
passes under is detained by the “Golden Apple” and “Golden Pear” (they
having dropped hands previously). The detained child is asked in a
whisper which she prefers, “Golden Apple,” “Golden Pear;” she chooses,
and then stands at the back of the “Golden Apple” or “Golden Pear.” When
all the children have passed through, the “Golden Apple” and “Golden
Pear” hold each other’s hands and stand with the others behind them and
pull like a “Tug of War.” There should be a line drawn between the
“Golden Apple” and the “Golden Pear,” and whichever side pulls the other
over the line, wins the game.—Northumberland (from a lady friend of Hon.
J. Abercromby).
The formula sung in Fraserburgh when the players are running under the
raised arms is—
Clink, clink, through the needle ee, boys,
One, two, three,
If you want a bonnie lassie,
Just tak me.
After the tug of war the victors call out “Rotten eggs, rotten eggs”
(Rev. W. Gregor).
The words used in Galloway are—
Through the needle e’e, boys,
Through the needle e’e!
If ’twasna for your granny’s sake,
I wadna let ’e through.
—Galloway (J. G. Carter).
Jamieson describes this game in the south of Scotland as follows: “Two
children form an arch with both hands. The rest, who hold each other by
the skirts following in a line, attempt to pass under the arch. The
first, who is called the king, is sometimes laid hold of by those who
form the arch, each letting fall one of his arms like a portcullis for
enclosing the passenger. But more generally the king is suffered to
pass, the attempt being reserved for the last; whoever is seized is
called the prisoner. As soon as he is made captive he takes the place of
one of those who formed the arch, and who afterwards stand by his side.”
It is differently played in Mearns, Aberdeen, and some other counties. A
number of boys stand with joined hands in a semicircle, and the boy at
one end of the link addresses the boy at the other end of the line:
A—— B——, if ye were mine,
I wad feed you with claret wine;
Claret wine is gude and fine,
Through the needle-ee, boys.
The boy to whom this is addressed makes room between himself and his
next neighbour, as they raise and extend their arms to allow the
opposite boy to run through the opening followed by all the other boys
still linked to each other. If in running through the link should be
broken, the two boys who are the cause suffer some punishment.—Ed.
Jamieson’s Dictionary.
The Northumberland game resembles “Oranges and Lemons.” The other
versions are nearer the “Thread the Needle” and “How many Miles to
Babylon” games. Both games may be derived from the same custom.
See “How many Miles to Babylon,” “Thread the Needle.”
Thun’er Spell
A thin lath of wood, about six inches long and three or four inches
broad, is taken and rounded at one end. A hole is bored in that end, and
in the hole is tied a piece of cord between two and three yards long. It
is then rapidly swung round, so as to produce a buzzing sound. The more
rapidly it is swung, the louder is the noise. It was believed that the
use of this instrument during a thunder-storm saved one from being
struck with “the thun’er bolt.” I have used it with this intention
(Keith). In other places it is used merely to make a noise. It is
commonly deeply notched all round the edges to increase the noise.
Some years ago a herd boy was observed making one in a farm-kitchen
(Udny). It was discovered that when he was sent to bring the cows from
the fields to the farmyard to be milked, he used it to frighten them,
and they ran frantically to their stalls. The noise made the animals
dread the bot-fly or “cleg.” This torment makes them throw their tails
up, and rush with fury through the fields or to the byres to shelter
themselves from its attacks. A formula to effect the same purpose, and
which I have many and many a time used when herding, was: Cock tail!
cock tail! cock tail! Bizz-zz-zz! Bizz-zz-zz.—Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).
Dr. Gregor secured one of these that was in use in Pitsligo, and sent it
to the Pitt-Rivers Museum at Oxford, where it now lies. Professor Haddon
has made a collection of these toys, and has written on their connection
with the Australian boomerang.
They are still occasionally to be met with in country districts, but are
used simply for the purpose of making a noise.
See “Bummers.”
Tick
A game mentioned by Drayton, and still played in
Warwickshire.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_. The same game as “Touch.”
Tickle me Quickly
An old game (undescribed) mentioned in Taylor’s _Motto_, 1622, sig. D,
iv.
Ticky Touchwood.
Ticky, ticky Touchwood, my black hen,
She lays eggs for gentlemen;
Sometimes nine and sometimes ten,
Ticky, ticky Touchwood, my black hen.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_, under “Tiggy Touchwood”) says, “One player
who is called Tiggy stands out, and each of the others takes hold of or
touches a piece of wood, such as a door, or rail, &c. One then leaves
his ‘wood’ and runs across the playground, and if whilst doing so Tiggy
can touch him he must stand out or take Tiggy’s place.”
One child is chosen to be “Ticky,” _i.e._, to be on the _qui vive_ to
lay hold of or touch any one who is not touching wood. If played out of
doors it must be clearly defined _what is wood_, trees and all growing
wood being forbidden. The fun consists in the bold ventures of those who
tempt “Ticky” to run after them, and contrive to touch “wood” just
before he touches them. When one is caught he is “Ticky” in
turn.—Swaffham, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
Played within a given boundary, in which were wooden buildings or
fences. When one of the players was being pursued by the tigger, if he
touched wood he could not be made prisoner, but he was not allowed to
remain long in that position, and directly his hand left wood he was
liable to instant capture. If when pursued he called out “a barla!” he
was again exempt from capture, but he could not move from the position
or place where he or she was when they called out, a barla! When wishing
to move he had to call out “Ma barla oot!” No den in this game, but
constant running.—Biggar (Wm. Ballantyne).
Lowsley (_Berkshire Glossary_) says, “Boys have games called Touch-wood
and Touch-iron, where any one not touching either of the substances
named is liable to be caught by the one standing out.”
Ross and Stead (_Holderness Glossary_) give this game as Tiggy
Touchwood, a game similar to Tig, but in which the player must touch
wood. It is called Ticky, Ticky Touchwood by Brogden (_Lincolnshire
Provincial Words_), and Tiggy in Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
Also played in another way. One tree or piece of wood was selected for
“Home,” and the players darted out from this saying, “Ticky, Ticky
Touchwood,” then running back to the tree and touching it before Ticky
caught them. “Parley” or “fainits” were the words called out when
exempt.—London (A. B. Gomme).
It is also described in Patterson’s _Antrim and Down Glossary_.
Tig.
A game in which one player touches another, then runs off to be pursued
and touched in turn.
Mr. Addy says, “Children _tig_ each other when they leave school, and
there is a rivalry among them to get the last tig. After a boy has said
_tig-poison_, he is not to be ‘tigged’ again.” Brockett says: “Tig, a
slight touch (as a mode of salutation), a play among children on
separating for the night, in which every one endeavours to get the last
touch; called also Last Bat.”—Brockett’s _North Country Words_, and
consult Dickinson (_Cumberland Glossary_), also Jamieson. A boys’ game,
in which the player scores by touching one who runs before him.—Stead’s
_Holderness Glossary_. A play among children when separating for the
night.—Willan’s _Dialect Words of West Riding of Yorks._ Called also
“Touch” and “Tigga Tiggy,” in East and West Cornwall; (Courtney and
Couch), also Patterson’s _Antrim and Down Glossary_.
See “Canlie,” “Cross Tig.”
Time.
The players stand in a line. Two are chosen, who stand apart, and fix on
any hour, as one, two, three, &c., or any half-hour. A nestie is marked
off at some distance from the row of players. One of the two goes in
front of the line of players, and beginning at one end asks each the
hour. This is done till the hour fixed on between the two is guessed.
The one that makes the right guess runs to catch the other of the two
that fixed the hour, and she makes off to the “nestie.” If she is caught
she goes to the line of players, and the one that caught her takes her
place. If she reaches the “nestie” without being caught, she has still
to run to the line of players; if she does this without being caught
she holds her place as one of the time-fixers, but if caught she
takes her stand in the line, and the one that caught her becomes
time-fixer.—Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).
Tip it.
This is played by six players, divided into two sides of three each,
with one captain to each side. A ring or other small object is taken by
the side which wins the toss, and then both sides sit down to a small
table. The in-side puts their hands under the table, and the ring is
given to one of the three players. At a given signal they all bring up
their closed hands on to the table, and the other side has to guess in
which closed fist the ring is. The guesser has the privilege of ordering
“off” the hands which he thinks are empty. If he succeeds in getting the
empty hands off, he says “tip it” to the remaining one. If he guesses
right the ring changes sides. The game is to keep the ring or other
object on one side as long as possible.—London (Alfred Nutt).
Tip-Cat.
Strutt says this is so denominated from the piece of wood called a cat,
about six inches in length, and an inch and a half or two inches in
diameter, diminished from the middle to both ends. When the cat is on
the ground the player strikes it smartly, when it rises with a rotatory
motion high enough for him to hit it again before it falls, in the same
manner as a ball. He says there are various methods of playing the game,
and describes the two following: A large ring is made in the ground; in
the middle of this the striker takes his station; his business then is
to hit the cat over the ring. If he fails in doing so he is out, and
another player takes his place; if successful, he judges with his eye
the distance the cat is driven from the centre of the ring, and calls
for a number at pleasure to be scored towards his game: if the number
demanded be found upon measurement to exceed the same number of lengths
of the bludgeon, he is out; on the contrary, if it does not, he obtains
his call. The second way of playing is to make four, six, or eight
holes in the ground in a circular direction, and at equal distances from
each other, at every hole is placed a player with his bludgeon: one of
the opposite party who stand in the field tosses the cat to the batsman
who is nearest him, and every time the cat is struck the players are
obliged to change their situations, and run once from one hole to
another in succession; if the cat be driven to any great distance they
continue to run in the same order, and claim a score towards their game
every time they quit one hole and run to another; but if the cat be
stopped by their opponents and thrown across between any two of the
holes before the player who has quitted one of them can reach the other,
he is out.
Mr. Kinahan says there is among old Irish games one sometimes called
cat, played with three or more players on each side, two stones or holes
as stations, and a lobber, but the regular cat is played with a stick
four inches long, bevelled at each end, called the cat. This bevelled
stick is laid on the ground, and one end hit with a stick to make it
rise in the air, when it is hit by the player, who runs to a mark and
back to his station. The game is made by a number of runs; while the
hitter is out if he fails three times to hit the cat, or if he is hit by
the cat while running.—(_Folk-lore Journal_, ii. 264.) The common game
of “tip-cat” was called _cat-and-kitten_ by Dorset children. The long
stick represented the “cat” and the small pieces the
“kitten.”—(_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 234.) Elworthy (_West Somerset
Words_) calls it Stick and Snell. Brogden (_Provincial Words,
Lincolnshire_) gives it as tip-cat, as does Lowsley (_Berkshire
Glossary_), also Trippit and Coit, and Trippit and Rack in some parts of
the North.—Brockett’s _North Country Words_. Once commonly played in
London streets, now forbidden.
See “Cudgel,” “Waggles.”
Tip-tap-toe.
A square is drawn having nine smaller squares or houses within it. Two
persons play. They alternately make the one a square and the other a
cross in any one of the houses. He that first gets three in a line wins
the game.—Peacock’s _Manley and Corringham Glossary_. Brogden
(_Provincial Words, Lincolnshire_) calls it Tit-tat-toe, also Lowsley
(_Berkshire Glossary_).
Northall says called Tick-tack-toe in Warwickshire and Staffordshire;
the rhyme is “Tick-tack-toe, I’ve caught you.”
This game is called “Noughts and Crosses,” in London, probably from
those marks being used in the game.
See “Kit-Cat-Cannio,” “Noughts and Crosses.”
Tiring Irons.
An old game with iron rods and rings.—Holland’s _Cheshire Glossary_.
Tisty Tosty
See “Shuttlefeather,” “Teesty Tosty.”
Titter-totter
The game of see-saw.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Tit-tat-toe.
A game played by school children on slates. A round is drawn, which is
divided into as many divisions as is thought necessary, sixteen being
generally the least. These divisions are each numbered, the centre
containing a higher figure than any in the divisions, usually 25, 50, or
100. Several children can play. They each have a place or square
allotted to them on the slate in which to record the numbers they
obtain. A space is allotted to “Old Nick” or the “Old Man.” The players
alternately take a pencil in their right hand (holding it point
downwards on 1, and tapping on each number with it), and shutting their
eyes move round and round the diagram saying—
“Tit, tat, toe, my first go,
Three jolly butcher boys all in a row
Stick one up, stick one down,
Stick one in the old man’s ground.”
stopping and keeping the pencil in an upright position when the last
word is said. The player then opens his eyes, and registers in his
square the number at which the pencil stopped. This number is then
scratched through on the diagram, to signify that it is taken, the other
players proceed in the same manner as the first; then the first one
begins again. This is continued till all the numbers are scratched out,
or till one of the players puts his pencil into the centre, and thus
wins the game. If all the figures are taken before the centre is
touched, the game goes to the “Old man” or “Old Nick.” Also, if one
player puts his pencil in a division already taken, he records nothing
and loses that turn; this is also the case if, after the verse is
repeated, the pencil is found to be on a division or boundary line or
outside the round.—London (A. B. Gomme).
[Illustration]
I was taught by a maid servant to play this game on the ground. This
girl drew the round and divisions and figures on the gravel path or
mould in the garden, and sharpened a piece of stick at one end for the
pointer. She did not know the game as one played on slates, but always
played it on the ground in this way.
This game appears to indicate a lottery, and might originally have had
something to do with allotting pieces of land or other property to
prospective owners under the ancient common field system. The places
when taken by one player not being available for another, and the fact
of it being known as played on the ground, and not on slates, are both
significant indications of the suggested origin. The method of allotting
lands by lottery is described in Gomme’s _Village Community_. Mr.
Newell, _Games_, p. 140, records a similar game called “Wheel of
Fortune.”
Tods and Lambs
A game played on a perforated board with wooden pins.—Jamieson. The
Editor adds that the game is materially the same as the English “Fox and
Geese.”
See “Fox and Geese” (2).
Tom Tiddler’s Ground
[Music]
—Liverpool (Mrs. Harley).
A line is drawn on the ground, one player stands behind it. The piece so
protected is “Tom Tiddler’s ground.” The other players stand in a row on
the other side. The row breaks and the children run over, calling out,
“Here we are on Tom Tiddler’s ground, picking up gold and silver.” Tom
Tiddler catches them, and as they are caught they stand on one side. The
last out becomes Tom Tiddler.—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
Tom Tiddler’s Ground is played at Chirbury under the name of “Boney” =
Bonaparte! one boy taking possession of a certain area, and the others
trespassing on it, saying, “I am on Boney’s ground.” If they are caught
there, they are put “in prison” till released by a touch from a
comrade.—Chirbury (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 523-524).
I’m on Tom Tinker’s ground,
I’m on Tom Tinker’s ground,
I’m on Tom Tinker’s ground,
Picking up gold and silver.
—Derbyshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, i. 386).
Northall (_Folk Rhymes_) gives the following lines, and describes it as
played as above, except that Tom Tinder is provided with a knotted
handkerchief, with which he buffets any one caught on his property:—
Here we are on Tom Tinder’s ground,
Picking up gold and silver;
You pick weeds, and I’ll pick seeds,
And we’ll all pick carraway comfits.
In the Liverpool district the game is called “Old Daddy Bunchey” (Mrs.
Harley), and in Norfolk “Pussey’s Ground” (Miss Matthews).
It is also mentioned by Lowsley (_Berkshire Glossary_).
Tops
The special games now played with tops are mentioned under their
respective titles, but the general allusions to the ancient
whipping-tops are important enough to note.
Strutt says the top was known with us as early at least as the
fourteenth century, when its form was the same as now, and the manner of
using it can admit of but little if any difference. Representations of
boys whipping tops occur in the marginal paintings of the MSS. written
at this period; and in a work of the thirteenth century, “Le Miracle de
Saint Loys,” the whipping top (Sabot) is mentioned. The top was probably
in use as a toy long before. Strutt records the following anecdote of
Prince Henry, son of James I., which he met with in a MS. at the Museum,
the author of which speaks of it as perfectly genuine. His words
are—“The first tyme that he, the prince, went to the towne of Sterling
to meete the king, seeing a little without the gate of the towne a stack
of corne in proportion not unlike to a topp wherewith he used to play;
he said to some that were with him, ‘Loe there is a goodly topp;’
whereupon one of them saying, ‘Why doe you not play with it, then?’ he
answered, ‘Set you it up for me, and I will play with it.’”—_Sports_, p.
385.
Northbroke, in his Treatise against Dicing, 1579, p. 86, says: “Cato
giveth counsell to all youth, saying, ‘_Trocho_ lude, aleas fuge, _playe
with the toppe_, and flee dice-playing.’”
In the English translation of Levinus Lemnius, 1658, p. 369: “Young
youth do merrily exercise themselves in whipping-top, and to make it
run swiftly about, that it cannot be seen, and will deceive the sight.”
Cornelius Scriblerus, in his Instructions concerning the Plays and
Playthings to be used by his son Martin, says: “I would not have Martin
as yet to scourge a top, till I am better informed whether the trochus
which was recommended by Cato be really our present top, or rather the
hoop which the boys drive with a stick.”—_Pope’s Works_, vi. 115.
Among well-known classical allusions may be noted the following mention
of whipping the top, in Persius’s third Satire:
“Neu quis callidior buxum torquere flagello.”
Thus translated by Dryden:
“The whirling top they whip,
And drive her giddy till she fall asleep.”
Thus also in Virgil’s _Æneid_, vii. 378:
“Ceu quondam torto volitans sub verbere turbo,
Quem pueri magno in gyro vacua atria circum
Intenti ludo exercent. Ille actus habenâ
Curvatis fertur spatiis: stupet inscia supra,
Impubesque manus, mirata volubile buxum:
Dant animos plagæ.”
Thus translated by Dryden:
“As young striplings whip the top for sport,
On the smooth pavement of an empty court;
The wooden engine whirls and flies about,
Admired with clamours of the beardless rout,
They lash aloud, each other they provoke,
And lend their little souls at ev’ry stroke.”
And so Ovid, Trist. 1. iii. Eleg. 12:
“Otia nunc istic: junctisque ex ordine ludis
Cedunt verbosi garrula bella fori.
Usus equi nunc est, levibus nunc luditur armis:
Nunc pila, _nunc celeri volvitur orbe trochus_.”
Passing from these general allusions to the top as a form of amusement,
we enter on more significant ground when we take into consideration the
various passages in the early dramatists and other writers (collected
together in Nares’ _Glossary_), which show that tops were at one time
owned by the parish or village.
“He’s a coward and a coystril that will not drink to my niece, till his
brains turn like a parish-top.”—Shakespeare, _Twelfth Night_, i. 3.
“A merry Greek, and cants in Latin comely,
Spins like the parish-top.”
—Ben Jonson, _New Inn_, ii. 5.
“I’ll hazard
My life upon it, that a boy of twelve
Should scourge him hither like a parish-top,
And make him dance before you.”
—Beaumont and Fletcher, _Thierry and Theod._, ii. 1.
“And dances like a town top, and reels and hobbles.”
—Ibid., _Night Walker_, i. 1.
Every night I dream I am a town-top, and that I am whipt up and down
with the scourge stick of love.—“Grim, the Collier of Croydon,” ap.
_Dodsley_, xi. 206.
In the Fifteen Comforts of Marriage, p. 143, we read: “Another tells ’em
of a project he has to make town tops spin without an eel-skin, as if he
bore malice to the school-boys.”
Poor Robin, in his Almanack for 1677, tells us, in the Fanatick’s
Chronology, it was then “1804 years since the first invention of
town-tops.”
These passages seem to refer to a custom of keeping tops by a township
or parish, and they are confirmed by Evelyn, who, speaking of the uses
of willow wood, among other things made of it, mentions great
“town-topps” (_Sylva_, xx. 29). The latest writers who give positive
information on the subject are Blackstone, who, in his note on
Shakespeare, asserts that to “sleep like a town top” was proverbial, and
Hazlitt, who, in his collection of _English Proverbs_, has “like a
parish-top.” (See also Brand, ii. 448.)
Steevens, in his notes on Shakespeare, makes the positive assertion that
“this is one of the customs now laid aside: a large top was formerly
kept in every village, to be whipt in frosty weather, that the peasants
might be kept warm by exercise, and out of mischief, while they could
not work.”
This passage is repeated in Ellis’s edition of Brand, so that there is
only one authority for the two statements. The question is whether
Steevens was stating his own independent knowledge, or whether he based
his information upon the passage in Shakespeare which he was
illustrating. I think there can be no doubt that the custom existed, in
whatever way we accept Steevens’ statement, and the question is one of
considerable interest.
“Tops” is one of those games which are strictly limited to particular
seasons of the year, and any infringement of those seasons is strictly
tabooed by the boys. Hone (_Every Day Book_, i. 127), records the
following rhyme:—
Tops are in, spin ’em agin;
Tops are out, smuggin’ about,
but does not mention the season. It is, however, the early spring. This
rhyme is still in use, and may occasionally be heard in the streets of
London in the top season. Smugging is legitimate stealing when boys play
out of season. “Marbles furst, then comes tops, then comes kites and
hoops,” said a London boy who had acquired some tops by “smuggin;” but
these rules are fast becoming obsolete, as is also the use of a dried
eel skin as the favourite whip or thong used.
The keeping of a top by the parish in its corporate capacity is not
likely to have arisen for the sake of supplying people with amusement,
and we must look to a far more ancient origin for this singular custom.
Hone mentions a doubtful story of a top being used in the ritual of one
of the churches at Paris. (The burial of Alleluia. The top was whipped
by a choir-boy from one end of the choir to the other: _Every Day Book_,
i. 100), and if this can be confirmed it would be a link in the chain of
evidence. But the whole subject requires much more evidence than it is
now possible to go into here, though even, as far as we can now go, I am
tempted to suggest that this well-known toy takes us back to the
serious rites of ancient religions.
Brady’s _Clavis Calendaria_, i. 209, mentions the discontinued custom of
whipping tops on Shrove Tuesday as originating in the Popish Carnival as
types of the rigour of Church discipline.
It is not improbable that the tee-totum is the earliest form of top, and
as its use is for gambling, it is probable that this and the top were
formerly used for purposes of divination.
See “Gully,” “Hoatie,” “Hoges,” “Peg Top,” “Peg in the Ring,”
“Scurran-Meggy,” “Totum.”
The Totum, or Tee-to-tum
The Totum is really only a top to spin by hand. It is made of a square
piece of wood or bone, the four sides being each marked with a letter,
and the peg is put through a hole in the centre. Sometimes the totum is
shaped to a point on the under side, and a pin fixed in the upper part,
by which it is twirled round.
The game played is one of chance; it may be played by two or more,
either boys or girls, and is played only at Christmas. In Keith the
letters are A, N, D, T. In playing the stake is one pin, and each plays
in turn. If the side with A on it falls uppermost the player wins the
whole stake—“A, tack a’.” If N turns up the player gets nothing—“N,
nikil (nihil), nothing.” If T turns up one pin falls to the player—“T,
tack ane.” If D comes uppermost the player has to lay down a pin—“D,
dossie doon.” At times the game was played by paying a stake to all the
letters except A, and the words used were—“D, dip it,” “T, tip it,” and
“N, nip it.”—Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).
We played the game when children usually at Christmas time. The players
sat round a table. A pool was made, each player putting in the same
amount of stakes, either pins, counters, nuts, or money. One player
collected the pool and then spun the tee-totum by his fingers. Whichever
letter was uppermost when it stopped, the player had to obey.
T, was take all (the contents of the pool).
H, half the contents.
N, nothing.
P, to put into the pool the same amount as the stakes were at first.
When this was done the next player spun the totum in his turn. When one
player got T a fresh pool had to be collected.—London (A. B. Gomme).
Jamieson’s _Dictionary_ says children lay up stores of pins to play at
this game at Christmas time.
William Dunbar, the Scottish poet (James IV.), seems to refer to this
game in the poem, _Schir, ȝit remembir as of befoir_, in the words—
“He playis with _totum_, and I with _nichell_” (l. 74).
Strutt (_Sports and Pastimes_, page 385) says the four sides were marked
with letters, and describes the game as we now play it in London.
All tee-totums or whirligigs seem to have some reference to tops, except
that the tee-totum is used principally for gambling.
Some have numbers on their sides like dice instead of letters, and some
are of octagonal shape.
See “Lang Larence,” “Scop-peril,” “Tops.”
Touch
One player is chosen “he.” He then runs amidst the other players and
tries to touch one, who then becomes “Tig” or “Touch” in turn.
See “Ticky Touchwood,” “Tig.”
Tower of London
The Tower is formed by a circle of children, two of whom constitute the
gate. These two join hands, and raise or lower their arm to open or shut
the gate. The Tower is summoned to open its gates to admit “King George
and all his merry men,” how represented I can’t remember; but I know
that at one point there is a chase, and the prisoner is caught and
brought before the king, when there ensues a scrap of dialogue in song
(Mrs. Harley).
See “How many miles to Babylon,” “King of the Barbarie.”
Town Lovers
There is a girl of our town,
She often wears a flowered gown;
Tommy loves her night and day,
And Richard when he may,
And Johnny when he can;
I think Sam will be the man!
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, pp. 217-218.
A girl is placed in the middle of a ring and says the lines, the names
being altered to suit the players. She points to each one named, and at
the last line the one selected immediately runs away; if the girl
catches him he pays a forfeit, or the game is commenced again, the boy
being placed in the middle.
Trades
Sides are chosen. These stand apart from each other, inside the line of
their den. One side chooses amongst themselves a trade, and then walk
over to the other side, imitating the actions pertaining to different
parts of that trade, and giving the initial letter. If the trade is
guessed by the opposite side, that side chooses the next trade, and
performs the actions. If the trade is not guessed, the side is at
liberty to choose another, and continue until one is guessed.—Forest of
Dean, Gloucestershire (Miss Matthews).
The players that are to act the dumb tradesmen agree among themselves
what trades are to be imitated. When this point is settled they present
themselves before those that are to guess the trade, and proclaim three
poor tradesmen wanting a trade—dumb. They then begin the work of
imitation. The onlooker that first discovers the trade calls it out, and
he becomes the dumb tradesman during the next round.—Fraserburgh (Rev.
W. Gregor).
Some of the players form a line, while three others come up and say—
“Here are three men from Botany Bay,
Got any work to give us to-day.”
The others ask, “What can you do?” To which they reply, “Anything.” And
the others retort, “Set to work, then.”
The three then do some imaginary work, while those in the line have to
guess what it is.—Ogbourne, Wilts (H. S. May).
“Two broken tradesmen newly come over,
The one from France and Scotland, the other from Dover.”
“What’s your trade?”
Two boys privately arrange that the pass-word shall be some implement of
a particular trade. The trade is announced after the above dialogue, and
carpenters, nailors, sailors, smiths, tinkers, or any other is answered;
and on guessing the instrument, “Plane him,” “Hammer him,” “Rasp him,”
or “Solder him,” is called out; then the fun is that the unfortunate
wight who guesses the “tool” is beaten with the caps of his fellows till
he reaches a fixed goal, after which he goes out in turn.—Halliwell’s
_Nursery Rhymes_, cccxvi. In his _Dictionary_ it is called “Trades, and
Dumb Motions.”
Northall (_English Folk-Rhymes_) records this game as being played in
Warwickshire. The method is practically the same as the Forest of Dean,
except that the “tradesmen” are beaten if their trade is easily guessed
by the others. They may also be beaten if they show their teeth during
the operations.
Trap, Bat, and Ball
A game played with a trap, a ball, and a small bat. The trap is of wood
made like a slipper, with a hollow at the heel end for the ball, and a
kind of wooden spoon moving on a pivot, in the bowl of which the ball is
placed. Two sides play—one side bats, the other fields. One of the
batsmen strikes the end or handle of the spoon, the ball then rises into
the air, and the art of the game is for the batsman to strike it as far
as possible with the bat before it reaches the ground. The other side
who are “fielding,” try either to catch the ball before it falls to the
ground, or to bowl it from where it falls to hit the trap. If they
succeed in catching the ball all the “ins” are out, and their side goes
in to strike the ball, and the previous batsmen to field; if the trap is
hit the batsman is out and another player of his side takes his place.
The batsman is also out if he allows the ball to touch the trap when in
the act of hitting it.—(A. B. Gomme.)
Halliwell (_Dictionary_) says, “Nurspell” in Lincolnshire is somewhat
similar to “Trap Ball.” It is played with a kibble, a nur and a spell.
By striking the end of the spell with the kibble the nur rises into the
air, and the game is to strike it with the kibble before it reaches the
ground. He who drives it the greatest distance is the winner. Miss Burne
(_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 527) says, “Trib and Knurr,” otherwise “Dog
Stick,” are local names for “Knur and Spell,” a superior form of “Trap
Ball.” The “knurr” is a hard wooden ball, the “trib” is the trap or
receptacle, the “Dog Stick” the sort of club with which it is struck.
The game is played as described by Halliwell. She adds it was formerly
the favourite pastime of young men on Shrove Tuesday.
At Bury St. Edmonds, on Shrove Tuesday, Easter Monday, and Whitsuntide
festivals, twelve old women side off for a game at “Trap and Ball,”
which is kept up with the greatest spirit and vigour until
sunset.—_Suffolk County Folk-lore_, p. 56. See also Chambers’s _Book of
Days_, i. p. 428, for a similar custom among women at Chester.
See “Nur and Spel,” “Tribet,” “Trippit and Coit.”
Tray-Trip
Grose says this was an ancient game, like Scotch-hop, played on a
pavement marked out with chalk into different compartments. According to
Halliwell (_Dictionary_), it was a game at dice.
See “Hop-scotch,” “Scotch Hop.”
Tres-acre
A game in which generally six are engaged—one taking a station before
two about 12 yards behind him, three 12 yards behind these two. One is
the catch-pole. Never more than two can remain; the supernumerary one
must always shift and seek a new station. If the catch-pole can get in
before the person who changes his station, he has the right to take his
place, and the other becomes pursuer.—Jamieson.
This is not very descriptive, but the game is evidently the same as
“Round Tag” and “Twos and Threes,” played with a small number.
Tribet
A common children’s game played in Lancashire; which, perhaps, may be
the primitive form of “Trap.” It is played with a “pum,” a piece of
wood about a foot long and two inches in diameter, and a “tribet,” a
small piece of hard wood.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
See “Trap, Bat, and Ball.”
Trippit and Coit
A game formerly known under the appellation of “Trippets,” Newcastle.
It is the same as “Trip-cat” in some southern counties. The trippet
is a small piece of wood obtusely pointed—something like a shoe—hollow
at one end, and having a tail a little elevated at the other, which
is struck with a buckstick. It is also called “Buckstick,
Spell-and-Ore.”—Brockett’s _North Country Words_. See also Dickinson’s
_Cumberland Glossary_. Halliwell’s _Dictionary_ says—The game is almost
peculiar to the North of England. There is a poem called “The Trip
Match” in _Mather’s Songs_.
See “Nur and Spel,” “Trap, Bat, and Ball.”
Trip and Go
Trip and go, heave and hoe,
Up and down, to and fro;
From the town to the grove,
Two and two let us rove;
A-maying, a-playing,
Love hath no gainsaying;
So merrily trip and go,
So merrily trip and go.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, cccxlviii.
A game rhyme, but undescribed.
Trip-trout
A game in which a common ball is used instead of the cork and feathers
in “Shuttlecock.”—(Kinross) Jamieson.
See “Shuttlefeather,” “Teesty Tosty.”
Troap
A game played by two persons, with bandies or sticks hooked at the end,
and a bit of wood called a nacket. At each end of the ground occupied a
line is drawn. He who strikes off the nacket from the one line, tries
to drive it as near the other as possible. The antagonist who stands
between him and the goal tries to throw back with his hand the nacket to
the line from which the other has struck it. If he does this he takes
the place of the other. If not, the distance is measured between the
striking point and the nacket with one of the sticks used in striking,
and for every length of the stick one is counted against the
caster.—(Angus) Jamieson. The editor of Jamieson adds that the name must
have been originally the same as the English Trap, although in this game
a ball is used instead of a nacket, and it is struck off as in cricket.
Troco, Trucks
This was an old English game formerly known as “trucks.” Strutt, p. 270,
299 (who gives an illustration of it), considers this game to be the
original of billiards. Professor Attwell says, _Notes and Queries_, 7th
series, xii. 137, “This game was played at Nassau House School, Barnes,
for twenty years. It is played on a lawn with balls, cues, and rings.”
Troule-in-Madame
In the Benefit of the Auncient Bathes of Buckstones, compiled by John
Jones at the King’s Mede, nigh Darby, 1572, 4to. p. 12, we read: “The
ladyes, gentle woomen, wyves, and maydes, maye in one of the galleries
walke; and if the weather bee not aggreeable too theire expectacion,
they may haue in the ende of a benche eleuen holes made, intoo the which
to trowle pummetes, or bowles of leade, bigge, little, or meane, or also
of copper, tynne, woode, eyther vyolent or softe, after their owne
discretion; the pastyme _troule-in-madame_ is termed.” Probably similar
to “Nine Holes.”
Trounce-Hole
A game at ball resembling trap, but having a hole in the ground for the
trap, a flat piece of bone for a trigger, and a cudgel for a
bat.—Norfolk, Holloway’s _Dictionary of Provincialisms_.
See “Trunket.”
Troy Town
A game in which a plan of a labyrinth is drawn on a slate and presented
as a puzzle by boys to their schoolfellows for them to find a way into
the central citadel. It appears to owe its origin to the mediæval mazes
or labyrinths called “Troy Towns,” or “Troy Walls,” many of which
existed in different parts of England and Wales. It appears that games
connected with the midsummer festivals were held in these labyrinths.
This may, perhaps, account for the origin of this puzzle being
considered a game. For accounts of labyrinths or mazes called “Troy
Towns,” see _Notes and Queries_, 1st series, xi. 132, 193; 2nd series,
v. 211-213; 8th series, iv. 96, 97; in which many references are given;
_Tran. Cymmrodorion Soc._, 1822, i. 67-69; Roberts’ _Cambrian
Antiquities_ (in which is a plan), 212, 213; and _Folk-lore Journal_, v.
45.
Truncher
A game requiring dexterity. A young man lies flat, resting only on his
toes at a certain mark at one extremity and on a trencher in each hand
at the other. He then tries to reach out the trenchers as far as
possible, and if not held at the right angle and edgewise, down they go
and he is defeated.—Dickinson’s _Cumberland Glossary_.
Trunket
A game at ball played with short sticks, and having a hole in the ground
in lieu of stumps or wickets as in “Cricket”; and with these exceptions,
and the ball being “cop’d,” instead of bowled or trickled on the ground,
it is played in the same way; the person striking the ball must be
caught out, or the ball must be deposited in the hole before the stick
or cudgel can be placed there.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
See “Cudgel,” “Trounce Hole.”
Truss
A boy’s game like “Leap-Frog.”—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Tuilyie-wap
A childish amusement in Teviotdale, in which a number of boys take hold
of each other’s hands and wrap themselves round the one who is at the
head; clasping themselves as firmly together as possible, and every one
pushing till the mass falls over.—Jamieson.
See “Bulliheisle,” “Eller Tree,” “Snail-Creep,” “Wind the Bush Faggot.”
Turn, Cheeses, Turn
Green cheeses, yellow laces,
Up and down the market places;
First a penny and then a groat,
Turn, cheeses, turn.
—Leicester (Miss Ellis).
Green cheeses, yellow laces,
Up and down the market places,
Turn, cheeses, turn!
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, cccx.
This is acted by two or more girls who walk or dance up and down,
turning, when they say “Turn, cheeses, turn.”—Halliwell.
I remember playing this game, but my remembrance is very imperfect. As
far as I remember, there were two lines or rows of children. They danced
forwards and backwards, crossing to the opposite side, and turning
round. At the words, “Turn, cheeses, turn,” the cheeses all turned round
rapidly and then sank on the ground. The players tried to inflate their
dresses as much as possible, and then stooped down to the ground, so
that the dress remained inflated; only the head and shoulders surrounded
by a ball-like skirt then appeared, intended to represent a cheese. All
joined hands and danced round at the end. The lines sang were the same
as the Leicester except the third, which was—“Some a penny, some a
groat, turn, cheeses, turn.” It was necessary for skirts to be very
“full” to make good cheeses—as wide at the waist as at the bottom of the
skirt.—(A. B. Gomme.)
Holland (_Cheshire Glossary_) says, a frequent amusement of girls is
making cheeses. They turn round and round till their dresses fly out at
the bottom; then suddenly squatting down, the air confined under the
dress causes the skirt to bulge out like a balloon. When skilfully done
the appearance is that of a girl’s head and shoulders peeping out of an
immense cushion. Evans’ _Leicestershire Glossary_ mentions this game. He
says, “The performers sing a song of which the refrain is ‘Turn,
cheeses, turn,’ but I do not remember to have heard the example cited by
Mr. Halliwell-Phillips.”—_Percy Soc._, iv. p. 122.
I always understood that the green cheeses were sage cheeses—cheeses
containing sage. Halliwell says, “Green cheeses, I am informed, are made
with sage and potato tops. Two girls are said to be ‘cheese and
cheese.’”
Turn Spit Jack
A game at country balls, &c., in which young men compete by singing for
their partners in the next dance.—Patterson’s _Antrim and Down
Glossary_.
Turn the Ship
This is commonly a girls’ game. Two join hands and trip along, with
hands crossed, turning from one side to the other, and crossing their
arms over their heads without letting go their hold of each other,
singing at the same time—
Tip, tip, toe, London, lo!
Turn, Mary Ann, and away you go.
Or—
Tip, tip, toe, leerie, lo!
Turn the ship and away you go;
A penny to you, and a penny to me,
And a penny to turn the basket.
—Fochabers (Rev. W. Gregor).
Turn the Trencher, or, My Lady’s Toilet
An indoor game played at Christmas time by children and adults. All the
players in the room must be seated. They are then asked by the leader of
the game to choose some article of a lady’s toilet, which article they
will personally represent, such as diamond ring, bracelet, comb, brush,
jug, basin, powder, hair-dye, dress, mantle, &c.—any article, in fact,
belonging to the toilet.
The leader then goes to the centre of the room with a small trencher,
round card tray, plate, or saucer in her hand. She spins this (the
trencher) round as quickly as possible, saying, “My lady’s going out and
needs her ‘dress,’” or any other article she chooses to name. The player
who has taken the name of “dress” must get up from her seat and catch
the trencher before it falls. If successful this player then spins the
trencher, calling out the name of another article of the toilet. If the
player fails to catch it, a forfeit is demanded by the leader.
Occasionally the spinner will say, “My lady’s going to a ball (or
elsewhere), and needs the whole of her toilet.” When this is said, every
player has to get up and take another place before the trencher falls;
the last one to get a place has to take the trencher, and if it is down,
to pay a forfeit. At the end of the game the forfeits are “cried” in the
usual way.—(A. B. Gomme.)
This (called “Truckle the Trencher”) used to be a standard game for
winter evenings. A circle was formed, and each one was seated on the
floor, every player taking the name of a flower. This game was entered
into with the greatest vivacity by staid and portly individuals as well
as by their juniors.—Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 238).
A trencher, saucer, or plate is used. The players sit in a circle, and
one twirls the trencher, at the same time calling out the name of one of
the players. He or she jumps up and tries to catch the whirling trencher
before it falls. If it falls or is knocked over, a forfeit is lodged,
and the player who lodged the forfeit now becomes the twirler. If the
trencher is caught, it is handed back and twirled again, and another
name called out. The game continues till all or, at least, most of the
players have lodged forfeits. It is called “Turn the Plettie.”—Macduff
(Rev. W. Gregor).
This game is played in the same way in Ireland. It is called “Twirl the
Trencher,” and the players take names of towns or beasts.—(Miss Keane.)
Brogden (_Provincial Words, Lincolnshire_) and Halliwell (_Dictionary_)
mention it as “Turn Trencher,” a game played at Christmas time. Moor
(_Suffolk Words and Phrases_) calls it “Move all.”
Turvey
Turvey, turvey, clothed in black,
With silver buttons upon your back;
One by one, and two by two,
Turn about, and that will do.
—Haverfordwest (_Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, v. 394).
The children marched two and two, in a measured step to a given
distance, then turned and marched back again.
See “Alligoshee.”
Tutt-ball
“Tut-ball,”[12] as played at a young ladies’ school at Shiffnal fifty
years ago. The players stood together in their “den,” behind a line
marked on the ground, all except one, who was “out,” and who stood at a
distance and threw the ball to them. One of the players in the den then
hit back the ball with the palm of the hand, and immediately ran to one
of three brickbats, called “tuts,” which were set up at equal distances
on the ground, in such positions that a player running past them all
would describe a complete circle by the time she returned to the den.
The player who was “out” tried to catch the ball, and to hit the runner
with it while passing from one “tut” to another. If she succeeded in
doing so, she took her place in the den, and the other went “out” in her
stead. This game is very nearly identical with “rounders.”—_Shropshire
Folk-lore_, p. 524.
A game at ball, now only played by boys, but half a century ago by
adults on Ash Wednesday, believing that unless they did so they would
fall sick in harvest time. This is a very ancient game, and was
elsewhere called “Stool-ball,” indulged in by the clergy as well as
laity to avert misfortune.—Ross and Stead’s _Holderness Glossary_. The
game is not described.
Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_) says this game is the same as “Pize-ball.”
Halliwell (_Dictionary_) says it is a sort of “Stob-ball Play.”
See “Cat and Dog,” “Rounders,” “Stool Ball.”
[12] _Tut_, a prominence, from A. S. _tótian_, whence also E. _tout_,
q.v.—W. W. S.
Twelve Days of Christmas
[Music]
—Rimbault’s _Nursery Rhymes_.
I. The first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear-tree.
The second day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear-tree.
The third day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Three French hens and two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear-tree.
The fourth day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Four colly birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear-tree.
The fifth day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Five gold rings, four colly birds, three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear-tree.
The sixth day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying, five gold rings,
Four colly birds, three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear-tree.
The seventh day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying, five gold rings,
Four colly birds, three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear-tree.
The eighth day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying, five gold rings,
Four colly birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear-tree.
The ninth day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Nine drummers drumming, eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings, four colly birds, three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear-tree.
The tenth day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Ten pipers piping, nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying, five gold rings,
Four colly birds, three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear-tree.
The eleventh day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Eleven ladies dancing, ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming, eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings, four colly birds,
Three French hens, two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear-tree.
The twelfth day of Xmas, my true love sent to me
Twelve lords a-leaping, eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping, nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying, five gold rings,
Four colly birds, three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear-tree.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, cccxlvi.
II. The king sent his lady on the first Yule day,
A papingo-aye [a peacock];
Wha learns my carol and carries it away?
The king sent his lady on the second Yule day,
Three partridges, a papingo-aye;
Wha learns my carol and carries it away?
The king sent his lady on the third Yule day,
Three plovers, three partridges, a papingo-aye;
Wha learns my carol and carries it away?
The king sent his lady on the fourth Yule day,
A goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges, a papingo-aye;
Wha learns my carol and carries it away?
The king sent his lady on the fifth Yule day,
Three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges, and a papingo-aye;
Wha learns my carol and carries it away?
The king sent his lady on the sixth Yule day,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges, and a papingo-aye;
Wha learns my carol and carries it away?
The king sent his lady on the seventh Yule day,
A bull that was brown, three goldspinks, three starlings,
A goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges, and a papingo-aye;
Wha learns my carol and carries it away?
The king sent his lady on the eighth Yule day,
Three ducks a-merry laying, a bull that was brown—
[The rest to follow as before.]
The king sent his lady on the ninth Yule day,
Three swans a-merry swimming—
[As before.]
The king sent his lady on the tenth Yule day,
An Arabian baboon—
[As before.]
The king sent his lady on the eleventh Yule day,
Three hinds a-merry hunting—
[As before.]
The king sent his lady on the twelfth Yule day,
Three maids a-merry dancing—
[As before.]
The king sent his lady on the thirteenth Yule day,
Three stalks o’ merry corn, three maids a-merry dancing,
Three hinds a-merry hunting, an Arabian baboon,
Three swans a-merry swimming,
Three ducks a-merry laying, a bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges, a papingo-aye;
Wha learns my carol and carries it away?
—Chambers’s _Pop. Rhymes_, p. 42.
III. My lady’s lap dog,
Two plump partridges and my lady’s lap dog;
Three grey elephants, two plump partridges and my lady’s lap
dog;
Four Persian cherry trees, three grey elephants, &c.;
Five Limerick oysters, four Persian cherry trees, &c.;
Six bottles of frontignac, &c.;
Seven swans a-swimming, &c.,
Eight flip flap, floating fly boats, &c.;
Nine merchants going to Bagdad, &c.;
Ten Italian dancing-masters going to teach ten Arabian
magpies how to dance, &c.;
Eleven guests going to celebrate the marriage of the
Princess Baldroulbadour with the Prince of Terra-del-Fuego,
&c.;
Twelve triumphant trumpeters triumphantly trumpeting the
tragical tradition of Telemachus.
—London (A. B. Gomme).
IV. Twelve huntsmen with horns and hounds,
Hunting over other men’s grounds!
Eleven ships sailing o’er the main,
Some bound for France and some for Spain;
I wish them all safe home again.
Ten comets in the sky,
Some low and some high;
Nine peacocks in the air,
I wonder how they all come there,
I do not know and I do not care.
Eight joiners in a joiners’ hall,
Working with the tools and all;
Seven lobsters in a dish,
As fresh as any heart could wish;
Six beetles against the wall,
Close by an old woman’s apple stall;
Five puppies of our dog Ball,
Who daily for their breakfast call;
Four horses stuck in a bog,
Three monkeys tied to a clog;
Two pudding ends would choke a dog,
With a gaping wide-mouthed waddling frog.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, cclxxx., cvi.
(_c_) “The Twelve Days” was a Christmas game. It was a customary thing
in a friend’s house to play “The Twelve Days,” or “My Lady’s Lap Dog,”
every Twelfth Day night. The party was usually a mixed gathering of
juveniles and adults, mostly relatives, and before supper—that is,
before eating mince pies and twelfth cake—this game and the cushion
dance were played, and the forfeits consequent upon them always cried.
The company were all seated round the room. The leader of the game
commenced by saying the first line. Generally the version used was
similar to No. I. In later years the shorter version, No. III., was
said. The lines for the “first day” of Christmas was said by each of the
company in turn; then the first “day” was repeated, with the addition of
the “second” by the leader, and then this was said all round the circle
in turn. This was continued until the lines for the “twelve days” were
said by every player. For every mistake a forfeit—a small article
belonging to the person—had to be given up. These forfeits were
afterwards “cried” in the usual way, and were not returned to the owner
until they had been redeemed by the penalty inflicted being performed.
In version No. IV., the game began by the leader saying to the player
sitting next to her, “Take this!” holding the hands as if giving
something. The neighbour answered, “What’s this?” The leader answered,
“A gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog.” The second player then turned
to the third and repeated, “A gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog,” and
so on all round the room. The leader then said, “Two pudding-ends would
choke a dog,” continuing in the same way until twelve was reached.
Chambers does not describe the way the game given by him was played, but
it was probably much in the same manner. Rimbault’s _Nursery Rhymes_
gives the tune to which words of the song were repeated. The words given
are almost identical with No. I., but the tune, copied here, is the only
recorded one I have found.
(_d_) It seems probable that we have in these rhymes a remnant of a
practice of singing or chanting carols or rhymes relating to the custom
of sending gifts to friends and relatives during the twelve days of
Christmas. The festival of the twelve days was an important one. The
great mid-winter feast of Yule consisted of twelve days, and from the
events occurring during those days it is probable that events of the
future twelve months were foretold.—On the festival of the twelve days
consult Keary’s _Outlines of Primitive Belief_, p. 381. Miss Burne
records that the twelve days rule the year’s weather; as the weather is
on each day of the twelve, so will it be in the corresponding month, and
for every mince-pie eaten in friends’ houses during these days a happy
month is promised. In the games usually played at this season, viz.,
those in which forfeits are incurred, and the redemption of these by
penances inflicted on the unhappy perpetrators of mistakes, we may
perhaps see a relic of the observance of certain customs and ceremonies,
and the penalties likely to be incurred by those persons who omitted to
religiously carry them out. It is considered unlucky in the North of
England and Scotland to enter a neighbour’s house empty-handed.
Christmas bounties, and the practice of giving presents of food and corn
and meal on St. Thomas’s Day, 21st December, to the poorer people, when
they used to go round to the farmers’ houses to collect food to prepare
for this festival, may have had its origin in the idea that nothing
could be prepared or cooked during the festival of the twelve days. It
was a very general practice for work of all kinds to be put entirely
aside before Christmas and not resumed until after Twelfth Day. Dr.
Gregor records that no bread should be baked nor washing done during
this period, nor work left unfinished. Jamieson, in a note on Yule, says
that the _gifts_ now generally conferred at the New Year seem to have
originally belonged to Yule. Among the northern nations it was customary
for subjects at this season to present gifts to their sovereign,—these
were called Jolagiafir, _i.e._ Yule gifts. The custom in Scotland of
presenting what we vulgarly call a sweetie-skon, or a loaf enriched with
raisins and currants, has an analogy to this.
It is difficult, with the scanty evidence at command, to do more than
make the simple suggestions above. The game is evidently in a process of
very rapid decadence, and we have probably only poor specimens of what
was originally the form of verses sung in the two versions from
Halliwell and Chambers. The London version, No. III., is only
recognisable as belonging to this game from the fact that it was known
as playing at the “twelve days,” was always played on Twelfth Day, and
it was not considered proper nor polite for the guests to depart until
this had been played. This fact has induced me to add the fourth version
from Halliwell, because it appears to me that it may belong to the final
form which this game is taking, or has taken, namely, a mere collection
of alliterative nursery words, or rhymes, to puzzle the speaker under a
rapid repetition, and to exact forfeits for the mistakes made.
See “Forfeits.”
Twelve Holes
A game similar to “Nine Holes,” mentioned in Florio ed., 1611, p.
20.—Halliwell’s _Dictionary_.
Uncle John is Ill in Bed
I. Uncle John is ill in bed,
What shall I send him?
Three good wishes, and three good kisses,
And a race of ginger.
Who shall I send it by?
By the carrier’s daughter;
Catch her by the lily-white hand
And carry her over the water.
_Sally_ goes a-courting night and day,
Histal, whistal, by her side,
_Johnny Everall_ by her side.
—Shrewsbury, Chirbury (Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 511).
II. Uncle Tom is very sick,
What shall we send him?
A piece of cake, a piece of bread,
A piece of apple dumpling.
Who shall we send it with?
Mrs. So and So’s daughter.
She is neither without,
She is neither within,
She is up in the parlour romping about.
She came downstairs dressed in silk,
A rose in her breast as white as milk.
She pulled off her glove,
She showed me her ring,
To-morrow, to-morrow the wedding shall begin.
—Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).
(_b_) The Shropshire version is played by the children forming a ring by
joining hands. After the eighth line is sung all the children stoop
down—the last to do so has to tell her sweetheart’s name. In the Scotch
version the players stand in a row. They sing the first five lines, then
one player is chosen (who chooses another); the other lines are sung,
and the two shake hands. Another version from Scotland (Laurieston
School, Kirkcudbright, Mr. J. Lawson), is very similar to the one from
Nairn.
Mr. Newell (p. 72) gives versions of this game which are fuller and more
complete than those given here. He thinks it bears traces of ancient
origin, and may be the last echo of a mediæval song, in which an
imprisoned knight is saved from approaching death by the daughter of the
king, or soldan, who keeps him in confinement.
Up the Streets
[Music]
—Liverpool (C. C. Bell).
I. Up the streets and down the streets,
The windows made of glass;
Is not [naming one of the children] a nice young lass?
She can dance, she can sing,
She can show her wedding-ring.
Fie, for shame! fie, for shame!
Turn your back behind you.
—Liverpool (C. C. Bell).
II. Up streets, down streets,
Windows made of glass;
Isn’t “Jenny Jenkins” a handsome young lass?
Isn’t “Johnny Johnson” as handsome as she?
They shall be married,
When they can agree.
—Monton, Lancashire, Colleyhurst, Manchester (Miss Dendy).
III. Up street and down street,
Each window’s made of glass;
If you go to Tommy Tickler’s house
You’ll find a pretty lass.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, cccclxxx.
(_b_) In the Liverpool version the children stand in a ring and sing the
words. At “Fie, for shame,” the child named ceases to sing, and the
others address her particularly. When the verse is ended she turns her
back to the inside of the ring. All do this in turn. The Monton game is
played the same as “kiss-in-the-ring” games.
(_c_) Northall (_English Popular Rhymes_, p. 549), gives a version
almost the same as the Monton version. He also quotes some verses from a
paper by Miss Tennant in the _English Illustrated Magazine_, June 1885,
which she gives as a song of the slums of London. In _Gammer Gurton’s
Garland_ (1783, reprint 1810, p. 34), is a verse which is the same as
Halliwell’s, with two additional lines—
Hug her, and kiss her, and take her on your knee,
And whisper very close, Darling girl, do you love me?
Wadds and the Wears (1)
Mactaggart, in describing this, says it is one of the most celebrated
amusements of the Ingle ring. To begin it, one in the ring speaks as
follows:—
I hae been awa at the wadds and the wears
These seven lang years;
And come hame a puir broken ploughman,
What will ye gie me to help me to my trade?
He may either say he’s a “puir broken ploughman” or any other trade, but
since he has chosen that trade some of the articles belonging to it must
always be given or offered to recruit it. But the article he most wants
he privately tells one of the party, who is not allowed to offer him
anything, as he knows the thing, which will throw the offerer in a wadd,
and must be avoided as much as possible, for to be in a wadd is a very
serious matter. Now, the one on the left hand of the “poor ploughman”
makes the first offer by way of answer to what above was said—“I’ll gie
ye the coulter to help ye to your trade.” The ploughman answers, “I
don’t thank ye for the coulter; I hae ane already.” Then another offers
him another article belonging to the ploughman’s business, such as the
moolbred, but this also is refused: another gives the sock, another the
stilts, another the spattle, another the naigs, and so on until one
gives the soam, which was the article he most wanted, and was the thing
secretly told to the one player. This throws the giver into a wadd, out
of which he is relieved in the following manner:—
The ploughman says to the one in the wadd, “Whether will ye hae three
questions and two commands, or three commands and two questions to
answer, or gang on wi’, sae that ye may win out o’ the wadd?” For the
one so fixed has always the choice which of these to take. Suppose he
takes the first, two commands and three questions, then a specimen of
these may be—“I command ye to kiss the crook,” says the ploughman, which
must be completely obeyed by the one in the wadd; his naked lips must
kiss the sooty implement. Secondly, says the ploughman, I command ye to
stand up in that neuk and say—
“Here stan’ I, as stiff’s a stake,
Wha ’ill kiss me for pity’s sake?”
which must also be done; in a corner of the house must he stand and
repeat this couplet, until some tender-hearted lass relieves him. Then
the questions are asked, such as—“Suppose you were in a bed with Maggie
Lowden and Jennie Logan, your twa great sweethearts, what ane o’m wad ye
ding owre the bedside, and what ane wad ye turn to and clap and cuddle?”
He has to choose one, perhaps to the great mirth of the company.
Secondly, “Suppose ye were stannin’ stark naked on the tap o’
Cairnhattie, whether wad ye cry on Peggie Kirtle or Nell o’ Killimingie
to come wi’ your claise?” He has again to choose. Lastly, “Suppose ye
were in a boat wi’ Tibbie Tait, Mary Kairnie, Sally Snadrap, and Kate o’
Minnieive, and it was to coup wi’ ye, what ane o’ ’em wad ye sink? what
ane wad ye soom? wha wad ye bring to lan’? and wha wad ye marry?” Then
he has again to choose between the girls named.
Chambers gives the following versions of the “Wadds”:—
The wadds was played by a group seated round the hearth fire, the lasses
being on one side and the lads on the other. The questions are asked and
answers given alternately. A lad first chants—
O it’s hame, and it’s hame, and it’s hame, hame, hame,
I think this night I maun gae hame.
One of the opposite party then says—
Ye had better light, and bide a’ night,
And I’ll choose you a bonny ane.
O wha will ye choose, an’ I wi’ you abide?
The fairest and rarest in a’ the country side.
At the same time presenting an unmarried female by name. If the choice
give satisfaction—
I’ll set her up on the bonny pear-tree;
It’s straught and tall, and sae is she;
I wad wake a’ night her love to be.
If the choice do not give satisfaction, from the age of the party—
I’ll set her up i’ the bank dike;
She’ll be rotten ere I be ripe;
The corbies her auld banes wadna pike.
If from supposed want of temper—
I’ll set her up on the high crab-tree;
It’s sour and dour, and sae is she;
She may gang to the mools unkissed by me.
A civil mode of declining is to say—
She’s for another, and no for me;
I thank you for your courtesie.
The same ritual is gone through with respect to one of the other sex; in
which case such rhymes as the following are used:—
I’ll put him on a riddle, and blaw him owre the sea,
Wha’ll buy [Johnie Paterson] for me?
I’ll put him on my big lum head,
And blaw him up wi’ pouther and lead.
Or, when the proposed party is agreeable—
I’ll set him on my table head,
And feed him up wi’ milk and bread.
A refusal must be atoned for by a wadd or forfeit. A piece of money, a
knife, or any little thing which the owner prizes, will serve. When a
sufficient number of persons have made forfeits, the business of
redeeming them is commenced, and generally it is then that the amusement
is greatest. The duty of kissing some person, or some part of the room,
is usually assigned as a means of redeeming one’s wadds. Often for this
purpose a lad has to kiss the very lips he formerly rejected; or, it may
be, he has to kneel to the prettiest, bow to the wittiest, and kiss the
one he loves best before the forfeit is redeemed.—The substance of the
above is from a note in Cromek’s _Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway
Song_, p. 114, who says—In this game formerly young men and women
arranged themselves on each side of the fire, and alternately bestowed
husbands and wives on each other. Carleton’s _Traits and Stories of the
Irish Peasantry_, p. 106, also describes the game without any material
difference.
Another form of this game, practised in Dumfriesshire in the last
century, and perhaps still, was more common. The party are first fitted
each with some ridiculous name, not very easy to be remembered, such as
_Swatter-in-the-Sweet-Milk_, _Butter-Milk-and-Brose_, _the Gray Gled o’
Glenwhargan Craig_, &c. Then all being seated, one comes up, repeating
the following rhymes—
I never stealt Rob’s dog, nor never intend to do,
But weel I ken wha stealt him, and dern’d him in a cleugh,
And pykit his banes bare, bare, bare eneugh!
Wha but——wha but——
The object is to burst out suddenly with one of the fictitious names,
and thus take the party bearing it by surprise. If the individual
mentioned, not immediately recollecting the name he bore, failed, on the
instant, to say “No me,” by way of denying the accusation respecting the
dog, he was subjected to a forfeit; and this equally happened if he
cried “No me,” when it was the name of another person which was
mentioned. The forfeits were disposed of as in the former case.—_Popular
Rhymes_, pp. 125-126.
It will be seen that the first version of Chambers more nearly resembles
“Hey Wullie Wine” (vol. i. p. 207), and that the latter part of the
version given by Mactaggart is similar to “Three Flowers” (ante, p. 255,
and the first part to “Trades,” p. 305). Mr. W. Ballantyne sent me a
version from Biggar as played when he was a boy. It is similar to
Mactaggart’s.
This game may indicate an earlier form of playing at forfeits than the
“Old Soldier,” “Turn the Trencher,” and kindred English games.
Mactaggart does not state that any article belonging to the person who
perpetrates the offence was given up and afterwards redeemed by the
owner performing a penalty. In Chambers’ versions this is done. It may
be that, in Mactaggart’s case, each offending person paid his or her
penalty immediately after committing the blunder or offence instead of a
leader collecting the forfeits from all offenders first, and then
“crying” all together afterwards. Whether the game originated in the
practice of “tabu,” or was an outcome of the custom of restitution, or
ransom, legally made for the commission of crimes, such as that called
wergeld, the penalty or price to be paid to the relatives of a slain
man, or of punishment for certain offences then being in the hands of a
certain class of people, we cannot now decide; but it was customary for
penalties to be attached to the commission of minor offences, and the
punishment enforced without appeal to any legally constituted authority.
The object of most of the present forfeit games seems to have been to
make the offenders ridiculous, or, in the case of the above form of
games, to find out the person loved or hated. In Shropshire “Crying the
Weds” is the name given to the game of playing at forfeits. Wadd means a
pledge. Jamieson says “Wears” signifies the “Wars.” “At the wars” is a
common mode still retained of describing the life of a soldier. Ihre
supposes that the early term wadd or wed is derived from wadd-cloth,
from this kind of merchandise being anciently given and received instead
of money; when at any time a pledge was left, a piece of cloth was used
for this purpose, and hence a pledge in general would be called wadd.
In Waldron’s description of the Isle of Man (ante, vol. i. p. 139) is an
account of a Twelfth Day custom which throws light on the game as
described by Chambers.
See “Forfeits,” “Hey Wullie Wine,” “Three Flowers,” “Trades.”
Wadds and the Wears (2)
Jamieson describes the game differently. He says—The players being
equally divided, and a certain space being marked out between them, each
lays down one or more wadds, or pledges, at that extremity where the
party to which he belongs choose their station. A boundary being fixed,
the object is to carry off the wadds from the one of these to the other.
The two parties advancing to the boundary seize the first opportunity of
crossing it, by making inroads on the territories of the other. If one
who crosses the line is seized by the opposite party before he has
touched any of their wadds, he is set down beside them as a prisoner,
and receives the name of a “stinker;” nor can he be released until one
of his own party can touch him without being intercepted by any of the
others, in which case he is free. If any one is caught in the act of
carrying off a wadd, it is taken from him; but he cannot be detained as
a prisoner, in consequence of his having touched it. If he can cross the
intermediate line with it, the pursuit is at an end. When one party has
carried off to their ground all the wadds of the other the game is
finished.
Waggles
A game of tip-cat. Four boys stand at the corners of a large
paving-stone; two have sticks, the other two are feeders, and throw the
piece of wood called a “cat.” The batters act much in the same way as in
cricket, except that the cat must be hit whilst in the air. The batter
hits it as far away as possible, and whilst the feeder is fetching it,
gets, if possible, a run, which counts to his side. If either of the
cats fall to the ground both batters go out, and the feeders take their
place. A game called “Whacks” is played in a similar way.—London Streets
(F. H. Low, _Strand Magazine_, Nov. 1891).
See “Tip-cat.”
Wallflowers
[Music]
—Nottingham (Miss Youngman).
[Music]
—Connell Ferry, near Oban (Miss Harrison).
[Music]
—Beddgelert (Mrs. Williams).
[Music]
—Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).
[Music]
—Longcot choir girls, Berks. (Miss I. Barclay).
I. Wallflowers, wallflowers, growing up so high,
All of you young ladies are sure to die.
Excepting ——, she’s the best of all.
She can hop, and she can skip,
And she can turn a candlestick.
Oh my, fie for shame, turn your face to the wall again.
—Fernham and Longcot (Miss I. Barclay).
II. Wallflowers, wallflowers,
Growing up so high,
All you young ladies
Are meant to die.
Excepting little ——,
She is the best of all.
She can skip, and she can dance,
She can turn the candlestick.
O my, fie for shame,
Turn your back to the wall again.
—From London maidservant (Miss E. Chase).
[Illustration]
III. Willy, willy wallflower,
Growin’ up so high,
We are all maidens,
We shall all die.
Excepting ——,
She’s the youngest daughter,
She can hop,
She can skip,
She can turn the candlestick.
Fee, fie, shame, shame,
Turn your backs together again:—,
——, your sweetheart is dead,
He’s sent you a letter to turn back your head.
—Wakefield, Yorks (Miss Fowler).
IV. Wallflowers, wallflowers,
Growing up so high,
We young ladies, we shall die.
Except ’tis ——,
She’s the youngest daughter.
She can hop, and she can skip,
She can play the wire,
Oh for shame, fie for shame,
Turn your back and have a game.
—Hampshire (Miss E. Mendham).
V. Wally, wally wallflower,
Growing up so high—
All ye young ladies
You must all die.
Excepting ——,
She’s the best of all—
She can hop, and she can skip,
She can turn the mangle,
Oh my, fie for shame,
Turn your back to the wall again.
—Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).
VI. Wall flowers, wall flowers, growing up so high,
We are all children, and we shall all die.
Excepting ——, she’s the youngest child,
She can hop, she can skip,
She can turn the wedding ring,
Fie, fie, fie for shame,
Turn your face to the wall again.
—Nottingham (Miss Youngman).
VII. Wally, wally wall-flower,
A-growen up so high,
All we children be sure to die.
Excepting [naming the youngest]
’Cause she’s the youngest,
Oh! fie! for shame! fie! for shame!
Turn your back to the wall again.
—Symondsbury, Dorset (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 215).
VIII. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high,
We are all living, and we shall all die.
Except the youngest here [naming her].
Turn your back to overshed. (?)
(This last line is repeated three times.)
—Symondsbury, Dorset (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 215).
IX. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We shall all be maidens, [and so] we shall all die![13]
Excepting _Alice Gittins_, she is the youngest flower,
She can hop, and she can skip, and she can play the hour!
Three and four, and four and five,
Turn your back to the wall-side!
_Or_,
She can dance and she can sing,
She can play on the tambourine!
Fie, fie! fie, for shame!
Turn your back upon the game!
—Ellesmere, Berrington, Wenlock (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 513).
X. Willie, willie wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We are all fair maids, we shall all die!
Excepting little ——, and she’s the youngest here,
Turn your head towards the south, and she’s the one to bear,
The willie, willie wallflowers.
_Or_,
Oh! for shame, fie, for shame, turn yourself to the wall
again—
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
XI. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We are all ladies, we must all die!
Excepting ——, who is the prettiest child.
Fie, for shame, fie, for shame, turn your back to the wall
again.
—Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire (Miss Winfield)
XII. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We’re all ladies, and we shall all die!
Excepting [naming smallest child in ring],
She can hop, and she can skip, and she can play the organ!
Oh! for shame, fie, for shame,
Turn your back upon our game.
—Enbourne School, Berks. (Miss M. Kimber).
XIII. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We are all pretty maidens, we all have to die!
Except ——, she’s the youngest girl,
Ah! for shame, ah! for shame,
Turn your back to us again.
I’ll wash you in milk,
I’ll dress you in silk,
I’ll write down your name,
With a gold pen and ink.
—Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy).
XIV. Oh flower, oh flower, growing up so high!
We are all children, we have all to die!
Except ——, she the youngest gay,
Oh! for shame, fie, for shame,
Turn your back against the wall.
—Beddgelert (Mrs. Williams).
XV. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We are all little, and we’ve got to die!
Excepting ——, and she’s the only one,
Oh! for shame, fie, for shame,
Turn your back to the wall again.
—Cowes, Isle of Wight (Miss E. Smith).
XVI. Little Molly white-flower, we are all maidens,
And we shall all die, except Polly Pegg,
She’s the best of all,
She can hop, and she can skip, and she can turn the
candlestick!
Oh! fie, for shame,
Turn your back to the wall.
—Hanbury, Staffordshire (Miss Edith Hollis).
XVII. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We are all playmates, we shall all die!
Excepting ——, for she’s the youngest flower,
Cry shame, cry shame,
And turn your face to the wall again.
—Sheffield (S. O. Addy).
XVIII. Wall-flower, wall-flower, growing up so high!
All the pretty maidens shall not die!
Excepting ——, she is the youngest child,
Oh! for shame, fie, for shame!
Turn your back to the wall again.
—Dean, near Salisbury (Mrs. C. Brough).
XIX. Water, water wall-flower, growing up so high,
We are all maidens, we must all die,
Except ——, the youngest of us all.
She can laugh, and she can dance, and she can play at ball;
Fie! fie! fie for shame! turn your face to the wall again.
—Connell Ferry, near Oban (Miss Harrison).
XX. Water, water wall-flower, growing up so high,
We are all maidens, we must all die.
Except ——, she’s the youngest of them all;
She can dance, she can sing,
And she can dance the wedding ring (or "Hieland fling")
Fie! fie! fie for shame!
Turn your back to the wall again.
—Galloway (J. G. Carter).
XXI. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers,
Growing up so high;
All ye young maidens
Are all fit to die.
Excepting ——, and she’s the worst of all,
She can hop, and she can skip,
And she can turn the candlestick.
Fye! fie! for shame,
Turn your face to the wall again.
—(_Suffolk County Folk-lore_, p. 67.)
XXII. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high,
All you young ladies will soon have to die;
Excepting ——, and she’s the best of all.
She can dance, she can skip, she can turn the mangle quick;
Hi, ho! fie for shame! turn your back to the wall again.
—Cambridge (Mrs. Haddon).
XXIII. Wally, wally wall-flower, growing up so high,
We are all maidens, and we shall die;
All except the youngest one, and that is [child’s name].
Choose for the best, choose for the worst,
Choose the one that you love best.
Now you’re married, I wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after son and daughter,
Now, young couple, kiss together.
—Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 84).
XXIV. Wally, wally wall-flowers,
Growing up so high;
We’re all ladies,
We shall all die.
Excepting little ——,
She’s the only one;
She can hop, she can skip,
She can play the herald,
Fie! fie! fie for shame!
Turn your back to the wall again.
—Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).
XXV. Water, water wall-flower,
Growing up so high;
We are all maidens,
And we must all die.
—— is the youngest,
She must kick,
And she must fling,
And she must turn the sofa;
Fie! fie! fie, for shame!
Turn your back to the wall again.
XXVI. Except ——, and she’s the youngest one,
She can hop, and she can skip,
She can turn the sofa;
Oh fie! fie! fie, for shame!
Turn your back to the wall again.
—Cullen and Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXVII. She can skip, she can dance,
She can ding us all o’er.
—Aberdeen (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXVIII. Green, green grovers, growing up so high,
We are all maidens,
And we must all die;
Except ——, the youngest of us all,
She can dance, and she can sing,
She can dance the Hieland fling;
Fie! fie! fie, for shame!
Turn your back to us again.
—Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXIX. Water, water, well stones,
Growing up so high,
We are all maidens,
And we must all die.
Except ——,
She’s the youngest of us all,
She can dance, she can sing,
She can dance the "Hielan’ Fling,"[14]
Oh fie, fie, for shame,
Turn your back to us again.
—Dyke (Rev. W. Gregor).
XXX. Here’s a pot of wall-flowers,
Growing up so high;
We’re all maidens, and we shall die.
Excepting [girl’s name],
She can hop, and she can skip,
And she can play the organ.
Turn your back, you saucy Jack,
You tore your mother’s gown.
—Northants (Rev. W. Sweeting).
XXXI. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growin’ up so high,
Neither me nor my baby shall ever wish to die,
Especially [girl’s name], she’s the prettiest flower.
She can dance, and she can sing, and she can tell the hour,
With her wee-waw, wy-waw, turn her face to the wall.
—Howth, Dublin (Miss H. E. Harvey).
Or,
Turn your back to all the game.
—Bonmahon, Waterford (Miss H. E. Harvey).
XXXII. Sally, Sally, wall-flower [or Waters],
Springing up so high,
We’re all fair maids,
And we shall all die.
Excepting [girl’s name],
She’s the fairest daughter,
She can hop, and she can skip,
She can turn the organ.
Turn your face toward the wall,
And tell me who your sweetheart’s called.
Mr. Moffit is a very good man,
He came to the door with his hat in his hand,
He pulled up his cloak, and showed me the ring;
To-morrow, to-morrow, the wedding begins.
First he bought the frying-pan,
Then he bought the cradle,
And then one day the baby was born,
Rock, rock the cradle.
—Hurstmonceux, Sussex (Miss Chase).
XXXIII. Water, water, wild flowers,
Growing up so high,
We are all maidens,
And we shall all die,
Excepting [Eva Irving],
And she’s the youngest of us all,
And she can hop, and she can skip,
And she can turn the candlestick,
[Or "She can play the organ."]
Piper shame! piper shame!
Turn your back to the wall again.
I pick up a pin,
I knock at the door,
I ask for ——,
She’s neither in,
She’s neither out,
She’s up the garden skipping about.
Down come ——, as white as snow,
Soft in her bosom as soft as glow.
She pulled off her glove,
And showed us her ring,
To-morrow, to-morrow,
The bells shall ring.
—Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).
XXXIV. Water, water, wall-flowers, growing up so high,
We are all maidens, and we must all die,
Except ——, she’s the only one,
She can dance, she can sing, she can play the organ,
Fie, fie, fie for shame, turn your face to the wall again.
Green grevel, green grevel, the grass is so green,
The fairest young lady that ever was seen.
O ——, O ——, your true love is dead,
He’ll send you a letter to turn back your head.
—Laurieston School, Kirkcudbright (J. Lawson).
XXXV. [Mary Kelly’s] stole away, stole away, stole away,
[Mary Kelly’s] stole away,
And lost her lily-white flowers.
It’s well seen by her pale face, her pale face, her pale
face,
It’s well seen by her pale face,
She may turn her face to the wall.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
(_c_) The children form a ring by joining hands. They all dance slowly
round, singing the words. When the one child is named by the ring she
turns round, so that her face is turned to the outside of the ring and
her back inside. She still clasps hands with those on either side of
her, and dances or walks round with them. This is continued until all
the players have turned and are facing outwards.
This concludes the game in many places, but in others the game is
continued by altering the last line of the verses, and the children
alternately turning round when named until they all face inside again.
In some of the versions the first child to turn her face to the wall is
the youngest, and it is then continued by the next youngest, until the
eldest is named. This obtains in Hampshire (Miss Mendham), Nottingham,
Symondsbury, Shropshire, Beddgelert, Sheffield, Connell Ferry, Oban,
Hersham, Surrey, Dyke. In the London (Miss Chase) and Sheffield versions
the child named leaves the ring and turns with her face to a wall. In
the Wakefield version Miss Fowler says a child stands in the middle, and
at the fifth line all the children say their own name. At the end of the
verse they all unclasp hands, and turn with their faces outside the
circle; the verse is repeated, when they all turn again facing inwards,
and so on over again. In the Nairn version, after all the players have
turned their faces outside the ring, they all throw their arms over
their heads, and turn so as to face inwards if possible without
disjoining hands. The children at Ogbourne, Wilts, clap hands when
singing the last two lines of the verses. At Enbourne School it is the
tallest child who is first named, and who turns her back; presumably the
next tallest is then chosen. In the Suffolk game one child stands
outside the ring; the ring sings the first four lines, and the child
outside sings the rest. At Wenlock Miss Burne says each child is
summoned in turn by name to turn their heads when the last line is said.
At Hurstmonceux a girl chooses a boy after her face is turned to the
wall.
(_d_) The most interesting point about this game is that it appears to
refer to a custom or observance which particularly concerns young girls.
We cannot say what the custom or observance was originally, but the
words point to something in which a young maiden played the principal
part. “We are all maidens” and “she’s the youngest here” runs through
most of the versions. A death seems to be indicated, and it may be that
this game was originally one where the death of the betrothed of the
youngest maiden was announced. This would account for the “turning the
face to the wall,” which is indicative of mourning and great sorrow and
loss. The mention of the girl’s accomplishments may mean that being so
young and accomplished she would quickly get another suitor, and this
might also account for the “fie for shame!”—shame to be thinking of
another lover so soon; or, on the other hand, the other maidens may
regret that by the loss of her lover and betrothed this young maiden’s
talents will be lost in “old maidenhood,” as she will not now be
married, and this will be “a shame.” She will be, in fact, “on the
shelf” or “out of sight” for the rest of her life, and through no fault
of her own. The “we are all maidens” might refer to the old custom of
maidens carrying the corpse of one of their number to the grave, and the
words may have originally been the lament over her death.
With reference to the words “turn the candlestick,” which occurs in six
versions, “M. H. P.,” in _Notes and Queries_ (7th ser., xi. 256), says:
“_Turning the Candlestick_.—A candlestick in the game of ‘See-saw’ is
the Yorkshire name for the child who stands in the centre of the plank,
and assists the motion by swaying from side to side.” Toone
(_Etymological Dictionary_) says—Before the introduction of the modern
candlestick, the custom was to have the candle held by a person
appointed for that purpose, called a candle-holder, and hence the term
became proverbial to signify an idle spectator.
“I’ll be a candle-holder and look on.”—_Romeo and Juliet._
“A candle-holder sees most of the game.”—Ray’s _Proverbs_.
If this should be the meaning of the phrase in these rhymes, “she can
turn the candlestick” may have originally meant that now this maiden
can be nothing but a “looker on” or “candle-holder” in the world. The
meaning has evidently been forgotten for a long time, as other
expressions, such as “she can turn the organ,” have had to be adopted to
“make sense” of the words.
Aubrey (_Remaines of Judaisme_, p. 45) mentions the sport called
“Dancing the Candlerush,” played by young girls; in Oxford called “Leap
Candle,” which consisted of placing a candle in the middle of the room
and “dancing over the candle back and forth” saying a rhyme. This may be
the “dance” referred to in the rhymes.
The tune of most versions is the same. It is pretty and plaintive, and
accords with the idea of mourning and grief. The Rev. W. D. Sweeting
says the tune in Northants seems to be lost. The game is sung to a sort
of monotone.
Northall gives a version from Warwickshire similar to several given
here, and Mr. Newell (_Games and Songs of American Children_) gives a
version and tune which is similar to that of Hurstmonceux, Surrey.
See “Green Grass.”
[13] At Wenlock they add to the chorus:
O _Alice_! your true love will send you a letter to turn round
your head!
And she can turn the handlestick.
[14] Another version from Forfarshire gives “Green, green, grivers,”
and “Pull the cradle string” for “Dance the Hielan’ Fling,” and
one from Nairn is “Turn your back to the wall again.”
Warney
I’m the wee mouse in the hole in the wa’,
I’m come out to catch you a’.
One of the players starts with clasped hands to catch another. When this
is done they join hands—each one, on being caught, going into the number
to form a chain. If the chain breaks no one can be caught.—Laurieston
School, Kirkcudbright (J. Lawson).
See “Stag,” “Whiddy.”
Way-Zaltin
A sort of horse-game, in which two boys stand back to back with their
arms interlaced; each then alternately bends forward, and so raises the
other on his back with his legs in the air. This term, too, is sometimes
used for see-sawing.—Elworthy’s _West Somerset Words_. Barnes (_Dorset
Glossary_) calls this game “Wayzalt.” Holloway (_Dict. Prov._) says, in
Hants the game is called “Weighing.”
See “Weigh the Butter.”
We are the Rovers
[Music]
—Bath (A. B. Gomme).
[Music]
—Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss Edith Hollis).
[Music]
—Wrotham, Kent (Miss D. Kimball).
I. We are coming to take your land,
We are the rovers!
We are coming to take your land,
[Though you] are the guardian soldiers!
We don’t care for your men nor you,
[Though you] are the rovers!
We don’t care for your men nor you,
For we are the guardian soldiers!
We will send our dogs to bite,
We are the rovers!
We will send our dogs to bite,
Though you are the guardian soldiers!
We don’t care for your dogs nor you,
Though you’re the rovers!
We don’t care for your dogs nor you,
For we are the guardian soldiers!
Will you have a glass of wine?
We are the rovers!
Will you have a glass of wine?
For respect of guardian soldiers!
A glass of wine won’t serve us all,
Though you’re the rovers!
A glass of wine won’t serve us all,
For we are the guardian soldiers!
Will a barrel of beer then serve you all?
We are the rovers!
Will a barrel of beer then serve you all?
As you are the guardian soldiers!
A barrel of beer won’t serve us all,
Though you’re the rovers!
A barrel of beer won’t serve us all,
For we’re gallant guardian soldiers!
We will send our blue-coat men,
We are the rovers!
We will send our blue-coat men,
Though you are the guardian soldiers!
We don’t fear your blue-coat men,
Though you’re the rovers!
We don’t fear your blue-coat men,
For we are the guardian soldiers!
We will send our red-coat men,
We are the rovers!
We will send our red-coat men,
Though you are the guardian soldiers!
We don’t mind your red-coat men,
Though you’re the rovers!
We don’t mind your red-coat men,
For we are the guardian soldiers!
Are you ready for a fight?
We are the rovers!
Are you ready for a fight?
Though you are the guardian soldiers!
Yes, we are ready for a fight,
Though you’re the rovers!
Yes, we are ready for a fight,
For we are the guardian soldiers!
—Ellesmere (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 518).
II. We have come for a glass of wine,
We are the Romans!
We have come for a glass of wine,
We are King William’s soldiers!
We won’t serve you with the wine,
We are the Romans!
We won’t serve you with the wine,
We are King William’s soldiers!
We will set our dogs to watch,
We are the Romans!
We will set our dogs to watch,
We are King William’s soldiers!
We don’t care for you and your dogs,
We are the Romans!
We don’t care for you and your dogs,
We are King William’s soldiers!
We will set our police to watch,
We are the Romans!
We will set our police to watch,
We are King William’s soldiers!
We don’t care for you and your police,
We are the Romans!
We don’t care for you and your police,
We are King William’s soldiers!
Are you ready for a fight?
We are the Romans!
Are you ready for a fight?
We are King William’s soldiers!
We are ready for a fight,
We are the Romans!
We are ready for a fight,
We are King William’s soldiers!
—Wrotham, Kent (Miss D. Kimball).
III. Will you have a gill of ale?
We are the Romans!
Will you have a gill of ale?
For we are the Roman soldiers!
A gill of ale won’t serve us all,
We are the English!
A gill of ale won’t, &c.,
For we are the English soldiers!
Take a pint and go your way,
We are, &c. [As above.]
A pint of ale won’t serve us all,
We are, &c.
Take a quart and go your way,
We are, &c.
A quart of ale won’t serve us all,
We are, &c.
Take a gallon and go your way,
We are, &c.
A gallon of ale won’t serve us all,
We are, &c.
Take a barrel and go your way,
We are, &c.
A barrel of ale will serve us all,
We are, &c.
—Lancashire: Liverpool and its neighbourhood (Mrs. Harley).
IV. Have you any bread and wine,
For we are the Romans!
Have you any bread and wine,
We are the Roman soldiers!
Yes, we have some bread and wine,
For we are the English!
Yes, we have some bread and wine,
We are the English soldiers!
Will you give us a glass of it?
For we are, &c. [As above.]
Yes, we’ll give you a glass of it,
For we are, &c.
A glass of it won’t serve us so,
For we are, &c.
Then you shan’t have any at all,
For we are, &c.
Then we will break all your glasses,
For we are, &c.
Then we will go to the magistrates,
For we are, &c.
Then you may go to the magistrates,
For we are, &c.
Then let us join our happy ring,
For we are, &c.
—Hartley Witney, Winchfield, Hants. (H. S. May).
V. Have you any cake and wine?
For we are the English!
Have you any cake and wine?
For we’re the English soldiers!
Yes, we have some cake and wine,
For we are the Romans!
Yes, we have some cake and wine,
For we’re the Roman soldiers!
Will you give us cake and wine? &c.
No, we won’t give you cake and wine, &c.
Then we’ll tell our magistrates, &c.
We don’t care for your magistrates, &c.
Then we’ll tell our highest men, &c.
We don’t care for your highest men, &c.
Turn up your sleeves and have a fight,
For we are the Romans [English]! &c.
—Enbourne School, Berks. (Miss M. Kimber).
VI. Have you any bread and wine?
We are the Romans!
Have you any bread and wine?
For we’re the government soldiers!
Yes! we have some bread and wine, &c.
Will you give us a glass of it? &c.
We will give you a glass of it, &c.
A glass of it won’t serve us all, &c.
We will give you a gallon of it, &c.
We will break all your glasses, &c.
We will tell the magistrates, &c.
What care we for the magistrates, &c.
Are you ready for a fight? &c.
Yes, we’re ready for a fight, &c.
Tuck up your sleeves up to your arms, &c.
Present! Shoot! Bang! Fire!!
—Maxey, Northamptonshire (Rev. W. D. Sweeting).
VII. Have you any bread and wine?
We are the English!
Have you any bread and wine?
We are the English soldiers!
No, we have no bread and wine,
We are the Romans!
No, we have no bread and wine,
We are the Roman soldiers!
A quart of ale won’t serve us all, &c.
Take a gallon and go your way, &c.
A gallon of ale won’t serve us all, &c.
We will fetch the magistrate, &c.
We don’t care for the magistrate, &c.
We will fetch the p’liceman, &c.
We don’t care for the p’liceman, &c.
Are you ready for a fight? &c.
Yes, we’re ready for a fight, &c.
—Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss Edith Hollis).
VIII. Have you any bread and wine, bread and wine, bread and wine,
Have you any bread and wine,
For we are English soldiers!
Yes, we have some bread and wine, bread and wine, bread and
wine,
For we are French soldiers!
Will you give us a quarter of it? &c.
No, we won’t give you a quarter of it, &c.
Then we will send the magistrate, &c.
What do we care for the magistrate, &c.
What do we care for the convent dogs, &c.
Are you ready for a fight, &c.
Yes, we are ready for a fight, &c.
—Hurstmonceux, Sussex (Miss E. Chase, 1892).
IX. Have you any bread and wine,
Bread and wine, bread and wine?
Have you any bread and wine,
My Theerie and my Thorie?
Yes, we have some bread and wine, bread and wine, &c.
We shall have one glass of it, one glass of it, &c.
Take one glass and go your way, go your way, &c.
We shall have two glasses of it, two glasses of it, &c.
Take two glasses and go your way, go your way, &c.
[Repeat for three, four, and five glasses of it, then—]
We shall have a bottle of it, a bottle of it, &c.
A bottle of it ye _shall not_ have, ye shall not have, &c.
We will break your glasses all, your glasses all, &c.
We will send for the magistrates, the magistrates, &c.
What care we for the magistrates, the magistrates? &c.
We will send for the policemen, the policemen, &c.
What care we for the policemen, the policemen? &c.
We will send for the red coat men, the red coat men, &c.
What care we for the red coat men, the red coat men? &c.
What kind of men are ye at all, are ye at all? &c.
We are all Prince Charlie’s men, Prince Charlie’s men, &c.
But what kind of men are _ye_ at all, are _ye_ at all? &c.
We are all King George’s men, King George’s men, &c.
Are ye for a battle of it, a battle of it? &c.
Yes, we’re for a battle of it,
A battle of it, a battle of it,
Yes, we’re for a battle of it,
My Theerie and my Thorie.
—Perthshire (Rev. W. Gregor).
X. What men are ye of?
What men are ye of?
What men are ye of?
Metherie and Metharie.
We are of King George’s men,
King George’s men, King George’s men,
We are of King George’s men,
Metherie and Metharie.
We will send for the policemen, &c.
What care we for the policemen? &c.
We will have a bottle of wine, &c.
You shall not have, &c.
We will have three bottles of wine, &c.
You shall not have, &c.
We will send for Cripple Dick, &c.
What care we for Cripple Dick, &c.
We finish off with a battle three, &c.
—Northumberland (from a lady friend of Hon. J. Abercromby).
XI. We shall have a glass of wine,
A glass of wine, a glass of wine,
We shall have a glass of wine,
Methery I methory.
You shall not have a glass of wine,
A glass of wine, a glass of wine,
You shall not have a glass of wine,
Methery I methory.
Then we’ll break your dishes, then, &c.
Then we’ll send for the blue coat men, &c.
What care I for the blue coat men, &c.
Then we’ll send for the red coat men, &c.
What care we for the red coat men, &c.
We are all King George’s men, &c.
We are all King William’s men, &c.
—Auchencairn, Kirkcudbright (Prof. A. C. Haddon).
XII. Have you any bread and wine, bread and wine, bread and wine?
Have you any bread and wine?
Come a theiry, come a thory.
Yes, we have some bread and wine, &c.
Will you give us a glass of it? &c.
Yes, we’ll give you a glass of it, &c.
Will you give us two glasses of it? &c.
Yes, we’ll give you two glasses of it, &c.
Will you give us a pint of it? &c.
A pint of it you shall not get, &c.
We will break your window pane, &c.
We will tell the policemen, &c.
What care we for the policemen, &c.
We will tell the red coat men, &c.
What care we for the red coat men, &c.
We will tell the magistrate, &c.
What care we for the magistrate, &c.
Will you try a fight with us? &c.
Yes, we’ll try a fight with you, &c.
Are you ready for it now? &c.
Yes, we’re ready for it now, &c.
—Perth (Rev. W. Gregor).
XIII. Have you got any bread and wine, bread and wine, bread and
wine?
Have you got any bread and wine?
Come a theory, oary mathorie.
Yes, we have some bread and wine, &c.
We shall have one glass of it, &c.
You shall not have one glass of it, &c.
To what men do you belong? &c.
We are all King George’s men, &c.
To what men do you belong, &c.
We are all King William’s men, &c.
We shall have a fight, then, &c.
—Perth (Rev. W. Gregor).
XIV. Have you any bread and wine,
Ye o’ the boatmen?
Have you any bread and wine,
Ye the drunk and sober?
Yes, we have some bread and wine, &c.
Will you give us of your wine, &c.
Take one quart and go your way, &c.
One quart is not enough for us, &c.
Take two quarts and go your way, &c.
[Continue up to six quarts, then—]
Pray, what sort of men are you? &c.
We are all King George’s men, &c.
Are you ready for a fight? &c.
Yes, we’re ready for a fight, &c.
—Forest of Dean (Miss Matthews).
XV. I will fetch you a pint of beer,
He I over;
I will fetch you a pint of beer,
Whether we are drunk or sober.
I will fetch you a quart of beer,
He I over;
I will fetch you a quart of beer,
Whether we are drunk or sober.
I will fetch you two quarts of beer, &c.
I will fetch you three quarts of beer, &c.
I will fetch you a gallon of beer, &c.
I will fetch you a barrel of beer, &c.
I will fetch the old police, &c.
Are you ready for a fight, &c.
—Earls Heaton (H. Hardy)
[Another variant from Earls Heaton is:—]
Have you got a bottle of gin?
He I over;
Have you got a bottle of gin,
As in that golden story?
—(H. Hardy).
XVI. Have you any bread and wine,
Bread and wine, bread and wine?
Have you any bread and wine?
Cam a teerie, arrie ma torry.
Yes, we have some bread and wine,
Bread and wine, bread and wine;
Yes, we have some bread and wine,
Cam a teerie, arrie ma torry.
We shall have one glass of it, &c.
One glass of it you shall not get, &c.
We are King George’s loyal men,
Loyal men, loyal men;
We are King George’s loyal men,
Cam a teerie, arrie ma torry.
What care we for King George’s men,
King George’s men, King George’s men;
What care we for King George’s men,
Cam a teerie, arrie ma torry.
—_People’s Friend_, quoted in a review of “Arbroath: Past and Present,”
by J. M. M’Bain.
XVII. We shall have one glass of wine,
We are the robbers;
We shall have one glass of wine,
For we are the gallant soldiers.
You shall have no glass of wine,
We are the robbers;
You shall have no glass of wine,
For we are the gallant soldiers.
We shall have two glasses of it, &c.
You shall have no glass of it, &c.
We will break your tumblers, then, &c.
We shall send for the policeman, &c.
What care we for the policeman, &c.
We shall send for the red coat men, &c.
What care we for the red coat men, &c.
We shall send for the blue coat men, &c.
What care we for the blue coat men, &c.
We shall send for the magistrate, &c.
What care we for the magistrate, &c.
We shall send for Cripple Dick, &c.
What care we for Cripple Dick, &c.
We shall have a battle then, &c.
Yonder is a battle field, &c.
—Laurieston School, Kirkcudbright (J. Lawson).
XVIII. Here comes three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding;
Here comes three dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding;
My fair ladies.
Have you any bread and wine, bread and wine, bread and wine?
Have you any bread and wine, bread and wine, bread and wine,
My fair ladies?
How do you sell your bread and wine, &c.
I sell it by a gallon, sir, &c.
A gallon is too much, fair ladies, &c.
Sell it by a gallon, my fair ladies, &c.
Then we’ll have none at all, &c.
Are you ready for a fight, &c.
Yes, we are ready for a fight, &c.
My dear sirs.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
(_c_) The players divide into two sides of about equal numbers, and form
lines. The lines walk forwards and backwards in turn, each side singing
their respective verses alternately. When the last verse is sung both
lines prepare for a fight.
This is the usual way of playing, and there is but little variation in
the methods of the different versions. In some versions (Enbourne,
Berks.; Maxey, Northants., and Bath) sleeves are tucked up previous to
the pretended fight, and in one or two places sticks and stones are
used; again in the Northamptonshire and Bath games, at “Present! Shoot!
Bang! Fire!!” imitations are given of firing of guns before the actual
fight takes place. In the Hants (H. S. May) and Lancashire (Mrs. Harley)
versions, when the last verse is reached the players all join hands,
form a ring, and dance round while they sing the last verse. In several
versions too, when they sing “We don’t care for the magistrates,” or
other persons of authority, the players all stamp their feet on the
ground. In the Hurstmonceux version the children double their fists
before preparing to fight. Some pretend to have swords to fight with,
but the greater number use their fists. In most of the versions the
players on both sides join in the refrain or chorus.
(_d_) This game represents an attacking or invading party and the
defenders. It probably owes its origin to the border warfare which
prevailed for so long a period between Highlanders and Lowlanders of
Scotland, the Scotch and English of the northern border counties, and in
the country called the marches between Wales and England. Contests
between different nationalities living in one town or place, as at
Southampton and Nottingham, would also tend to produce this game. That
the game represents this kind of conflict rather than an ordinary battle
between independent countries is shown by several significant points.
These are, the dialogue between the opposing parties before the fight
begins, the mention of bread, ale, or other food, and more particularly
the threat to appeal to the civil authorities, called in the different
versions, magistrates, blue coat men, red coat men, highest men,
policemen, and Cripple Dick. Such an appeal is only applicable where the
opposing parties were, theoretically at all events, subordinate to a
superior authority. The derision, too, with which the threat is received
by the assailants is in strict accord with the facts of Border society.
Scott in _Waverley_ and the _Black Dwarf_ describes such a raid, and the
suggestion to appeal to the civil authority in lieu of a raid is met
with the cry of such an act being useless. The passage from the _Black
Dwarf_ is: “‘We maun tak the law wi’ us in thae days, Simon,’ answered
the more prudent elder. ‘And besides,’ said another old man, ‘I dinna
believe there’s ane now living that kens the lawful mode of following a
fray across the Border. Tam o’ Whittram kend a’ about it; but he died in
the hard winter.’ ‘Hout,’ exclaimed another of these discording
counsellors, ‘there’s nae great skill needed; just put a lighted peat on
the end of a spear, a hayfork, or siclike, and blaw a horn and cry the
gathering word, and then it’s lawful to follow gear into England and
recover it by the strong hand, or to take gear frae some other
Englishmen, providing ye lift nae mair than’s been lifted frae you.
That’s the auld Border law made at Dundrennan in the days of the Black
Douglas.’” In _Waverley_ the hero suggests “to send to the nearest
garrison for a party of soldiers and a magistrate’s warrant,” but is
told that “he did not understand the state of the country and of the
political parties which divided it” (chap. xv.). The position of this
part of the country is best understood from the evidence of legal
records, showing how slowly the king’s record ran in these parts. Thus
Mr. Clifford (_Hist. of Private Legislation_) quotes from Hodgson’s
_Hist. of Northumberland_ (vol. iii. pt. 2, p. 171), a paper, in the
Cotton MS., on “The bounds and means of the ’batable land belonging to
England and Scotland.” It was written in 1550 by Sir Robert Bowes, a
Northumbrian, at the request of the Marquis of Dorset, then Warden
General of the Marches, and gives a graphic picture of Border life at
that time. The writer describes Cassope bridge as “a common passage for
the thieves of Tyndalle, in England, and for the thieves of Liddesdalle,
in Scotland, with the stolen goods from one realm to the other.” The
head of Tyndalle is a place “where few true men have list to lodge.”
North Tyndall “is more plenished with wild and misdemeaned people” than
even South Tyndall. The people there “stand most by four surnames,” the
Charltons, Robsons, Dodds, and Milbornes. “Of every surname there be
sundry families, or graves, as they call them, of every of which there
be certain headsmen that leadeth and answereth for all the rest. There
be some among them that have never stolen themselves, which they call
true men. And yet such will have rascals to steal either on horseback or
foot, whom they do reset, and will receive part of the stolen goods.
There be very few able men in all that country of North Tyndalle, but
either they have used to steal in England or Scotland. And if any true
man of England get knowledge of the theft or thieves that steal his
goods in Tyndalle or Ryddesdale, he had much rather take a part of his
goods again in composition than pursue the extremity by law against the
thief. For if the thief be of any great surname or kindred, and be
lawfully executed by order of justice, the rest of his kin or surname
bear as much malice, which they call deadly feade (feud), against such
as follow the law against their cousin the thief, as though he had
unlawfully killed him with a sword; and will by all means they can seek
revenge thereupon.” At sundry times the dalesmen “have broken out of all
order, and have then, like rebels or outlaws, committed very great and
heinous attempts, as burning and spoiling of whole townships and
murdering of gentlemen and others whom they have had grief or malice
unto, so that for defence of them there have been great garrisons laid,
and raids and incourses both against them and by them, even as it were
between England and Scotland in time of war. And even at such times they
have done more harm than they have received.” A number of the
Tyndaller’s houses are set together, so that they may give each other
succour in frays, and they join together in any quarrel against a true
man, so that for dread of them “almost no man dare follow his goods
stolen or spoiled into that country.”
The sides in the game are under the different names or leadership of
Romans and English, King William’s men, rovers and guardian soldiers,
Prince Charlie’s men, King George’s men, &c. These names have probably
been given in memory of some local rising, or from some well-known event
which stamped itself upon the recollection of the people. It is very
curious that in four or five versions a refrain, which may well be a
survival of some of the slogans or family “cries” (see “Three Dukes”),
should occur instead of the “Roman” and “English” soldiers, &c. These
refrains are, “My theerie and my thorie,” “Metherie and metharie,”
“Methory I methory,” “Come a theeiry, come a thory,” “Come a theory,
oary mathorie,” “Cam a teerie, arrie ma torry,” and the three which
apparently are still further degradations of these, “Ye o’ the boatmen,”
“Drunk and sober,” “He I over.” That “slogans” or “war cries” were used
in this species of tribal war there is little doubt. In the
Northumberland and Laurieston versions the name is “Cripple Dick,” these
words, now considered as the name of a powerful and feared leader, may
also indicate the same origin. The versions with these refrains come
from Perthshire (three versions), Authencairn, and Northumberland;
Yorkshire has He I over; while the Romans and English, King George’s
men, King William’s men, guardian soldiers, rovers, &c., are found in
Shropshire, Staffordshire, Gloucester, Kent, Hants, Bath, Berks,
Northamptonshire, Sussex, some of which are Border counties to Wales,
and others have sea-coasts where at different times invasions have been
expected. In Sussex, Miss Chase says the game is said to date from the
alarm of Napoleon’s threatened landing on the coast; this is also said
in Kent and Hampshire. Miss Burne considers the game in Shropshire to
have certainly originated from the old Border warfare. She also
considers that the bread and wine, barrels of ale, &c., are indications
of attempts made to bribe the beleaguered garrison and their willingness
to accept it; but I think it more probably refers to the fact that some
food, cattle, and goods were oftentime given to the raiders by the
owners of the lands as blackmail, to prevent the carrying off of all
their property, and to avoid fighting if possible. It will be noticed
that fighting ensues as the result of a sufficient quantity of food and
drink being refused. Scott alludes to the practice of blackmail, having
to be paid to a Highland leader in _Waverley_, in the raid upon the
cattle of the baron of Bradwardine (see chap. xv.). The farms were
scattered, and before the defenders could combine to offer resistance,
cattle and goods would be carried off, and the ground laid waste, if
resistance were offered.
The tune of the Northants game (Rev. W. Sweeting) and Hants (H. S. May)
are so nearly like the Bath tune that it seemed unnecessary to print
them. The tune of the Surrey game is that of “Nuts in May.” The words of
the Bath version collected by me are nearly identical with the
Shropshire, except that “We are the Romans” is said instead of “We are
the Rovers.” They are not therefore printed here, but I have used this
version in my _Children’s Singing Games_, series I., _illustrated_. The
tune of the Hants version (H. S. May) is similar to that of Wrotham,
Kent (Miss D. Kimball).
Weary
Weary, weary, I’m waiting on you,
I can wait no longer on you;
Three times I’ve whistled on you—
Lovey, are you coming out?
I’ll tell mamma when I go home,
The boys won’t let my curls alone;
They tore my hair, and broke my comb—
And that’s the way all boys get on.
—Aberdeen Training College (Rev. W. Gregor).
The girls stand in a row, and one goes backwards and forwards singing
the first four lines. She then takes one out of the row, and they swing
round and round while they all sing the other four lines.
Weave the Diaper
Weave the diaper tick-a-tick tick,
Weave the diaper tick;
Come this way, come that,
As close as a mat,
Athwart and across, up and down, round about,
And forwards and backwards and inside and out;
Weave the diaper thick-a-thick thick,
Weave the diaper thick.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 65.
(_b_) This game should be accompanied by a kind of pantomimic dance, in
which the motions of the body and arms express the process of weaving,
the motion of the shuttle, &c.
(_c_) Mr. Newell (_Games and Songs of American Children_, p. 80)
mentions a dance called “Virginia Reel,” which he says is an imitation
of weaving. The first movement represents the shooting of the shuttle
from side to side and the passage of the woof over and under the threads
of the warp; the last movements indicate the tightening of the threads
and bringing together of the cloth. He also says that an acquaintance
told him that in New York the men and girls stand in rows by sevens, an
arrangement which may imitate the different colours of strands. Mr.
Newell does not say whether any words are sung during the dancing of the
reel. Halliwell gives another rhyme (p. 121), which may have belonged to
this weaving game. It is extremely probable that in these fragments
described by him we have remains of one of the old trade dances and
songs.
Weigh the Butter
Two children stand back to back, with their arms locked. One stoops as
low as he can, supporting the other on his back, and says, “Weigh the
butter;” he rises, and the second stoops in his turn with “Weigh the
cheese.” The first repeats with “Weigh the old woman;” and it ends by
the second with “Down to her knees.”—_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 58.
The players turn their backs to each other, and link their arms together
behind. One player then bends forward, and lifts the other off his [her]
feet. He rises up, and the other bends forward and lifts him up. Thus
the two go on bending and rising, and lifting each other alternately,
and keep repeating—
Weigh butter, weigh cheese,
Weigh a pun (pound) o’ can’le grease.
—Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).
Mr. Northall (_English Folk Rhymes_) gives this game with the words as—
A bag o’ malt, a bag o’ salt,
Ten tens a hundred.
This game is described as played in the same way in Antrim and Down
(Patterson’s _Glossary_), and also by Jamieson in Roxburgh.
See “Way-Zaltin.”
When I was a Young Girl
[Music]
—Platt School, nr. Wrotham, Kent (Miss Burne).
[Music]
—Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss Edith Hollis).
[Music]
—Market Drayton, Salop (_Shropshire Folk-lore_).
[Music]
—Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).
I. When I was a young girl, a young girl, a young girl,
When I was a young girl, how happy was I.
This way and that way, and this way and that way,
And this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I had a sweetheart, a sweetheart, a sweetheart,
When I had a sweetheart, how happy was I.
This way and that way, and this way and that way,
And this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I got married, got married, got married,
When I got married, how happy was I.
This way and that way, and this way and that way,
And this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I had a baby, a baby, a baby,
When I had a baby, how happy was I.
This way and that way, and this way and that way,
And this way and that way, and this way went I.
When my baby died, died, died,
When my baby died, how sorry was I.
This way and that way, and this way and that way,
And this way and that way, and this way went I.
When my husband died, died, died,
When my husband died, how sorry was I.
This way and that way, and this way and that way,
And this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I kept a donkey, a donkey, a donkey,
When I kept a donkey, how happy was I.
This way and that way, and this way and that way,
And this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I was a washerwoman, a washerwoman, a washerwoman,
When I was a washerwoman, how happy was I.
This way and that way, and this way and that way,
And this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I was a beggar, a beggar, a beggar,
When I was a beggar, how happy was I.
This way and that way, and this way and that way,
And this way and that way, and this way went I.
—Platt School, near Wrotham, Kent (Miss Burne).
II. When I was a young girl, a young girl, a young girl,
When I was I young girl, how happy was I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I was a school-girl, a school-girl, a school-girl,
When I was a school-girl, oh, this way went I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I was a teacher, a teacher, a teacher,
When I was a teacher, oh, this way went I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I had a sweetheart, a sweetheart, a sweetheart,
When I had a sweetheart, oh, this way went I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I had a husband, a husband, a husband,
When I had a husband, oh! this way went I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I had a baby, a baby, a baby,
When I had a baby, how happy was I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
When my baby died, oh, died, oh, died,
When my baby died, how sorry was I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I took in washing, oh, washing, oh, washing,
When I took in washing, oh, this way went I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
When I went out scrubbing, oh, scrubbing, oh, scrubbing,
When I went out scrubbing, oh, this way went I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
When my husband did beat me, did beat me, did beat me,
When my husband did beat me, oh, this way went I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
When my husband died, oh, died, oh, died,
When my husband died, how happy was I.
And this way and that way, and this way and that way, and
this way and that way, and this way went I.
Hurrah!
—Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).
III. When I was a young gell, a young gell, a young gell,
When I was a young gell, i’ this a way went I.
An’ i’ this a way, an’ i’ that a way, an’ i’ this a way
went I.
When I wanted a sweetheart, a sweetheart, a sweetheart,
When I wanted a sweetheart, i’ this a way went I.
An’ i’ this a way, an’ i’ this a way, an’ i’ this a way
went I.
When I went a-courting, a-courtin’, a-courtin’,
When I went a-courtin’, i’ this a way went I.
An’ i’ this a way, an’ i’ this a way, an’ i’ this a way
went I.
When I did get married, get married, get married,
When I did get married, i’ this a way went I.
An’ i’ this a way, an’ i’ this a way, an’ i’ this a way
went I.
When I had a baby, &c.
When I went to church, &c.
My husband was a drunkard, &c.
When I was a washerwoman, &c.
When I did peggy, &c.
My baby fell sick, &c.
My baby did die, &c.
My husband did die, &c.
—Liphook, Wakefield (Miss Fowler).
IV. When I wore my flounces, my flounces, my flounces,
When I wore my flounces, this a-way went I.
When I was a lady, a lady, a lady,
When I was a lady, this a-way went I.
When I was a gentleman, a gentleman, a gentleman,
When I was a gentleman, this a-way went I.
When I was a washerwoman, &c.
When I was a schoolgirl, &c.
When I had a baby, &c.
When I was a cobbler, &c.
When I was a shoeblack, &c.
When my husband beat me, &c.
When my baby died, &c.
When my husband died, &c.
When I was a parson, &c.
—Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss Edith Hollis).
V. When I was a lady, a lady, a lady,
When I was a lady, a lady was I.
’Twas this way and that way, and this way and that.
When I was a gentleman, a gentleman, a gentleman,
When I was a gentleman, a gentleman was I.
’Twas this way and that way, and this way and that.
When I was a schoolgirl, a schoolgirl, a schoolgirl,
When I was a schoolgirl, a schoolgirl was I, &c.
When I was a schoolboy, a schoolboy, a schoolboy, &c.
When I was a schoolmaster, a schoolmaster, a schoolmaster,
&c.
When I was a schoolmistress, a schoolmistress, a
schoolmistress, &c.
When I was a donkey, a donkey, a donkey, &c.
When I was a shoeblack, a shoeblack, a shoeblack, &c.
—Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).
VI. When I was a naughty girl, a naughty girl, a naughty girl,
When I was a naughty girl, a-this a-way went I!
And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way,
And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way,
And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way,
And a-this a-way went I!
When I was a good girl, &c., a-this a-way went I! &c.
When I was a naughty girl, &c.
When I went courting, &c.
When I got married, &c.
When I had a baby, &c.
When the baby cried, &c.
When the baby died, &c.
—Berrington (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 514).
VII. When I was a naughty girl, &c. [as above]
When I went to school, &c.
When I went a-courting, &c.
When I got married, &c.
When I had a baby, &c.
When the baby fell sick, &c.
When my baby did die, &c.
When my husband fell sick, &c.
When my husband did die, &c.
When I was a widow, &c.
Then I took in washing, &c.
Then my age was a hundred and four, &c.
—Market Drayton (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 515).
VIII. First I was a school-maid, a school-maid, how happy was I!
And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way went I!
And then I got married, how happy was I! &c.
And then I had a baby, how happy was I! &c.
And then my husband died, how sorry was I! &c.
And then I married a cobbler, how happy was I! &c.
And then the baby died, how sorry was I! &c.
And then I married a soldier, how happy was I! &c.
And then he bought me a donkey, how happy was I! &c.
And then the donkey throwed me, how sorry was I! &c.
And then I was a washing-maid, how happy was I! &c.
And then my life was ended, how sorry was I!
—Chirbury (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 515).
IX. When first we went to school—to school—to school—
How happy was I!
’Twas this way and that way,
How happy was I!
Next I went to service—to service—to service—
How happy was I!
’Twas this way, and that way,
How happy was I! &c.
Next I had a sweetheart—a sweetheart—a sweetheart—
How happy was I! &c.
Next I got married—got married—got married—
How happy was I! &c.
Next I had a baby—a baby—a baby—
How happy was I! &c.
Next my husband died—he died—he died—
How sorry was I! &c.
Next my baby died—she died—she died—
How sorry was I! &c.
—Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. pp. 218-219).
X. Oh! when I was a soldier, I did this way, this way.
Oh! when I was a mower, I did this way, this way.
Oh! when I was a hedge cutter, I did this way, this way.
Oh! when I was a boot cleaner, I did this way, this way.
Oh! when I was a teacher, I did this way, this way.
Oh! when I was a governess, I did this way, this way.
Oh! when I had a baby, I did this way, this way.
Oh! when my baby died, I did this way, this way.
—Fernham and Longcot Choir Girls, Berks. (Miss I. Barclay).
XI. When I was a school-boy, a school-boy, a school-boy,
When I was a school-boy, this way went I.
When I was a school-girl, &c.
When I was a-courting, &c.
When I got married, &c.
When I had a baby, &c.
When my baby died, &c.
When my husband was ill, &c.
When I was a shoe-black, &c.
When I was a washerwoman, &c.
When I was a soldier, &c.
When I was a sailor, &c.
—Frodingham and Nottinghamshire (Miss M. Peacock).
XII. When I was a school girl, a school girl, a school girl,
When I was a school girl, a this way went I.
When I was a teacher, a teacher, a teacher,
When I was a teacher, a this way went I.
[Verses follow for courtin’—
married woman,
having a baby,
death of baby.]
—Earls Heaton (H. Hardy).
XIII. When I went a courting, I went just so.
When next I went a courting, I went just so;
When next I went a courting, I went just so;
When next I went a courting, I went just so.
—Haxey, Lincolnshire (C. C. Bell).
(_c_) The children join hands and form a ring. They all dance or walk
round singing the words of the first two lines of each verse. Then all
standing still, they unclasp hands, and continue singing the next two
lines, and while doing so each child performs some action which
illustrates the events, work, condition, or profession mentioned in the
first line of the verse they are singing; then rejoining hands they all
dance round in a circle again. The actions used to illustrate the
different events are: In the versions from Platt school, for “young
girl,” each child holds out her dress and dances a step first to the
right, then to the left, two or three times, finishing by turning
herself quite round; for a “sweetheart,” the children turn their heads
and kiss their hands to the child behind them; for “got married,” they
all walk round in ring form, two by two, arm in arm; for having a baby,
they each “rock” and “hush” a pretended baby; when the baby dies, each
pretends to cry; when the husband dies, they throw their aprons or
handkerchiefs over their heads and faces; for “keeping a donkey,” each
child pretends to beat and drive the child immediately in front of her;
for “washerwoman,” each pretends to wash or wring clothes; for a
“beggar,” each drops curtseys, and holds out her hand as if asking alms,
putting on an imploring countenance. The Barnes’ version is played in
the same way, with the addition of holding the hands together to
represent a book, as if learning lessons, for “schoolgirl”; pretending
to hold a cane, and holding up fingers for silence, when a “teacher”;
when “my husband did beat me,” each pretends to fight; and for “my
husband died,” each child walks round joyfully, waving her handkerchief,
and all calling out Hurrah! at the end; the other verses being acted the
same as at Platt. The Liphook version is much the same: the children
beckon with their fingers when “wanting a sweetheart”; kneel down and
pretend to pray when “at church”; prod pretended “clothes” in a wash-tub
with a “dolly” stick when “I did peggy” is said; and mourn for the
“husband’s” death. In the Hanbury game, the children dance round or
shake themselves for “flounces “; hold up dresses and walk nicely for
“lady”; bow to each other for “gentlemen”; pretend to mend shoes when
“cobblers”; brush shoes for “shoeblack”; clap hands when the “husband”
dies; and kneel when they are “parsons.” In the Ogbourne game, the
children “hold up their dresses as ladies do” in the first verse; take
off their hats repeatedly when “gentlemen”; pretend to cry when
“schoolgirls”; walking round, swinging their arms, and looking as cocky
as possible, when “schoolboys”; patting each other’s backs when
“schoolmasters”; clapping hands for “schoolmistresses”; stooping down
and walking on all fours for a “donkey”; and brushing shoes for
“shoeblack.” In the Shropshire games at Berrington, each child “walks
demurely” for a good girl; puts finger on lip for “naughty girl”; walks
two and two, arm in arm, for “courting”; holds on to her dress for
“married”; whips the “baby,” and cries when it dies. In the Market
Drayton game, each pretends to tear her clothes for “naughty girl”;
pretends to carry a bag for “schoolgirl”; walk in pairs side by side for
“courting”; the same, arm in arm, for “married”; “hushes” for a baby,
pretends to pat on the back for sick baby; covers her face with
handkerchief when baby dies; pats her chest when husband is sick, cries
and “makes dreadful work” when he dies; puts on handkerchief for a
widow’s veil for a widow; hobbles along, and finally falls down when “a
hundred and four.” In the Dorset game, when at “service,” an imitation
of scrubbing and sweeping is given; walk in couples for sweethearts, and
married; the remaining verses the same as the Platt version. In the
Fernham game the children shoot out their arms alternately for a
soldier; for a mower, they stand sideways and pretend to cut grass; for
hedge-cutter, they pretend to cut with a downward movement, as with a
belt [_qy._ bill] hook, the other action similar to the Platt and Barnes
games. In the Frodingham game they stamp and pretend to drill for
“schoolboys,” pretend to sew as “schoolgirls,” kiss for “courting,” put
on a ring for “getting married,” run for a doctor when “husband” is ill,
punch and push each other for “soldiers,” and haul ropes for “sailors.”
In other versions, in which carpenters, blacksmiths, farmers, bakers
appear, actions showing something of those trades are performed.
(_d_) It will be seen, from the description of the way this game is
played, that it consists of imitative actions of different events in
life, or of actions imitating trades and occupations. It was probably at
one time played by both girls and boys, young men and young women. It is
now but seldom played by boys, and therefore those verses containing
lines describing male occupations are not nearly so frequently met with
as those describing girls’ or womens’ life only. Young girl, sweetheart,
or going courtin’, marriage, birth of children, loss of baby and
husband, widowhood, and the occupations of washing and cleaning, exactly
sum up the principal and important events in many working womens’
lives—comprising, in fact, the whole. This was truer many years ago than
now, and the mention in many versions of school girl, teacher,
governess, indicate in those versions the influence which education,
first in the shape of dame or village schools, Sunday schools, and
latterly Board schools, has had upon the minds and playtime of the
children. These lines may certainly be looked upon as introductions by
the children of comparatively modern times, and doubtless have taken the
place of some older custom or habit. This game is exactly one of those
to which additions and alterations of this kind can be made without
destroying or materially altering, or affecting, its sense. It can live
as a simple game in an almost complete state long after its original
wording has been lost or forgotten, and as long as occupations continue
and events occur which lend themselves to dumb action. The origin of the
game I consider to be those dances and songs performed in imitation of
the serious avocations of life, when such ceremonies were considered
necessary to their proper performance, and acceptable to the deities
presiding over such functions, arising from belief in sympathetic magic.
At harvest homes it was customary for the men engaged in the work of the
farm to go through a series of performances depicting their various
occupations with song and dance, from their engagement as labourers
until the harvest was completed, and at some fairs the young men and
women of the village, in song and dance, would go through in pantomimic
representation, the several events of the year, such as courting,
marriage, &c., and their several occupations.
Perhaps the most singular instance of imitative action being used in a
semi-religious purpose, is that recorded by Giraldus Cambrensis in the
twelfth century, who, speaking of the church of St. Almedha, near
Brecknock, says a solemn feast is held annually in the beginning of
August: “You may see men and girls, now in the church, now in the
churchyard, now in the dance, which is led round the churchyard with a
song, on a sudden falling on the ground as in a trance, then jumping up
as in a frenzy, and representing with their hands and feet before the
people whatever work they have unlawfully done on feast days; you may
see one man put his hands to the plough, and another, as it were, goad
on the oxen, one man imitating a shoemaker, another a tanner. Now you
may see a girl with a distaff drawing out the thread and winding it
again on the spindle; another walking and arranging the threads for the
spindle; another throwing the shuttle and seeming to weave” (_Itinerary
of Wales_, chap. ii.).
For the significance of some of the pantomimic actions used, I may
mention that in Cheshire for a couple to walk “arm-in-arm” is
significant of a betrothed or engaged couple.
Other versions have been sent me, but so similar to those given that it
is unnecessary to give them here. The tunes vary more. In some places
the game is sung to that of “Nuts in May.” In Barnes the tune used was
sometimes that of “Isabella,” vol. i. p. 247, and sometimes the first
one printed here.
The game is mentioned by Newell (_Games_, p. 88).
Whiddy
Whiddy, whiddy, way,
If you don’t come, I won’t play.
The players, except one, stand in a den or home. One player clasps his
hands together, with the two forefingers extended, He sings out the
above, and the boys who are “home” then cry—
Warning once, warning twice,
Warning three times over;
When the cock crows out come I,
Whiddy, whiddy, wake-cock. Warning!
This is called “Saying their prayers.” The boy who begins must touch
another boy, keeping his hands clasped as above. These two then join
hands, and pursue the others; those whom they catch also joining hands,
till they form a long line. If the players who are in the home run out
before saying their prayers, the other boys have the right to pummel
them, or ride home on their backs.—London (J. P. Emslie, A. B. Gomme).
See “Chickidy Hand,” “Hunt the Staigie,” “Stag,” “Warney.”
Whigmeleerie
A game occasionally played in Angus. A pin was stuck in the centre of a
circle, from which there were as many radii as there were persons in the
company, with two names of each person at the radius opposite to him.
On the pin an index was placed, and moved round by every one in turn,
and at whatsoever person’s radius it stopped, he was obliged to drink
off his glass.—Jamieson.
A species of chance game, played apparently with a kind of totum.
Whip
A boy’s game, called in the South “Hoop or Hoop Hide.” This is a curious
instance of corruption, for the name hoop is pronounced in the local
manner as hooip, whence whip.—Easther’s _Almondbury Glossary_.
Whishin Dance
An old-fashioned dance, in which a cushion is used to kneel
upon.—Dickinson’s _Cumberland Glossary_.
See “Cushion Dance.”
Who goes round my Stone Wall
I. Who’s going round my stone wall?
Nobody, only little Jacky Lingo.
Pray don’t steal none of my fat sheep,
Unless I take one by one, two by two, three by three,
Follow me.
Have you seen anything of my black sheep?
Yes! I gave them a lot of bread and butter and sent them up
there [pointing to left or right].
Then what have you got behind you?
Only a few poor black sheep.
Well! let me see.
[The child immediately behind Johnny Lingo shows its foot between her
feet, and on seeing it the centre child says]
Here’s my black sheep.
—Winterton, Anderby, Nottinghamshire (Miss M. Peacock).
II. Who’s that going round my stony walk?
It’s only Bobby Bingo.
Have you stolen any of my sheep?
Yes! I stole one last night and one the night before.
—Enbourne School, Berks (Miss M. Kimber).
III. Who goes round this stoney wa’?
Nane but Johnnie Lingo.
Tak care and no steal ony o’ my fat sheep away!
Nane but ane.
—Galloway (J. G. Carter).
IV. Who goes round my pinfold wall?
Little Johnny Ringo.
Don’t steal all my fat sheep!
No more I will, no more I may,
Until I’ve stol’n ’em all away,
Nip, Johnny Ringo.
—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
[Illustration]
V. Who’s that walking round my sandy path?
Only Jack and Jingle.
Don’t you steal none of my fat geese!
Yes, I will, or No, I won’t. I’ll take them one by one, and
two by two, and call them Jack and Jingle.
—Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).
VI. Who runs round my pen pound?
No one but old King Sailor.
Don’t you steal all my sheep away, while I’m a wailer!
Steal them all away one by one, and leave none but old King
Sailor.
—Raunds (_Northants Notes and Queries_, i. p. 232).
VII. Who’s that walking round my walk?
Only Jackie Jingle.
Don’t you steal of my fat sheep;
The more I will, the more I won’t,
Unless I take them one by one,
And that is Jackie Jingle.
—Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 85).
VIII. Who’s going round my sunny wall to night?
Only little Jacky Lingo.
Don’t steal any of my fat chicks.
I stole one last night
And gave it a little hay,
There came a little blackbird,
And carried it away.
—Bocking, Essex (_Folk-lore Record_, iii. 170).
IX. Who’s that round my stable door [or stony wall]?
Only little Jack and Jingo.
Don’t you steal any of my fat pigs!
I stole one last night and the night before,
Chick, chick, come along with me.
—Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).
X. Who’s this walking round my stony gravel path?
Only little Jacky Jingle.
Last night he stole one of my sheep,
Put him in the fold,
Along came a blackbird, and pecked off his nose.
—Hampshire (Miss Mendham).
XI. Who is going round my fine stony house?
Only Daddy Dingo.
Don’t take any of my fine chicks.
Only this one, O!
—Ellesmere (Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 520).
XII. Who is that walking round my stone-wall?
Only little Johnnie Nero.
Well, don’t you steal any of my fat sheep!
I stole one last night and gave it a lock of hay,
Here come I to take another away.
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
XIII. Who’s that going round my pretty garden?
Only Jacky Jingo.
Don’t you steal any of my fat sheep!
Oh, no I won’t; oh, yes I will; and if I do I’ll take them
one by one, so out comes Jacky Jingo.
—Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).
XIV. Who’s going round my sheepfold?
Only poor Jack Lingo.
Don’t steal any of my black sheep!
No, I won’t, only buy one.
—Roxton, St. Neots (Miss E. Lumley).
XV. Who goes round my house this night?
None but Limping Tom.
Do you want any of my chickens this night?
None but this poor one.
—Macduff (Rev. W. Gregor).
XVI. Who goes round my house this night?
Who but Bloody Tom!
Who stole all my chickens away?
None but this poor one.
—Chambers’s _Pop. Rhymes_, 122.
XVII. Who goes round the house at night?
None but Bloody Tom.
Tack care an’ tack nane o’ my chickens awa’!
None but this poor one.
—Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).
XVIII. Johnny, Johnny Ringo,
Don’t steal all my faun sheep.
Nob but one by one,
Whaul they’re all done.
—Easther’s _Almondbury Glossary_.
XIX. Who’s going round my stone wall?
Only an old witch.
Don’t take any of my bad chickens!
No, only this one.
—Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss E. Hollis).
(_b_) The players stand in a circle, but they do not necessarily hold
hands, nor do they move round. One player kneels or stands in the
centre, and another walks round outside the circle. The child in the
centre asks the questions, and the child outside (Johnny Lingo) replies.
When the last answer is given, the outside player, or Johnny Lingo,
touches one of the circle on the back; this player, without speaking,
then follows Johnny Lingo and stands behind her holding her by her
dress, or round the waist. The dialogue is then repeated, and another
child taken. This is continued until all the circle are behind Johnny
Lingo. Then the child in the centre tries to catch one of them, and
Johnny Lingo tries to prevent it; as soon as one player is caught she
stands aside, and when all are caught the game is over.
This is the usual way of playing. The variations are: in Galloway,
Enbourne, Keith, and Hanbury, the centre player shuts her eyes, or is
blindfolded. In the Almondbury version, when the centre child gets up to
look for his sheep, and finds them (they do not stand behind Johnny
Ringo, but hide), they run about “baaing;” when he catches them he
pretends to cut their heads off. In Chambers’s description of the game,
all the players except two sit upon the ground in a circle (sitting or
lying down also obtains at Barnes), one of the two stands inside, and
the other personates “Bloody Tom.” Bloody Tom tries to carry off a
player after the dialogue has been said, and the centre child tries to
prevent this one from being taken, and the rest of the circle “cower
more closely round him.” In the Macduff version, when all the players
have been taken, the centre child runs about crying, “Where are all my
chickens?” Some of the “chickens,” on hearing this, try to run away from
“Limping Tom” to her, and he tries to prevent them. He puts them all
behind him in single file, and the centre child then tries to catch
them; when she catches them all she becomes Limping Tom, and he the
shepherd or hen. Dr. Gregor says (Keith)—The game is generally played by
boys; the keeper kneels or sits in the middle of the circle; when all
the sheep are gone, and he gets no answers to his questions, he crawls
away still blindfolded, and searches for the lost sheep. The first
player he finds becomes keeper, and he becomes Bloody Tom. In the
Winterton version (No. I.) there is a further dialogue. The game is
played in the usual way at the beginning. When Jacko Lingo says, “Follow
me” (he had previously, when saying one by one and two by two, &c.,
touched three children on their back in turn), the third one touched
leaves the ring, and stands behind him holding his clothes or waist.
This is done until all the children forming the circle are holding on
behind him. The child in the centre then asks the next question. When
she says, “Here’s my black sheep,” she tries to dodge behind Jacky
Lingo, and catch the child behind him. When she has done this she begins
again at “Have you seen anything of my black sheep,” until she has
caught all the children behind Jacky Lingo. In two versions, Deptford
and Bocking, there is no mention of a player being in the centre, but
this is an obvious necessity unless the second player stands also
outside the circle. In the Raunds version the ring moves slowly round.
In the Hants version (Miss Mendham) the children sit in a line. The
thief takes one at a time and hides them, and the shepherd pulls them
out of their hiding-places. In the Shropshire game, the chickens crouch
down behind their mother, holding her gown, and the fox walks round
them.
(_c_) This game appears to represent a village (by the players standing
still in circle form), and from the dialogue the children not only
represent the village, but sheep or chickens belonging to it. The other
two players are—one a watchman or shepherd, and the other a wolf, fox,
or other depredatory animal. The sheep may possibly be supposed to be in
the pound or fold; the thief comes over the boundaries from a
neighbouring village or forest to steal the sheep at night; the watchman
or shepherd, although at first apparently deceived by the wolf,
discovers the loss, and a fight ensues, in which the thief gets the
worse, and some of the animals, if not all, are supposed to be
recovered. The names used in the game,—pen pound, pinfold, fold, stone
wall, sunny wall, sandy path, gravel path, sheep fold, garden, house,
are all indications that a village and its surroundings is intended to
be represented, and this game differs in that respect from the ordinary
Fox and Geese and Hen and Chickens games, in which no mention is made of
these.
Halliwell records two versions (_Nursery Rhymes_, pp. 61, 68). The words
and method of playing are the same as some of those recorded above.
There is also a version in _Suffolk County Folk-lore_, pp. 65, 66, which
beginning with “Who’s going round my little stony wall?” after the sheep
are all stolen, continues with a dialogue, which forms a part of the
game of “Witch.” The Rev. W. S. Sykes sends one from Settle, Yorkshire,
the words of which are the same as No. XIV., except that the last line
has “just one” instead of “buy one.” Mr. Newell gives a version played
by American children.
Widow
I. One poor widder all left alone,
Only one daughter to marry at home,
Chews [choose] for the worst, and chews for the best,
And chews the one that yew [you] love best.
Now you’re married, I wish ye good joy,
Ivery year a gal or a boy!
If one ’out dew, ye must hev tew,
So pray, young couple, kiss te’gither.
—Swaffham, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
II. Here is a poor widow who is left alone,
And all her children married and gone;
Come choose the east, come choose the west,
Come choose the one you love the best.
Now since you’ve got married, I wish you joy,
Every year a girl and boy;
Love one another like sister and brother,
I pray you couple come kiss together.
—Perth (Rev. W. Gregor).
III. One poor widow was left alone,
Daughter, daughter, marry at home;
Choose the worst, or choose the best,
Choose the young gentleman you love best.
Now you are married, I wish you joy,
Father and mother, you must obey,
Love one another like sister and brother,
And now, young couple, come kiss together.
—Bexley Heath (Miss Morris.)
IV. One poor widow is left all alone, all alone, all alone,
Choose the worst, and choose the best,
And choose the one that you like best.
Now she’s married I wish her joy,
Her father and mother she must obey,
Love one another like sisters and brothers,
And now it’s time to go away.
—_Suffolk County Folk-lore_, p. 67.
V. One poor widow was left alone,
She had but one daughter to marry alone;
Come choose the worst, come choose the best,
Come choose the young girl that you like best.
—Maxey, Northants (Rev. W. D. Sweeting).
VI. Here’s a poor widow she’s left alone,
She has got nothing to marry upon;
Come choose to the east, come choose to the west,
Come choose the one that you love best.
Now they’re married, we wish them joy,
Every year a girl and a boy;
Seven years old, seven years to come,
Now kiss the couple, and that’s well done.
—Auchterarder, N.B. (Miss E. S. Haldane).
(_b_) The children form a ring by joining hands. One player stands in
the centre. The ring dance round singing the first verse; the widow then
chooses one player from the ring, who goes into the centre with her, and
the ring dances round singing the second part. The one first in the
centre then joins the ring, and the second player becomes the widow and
chooses in her turn.
This belongs to the marriage group of Kiss in the Ring games. Northall
(_English Folk Rhymes_, p. 374), gives a version similar to the above.
See “Kiss in the Ring,” “Poor Widow,” “Sally Water,” “Silly Young Man.”
Wiggle-Waggle
The players sit round a table under the presidency of a “Buck.” Each
person has his fingers clenched, and the thumb extended. Buck from time
to time calls out as suits his fancy: “Buck says, Thumbs up!” or, “Buck
says, Thumbs down!” or, “Wiggle-waggle!” If he says “Thumbs up!” he
places both hands on the table, with the thumbs sticking straight up. If
“Thumbs down!” he rests his thumbs on the table with his hands up. If
“Wiggle-waggle!” he places his hands as in “Thumbs up!” but wags his
thumbs nimbly. Everybody at the table has to follow the word of command
on the instant, and any who fail to do so are liable to a
forfeit.—Evan’s _Leicestershire Words_.
See “Horns.”
Wild Boar
“Shoeing the Wild Boar,” a game in which the player sits cross-legged on
a beam or pole, each of the extremities of which is placed or swung in
the eyes of a rope suspended from the back tree of an outhouse. The
person uses a switch, as if in the act of whipping up a horse; when
being thus unsteadily mounted, he is most apt to lose his balance. If he
retains it, he is victor over those who fail.—Teviotdale (Jamieson).
Wild Birds
“All the Wild Birds in the Air,” the name of a game in which one acts
the dam of a number of birds, who gives distinct names of birds, such as
are generally known to all that are engaged in the sport. The person who
opposes tries to guess the name of each individual. When he errs he is
subject to a stroke on the back. When he guesses right he carries away
on his back that bird, which is subjected to a blow from each of the
rest. When he has discovered and carried off the whole, he has gained
the game.—Jamieson. Jamieson adds that this sport seems only to be
retained in Abernethy, Perthshire; and it is probable, from the
antiquity of the place, that it is very ancient.
See “All the Birds in the Air,” “Fool, Fool.”
Willie, Willie Wastell
Willie, Willie Wastell,
I am on your castle,
A’ the dogs in the toun
Winna pu’ Willie doun.
Like Willie, Willie Wastel,
I am in my castel
A’ the dogs in the toun
Dare not ding me doun.
—Jamieson.
A writer in the _Gentlemen’s Magazine_ for 1822, Part I. p. 401, says
that the old distich—
“Willy, Willy Waeshale!
Keep off my castle,”
used in the North in the game of limbo, contains the true etymon of the
adjective “Willy.”
The same game as “Tom Tiddler’s Ground.” It is played in the same way.
Jamieson says the second rhyme given shows that the rhyme was formerly
repeated by the player holding the castle, and not, as now, by the
opposing players.
See “King of the Castle,” “Tom Tiddler’s Ground.”
Wind up the Bush Faggot
[Music: _Andante_, with determined deliberation.
Repeat from beginning till all are wound up.]
[Music: _Allegro_, with unbounded vigour.
_Note._—(1) The simplicity of time and no _dotted_ notes, also
_change_ of key for 2/4 music.
(2) The game unites common and triple time very successfully.
(3) Notwithstanding the injunction it is best _not_ to wind up
too _tight_.]
—Essex (Miss Dendy).
In the Essex game all the players join hands and form a long line. They
should stand in sizes, the tallest should be the first, and should
stand quite still. All the rest walk round this tallest one, singing—
Wind up the bush faggot, and wind it up tight,
Wind it all day and again at night,
to the first part of the tune given—that in three-eight time. This is to
be repeated until all the players are wound round the centre or tallest
player, in a tight coil. Then they all sing—
Stir up the dumplings, the pot boils over,
to the second part of the tune in 2-4 time. This is repeated, all
jumping simultaneously to the changed time, until there is a general
scrimmage, with shrieking and laughter, and a break up. The players
should look somewhat like a watch spring. [Illustration] As soon as the
last one is wound up, no matter in what part of the 3-8 time music they
may be, they leave off and begin to jump up and down, and sing to the
2-4 music.—Essex (Miss Dendy).
This game is called “Wind up the Watch” in Wolstanton, North
Staffordshire Potteries, and is played in the same manner. The words are
only, “Wind up the Watch,” and are said. When all the players are wound
up they begin to unwind, saying, “Unwind the Watch.”—Miss Bush. Called
“Wind up Jack” in Shropshire. It is the closing game of any playtime,
and was played before “breaking-up” at a boys’ school at Shrewsbury,
1850-56. The players form a line hand in hand, the tallest at one end,
who stands still; the rest walk round and round him or her, saying,
“Wind up Jack! Wind up Jack!” (or at Ellesmere, “Roll up the
tobacco-box”), till “Jack” is completely imprisoned. They then “jog up
and down,” crying, “A bundle o’ rags, a bundle o’ rags!”—Berrington,
Ellesmere (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 521).
In Scotland the game is known as “Row-chow-Tobacco;” a long chain of
boys hold each other by the hands: they have one standing steadily
at one of the extremities, who is called the _Pin_. Round him the
rest coil like a watch chain round the cylinder, till the act of
winding is completed. A clamorous noise succeeds, in which the cry
Row-chow-Tobacco prevails; after giving and receiving the
_fraternal hug_, they disperse, and afterwards renew the process.
In West of Scotland, it is Rowity-chow-o’-Tobacco, pronounced,
_rowity-chowity-bacco_, and as the first syllable of each word is
shouted, another hug or squeeze is given. The game is not so common as
formerly. The same game is played in West Cornwall by Sunday-school
children at their out-of-door treats, and is called “Roll Tobacco.”
It is known as “The Old Oak Tree” in Lincoln, Kelsey, and Winterton, and
is played in the same manner. When coiling round, the children sing—
Round and round the old oak tree:
I love the girls and the girls love me.
When they have twisted into a closely-packed crowd they dance up and
down, tumbling on each other, crying—
A bottle of rags, a bottle of rags.
In the Anderby and Nottinghamshire version of the game the children
often sing—
The old oak tree grows thicker and thicker every Monday morning.
—Miss M. Peacock.
In Mid-Cornwall, in the second week in June, at St. Roche, and in one or
two adjacent parishes, a curious dance is performed at the annual
“feasts.” It enjoys the rather undignified name of “Snails Creep,” but
would be more properly called the “Serpent’s Coil.” The following is
scarcely a perfect description of it:—“The young people being all
assembled in a large meadow, the village band strikes up a simple but
lively air and marches forward, followed by the whole assemblage,
leading hand-in-hand (or more closely linked in case of engaged
couples), the whole keeping time to the tune with a lively step. The
band, or head of the serpent, keeps marching in an ever-narrowing
circle, whilst its train of dancing followers becomes coiled round it in
circle after circle. It is now that the most interesting part of the
dance commences, for the band, taking a sharp turn about, begins to
retrace the circle, still followed as before, and a number of young men,
with long leafy branches in their hands as standards, direct this
counter movement with almost military precision.”—W. C. Wade (_Western
Antiquary_, April 1881).
From this description of the “Snail Creep,” it is not difficult to
arrive at an origin for the game. It has evidently arisen from a custom
of performing some religious observance, such as encircling sacred trees
or stones, accompanied by song and dance. “On May Day, in Ireland, all
the young men and maidens hold hands and dance in a circle round a tree
hung with ribbons and garlands, or round a bonfire, moving in curves
from right to left, as if imitating the windings of a serpent.”—Wilde
(_Ancient Cures, Charms, and Usages of Ireland_, 106).
It is easy to conjecture how the idea of “winding up a watch,” or
“rolling tobacco,” would come in, and be thought the origin of the game
from the similarity of action; but it is, I think, evident that this is
not the case, from the words “a bundle o’ rags,” the mention of trees,
and the “jogging” up and down, to say nothing of the existence of
customs in Ireland and Wales similar to that of “Snail Creep.” It is
noticeable, too, that some of these games should be connected with
trees, and that, in the “Snail Creep” dance the young men should carry
branches of trees with them.
See “Bulliheisle,” “Eller Tree.”
Wind, The
I. The wind, the wind, the wind blows high,
The rain comes pouring from the sky;
Miss So-and-So says she’d die
For the sake of the old man’s eye.
She is handsome, she is pretty,
She is the lass of the golden city;
She goes courting one, two, three,
Please to tell me who they be.
A. B. says he loves her,
All the boys are fighting for her,
Let the boys say what they will
A. B. has got her still.
—Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire (Miss Matthews).
II. The wind, wind blows, and the rain, rain goes,
And the clouds come gathering from the sky!
_Annie Dingley’s_ very, very pretty,
She is a girl of a noble city;
She’s the girl of one, two, three,
Pray come tell me whose she’ll be.
_Johnny Tildersley_ says he loves her,
All the boys are fighting for her,
All the girls think nothing of her.
Let the boys say what they will,
_Johnny Tildersley’s_ got her still.
He takes her by the lily-white hand
And leads her over the water,
Gives her kisses one, two, three,
Mrs. _Dingley’s_ daughter!
—Berrington, Eccleshall (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 510).
III. When the wind blows high,
When the wind blows high,
The rain comes peltering from the sky.
She is handsome, she is pretty,
She is the girl in all the city.
She [He?] comes courting one, two, three,
Pray you tell me who she be.
I love her, I love her,
All the boys are fighting for her.
Let them all say what they will,
I shall love her always still.
She pulled off her gloves to show me her ring,
To-morrow, to-morrow, the wedding bells ring.
—Cowes, Isle of Wight (Miss E. Smith).
IV. The wind, the wind, the wind blows high,
The rain comes falling from the sky.
She is handsome, she is pretty,
She is the girl of London city.
She goes a courting one, two, three,
Please will you tell me who is he?
[Boy’s name] says he loves her.
All the boys are fighting for her.
Let the boys do what they will,
[Boy’s name] has got her still.
He knocks at the knocker and he rings at the bell,
Please, Mrs. ——, is your daughter in?
She’s neither ways in, she’s neither ways out,
She’s in the back parlour walking about.
Out she came as white as snow,
With a rose in her breast as soft as silk.
Please, my dear, will you have a drop of this?
No, my dear, I’d rather have a kiss.
—Settle, Yorks. (Rev. W. G. Sykes).
V. The wind, the wind, the wind blows high,
The rain comes sparkling from the sky,
[A girl’s name] says she’ll die
For a lad with a rolling eye.
She is handsome, she is pretty,
She is the flower of the golden city.
She’s got lovers one, two, three.
Come, pray, and tell me who they be.
[A boy’s name] says he’ll have her,
Some one else is waiting for her.
Lash the whip and away we go
To see Newcastle races, oh.
—Tyrie (Rev. W. Gregor).
[Another version after—
—— says he’ll have her,
is—
In his bosom he will clap her.]
[Another one after—
She has got lovers one, two, three,
continues—
Wait till [a boy’s name] grows some bigger,
He will ride her in his giggie.
Lash your whip and away you go
To see Newcastle races, O!]
—Pittulie (Rev. W. Gregor).
[And another version gives—
—— says she’ll die
For the want of the golden eye.]
—Fochabers (Rev. W. Gregor).
VI. The wind blows high, and the wind blows low,
The snow comes scattering down below.
Is not —— very very pretty?
She is the flower of one, two, three.
Please to tell me who is he.
—— says he loves her,
All the boys are fighting for her.
Let the boys say what they will,
—— loves her still.
—Perth (Rev. W. Gregor).
A ring is formed by the children joining hands, one player standing in
the centre. When asked, “Please tell me who they be,” the girl in the
middle gives the name or initials of a boy in the ring (or _vice
versa_). The ring then sings the rest of the words, and the boy who was
named goes into the centre. This is the Forest of Dean way of playing.
In the Shropshire game, at the end of the first verse the girl in the
centre beckons one from the ring, or one volunteers to go into the
centre; the ring continues singing, and at the end the two children
kiss; the first one joins the ring, and the other chooses in his turn.
The other versions are played in the same way.
Northall (_English Folk-Rhymes_, p. 380) gives a version from
Warwickshire very similar.
Wink-egg
Elworthy (_West Somerset Words_) says—When a nest is found boys shout,
“Let’s play ‘Wink-egg.’” An egg is placed on the ground, and a boy goes
back three paces from it, holding a stick in his hand; he then shuts his
eyes, and takes two paces towards the egg and strikes a blow on the
ground with the stick—the object being to break the egg. If he misses,
another tries, and so on until all the eggs are smashed. In Cornwall it
is called “Winky-eye,” and is played in the spring. An egg taken from a
bird’s nest is placed on the ground, at some distance off—the number of
paces having been previously fixed. Blindfolded, one after the other,
the players attempt with a stick to hit and break it.—_Folk-lore
Journal_, v. 61.
See “Blind Man’s Stan.”
Witch, The
This game is played by nine children. One is chosen as Mother, seven are
chosen for her children, and the other is a Witch. The Mother and Witch
stand opposite the seven children. The _Mother_ advances and names the
children by the days of the week, saying—
Sunday, take care of Monday,
Monday, take care of Tuesday,
Tuesday, take care of Wednesday,
Wednesday, take care of Thursday,
Thursday, take care of Friday,
Friday, take care of Saturday.
Take care the Old Witch does not catch you, and I’ll bring you
something nice.
The Mother then goes away, and the Witch advances saying—
Sunday, your mother sent me for your best bonnet, she wants to get one
like it for Monday. It is up in the top long drawer, fetch it quick.
Sunday goes away, and the Witch then seizes Saturday and runs off with
her.
The Mother re-enters, and names the children again, Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, misses Saturday, and says—
Where’s Saturday?
The children all cry and say—
The Old Witch has got her.
This part is then repeated until the Witch has taken all the children
and put them in a corner one by one, and stands in front to guard them.
The Mother sets out to find the children, she sees the Old Witch, and
says to her—
Have you seen my children?
_Witch._ Yes, I saw them walking down High Street.
_Mother_ then goes away, does not find them, and comes back asking—
Have you seen my children?
_W._ Yes, I saw them going to school.
_Mother_ then goes away, does not find them, and comes back asking—
Have you seen my children?
_W._ Yes, they are gone to church.
_Mother_ again goes away, does not find them, and comes back asking—
Have you seen my children?
_W._ They are having dinner—you can’t see them.
_Mother_ again goes away, does not find them, and comes back asking—
Have you seen my children?
_W._ They are in bed.
_M._ Can’t I go up and see them?
_W._ Your shoes are too dirty.
_M._ Can’t I take them off?
_W._ Your stockings are too dirty.
_M._ Can’t I take them off?
_W._ Your feet are too dirty.
_M._ Can’t I cut them off?
_W._ The blood would run on the floor.
_M._ Can’t I wrap them up in a blanket?
_W._ The fleas would hop out.
_M._ Can’t I wrap them up in a sheet?
_W._ The sheet is too white.
_M._ Can’t I ride up in a carriage?
_W._ You would break the stairs down.
The children then burst out from behind the Witch and they and the
Mother run after her, crying out, “Burn the Old Witch.” They continue
chasing the Witch till she is caught, and the child who succeeds in
catching her, takes the part of the Witch in the next game.—Dartmouth
(Miss Kimber).
The children choose from their party an Old Witch (who is supposed to
hide herself) and a Mother. The other players are the daughters, and are
called by the names of the week. The Mother says that she is going to
market, and will bring home for each the thing that she most wishes for.
Upon this they all name something. Then, after telling them upon no
account to allow any one to come into the house, she gives her children
in charge of her eldest daughter, Sunday, and goes away. In a moment,
the Witch makes her appearance, and asks to borrow some trifle.
Sunday at first refuses, but, after a short parley, goes into the next
room to fetch the required article. In her absence the Witch steals the
youngest of the children (Saturday), and runs off with her. Sunday, on
her return, seeing that the Witch has left, thinks there must be
something wrong, and counts the children, saying, “Monday, Tuesday,”
&c., until she comes to Saturday, who is missing. She then pretends to
cry, wrings her hands, and sobs out—“Mother will beat me when she comes
home.”
On the Mother’s return, she, too, counts the children, and finding
Saturday gone, asks Sunday where she is. Sunday answers, “Oh, mother! an
Old Witch called, and asked to borrow ——, and, whilst I was fetching it,
she ran off with Saturday.” The Mother scolds and beats her, tells her
to be more careful in the future, and again sets off for the market.
This is repeated until all the children but Sunday have been stolen.
Then the Mother and Sunday, hand in hand, go off to search for them.
They meet the Old Witch, who has them all crouching down in a line
behind her.
_Mother._ Have you seen my children?
_Old Witch._ Yes! I think by Eastgate.
The Mother and Sunday retire, as if to go there, but, not finding them,
again return to the Witch, who this time sends them to Westgate, then to
Southgate and Northgate. At last one of the children pops her head up
over the Witch’s shoulder, and cries out, “Here we are, Mother.” Then
follows this dialogue:—
_M._ I see my children, may I go in?
_O. W._ No! your boots are too dirty.
_M._ I will take them off.
_O. W._ Your stockings are too dirty.
_M._ I will take them off.
_O. W._ Your feet are too dirty.
_M._ I will cut them off.
_O. W._ Then the blood will stream over the floor.
The Mother at this loses patience, and pushes her way in, the Witch
trying in vain to keep her out. She, with all her children, then chase
the Witch until they catch her; when they pretend to bind her hand and
foot, put her on a pile, and burn her, the children fanning the
imaginary flames with their pinafores. Sometimes the dialogue after
“Here we are, mother,” is omitted, and the Witch is at once
chased.—Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 53-54).
One child represents an old woman who is blind, and has eight children.
She says she is going to market, and bids her eldest daughter let no one
into the house in her absence. The eldest daughter promises. Then a
second old woman knocks, and bribes the daughter, by the promise of a
gay ribbon, to give her a light. Whilst the daughter is getting the
light, the Witch steals a child and carries it off.
The daughter comes back, and makes all the other children promise not to
tell their Mother. The Mother returns and says: “Are all the children
safe?”
The daughter says, “Yes.” “Then let me count them.” The children stand
in a row, and the Mother counts by placing her hands alternately on
their heads. The eldest daughter runs round to the bottom of the row,
and so is counted twice.
This is repeated until all the children are gone. At the end the eldest
daughter runs away, and the Mother finds all her children gone. Then the
Witch asks the old woman to dinner, and the children, who have covered
their faces, are served up as beef, mutton, lamb, &c. Finally they throw
off their coverings and a general scrimmage takes place.—London (Miss
Dendy).
At Deptford the game is played in the same way, and the dialogue is
similar to the Cornish version, then follows—
I’ll ride in a pan.
That will do.
The Mother gets inside to her children and says to them in turn, “Poke
out your tongue, you’re one of mine,” then they run away home.—Deptford
(Miss Chase).
In another Deptford version the children are named for days of the week,
the Mother goes out, and the Witch calls and asks—
Please you, give me a match.
The minder goes upstairs, and the Witch carries a child off. The Mother
comes home, misses child, and asks—
Where’s Monday?
She’s gone to her grandma.
Mother pretends to look for her, and says—
She ain’t there.
She’s gone to her aunt’s.
Children own at last—
The bonny Old Witch has took her!
The Mother beats the Daughter who has been so careless, goes to Witch,
and says—
Have you any blocks of wood?
No.
Can I come in and see?
No, your boots are too dirty, &c.
[Same as previous versions.]
A number of girls stand in a line. Three girls out of the number
represent Mother, Jack, and Daughter. The Mother leaves her children in
charge of her Daughter, counts them, and says the following:—
I am going into the garden to gather some rue,
And mind old Jack-daw don’t get you,
Especially you my daughter Sue,
I’ll beat you till you’re black and blue.
While the Mother is gone Jack comes and asks for a match; he takes a
child and hides her up. The Mother comes back, counts her children, and
finds one missing. Then she asks where she is, and the Daughter says
that Jack has got her. The Mother beats the Daughter, and leaves them
again, saying the same words as before, until all the children have
gone.—Ipswich (_Suffolk Folk-lore_, p. 62).
I’ll charge my children every one
To keep good house till I come home,
Especially you my daughter Sue,
Or else I’ll beat you black and blue.
—Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 88).
Halliwell gives a version of this which he calls the game of the
“Gipsy.” He gives no dialogue, but his game begins by the Mother saying
some lines to the eldest daughter, which are almost identical with those
given from Hersham, Surrey. Mr. Newell gives some interesting American
versions.
This game appears in the versions given above to be a child-stealing
game, and it may originate from this being a common practice some years
ago, but it will be found on comparison to be so much like “Mother,
mother, the pot boils over” (vol. i. p. 396) that it is more probable
that this is the same game, having lost the important element of the
“giving of fire,” or a “light from the fire” out of the house, so soon
as the idea that doing this put the inhabitants of the house into the
power of the receiver or some evil spirit had become lost as a popular
belief. “Matches” being asked for and a “light” confirms this. It will
be seen that a Witch or evilly-disposed person is dreaded by the Mother,
the eldest Daughter being specially charged to keep a good look-out. The
naming of the children after the days of the week, the counting of them
by the Mother, and the artifice of the eldest Daughter, in the London
version, who gets counted twice, are archaic points. The discovery by
tasting of the children by their Mother, and their suggested revival;
the catching and “burning” of the Witch in the Dartmouth and Cornish
games, are incidents familiar to us from nursery tales and from the
trials of people condemned for witchcraft. Of the Cornish version it is
said that “it has descended from generation to generation.”
Mr. Newell’s versions tend, I think, to strengthen my suggestion in
“Mother, the pot boils over,” that the “fire” custom alluded to is the
origin of that game and this. The fire incident has been forgotten, and
the game therefore developed into a child-stealing or gipsy game.
See “Mother, Mother.”
Witte-Witte-Way
A game among boys, which I do not remember in the South.—Brockett’s
_North Country Words_. Probably the same as “Whiddy,” which see.
Wolf
I. Sheep, sheep, come home!
We dare not.
What are you frightened of?
The wolf.
The wolf has gone home for seven days,
Sheep, sheep, come home.
—Settle, Yorks. (Rev. W. S. Sykes).
II. Sheep, sheep, come home!
I’m afraid.
What of?
The wolf.
The wolf’s gone into Derbyshire,
And won’t be back till six o’clock.
Sheep, sheep, come home.
—Hanbury, Staffordshire (Miss Edith Hollis).
III. Sheep, sheep, go out!
I’m afraid.
What you’re ’fraid of?
Wolf.
Wolf has gone to Devonshire;
Won’t be back for seven year.
Sheep, sheep, go out!
—Hurstmonceux, Sussex, as played about forty years ago (Miss E. Chase).
IV. Sheep, sheep, come home!
I’m afraid.
What of?
The wolf.
The wolf’s gone to Devonshire,
And won’t be back for seven year.
Sheep, sheep, come home.
—Anderby (Miss M. Peacock), Barnes (A. B. Gomme).
V., VI. Won’t be back for eleven year.
—Nottinghamshire (Miss M. Peacock).
—Marlborough, Wilts (H. S. May).
(_b_) One player acts as Shepherd, and stands at one side of the
playground or field; another acts as Wolf. He crouches in one corner, or
behind a post or tree. The other players are sheep, and stand close
together on the opposite side of the ground to the Shepherd. The
Shepherd advances and calls the sheep. At the end of the dialogue the
sheep run across to the Shepherd and the Wolf pounces out, chases, and
tries to catch them. Whoever he catches has to stand aside until all are
caught. The game is played in this way in all versions sent me except
Hurstmonceux, where there is the following addition:—The Wolf chases
until he has caught all the sheep, and put them in his den. He then
pretends to taste them, and sets them aside as needing more salt. The
Shepherd or Mother comes after them, and the sheep cover their heads
with their aprons. The Mother guesses the name of each child, saying,
“This is my daughter ——. Run away home!” until she has freed them all.
Versions of this game, almost identical with the Anderby version, have
been collected from Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews); Crockham Hill, Kent
(Miss E. Chase); Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. p. 88);
Marlborough, Wilts (H. S. May); Ash and Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme). In
Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire is the place the wolf is said to have gone
to. Mr. M. L. Rouse sends the following fuller description of the game
as played at Woolpit, near Haughley, Suffolk, which gives, I think, the
clue to the earlier idea of the game:—
The game was played out of doors in a meadow. Two long parallel lines
were drawn about fifty yards apart, forming bases behind them. Two boys
stood some distance apart between the bases, and the rest of the players
all stood within one base. One of the two boys in the centre acting as
decoy cried “Sheep, sheep, come home!” The sheep represented by the boys
in the base cried back, “We can’t, we’re afraid of the Wolf.” The decoy
then said—
The wolf’s gone to Devonshire,
And won’t be back for seven year.
Sheep, sheep, come home.
The sheep then made rushes from different points, and tried to get
across to the other base. The other player in the centre tried to catch
the sheep as they ran. Those caught joined the side of the wolf, and
caught others in their turn.
It appears clear that the “Decoy” is the correct character in this game
instead of a “shepherd” or “master,” as now given. The decoy is
evidently assuming the character and voice of the shepherd, or
shepherd’s dog, to induce the sheep to leave the fold where they are
protected, in order to pounce upon them as they endeavour to go in the
direction the voice calls them. The game owes its origin to times and
places, when wolves were prowling about at night, and sheep were penned
and protected against them by shepherds and watch-dogs.
Wolf and the Lamb, The
Two are chosen—one to represent the wolf and the other the lamb. The
other players join hands and form a circle round the lamb. The wolf
tries to break through the circle, and carry off the lamb. Those in the
circle do all they can to prevent the wolf from entering within the
circle. If he manages to enter the circle and seize the lamb, then other
two are chosen, and the same process is gone through till all have got a
chance of being the lamb and wolf. This game evidently represents a lamb
enclosed in a fold, and the attempts of a wolf to break through and
carry it off.
—Fraserburgh, Aberdeen, _April 14, 1892_ (Rev. W. Gregor).
Would you know how doth the Peasant
[Music]
—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
I. Would you know how doth the peasant?
Would you know how doth the peasant?
Would you know how doth the peasant
Sow his barley and wheat!
And it’s so, so, doth the peasant,
And it’s so, so, doth the peasant,
And it’s so, so, doth the peasant
Sow his barley and wheat!
Would you know how doth the peasant, &c.,
Reap his barley and wheat?
It is so, so, doth the peasant, &c.,
Reap his barley and wheat!
Would you know how doth the peasant, &c.,
Thresh his barley and wheat?
It is so, so, doth the peasant, &c.,
Thresh his barley and wheat!
Would you know how doth the peasant, &c.,
When the seed time is o’er?
It is so, so, doth the peasant, &c.,
When the seed time is o’er!
Would you know how doth the peasant, &c.,
When his labour is done?
It is so, so, doth the peasant, &c.,
When his labour is done!
And it’s so, so, doth the peasant,
And it’s so, so, doth the peasant,
And it’s so, so, doth the peasant,
When his labour is o’er.
—Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
II. It is so, so, does the peasant [or, farmer],
It is so, so, does the peasant,
It is so, so, does the peasant,
When sowing times come.
It is so, so, does the peasant, &c.,
When reaping time comes.
It is so, so does the peasant, &c.,
When his threshing times comes.
It is so, so, does the peasant, &c.,
When the hunting’s begun.
It is so, so does the peasant, &c.,
When the day’s work is done.
—Frodingham, Lincoln and Notts (Miss M. Peacock).
(_c_) The leader of this game stands in the middle, the players stand in
a ring round him; when there are a sufficient number of players, several
rings are formed one within the other, the smallest children in the
inner ring. The different rings move in alternate directions when
dancing round. All the children sing the words of each verse and dance
round. They unclasp hands at the end of each alternate verse, and suit
their actions to the words sung. At the end of the first verse they
stand still, crook their arms as if holding a basket, and imitate action
of sowing while they sing the second verse; they then all dance round
while they sing the third, then stand still again and imitate reaping
while they sing the fourth time. Then again dance and sing, stand still
and imitate “thrashing” of barley and wheat; after “seed time is o’er,”
they drop on one knee and lift one hand as if in prayer, again dancing
round and singing. Then they kneel on one knee, put their hands
together, lay their left cheek on them, and close their eyes as if
asleep; while singing, “when his labour is o’er,” at the last verse,
they all march round, clapping hands in time.
This is the Monton game. The Frodingham game is played in the same way,
except that the children walk round in a circle, one behind another,
when they sing and imitate the actions they mention. “When the hunting’s
begun” they all run about as if on horseback; “when the day’s work is
done,” they all kneel on one knee and rest their heads on their hands.
This game is evidently a survival of the custom of dancing, and of
imitating the actions necessary for the sowing and reaping of grain
which were customary at one time. Miss Dendy says—“It is an undoubtedly
old Lancashire game. It is sometimes played by as many as a hundred
players, and is then very pretty. The method of playing varies slightly,
but it is generally as described above.” The fact that this game was
played by such a large number of young people together, points
conclusively to a time when it was a customary thing for all the people
in one village to play this game as a kind of religious observance, to
bring a blessing on the work of the season, believing that by doing so,
they caused the crops to grow better and produce grain in abundance.
See “Oats and Beans and Barley.”
ADDENDA
A’ the Birdies. [See “All the Birds,” vol. i. p. 2; “Oranges and
Lemons,” vol. ii. pp. 25-35.]
A’ the birdies i’ the air
Tick tae to my tail.
A contest game of the oranges and lemons class. Two players, who hold
hands and form the arch, call out the formula, and the other players,
who are running about indifferently, go one by one to them and decide,
when asked, which side they will favour, and stand behind one or the
other.
After the tug the side which has lost is called “Rotten eggs, rotten
eggs.”—Aberdeen (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
All the Boys. [Vol. i. pp. 2-6.]
Two versions of this game, one from Howth and another from St. Andrews,
sent me by Miss H. E. Harvey, do not differ sufficiently from the
versions i. and ii. printed as above to be given here in full.
The St. Andrews game, after the line,
“I love you, and you love me”
(as printed in vol. i. version ii.), continues—
When we get married, I hope you will agree,
I’ll buy the chest of drawers, you’ll buy the cradle.
Rock, rock, bubbly-jock,
Send her upstairs, lay her in her bed,
Send for the doctor before she is dead.
In comes the doctor and out goes the clerk,
In comes the mannie with the sugarally hat.
Oh, says the doctor, what’s the matter here?
Oh, says Johnny, I’m like to lose my dear.
Oh, says the doctor, nae fear o’ that.
American Post.
One player of a party acts as post and leaves the room. When he is
outside he knocks at the door. Another player, who is the doorkeeper
(inside), calls out, “Who’s there?” The reply is, “American post.” “What
with?” “A letter.” “For whom?” The name of one of the players in the
room is given by the post. The one named then must go outside, and kiss
the post, and in turn becomes post.—Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
This, sometimes called “Postman,” is now more generally played as a
penalty when forfeits are being performed. The player whose penalty it
is, is the first one to be “post.” Postage is demanded, the amount being
paid by kisses.
As I was Walking.
The players, usually girls, stand in line up to a wall. One in front
sings, going backwards and forwards.
As I was walking down a hill, down a hill, down a hill,
As I was walking down a hill,
Upon a frosty morning.
Who do you think I met coming down, coming down, &c.,
Who do you think I met, &c.
She then chooses one from the line and both sing:—
I met my true love coming down, &c.
He gave me kisses, one, two, three (clap hands),
Upon a frosty morning.—Cullen (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Auld Grannie. [A version of “Hen and Chickens,” vol. i. pp. 201, 202.]
Here a variation of dialogue occurs. The game is played as previous Hen
and Chicken games. The Hen says—
What are ye scrapin’ for?
Auld grannie says—
A darning needle?
What are ye going to do with the darning needle?
Mak a poke.
What to do with the poke?
To gang to the peat moss to get some peats.
What for?
To make a fire, to make some tea, to pour over your wee chickens.
Auld grannie rushes at them, and pretends to throw the water over them.
When she has caught some players, and the sides are about equal in
strength, the game ends in a tug of war.—Dalry, Galloway (J. G. Carter.)
Another, called “Grannie’s Needle,” has a slightly different parley.
What are you looking for, granny?
My granny’s needle.
What are you going to do with the needle, granny?
To make a bag.
And what are you going to do with the bag, granny?
To gather sand.
What are you going to do with the sand, granny?
To sharpen knives.
And what are you going to do with the knives, granny?
To cut off your chickens’ heads.
—Belfast (W. H. Patterson).
Ball. [Pots, vol. ii. p. 64.]
1. Throw the ball up against a wall three times and catch it.
2. Throw it up and clap hands three times before catching it.
3. Throw it up and put your hands round in a circle.
4. Throw it up and clap your hands before and behind.
5. Throw it up and clap and touch your shoulder.
6. Throw it up and clap and touch your other shoulder.
7. Throw it up three times with your right hand and catch it with your
right.
8. Throw it up with your left and catch it with your left.
9. Throw it up with your right and catch it with your right, dog snack
fashion (_i.e._ as a dog snacks, knuckles up).
10. Throw it up with your left and catch it with your left (dog snack).
11. Throw it up and clap and touch your knee.
12. Throw it up and clap and touch your other knee.
13. Throw it up and turn round.
These actions should each be performed three times.—Laurieston School,
Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
This is a more complete version of “Pots.”
Another game is—
One girl takes a ball, strikes it on the ground, and keeps pushing it
down with her hand. While she is doing this, the other players stand
beside her, and keeping unison with the ball, repeat—
Game, game, ba’ ba’,
Twenty lasses in a raw,
Nae a lad amon them a’
Bits game, game, ba’, ba’.
If the girl keeps the ball dancing up and down—“stottin’” during the
time the words are being repeated, it counts one game gained. She goes
on “stottin’” the ball, and the others go on repeating the words till
she allows the ball to escape from her control.—Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr.
Gregor); Dalry, Galloway (J. G. Carter).
Another rhyme for a ball game is—
Little wee laddie, foo’s yer daidie?
New come oot o’ a basket shadie.
A basket shadie’s ower full,
New come oot o’ a roarin’ bull.
A roarin bull’s ower fat,
New come oot o’ a gentleman’s hat.
A gentleman’s hat’s ower fine,
New come oot o’ a bottle o’ wine.
A bottle o’ wine is ower reid,
New come oot o’ a crust o’ breid.
A crust o’ breid is ower broon,
New come oot o’ a half-a-croon.
A half-a-croon is ower little,
New come oot o’ a weaver’s shuttle.
A weaver’s shuttle’s ower holey,
New come oot o’ a paint pottie,
Game, game, game, game, game!
—Rev. Dr. Gregor.
Bannockburn. [See Fool, Fool, come to school, vol. i. p. 132.]
Played as “Fool” with these differences. The namer cries to the fool in
the same formula as the Sussex version (vol. i. p. 133). The fool,
called here “Bannockburn,” says, “Are ye it?” to each player pointing to
them in turn. When she points at the correct one that player runs off.
Bannockburn runs after and tries to catch her. If the first runner can
get back into the row untouched she gets renamed, if caught she has to
take Bannockburn’s place.
During the naming, Bannockburn tries to overhear the names given. But
when noticed coming near, those being named, cry “Bannockburn away dune
the sea.”—Dalry, Galloway (J. G. Carter).
Black Doggie.
[see Drop Handkerchief, vol. i. 109-112.]
A form of Drop Handkerchief differing from those versions previously
given.
The players join hands, form a circle and stretch out as far as each
one’s arms will allow. One player is outside the ring. When she sees
they can stretch no further she cries out “Break,” when they all loose
hands and stand as far apart as possible. The player outside then goes
round the ring singing, “I have a black doggie, but it winna’ bite you,
nor you, nor you,” until she comes to one whom she chooses; she then
throws the handkerchief down on the ground behind this one quietly. If
this player does not notice the handkerchief, not one in the circle must
tell her, or they are “out.” The player who dropped the handkerchief
walks round until she comes again to the one behind whom she dropped it.
She picks it up and tells her she is “burnt.” Then this player has to
stoop down on her knees and is out of the game. Should the selected
player notice the handkerchief, she picks it up and pursues the other
round and through the ring, following wherever the first one leads until
she catches her; they then change places; should she not follow the
exact way the first player went, she too is out and must go down on her
knees.—Rosehearty (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another version from Fraserburgh says that the players may either join
hands in a ring or sit upon the ground on their knees. The outside
player goes round the circle three times, first saying “Black Doggie
winna tack you, nor you.” Then she goes round again and drops the
handkerchief behind any one she pleases. She then runs and is pursued
until caught, the other child following Black Doggie in and out wherever
she goes.
Bonnet Ridgie.
[“Scots and English,” vol. ii. pp. 183-184.]
Players are chosen alternately by two chiefs. The line is drawn between
the two sides, and the caps of each side are placed on the ground at
each of the ends. When the two sides are ranged, the players try to
catch and pull each other across the line. If one is pulled across he is
called a “slink,” and must stand till he is set at liberty by one of his
own side crossing the line and touching him. If this one manages to
touch him before he is crowned, _i.e._, has the crown of his head
touched by one of his opponents, and if he is able to regain his own
side before the same operation takes place, both are free. Each player
watches an opportunity to gather up the caps of the opposing side. If
one is clever and swift enough to reach the caps and gather them all
before he is crowned, his side wins.—Dyke School (Rev. Dr. Gregor.)
Button, The.
[“Diamond Ring,” vol. i. p. 96; “Forfeits,” p. 137; “Wads and the
Wears,” vol. ii. pp. 327-8.]
Played as “Diamond Ring,” except that all sit round the fire, one man
takes a button, puts it between his two hands, and goes round to each of
the other players, who have their two hands held out, palms together,
saying, “Don’t tell what you got,” and quietly dropping the button into
one player’s hands. He then asks the first man, saying, “Who has the
button?” One player is named. The master of the game says then “What
forfeit will you give me that he has it?” The player gives a forfeit. So
on all round, every one guessing and giving a forfeit (including he who
holds the button, who, of course, keeps his secret). When all the
forfeits are in the master says, “Button, button, show, and let all
fools know;” then those who have guessed right receive back their
forfeits. The holder of the button then kneels down to deliver sentences
on the others. The master takes a forfeit and holds it over the
kneeler’s head, saying, “Fine, fine, superfine, what’s the owner of this
fine thing of [gentleman’s or lady’s] wear to do?” The man kneeling
gives a sentence, such as—to take the broom, ride it three times round
the room, and each time kiss the crook hanging in the chimney—and so on.
If a man refuses to perform his sentence he is made to kneel down, and
everything that can be got hold of is piled on his back.—Kiltubbrid, Co.
Leitrim (L. L. Duncan).
Canlie.
[See “Tom Tiddler’s Ground,” vol. ii. p. 298.]
Name for “Friar’s Ground,” in Co. Cork. “Canlie” is the Friar. The game
is played as at Chirbury.—Co. Cork (Mrs. B. B. Greene).
Carry my Lady to London.
[Vol. i. p. 59.]
Carry a lady to London town,
London town, London town;
London town’s a bonny place,
It’s a’ covered o’er in gold and lace.
Or—
Carry a lady to London town,
London town, London town;
Carry a lady to London town
Upon a summer’s day.
Another rhyme for “Carry my Lady to London,” and played in the same
way.—Galloway, N. B. (J. G. Carter).
Cat and Dog Hole.
[Vol. i. p. 63; “Tip-cat,” vol. ii. p. 294.]
Two versions of this, differing somewhat from those given previously.
(1.) Played by two players. A hole is dug in the ground, and one player
with a “catch-brod” stands in a stooping attitude in front of it, about
a foot and a-half away, placing one end of the “catch-brod” on the
ground. The other player goes to a distance of some yards, to a fixed
point called “the stance.” From here he throws a ball, intending to
land it in the hole. The other player’s object is to prevent this by
hitting it away with his “catch-brod.” If the bowler succeeds they
change places.
(2.) This also is played by two players, and in the same way, except
that a stone is substituted for the hole, and the bowler’s object is to
strike the stone with the ball. Sometimes it is played with three
players, then running is allowed. When the ball is hit the batter tries
to run to the “stance” and back, the bowler or the third player then
tries to hit the “stance” with the ball while the batter is away making
the run. If the third player can catch the ball before it touches the
ground he tries to hit the stone with it, thus sending the batter
out.—Keith (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Catch the Salmond.
Two boys take each the end of a piece of rope, and give chase to a third
till they contrive to get the rope round him. They then pull him hither
and thither in all directions.
—Banchory (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Evidently an imitation of net-fishing.
Chicken come Clock. [See “Fox and Goose,” “Hen and Chicken,” vol. i. pp.
139-141, 201; vol. ii. p. 404.]
The children, boys and girls, squat down and take hold of hands, going
round, and saying—
Chicken come clock around the rock,
Looram, lorram, lumber lock.
Five mile and one o’clock,
Now the thief is coming.
In comes Tod with his long rod,
And vanishes all from victim vad.
It is, it was, it must be done,
Tiddlum, toddlum, twenty-one.
Johnny, my dear, will you give me the loan of your spear,
Till I fight for one of those Kildares,
With a hickety, pickety pie.
At these words one lad, who has been hiding behind a tree, runs in to
catch one of the chickens. As the rhyme is finished, they all run, and
the fox tries to catch one, another player, the old hen, trying to stop
him, the chickens all taking hold of her by the tail.
The fox has to keep on his hands and feet, and the old hen has to keep
“clocking” on her “hunkers.”
Some of the children substitute these words for the latter part of the
above:—
The crow’s awake, the kite’s asleep,
It’s time for my poor chickens
To get a bit of something to eat—
What time is it, old granny?
—Kiltubbrid, Co. Leitrim (L. L. Duncan).
Mr. Duncan says this game has almost died out, and the people were
rather hazy about the words they used to say.
Chippings, or Cheapings.
[See “Tops,” vol. ii. pp. 299-303.]
A game with peg tops played by two or more boys. A large button, from
which the shank has been removed, or a round piece of lead about the
size of a penny, is placed on the ground between two agreed goals. The
players divide into sides, each side tries to send the button to
different goals, the tops are spun in the usual way, and then taken up
on the hand while spinning, and allowed to revolve once round the palm
of the hand, and then thrown on the ground on the button in such a way
that the button is projected some distance along the ground. Then a boy
on the opposite side spins his top and tries to hit the button in the
opposite direction. This is continued alternately until one or other
side succeeds in getting the button to the goal.—London Streets (A. B.
Gomme).
Chucks.
[Vol. i. p. 69; also “Five-stones,” pp. 122-129, “Huckle-bones,” pp.
239-240.]
A rhyme repeated while playing at “Chucks” with five small stones,
lifting one each time.
Sweep the floor, lift a chair,
Sweep below it, and lay it down.
Cream the milk, cream the milk,
Quick, quick, quick,
Spread a piece and butter on it thick, thick, thick.
—Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Churning.
Churn the butter-milk, quick, quick, quick,
I owe my mother a pint of milk.
This game used to be played on the shore, just as the tide went out,
when the feet sank easily into the sand. The children turned half-way
round as they repeated the words.—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
Codham, or Cobhams.
[“Tip it,” vol. ii. p. 292.]
A game resembling “Tip it,” and a better form of the game. The parties
are decided by a toss up. The object is passed from hand to hand under
the table, until the leader of the opposite side calls out “up” or
“rise.” When all the closed hands are on the table, the leader orders
any hands off which he thinks do not contain the object. If the last
hand left on the table contains the object the sides change places, if
not the same sides repeat, twelve successful guesses making “game,” each
failure counting one to the opposite side. The game is called “Up
Jenkins” in the North of Scotland. The words have to be called out when
the hands are called to show. Another name is “Cudlums;” this word was
called out when the leader pointed to the hand which he believed held
the object.—Bedford (Mrs. A. C. Haddon).
Colley Ball.
[“Monday,” vol. i. p. 389.]
The same game as “Monday,” with this difference. The player who first
throws the ball against the wall calls out the name of the child he
wishes to catch it, saying “A—— B——, no rakes, no better ball.” If the
ball goes on the ground the one called has to snatch the ball up and
throw it at one of the retreating children.—Hemsby, Norfolk (Mrs. A. C.
Haddon).
Also sent me from Isle of Man (A. W. Moore), where it is called
“Hommer-the-let.”
Dan’l my Man.
[“Jack’s Alive,” vol. i. p. 257.]
A little slip of wood or straw is lit and blown out, and while it is red
it is passed round from one to another, each man repeating as fast as he
can—
Dan’l, my man,
If ye die in my han’,
The straddle and mat is sure to go on.
The man in whose hand the spark dies has to go down on his knees. A
chair, or some other article, is held over him, and he has to guess what
it is, the others crying out—
Trum,[15] trum, what’s over your head?
If he is wrong it is left on him and another article brought, and so
on.—Kiltubbrid, Co. Leitrim (L. L. Duncan).
[15] “Trum” is for the Irish “trom,” = heavy.
Deil amo’ the Dishes, The.
[“Ghost at the Well,” vol. i. p. 149.]
One player acts as mother, and sends off one of the other players (her
daughters) to take a message. She comes back, pretends to be frightened,
and says she can’t go, as there’s something “chap, chap, chappin’.” The
mother sends another daughter with her this time, telling them “It’s
only your father’s breeks, drap, drap, drappin’.” These two return in
the same way, saying again “There’s something chap, chap, chappin’.”
Another daughter is now sent with the other two, the mother saying “Its
only the ducks, quack, quack, quackin’.” They all come back again more
frightened saying the same thing. Then the mother and all the others go
together to see what the matter is. They come upon another player who
has been sitting apart making a noise with a stone. They all cry out
“The deil’s amo’ the dishes,” and there is a great chase.—Aberdeen (Rev.
Dr. Gregor).
Dig for Silver.
Dig for silver, dig for gold,
Dig for the land that I was told.
As I went down by the water side
I met my lad with a tartan plaid.
My wee lad is a jolly sailor,
And shall be for evermore.
(Name of boy) took the notion
To go and sail on the ocean.
He took poor (name of girl) on his knee,
And sailed across Kilmarnock sea.
Stop your weeping, my dear ——,
He’ll come back and marry you.
He will buy you beads and earrings,
He will buy you a diamond stone,
He will buy a horse to ride on,
When your true love is dead and gone.
What care I for the beads and earrings,
What care I for the diamond stone,
What care I for the horse to ride on,
When my true love is dead and gone.
—Laurieston School, Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
Another version is—
Billy Johnston took a notion
For to go and sail the sea;
He has left his own true love
Weeping on the Greenock quay.
I will buy you beads and earrings,
I will buy you diamonds three,
I will buy you beads and earrings,
Bonny lassie, if you marry me.
What care I for beads and earrings,
What care I for diamonds three,
What care I for beads and earrings,
When my own true love is far from me.
—Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Compare with this “Keys of Heaven,” p. 437, and “Paper of Pins,” p. 450.
Dilsee Dollsie Dee.
[See “Here’s a Soldier,” vol. i. p. 206, and “Three Dukes,” vol. ii. pp.
233-255].
A ring is formed, one child standing in the middle, all sing the words—
Which of us all do you love best, do you love best, do you love
best,
Which of us all do you love best, my dilsee dollsie dee.
Which of us all do you love best, my dilsee dollsie dofficer.
The child in the centre says—
You’re all too black and ugly (three times), my dilsee dollsie dee,
You’re all too black and ugly, my dilsee dollsie dofficer.
The first verse is repeated, and the child in the centre points to one
in the ring and says—
This is the one that I love best, that I love best, that I love best,
This is the one that I love best, my dilsee dollsie dee.
This is the one I love the best, my dilsee dollsie dofficer.
The centre child takes the one selected by the hand, and they stand
together in the centre, while the ring dances round and sings—
Open the gates to let the bride out, to let the bride out, to let
the bride out,
Open the gates to let the bride out, my dilsee dollsie dee.
Open the gates to let the bride out, my dilsee dollsie dofficer.
The children then unclasp hands, and the two children walk out. Another
child goes in the centre and the game is begun again, and continued
until the ring is too small for dancing round. Sometimes, instead of
this, the two children return to the ring singing, “Open the gates and
let the bride in,” and then they take places in the circle, while
another goes in the centre.—(Dr. A. C. Haddon.)
Doagan.
An extraordinary game, which was played by Manx children sixty years
ago. A rude wooden representation of the human form was fastened on a
cross, and sticks were thrown at it, just after the fashion of the
modern “Aunt Sally.” But it is quite possible that this game, taken in
connection with the following very curious words which the children
repeated when throwing the sticks, is a survival of a more serious
function—
Shoh dhyt y Doagan.
“This to thee, the Doagan.”
Cre dooyrt y Doagan?
“What says the Doagan?”
Dar y chrosh, dar y chron,
“Upon the cross, upon the block,”
Dar y maidjey beg, jeeragh ny cam,
“Upon the little staff, straight or crooked,”
Ayns y cheylley veg shid hoal,
“In the little wood over yonder.”
My verrys oo yn kione jeh’n Doagan,
“If thou wilt give the head of the Doagan,”
Verym y kione jeeds er y hon.[16]
“I will give thy head for it.”
Mr. Moore writes that Kelly, who gives these words in his Dictionary,
says that Doagan was a play, and that it refers to the head of Dagon
being broken off. Does he mean the Philistine god of that name? As he is
capable of seeing a reference to the god, Baal, in the Manx word for
May-day, Boaldyv, it is quite possible that his imagination may lead him
so far!—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
[16] Manx Society, vol. xiii. p. 63.
Down in Yonder Meadow.
[Vol. i. p. 99; ii. p. 323; “All the Boys,” i. 2-6.]
Down in yonder meadow where the green grass grows,
Where (name of girl) she bleaches her clothes;
She sang, she sang, she sang so sweet,
She sang (name of boy) across the street.
He kissed her, he kissed her, he bought her a gown,
He bought her a gown and a guinea gold ring,
A guinea, a guinea, a guinea gold ring,
A feather for the church and a pea-brown hat.
Up the streets and down the streets the windows made of glass,
Oh, isn’t (name of girl) a braw young lass.
But isn’t (name of boy) as nice as she,
And when they get married I hope they will agree.
Agree, agree, I hope they will agree,
And when they get married I hope they will agree.
—Laurieston School, Kirkcudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
Down in yonder meadow where the green grass grows,
Where so and so (a girl’s name) she bleaches her clothes;
She sang, and she sang, and she sang so sweet,
Come over (a boy’s name), come over, come over the street.
So and so (same girl’s Christian name) made a pudding so nice and
sweet,
So and so (same boy’s Christian name) took a knife and tasted it.
Taste, love; taste, love; don’t say no,
For the next Sabbath morning to church we must go.
Clean sheets and pillowslips, and blankets an’ a’,
A little baby on your knee, and that’s the best of a’.
Heepie tarrie, heepie barrie, bo barrie grounds,
Bo barrie ground and a guinea gold ring,
A guinea gold ring and a peacock hat,
A cherry for the church and a feather at the back.
She paints her cheeks and she curls her hair,
And she kisses (boy’s name) at the foot o’ the stair.
—Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
The above are played in the same way as previously described.
Another version, from Perth, says, after the line, “She sang, and she
sang” (as above).
Come over the water, come over the street,
She baked him a dumpling, she baked it so sweet
That bonny (Billie Sanders) was fain for to eat, &c.
Down in the meadows where the green grass grows,
There’s where my Nannie she sound her horn;
She sound, she sound, she sound so sweet;
. . . . .
Nannie made the puddin’ so nice and so sweet,
Johnny took a knife and he taste a bit;
Love, taste; love, taste, and don’t say nay,
For next Sunday mornin’ is our weddin’-day.
Off wid the thimble and on wid the ring;
A weddin’, a weddin’, is goin’ to begin.
O Nannie, O Nannie, O Nannie my joy,
Never be ashamed for to marry a boy!
For I am but a boy, and I’ll soon be a man,
And I’ll earn for my Nannie as soon as I can.
And every evenin’ when he comes home,
He takes her for a walk on the Circular Road.
And every little girl that he sees passin’ by,
He thinks ’tis his Nannie he has in his eye.
—Howth, Dublin (Miss H. G. Harvey).
Draw a Pail of Water.
[Vol. i. pp. 100-107].
A lump of sugar,
Grind your mother’s flour,
Three sacks an hour,
One in a rush, two in a crush,
Pray, old lady, creep under the bush (all jump round).
—Girton village, Cambridgeshire (Dr. A. C. Haddon).
Drop Handkerchief.
[Vol. i. pp. 109-112; “Black Doggie,” vol. ii. p. 407.]
As played at Fochabers the game varies slightly in the way it is played
from those previously described. The words are—
“I dropt it, I dropt it, a king’s copper next,
I sent a letter to my love, and on the way I dropt it.”
The players forming the ring are forbidden to look round. The one having
the handkerchief endeavours to drop it at some one’s back without his or
her knowledge, and then to get _three_ times round the ring without
being struck by the handkerchief. If the player does not manage this she
has to sit in the centre of the ring as “old maid;” the object in this
version evidently is not to let the player upon whom the handkerchief is
dropped be aware of it.—Fochabers, N.E. Scotland (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Dumb Crambo.
[See “Hiss and Clap,” vol. i. p. 215.]
The players divide into two sides: one side goes outside the room, the
other remains in the room, and decides on some verb to be guessed and
acted by the other. The outside party is told that the chosen verb
“rhymes with ——.” The outside party decide on some verb, and come in and
act this word in dumb show, whilst the inside party sit and look on,
hissing if the guess is wrong, and clapping if the acting shows the
right word is chosen. No word must pass on either side.—Bedford, and
generally known (Mrs. A. C. Haddon).
Dump.
[Vol. i. p. 117.]
A version of this game played by three children. The three sit close
together, close their hands and place them over each other, the first
one on the knee of one of them. One then asks, “Faht’s that cockin’ up
there?” “Cock a pistol; cock it aff,” replies another. The same process
is gone through till only one hand is left on the knee. Then the one
whose hand was uppermost at the beginning of the game says—
Faht’s in there?
Gold and money (is the answer).
Fahr’s my share o’t?
The moosie ran awa’ wi’t.
Fahr’s the moosie?
In her hoosie.
Fahr’s her hoosie?
In the wood.
Fahr’s the wood?
The fire brunt it.
Fahr’s the fire?
The water quencht it.
Fahr’s the water?
The broon bull drank it.
Fahr’s the broon bull?
At the back a (of) Burnie’s hill
Fahr’s the back a Burnie’s hill?
A’ claid wi’ snaw.
Fahr’s the snaw?
The sun meltit it.
Fahr’s the sun?
Heigh, heigh up i’ the air.
He who speaks first, or laughs first, or lats (lets) their teeth be
seen, gets nine nips, nine nobs, an’ nine double douncornes, an’ a gueed
blow on the back o’ the head.—Corgarff (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Eendy, Beendy.
Eendy, Beendy, baniba, roe,
Caught a chicken by the toe;
To the east, to the west,
To the old crow’s nest,
Hopping in the garden, swimming in the sea,
If you want a pretty girl, please take me.
—N. Scotland, locality forgotten (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
One girl dances forward from a line of children singing the words.
Another from a line opposite responds, and they dance together. They
look first to the east and then to the west by turning their heads in
those directions alternately.
Farmer’s Den, The.
All players but one form a ring, this one stands in the centre. The ring
dances round singing the words—
The farmer in his den, the farmer in his den,
For it’s oh, my dearie, the farmer’s in his den.
For the farmer takes a wife,
For the farmer takes a wife;
For it’s oh, my dearie, the farmer takes a wife.
The child in centre then chooses one from the circle, who goes in the
middle, and the ring dances round again singing—
For the wife takes a child, &c. (as above).
And choosing another child from the ring, then—
For the child takes a nurse, &c. (as above).
For the nurse takes a dog, &c. (as above).
Then all the players join in singing—
For we all clap the dog,
For we all clap the dog.
For it’s oh! my dearie, we all clap the dog.
While singing this all the players pat the one who was chosen as “dog”
on his or her back.—Auchencairn, N.B. (Mary Haddon).
Fire on the Mountains.
[See “Round Tag,” vol. ii. pp. 144-145.]
The players arrange themselves into a double circle with a space between
each pair. The one at the back stands and the inside players kneel.
Another player stands in the centre and cries out, “Fire on the
mountain; run, boys, run!” Those players who are standing in the outer
circle begin to run round, those kneeling remaining in that position.
They continue running until the centre player cries “Stop!” They all
then (including the centre player) make a rush to get a stand behind one
of the kneeling players, the one who is left out going into the
centre.—Auchterarder, N.B. (Miss E. S. Haldane).
This game may possibly suggest an origin for “Round tag,” although the
incident of “catching” or “touching” a runner does not appear, and the
inner circle of players apparently are always stationary.
Fool, Fool, come to School.
[Vol. i. p. 132.]
Played in the usual way with the following difference in the formula.
The leader says, “Fool, foolie, come to your schoolie.” When the fool
comes, the leader says, “What have you been doing to-day?” Fool says,
“Cursin’ and swearin’.” Fool is then chased off, recalled, and again
questioned. Fool answers, “Suppin’ my porridge and readin’ my Bible.”
She is then welcome, and asked in the usual way to point out one from
the school.—Aberdeen (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another formula sent me by Mr. C. C. Bell is to say, when the fool is
sent back, “Fool, fool, go back to school, and learn more wit.”
French Jackie,
name for “Round Tag” and “Two and Threes,” in Tyrie (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Galloping.
Galloping, galloping to the fair,
Courting the girls with the _red_ petticoats;
Galloping, galloping all day long,
Courting the girls with the _speckled_ petticoats.
Girls sing this resting one knee on the ground, striking the other knee
with their right hand as they say each word. The length of the song
depends upon the ingenuity of the players in finding new colours for the
petticoats each time.—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
The game is not known now.
Gallant Ship.
[See “Round and Round the Gallant Ship,” vol. ii. p. 143.]
Up spoke a boy of our gallant ship,
And a well-spoken boy was he—
I have a mother in London town,
This night she’ll be looking for me.
She may look, she may sigh, with the tear in her eye,
She may look to the bottom of the sea.
Three times round went our gallant ship,
And three times round went she!
And three times round went our gallant ship,
Till she came to the bottom of the sea!
The players form a ring and dance round, getting quicker as they sing
“Three times round,” &c. When the last line is sung they let go hands
and sink to the ground. The player who sinks down first is taken away by
the others and asked whom he or she loves best. The ring is then
reformed, and the child who has given her sweetheart’s name is placed in
the centre. The ring then dances round singing out the name of the
sweetheart.
Mrs. Brown is new comed hame,
A coach and four to carry hame.
—Galloway (J. G. Carter).
Galley, Galley Ship.
[See “Merry-ma-tansa,” vol. i. pp. 369-376; ii. p. 443.]
Three times round goes the galley, galley ship,
And three times round goes she;
Three times round goes the galley, galley ship,
And she sank to the bottom of the sea.
Choose your neighbours one or two,
One or two, one or two;
Choose your neighbours one or two,
Around about Mary Matanzie.
A treacle scone to tell her name,
To tell her name, to tell her name;
A treacle scone to tell her name,
Around about Mary Matanzie.
A guinea gold watch to tell his name,
To tell his name, to tell his name;
A guinea gold watch to tell his name,
Around about Mary Matanzie.
(Name of boy) is his name,
Is his name, is his name,
—— is his name,
Around about Mary Matanzie.
—Laurieston School, Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
A version of “Merry-ma-tansa,” incomplete. [See vol. i. p. 375.]
Another is—
Three times around goes our gallant ship,
And three times around goes she, she, she;
And three times around goes our gallant ship,
And she sinks to the bottom of the sea.
Played in ring form with one child in centre. All sink down on the
ground when the above lines are sung, and the last to rise must tell the
name of her sweetheart. Then the circle forms around her, and all sing—
Here’s the bride just new come in,
Just new come in, just new come in;
Here’s the bride just new come in,
Around the merry guid tanzy.
Guess wha’s her guid lad,
Her guid lad, her guid lad;
Guess wha’s her guid lad,
Around the merry guid tanzy.
(Willie Broon) is his name,
Is his name, is his name,
(Willie Broon) is his name,
Around the merry guid tanzy.
—St. Andrews and Howth (Miss H. E. Harvey).
Miss Harvey writes: I believe “tanzy” is the name of a kind of dance.
Glasgow Ships.
Glasgow ships come sailing in,
Come sailing in, come sailing in;
Glasgow ships come sailing in,
On a fine summer morning.
You daurna set your foot upon,
Your foot upon, your foot upon;
You daurna set your foot upon,
Or gentle George will kiss you.
Three times kiss you, four times bless you,
Five times butter and bread
Upon a silver salver.
Who shall we send it to,
Send it to, send it to?
Who shall we send it to?
To Mrs. ——’s daughter.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her over the water;
Give her kisses, one, two, three.
She is the favourite daughter.
—Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Glasgow ships come sailing in, &c. (three times)
Three times bless you, three times kiss you,
Three times butter and bread upon a silver saucer.
Whom shall I send it to, I send it to, I send it to?
To Captain Gordon’s daughter.
—Rosehearty (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
The Glasgow ships come sailing in, &c. (as first version).
Three times down and then we fall, then we fall, then we fall,
Three times down and then we fall, in a fine summer morning.
Three times butter and bread, butter and bread, butter and bread,
Three times butter and bread upon a silver saucer.
Come, choose you east, come choose you west,
Come, choose you east, come choose you west,
To the very one that you love best.
—Nairn (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Glasgow ships come sailing in, &c. (as first version)
She daurna set a foot upon, &c.
Or gentle John will kiss her.
Three times round the ring, three times bless her,
I sent a slice of bread and butter upon a silver saucer.
Whom shall we send it to? &c.
To Captain ——’s daughter.
Her love’s dead and gone, dead and gone, dead and gone,
She turns her back to the wa’s again.
She washes her face, she combs her hair,
She leaves her love at the foot of the stair,
She wears on her finger a guinea gold ring,
And turns her back to the wa’s again.
All join hands and form a ring. At the end of verses the girl named
turns her back, and the game is resumed.—Fochabers (Rev. Dr. Gregor);
Port William School, Wigtonshire.
In a version from Auchterarder, N. B., sent by Miss E. S. Haldane, the
words are very similar to these. After all the children have turned
their backs to the inside they have what is called the “pigs’ race,”
which is running swiftly round in this position. See “Uncle John,” vol.
ii. pp. 321-322.
Granny’s Needle.
[See “Auld Grannie.”]
Green Gravel.
[Vol. i. pp. 170-183.]
Round apples, round apples, by night and by day,
There stands a valley in yonder haze;
There stands poor Lizzie with a knife in her hand,
There’s no one dare touch her, or she’ll go mad;
Her cheeks were like roses, and now they’re like snow,
Poor Lizzie! poor Lizzie! you’re dying, I know,
We’ll wash you with milk, and we’ll dry [or roll] you with silk,
And we’ll write down your name with a gold pen and ink.
—New Galloway (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Boys and girls take hands and go round saying—
Round the green gravel
Grass grows green,
Many’s the lady fit to be seen,
Washed in milk and dried in silk.
The last pops down!
The last boy or girl to pop down has to tell who he (or she) is
courting.—Kiltubbrid, Co. Leitrim (L. L. Duncan).
Green Grass.
[Vol. i. pp. 153-169.]
All the girls arrange themselves in a line, and one stands in front. The
one in front sings—
Dis-a-dis-a green grass,
Dis-a-dis-a-dis;
Come all ye pretty fair maids,
And walk along wi’ us.
Will ye have a duck, my dear (pointing to one of the girls in the
line),
Or will ye have a drake,
Or will ye have a young man
To answer for your sake?
The girl pointed to answers—
I’ll neither have a duck, my dear,
Nor will I have a drake;
But I will have a young man
To answer for my sake.
She now leaves the line and takes her stand beside the one that stands
in front, and all begin to clap their hands and sing—
The bells will ring,
And the psalms will sing,
And we’ll all claps hands together.
The two in front then begin to sing what the one first sang, and the
same goes on till all are chosen.—Peterhead; St. Andrews (Mrs. Stewart,
when a girl).
Here we go in a merry band,
Round about the berry buss;
Come all ye pretty fair maids,
And dance along with us;
We shall have a duck and drake,
We shall have a dragon,
We shall have a young man,
The prince of the Saigen.
The young man dies,
And leaves the girl a widow.
The birds shall sing, the bells shall ring,
And we will all clap hands together.
Here we go a roving,
A roving in a band;
I will take my pretty Mary,
I will take her by the hand.
—Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another version, very similar to that given in vol. i. pp. 161-162 from
Congleton Workhouse School, and sent me by Mr. J. Lawson, Laurieston
School, Kirkcudbrightshire, begins, “Will you take silver and gold?”
Another Scottish version of this game is given in _Notes and Queries_,
3rd ser., v. 393, as follows:—
A duss, a duss of green grass,
A duss, a duss, a duss;
Come all you pretty maidens,
And dance along with us;
You shall have a duck, my dear,
And you shall have a dragon,
And you shall have a young gudeman,
To dance ere you’re forsaken.
The bells shall ring,
The birds shall sing,
And we’ll all clap hands together.
Green Grass.
[A game so called by Dr. Gregor, but apparently not belonging to the one
usually known under that name.]
The girls stand in a line, and one stands in front. All sing—
Green grass suits us,
As my boots are lined with silver;
E. I. O, E. I. O, my ain bonnie (a girl’s Christian name).
The girl in front then chooses the girl named, and both girls join hands
and wheel round, whilst all sing—
I kissed her once, I kissed her twice,
I kissed her three times over.
Hop, hop, the butcher’s shop,
I cannot stay any longer.
If I stay my mother will say
I played with the boys up yonder.
—Tyrie (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another version is—
Green grass set her fair, a bunch of gold and silver,
A white rosette upon her breast, a gold ring on her finger,
A I O, my Jessie O; I wish I had my Jessie O.
I kissed her once, &c., as above.
Heap the Cairn.
[See “More Sacks to the Mill,” vol. i. p. 390.]
One boy is thrown flat on the ground, then another is thrown over him,
and then another and another, and the bigger boys dash the smaller ones
on those that are down, while all keep shouting—
Heap the cyarn—
Dirt and sharn.
—Keith (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Hear all! Let me at her.
Hear all! let me at her;
Hear all! let me go;
Hear all! let me at her,
When my mammy will or no.
—— has ta’en a notion
For to go and sail the sea;
There he’s left his own dear ——,
Weeping on the Greenland sea.
Hold your tongue, my own dear ——,
Take your baby on your knee.
Drink his health, my jolly sailors,
I’ll come back and marry thee.
I will buy thee beads and ear-rings,
I will buy thee diamond stones,
I will buy thee silken ribbons,
When thy baby’s dead and gone.
—— says she’ll wear the ribbons,
—— says she’ll wear them a’—
—— says she’ll wear the ribbons
When her baby’s dead and gone.
A ring is formed, one player in the centre. When the verses are sung the
girl in the middle chooses another to take her place.—Fochabers (Rev.
Dr. Gregor.)
Hen and Chickens.
[See “Auld Grannie,” p. 404.]
High Windows.
[See “Drop Handkerchief,” vol. i. pp. 109-112; “Black Doggie,” vol. ii.
pp. 407-408.]
Boys hold hands and go round in ring form.
One player stands in the middle and strikes one of those in the ring
with a bit of grass; both players then run out of the ring, and the boy
who was in the midst must catch the other before he goes round three
times. At the third time the boys all cry “High Windows,” raising their
hands at the same time to let the two inside the circle.—Kiltubbrid, Co.
Leitrim (L. L. Duncan).
Hot Cockles.
[Vol. i. p. 229.]
A version of this game, in which a dell or goal is appointed. The
players stand together, one player places his head between the knees of
another, who bends down, and slaps him on the back, keeping time to the
following rhyme, saying—
Skip, skip, sko,
Where shall this young man go?
To the east, or the west?
Or the young crow’s nest?
The kneeling boy shouts out the name of the dell, and the other players
all rush off shouting out its name. The one who gets there first wins
the game.—Meiklefolla, Aberdeenshire (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Hulla-balloo-ballee.
[See “Lubin,” vol. i. pp. 352-361.]
One version of Lubin Loo, from Forfar, Linlithgow, and Argyllshire, is
the same as those given in vol. i. A Nairnshire version is called
“Hullabaloo-ballee.”
Hulla-balloo, ballee,
Hulla-balloo, ballight;
Hulla-balloo, ballee,
All on a winter’s night,
Put your right foot in, &c.
Turn round about.
At “turn round about,” they reverse the direction, and dance round the
other way, and so on.—Rev. Dr. Gregor; and Mrs Jamieson.
Another version is—
Old Simon, the king, young Simon, the squire,
Old Simon, the king, sat round a nice warm fire;
Keep your right hand in, shove your right hand out,
Shake it a little, a little, and turn yourself about!
Keep your right foot in, shove your left foot out,
Shake it a little, a little, and turn yourself about.
Hally gallee, gallee, gallee;
Hally gallo, gallo, gallo;
Hally gallee, gallee, gallee,
Upon a Saturday night.
Keep your right hand in, &c.
—Galloway (J. G. Carter).
Several versions of this game are given by Mr. E. W. B. Nicholson in his
interesting little book “Goldspie,” pp. 176-184. He considers
“Hilli-ballu,” “Hulla-baloo,” and similar words to be the original of
the English forms “Here we dance Looby Loo,” or Lubin, and all of these
to be derived from hunting cries, such as ha, là bas! loup! uttered by
huntsmen to definite musical notes, possibly introduced into songs and
afterwards adapted as lullabies because of their resemblance to the
lulling-cries ba (= bye) and lulli.
Isabella.
[Vol. i. pp. 247-256.]
Two or three versions which vary slightly in method of playing may be
given. The first is played in the usual way until the last line is said,
when the player turns her back to the circle facing outwards as in
Wall-flowers.
Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, farewell;
There is my hand, love, there is my hand, love, farewell!
Over the mountains, over the mountains, over the mountains,
farewell!
Her love’s dead and gone, dead and gone, dead and gone!
Her love’s dead and gone, turn your back behind her.
—Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another version is—
Isabella, fare ye wella; Isabella, fare ye wella; Isabella,
farewell!
One player then leaves the ring singing—
“I’m off to the Indies,” &c.
The ring all sing—
“Over the mountains” (as above) six times, ending with—
“Isabella, Isabella, farewell” (as above).
The player who had previously left the ring returns singing, “I’m come
back from the Indies,” &c.
A ring is formed, one player kneels in the centre, the players in the
ring fix their eyes steadily on the kneeling girl all the
time.—Fochabers, N.E. Scotland (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
In the next version the words of each verse are:—
Isabella, farewella, &c.
Back from London, &c.
Go to London, &c.
Pull the brooch off my bosom, &c.
Pull the ring off my finger, &c.
—Laurieston School, Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
Jenny Jones.
[Vol. i. pp. 260-283.]
The versions printed here vary, it will be seen, from those printed in
vol. i., principally in the words used towards the end of the game, the
earlier portions being very similar. The first one is an exceedingly
interesting variant, the funeral details being fuller, and the idea of
the spirit of the dead or Ghost surviving also.
The first lines of each verse are as follows:—
I’ve come to see Jenny Jones,
How does she do?
She is washing, &c., you can’t see her now.
I’ve come to see Jenny Jones, &c.
She is scrubbing, &c., you can’t see her now.
I’ve come to see, &c.
She is ill, &c.
I’ve come to see, &c.
She’s very ill, &c.
I’ve come to see, &c.
She’s dying, &c.
I’ve come to see.
She’s dead.
We’ll come in blue, blue, blue. Will that suit?
Blue is for sailors, &c. That won’t suit.
We’ll come in red, &c.
Red is for soldiers, &c.
We’ll come in white, &c.
White is for weddings, &c.
We’ll come in black, &c.
Black is for mourning, &c. That will suit.
They then take up Jenny Jones, and carry her to a little distance off,
lay her on the ground, and all stand round. One child stands over the
grave, and while sprinkling Jenny with dust, says—
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
If God won’t have you, the devil must.
Then Jenny jumps up and runs after the other children, who try to
escape. The one she catches is “Jenny” next time.—Barrington (Dr. A. C.
Haddon).
In another version called “Georgina” one player selected to act as
Georgina kneels down against a wall, and the others stand round to
conceal her. Two go apart to act as callers, while another stands near
the group as mother. The callers come forward and say—
We came to see Georgina, &c.
And how is she to-day?
She’s upstairs washing, &c.,
And you can’t see her to-day.
Farewell, ladies.
They then retire, but return in a little while, and put the question as
before. She is then “starching,” said as above; and next time she is
“ironing,” the fourth time the mother’s answer is, “She fell downstairs
and broke her arm, and you can’t see her to-day;” the fifth time, “Two
doctors are at her;” the sixth, she is “worse;” and the seventh, she is
“dead.” The two callers remain when this reply is given. At this point
Georgina makes a noise by rapping two stones together. The two at once
exclaim, “Oh! mother, mother, what’s that knocking?” and she answers,
“The coach going by.” The knocking is repeated, and the question, and
she says, “The wall falling down.” On the knocking being heard a third
time, she tells them to “take a candle and look.” They pretend to do so,
and “Georgina” starts up to chase them. They all run off shouting, “The
Ghost.”—Strichen and Fochabers (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
I came to see Georgina, Georgina, Georgina,
I came to see Georgina, and how is she to-day?
She’s upstairs ironing.
I came to see Georgina, &c. (as above).
She fell downstairs and broke her muckle toe.
I’m very sorry to hear that, &c.
She’s dead.
Bad news, bad news, bad news to-day.
What shall we dress her in? &c.
Dress her in red.
Red is for the soldier, and that won’t do, &c.
What shall we dress her in? &c.
Dress her in blue.
Blue is for the sailor, &c.
What shall we dress her in? &c.
Dress her in white.
White is for the angels, that will do, &c.
Mother, mother, what’s that? &c.
A gig running past.
Mother, mother, what’s that? &c.
The boys playing at marbles.
Mother, mother, what’s that? what’s that? what’s that?
Mother, mother, what’s that?
Georgina’s ghost!!
Ending with a general stampede.
—Nairnshire (Mrs. Jamieson).
We’ve come to see poor Janet,
And how is she to-day?
She’s up the stairs washing,
She can’t come down to-day.
Very well, we’ll call another day.
We’ve come to see poor Janet,
And how is she to-day?
She’s up the stairs ironing, &c.
Well, we’ll call, &c.
We’ve come to see poor Janet, &c.
She’s fallen downstairs and broken her horn toes, &c.
Poor Janet, we’ll call, &c.
We’ve come, &c.
She’s dead, &c.
What’s she to be dressed in?
Red.
That’s for soldiers; that won’t do.
Blue.
That’s for sailors; that won’t do.
White.
That will do.
—Rosehearty (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Played in usual way until the end. Janet is then carried off and laid
down on the ground, but she starts up and chases them.
Many other versions have been sent me, but none with different features.
The best is one from Mr. J. G. Carter, Dalry, Galloway, called “Jenny
Jo,” but presenting no fresh details, and where white is used for the
burial. Four children stand on one side with Jenny at their back, the
other players on the opposite. She is buried with great mourning. In a
version from Hemsby (Mrs. Haddon) the words are the same, except: “White
is the colour for weddings,” and black is for funerals. Then Jenny is
carried to the grave, the other children walking behind two by two; they
kneel round Jenny, and have a good cry over her. Another version from
Laurieston School (Mr. J. Lawson), called “Jerico,” very similar to
above, gives two additional verses. The first lines are, “Carry a poor
soldier to the grave,” and “Now the poor mother’s weeping at the grave.”
In one version, after Jenny has been carried to her grave, the children
stand round and sprinkle earth over her, and say, “Dust and dust, dust
and dust,” and then pretend to strew flowers. This I got in London.
Another version from North Scotland begins, “I come to see _Geneva_”
continues in usual way until “she is lying” instead of “ill”; then
“she’s dying,” followed by “she’s dead”; then the funeral. In another
version Dr. Haddon sent me, the game is only a fragment. After “Jenny
Jo’s dead and gone, all the day long,” they continue, “Pipes and tobacco
for Jenny Jo” (repeat twice), “Pipes and tobacco for Jenny Jo, all the
day long.”
Jockie Rover.
[See “Stag,” vol. ii. pp. 212, 374.]
One is chosen to be Rover, and a place is marked off called “The Den,”
from which he starts, and to which he and the others caught can run for
protection. He has to clasp his hands and set off in pursuit of one of
the players, whom he must crown without unclasping his hands. Before he
leaves the den he calls out—
Jockie Rover,
Three times over,
If you do not look out,
I’ll gie you a blover.
When he catches one he unclasps his hands, and makes for the den along
with the one caught. The players close in upon them, and beat them with
their caps. The two now join hands, and before leaving the den repeat
the same words, and give chase to catch another. When another is caught,
the three run to the den, followed by the others pelting them.
During the time they are running to catch another player, every attempt
is made by the others to break the band by rushing on two outstretched
arms, either from before or from behind. Every time one is taken or the
band broken, all already taken rush to the den, beaten by those not
taken.—Dyke (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
A form of “Warney,” “Whiddy.”
Jolly Lads, Bold.
[Vol. i. pp. 294-296.]
Here come two bold, jolly lads,
Just new come from the shore:
We’ll spend our time in drinking wine,
As we have done before.
Then the ring dances round, singing—
We will have a round, and a round,
We will have a pretty, pretty girl,
For to dance upon the ground.
Her shoes are made of morocco,
Her stockings lined with silk,
Her teeth are white as anything,
And her skin as white as milk.
We shall have a round, and a round, &c.
—Auchterarder, N. B. (Miss E. S. Haldane).
A ring is formed by players joining hands. Two other players dance round
the ring in opposite directions, singing the first four lines while the
ring stands still. Then the ring dances round singing the rest of the
lines. The two outside then each take a player from the ring and begin
again.
The words of the dance game, “Here we go around,” vol. i. p. 205, are
practically the same as the latter part of this, and suggests that this
or a similar round is its original.
Jolly Miller. [Vol. i. pp. 289-293.]
This is played with the usual double ring, boys on the outside, girls
inside, one child in centre. At the last a rush is made to obtain a
vacant place.
He was a jolly miller,
He lived by himself.
As the wheel went round, he made his wealth,
One hand in his pocket, the other at his back,
As the mill went round, he made his wealth.
The girls being in the inside, turn and go the opposite way; and, while
doing so, sing—
A hunting we will go,
A hunting we will go,
We’ll catch a little fox, and we’ll put him in a box,
And a hunting we will go.
—Auchterarder, N. B. (Miss E. S. Haldane).
In this version the “grab” appears to be lost, and the “hunting” put in
before the rush for the vacant place is made.
Keys of Heaven.
I will give you a golden ring,
And jewels to hang and birds to sing,
If you’ll be my true lover,
And true love of mine.
I will give you the keys of the chest,
And gold enough to dress you in church,
If you’ll be my true lover,
And true love of mine.
I will give you the keys of even [heaven],
And angels to wait upon you six and seven,
If you’ll be my true lover,
And true love of mine.
—Marylebone (A. B. Gomme).
Children form a ring by joining hands; they dance round. One stands in
centre. She chooses another from the ring after singing the words, and
the two dance round together.
This game is evidently but a fragment, the proper way of playing being
forgotten. It would originally have been played in line form instead of
a circle, and answers of “No” or “Yes,” or other verses implying
negative and then affirmative, given by the chosen or selected girl.
These lines, and those given _post_ (p. 450), as “Paper of pins,” are
interesting fragments probably of one and the same game.
Kick the Block.
[See vol. i. p. 401.]
A small circle is made, and the stone or block is put in it. A boy
stands with his foot on the stone and his eyes shut until all the other
players are hid. He then tries to find them, and keep his block in its
place. If one should come out when he is away from his block it is
kicked out, and all the boys that were found hide again.—Laurieston
School, Kirkcudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
Another version of the same game, sent me by Mr. William P. Merrick,
Shepperton, Middlesex, is called “Fly Whip.”
The same game as “Mount the Tin,” played somewhat differently.
Lady of the Land.
[Vol. i. pp. 313-319.]
A number of girls stand in a line. One of them represents the widow and
the other the children. Another stands in front. All sing—
There came a poor widow from Sunderland,
With all her children in her hand,
One can bake, and one can sew,
And one can do the hilygoloo.
Please take one out.
The player who is standing alone in front of the other players chooses
one from the line. The two then join right and left hands and wheel
round in front, all singing—
Oh there’s poor (girl’s name chosen),
She has gone without a farthing in her hand,
Nothing but a guinea gold ring,
Good-bye (girl’s name),
Good-bye, good-bye.
The mother shakes hands with the one chosen.
—Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another version—
There is a poor widow from Sankelone,
With all her children in her hand,
One can knit, and one sew,
And one can play the liligolor.
The widow then says—
Please take one in,
Please take one in.
The one in front picks out one and places her at her back, and she lays
hold of her dress, then all sing—
Now for poor (girl’s name who has been chosen), she is gone,
Without her father (? farthing) in her hand,
She has lost her guinea gold ring,
Good-bye, good-bye,
Good-bye, good-bye.
The widow shakes hands with the girl. This is repeated till all are
taken out and the widow is left by herself. She cries, and tries to take
back her daughters. All run off.
—Cullen (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another Isle of Man version varies slightly, beginning, “We’re three
young mothers from Babylon,” and continuing in a similar way to the one
in vol. i. p. 315—
One can wash, and one can sew,
Another can sit by the fire and spin,
The other can make a fine bed for the king,
Please, ma’am, to take one in.
The queen then says—
Come, my dearest . . . and give me your hand,
And you shall have the nicest things in all this pleasant land.
The girls are thus gradually chosen.
—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
Here’s a poor widow from Babylon,
Six poor children left alone,
One can bake, and one can brew,
And one can shape, and one can sew.
One can sit by the fire and spin,
And one can make a bed for a king;
Come Tuesday east, come Tuesday west,
Come choose the one that you love best.
—Galloway, N. B. (J. G. Carter).
Leap-Frog.
[Vol. i. pp. 133, 327, 328.]
The chief rules of this game, obtaining in N.E. Scotland in Dr. Gregor’s
boyhood, were:—The boy that stooped his back was called “the bull,”
pronounced “bill.” The bull was not to “horn,” _i.e._, throw up his back
when the player placed his hands on it to leap over, or to bend his back
down, and that the player was to lay his hands on the bull’s back quite
flat, and not to “knockle,” _i.e._, drive the knuckles into it. The best
way to play was:—A line was drawn beside the bull, over which the heel
of the player must not pass. All the players, the one after the other in
succession, leaped over the bull. The one last over called out, “Fit
it,” _i.e._, foot it, which meant that the bull had to measure from the
line a breadth and a length of his foot. This done he stooped, and all
the players went over as before, and another breadth and length of foot
were added. This went on as long as the players thought they were able
to leap over the bull. When they thought they could not do so, the last
player called out, “Hip it,” _i.e._, take a hop. This done, the bull put
himself into position, and each player now took a hop from the line to
the bull, and then went over him. Here the same process of footing was
gone through as before, as long as the players were able to go clear
over the bull. Then came a step with as much footing as was considered
safe, and then came a jump with so much footing. It was now with the
players “hip, step, an’ jump,” and over the bull. Then more “fitin’,”
and perhaps another “hip,” and so on—two hips, two steps, two jumps, and
a flying leap over the bull. It was not often the game reached this
point. Some one of the players had failed to pass right over the bull
and caused him to fall, or had overstepped the line. When any player did
either the one or the other, he had to become bull.—Keith (Rev. Dr.
Gregor).
This is a fuller and more complete description than that of “Foot and
Over” (vol. i. p. 133).
Another mode of playing leap-frog is: the players stand with their backs
to the leapers, and only bend the head and the leaper’s hands are placed
between the shoulders. Instead of running a few yards in front, each
player advances only a few feet, leaving just as much room as to allow
the player scope to fall and spring again. This mode requires
considerable agility and practice. The higher the leap, so much the
greater the fun.—Keith (Rev. Dr. Gregor.)
London Bridge.
[Vol. i. pp. 333-350.]
In the following versions of the game only the first lines of each verse
are given, as said by each side. Descriptions of method of playing were
not in all cases sent me. They are probably the same as those given
under this game in vol. i., which is for two players to form an arch by
holding up their joined hands, and the other players running under it.
(1.) London Bridge is falling down, &c, my fair lady.
What will it take to build it up? &c.
Needles and pins will build it up, &c.
Needles and pins will not hold, &c.
Bricks and mortar will build it up, &c.
Bricks and mortar will wash away, &c.
Silver and gold will build it up, &c.
Silver and gold will be stolen away, &c.
We will set a watchman to watch all night, &c.
What if the watchman falls asleep, &c.
We will set a dog to bark, &c.
See the robbers passing by, &c.
What have the robbers done to you? &c.
They have broke my locks and stole my gold, &c.
Off to prison they must go, &c.
What will you take to set them free? &c.
—Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
(2.) London Bridge is broken down,
Build it up with lime and stone;
Lime and stone will build and break;
Set an old man to watch all night.
Perhaps this man will run away,
Ten times the wedding day.
—Tyrie (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
(3.) Broken bridges falling down, falling down, falling down, my
fair lady.
What will you give to mend it up? &c.
Those running under the arch say—
A guinea gold ring will mend it up, &c.
The two players say no.
A pin I’ll give to mend it up.
No!
A thousand pounds to mend it up;
This will waste away, my fair lady;
We’ll mend it up with golden pins, my fair lady,
For golden pins will never rust, never rust, my fair lady.
—Fochabers, N.E. Scotland (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
(4.) The broken bridge is falling down, falling down, falling
down,
The broken bridge is falling down, my fair lady;
Stones and bricks will build it up, &c.
—Nairnshire (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
(5.) Broken bridges falling down,
My fair lady, which will you have?
Open the door for the king’s soldiers.
What king are you?
I am true to the very last one.
—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
Versions of this game from Scotland have been sent me, which show great
similarity to those previously printed, but the game is more or less in
a state of decadence. The best version is that from Perth. One from St.
Andrews, Peterhead, though only consisting of the first verse, has
preserved the refrains, “Dance o’er the Lady Lee” and “With a gay lady”
of Halliwell’s version. The others commence “broken bridges.” The Isle
of Man version is still more incomplete. A version sent me by Dr. Haddon
from Barrington is similar to the one given, vol. i. p. 338-9, from
Enborne School, and is not therefore printed here.
Magician.
A mirror is covered with a cover, and a girl or boy is taken into the
room. She or he is then asked what animal or thing they would like to
see. As soon as the wish is stated, the cover is raised, and the child
sees his or herself.—London (A. B. Gomme).
Mannie on the Pavement.
One player has charge of the pavement. It is his duty to keep the others
off. The others try how often they can touch the wall, and when the
“mannie” catches one, that one becomes “mannie.”—Aberdeen (Rev. Dr.
Gregor).
Merry-ma-Tansa.
[Vol. i. pp. 369-376; ii. 422-424.]
Here we go round by jingo ring, by jingo ring, by jingo ring,
Here we go round by jingo ring, in a cold and frosty morning.
Twice about and then we fall, and then we fall, and then we fall,
Twice about and then we fall, in a cold and frosty morning.
All bend down. The one who rises up last goes into the centre of the
circle, and those in the circle sing—
Choose your maidens all around, all around, all around,
Choose your maidens all around, on a cold and frosty morning.
The one in the centre chooses two from the ring, and retires with them a
short distance away, when the name of a boy is selected as the lover.
During the time the three are standing apart, those in the ring let go
each other’s hands, and take hold of the sides of their dresses, and
make as if they were sweeping a house, singing the while—
Swype the hoose till the bride comes hame, the bride comes hame, the
bride comes hame,
Swype the hoose till the bride comes hame, on a cold and frosty
morning.
When the three come back, the one that was in the centre takes up the
same position, and the two she picked out join those in the circle. Then
all wheel round and sing—
A golden pin to tell her name, tell her name, tell her name,
A golden pin to tell her name, in a cold and frosty morning.
The answer is—
—— (girl’s name is given) is her name, is her name, is her name,
—— is her name, in a cold and frosty morning.
Then comes the lover’s name—
A golden watch to tell his name, tell his name, tell his name,
A golden watch to tell his name, in a cold and frosty morning.
The answer is—
So-and-so is his name, is his name, is his name,
So-and-so is his name, in a cold and frosty morning.
The one in the middle is then blindfolded, and all wheel round and sing—
Blindfolded dinna catch me, dinna catch me, dinna catch me,
Blindfolded dinna catch me, on a cold and frosty morning.
The blindfolded tries to catch one in the ring. The ring should not
break, but it is often broken by the one that is on the eve of being
caught. The one caught takes her stand in the centre, and the game
begins anew from that point.—Dyke (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
This is a most interesting variant of this game—blindfolding the
bridegroom in order that he must first catch his bride, and her attempts
to elude his caresses, are significant of early custom.
Here we go round by jing-ga-ring,
Jing-ga-ring, jing-ga-ring;
Here we go round by jing-ga-ring,
Around the merry-ma-tansy.
Three times round, and then we fall,
Then we fall, then we fall;
Three times round, and then we fall,
Around the merry-ma-tansy.
Choose your maidens all around,
All around, &c.;
High gates till the bride comes in,
The bride comes in, &c.
A golden pin to tell her name,
To tell her name, &c.
(Mary Anderson) is her name,
Is her name, &c.
Blindfold you all around,
All around, &c.
A ring with one child in centre, who chooses one from the circle, at the
end of third verse, after whispering the bride’s name together _outside_
the circle, they are admitted at “high gates,” when all the girls hold
up their hands in arches as they dance round. All players in the ring
are then blindfolded, and have to catch the child in the
centre.—Nairnshire (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another version is—
Here we go round by jingo-ring,
By jingo-ring, by jingo-ring,
Here we go round by jingo-ring,
And round by merry matansy.
Twice about, and then we fall,
And then we fall, and then we fall.
Twice about, and then we fall,
And round by merry matansy.
—Fochabers (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
In another version from St. Andrews and Peterhead, with same words, the
players all flop down, then rise again and dance round.
Another form of words is—
Here we go round by jingo-ring,
Jingo-ring, jingo-ring.
Here we go round by jingo-ring
In a cold and frosty morning.
Three times round, and then we fall,
Then we fall, then we fall,
Three times round, and then we fall,
In a cold and frosty morning.
—Nairn (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another similar version from N. Scotland, locality not known.
Round about the jingo-ring, &c.
Round about the jingo-ring, &c.
First time is catching time, &c, round, &c.
A fine gold ring to tell her name, &c.
(—— ——) is her name, &c.
Third time is kissing time, &c., round, &c.
—London (A. B. Gomme), from Scotch source.
Milking Pails.
[Vol. i. pp. 376-388.]
A version sent me by Mr. M. L. Rouse, Blackheath, is similar to those
previously printed, varying only at the end. After the “wash in the
river,” and “the stream will carry the clothes away,” the children say,
“Men, you may run after them.” Hereupon they all run off, but the mother
does not chase them. They return, and a dialogue ensues similar to a
part of “Mother, may I go out to play,” follows between the mother and
children:—
“Where have you been all day?”
“Working for Jack, or aunt.”
“What did he give you?”
“A piece of plum-pudding as big as a flea, or a piece of bread as big as
a house, and a piece of cheese as big as a mouse.”
The children then run off again, come quickly back with the news that
they had seen a large bull in the meadow.
“Where’s the butcher?”
“Behind the stable door cracking nuts, and you may have the shells.” The
mother then chases the children, beating all she can catch.
My Delight’s in Tansies. [See “Sunday Night,” vol. ii. p. 221.]
All the girls stand in a line except one who stands in front of the
others. This one walks or dances backwards and forwards. All sing the
words—
My delight’s in tansies, O!
My delight’s in bransies, O!
My delight’s in a red, red rose;
The colour o’ my ——
the name of one in the line chosen by the one in front is said. The two
in front join right and left hands, and all sing—
Hey ho, my ——, O!
My bonnie, bonnie ——, O!
A’ the warld wid I gie,
For a kiss o’ ——, O.
My delight’s in Nancy, O!
My delight’s in tancy, O!
My delight’s in a red, red rose,
[She chooses out a girl]
Call her, oh! my (a girl’s name), O!
Hey, ho, my ——, O!
My bonnie, bonnie ——, O!
A’ the warld wad I gie
For a kiss o’ ——, O!
—Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Namer and Guesser.
[Vol. i. p. 409.]
Another version of this game. It is begun in the same way. As each
player gets his name, he or she turns their back to the namer. When all
are named, and are standing with their backs to the namer, the namer
calls out, “Baker, baker, your bread is burnin’,” or “Bakerie, bakerie,
your bread is burnin’.” The guesser answers, “Will you give a corner of
it to me?” or “Give me a corner of it,” and takes a stand beside the
namer. The namer then says—
Come, cheese me east,
Come, cheese me west,
Come, cheese me to “Rose.”
The guesser points to one of the players. If the guess is right, the
player goes to the guesser’s side; if wrong, to the namer’s side, when
all the players except one are chosen. This one gets two names, say
“Needles” and “Preens.” The namer then says to the guesser, “Needles”
or “Preens”? A guess is made. This is done three times, and each time
the names are changed. If the last guess is made correctly, then the
player goes to the guesser, if not, to the namer. Sometimes it is
decided by “the best o’ three.” Then comes the “tug of war.” The gaining
side calls out “Rotten eggs, rotten eggs!”—Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr.
Gregor).
Needle Cases.
Needle cases, needle cases, in a silver saucer.
Who shall I direct it to but Captain ——’s daughter.
What will you give to tell her name, tell her name, tell her name?
A hundred pounds and a glass of wine.
(The girl’s name is given, and she then asks)—
What will you give to tell his name?
(The others answer)—
Two hundred pounds and a glass of wine.
(Boy’s name given by girl).
As I gaed down to borrow a pan,
I saw her sitting kissing her man;
She off with the glove and on with the ring.
To-morrow, to-morrow the wedding begins.
Clean the brass candlesticks, clean the fireside,
Draw up the curtains and let’s see the bride.
All the players but one stand in a circle—this one goes round with a
handkerchief, singing the first lines. When the girl’s name is mentioned
she tells her sweetheart’s name to the girl with the handkerchief, sits
down in the centre, and covers her face with her hands. The one with the
handkerchief goes round again, asking, “What will you give?” and the
ring answers. Her name is then given, and the girl with the handkerchief
again asks, “What will you give to tell _his_ name?” The ring answers
again, and the sweetheart’s name is then given. The girl with the
handkerchief goes round again and sings the last lines, the ring singing
with her. Then the one in the centre joins the ring, and the game begins
again.—Aberdeen (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Nuts in May.
[Vol. i. pp. 424-433.]
Many versions of this have been sent me, but none differ materially from
those printed previously.
Odd Man.
A game played by two or three hundred persons who form a circle; every
one places his stick in the ground before him, by way of barrier. A
person called the odd man stands in the middle and delivers his bonnet
to any one in the ring. This is nimbly handed round, and the owner is to
recover it; and on succeeding, takes the place of the person whom he
took it from, and that person takes the middle place.—Pennant’s “Voyage
to the Hebrides,” p. 231.
Old Cranny Crow.
[Vol. i. p. 201; ii. pp. 404-405.]
This game resembles “Hen and Chickens,” but though of that class of game
it is not, it will be seen, the usual form of “Hen and Chickens” at its
conclusion. The earlier part of the game and dialogue, if any, may,
however, have been similar. Mr. Rouse says: “I cannot recollect more of
Old Cranny Crow than that she entices children one by one out for a
walk, and steals them from their supposed mother. The mother is then
invited to dine by Old Cranny Crow, and has a pie (one of her children)
set before her, with pepper and salt, which she pretends to eat, and
when doing so discovers it to be just like her Tommy (or other child’s
name). Then Cranny Crow puts another pie before her; this she discovers
to be just like her Katy. She finds out all her children one by one, and
they come to life again and run home.”—M. L. Rouse, Blackheath. [See
“Mother, mother, pot boils over,” “Witch.”]
Old Johanny Hairy, Crap in!
All players sit round the fire and put out their right feet. The Master
of the game repeats—
Onery, twoery, dickery dary,
Wispy, spindey, spoke of the lindey,
Old Johanny Hairy
Crap in![17]
Each word is repeated to a man; and when the leader comes to “Crap in,”
the man specified draws in his foot. When all have drawn in their feet
but one, this one must then kneel down, and his eyes being blindfolded,
the master of the game puts his elbow on his back and strikes him with
his elbow or fist, saying—
Hurley, burley, trump the trace,
The cow ran through the market-place.
Simon Alley hunt the buck,
How many horns stand up?
At the same time holding up several fingers. The man kneeling down has
to guess the number. If he guesses correctly, the master of the game
takes his place. If he fails to guess he is kept down, and another man
goes and strikes his back, and so on.—Kiltubbrid, Co. Leitrim (L. L.
Duncan.)
A version of “Hot Cockles,” with interesting variations.
Mr. Duncan, when sending me the games he collected, said—“It is very
possible that the people may have brought some of the games from England
when returning from harvesting. This, however, does not apply to ‘Old
Johanny Hairy, crap in,’ as it is now called in English. Crap isteach is
the Irish for ‘draw in,’ as in Mr. O’Faharty’s ‘Sports of the Winter’
there is a Gaelic version. This, I should imagine, makes it certain
that, although well known elsewhere, the game also obtained in the West
of Ireland.”
[17] Crap—draw.
Paper of Pins.
Paper of pins to you I bring;
Say is my love worth anything?
Gold and silver to you I bring;
Say is my love worth anything?
No, I’ll not have anything;
or,
Yes, I will have what you bring.
A ring is formed, and one player walks round outside saying the first
four lines, stopping at any child she chooses who answers “Yes” or “No.”
If “Yes,” the two go into the ring and kiss.—Marylebone, London (A. B.
Gomme).
This is interesting, as a possible fragment of the old Keys of
Canterbury [Halliwell’s “Nursery Rhymes,” No. cccclxvi.] and of the
Paper of Pins, described so fully by Mr. Newell in “Games and Songs of
American Children,” pp. 51-55.
See “Keys of Heaven,” _ante_, p. 437.
Pickie. A form of Hopscotch.
[See “Hopscotch,” vol. i. pp. 223-227.]
[Illustration]
One player commences first by winning the toss. The pick (a small flat
stone) is pitched into No. 1 bed. It is then moved out of this first
place, backward across the front line, and not otherwise by touching or
forcing it with one foot, the other foot being kept up; that is, the
player must hop and use the foot on the ground to strike “pick.” No line
must be touched. If this happens, or if the pick, when being driven
towards the pitching line, gets away otherwise than across the front
line, the player is “out,” and the next boy goes in. All the beds are
done likewise, and all must be then done in a reverse way, beginning
with No. 10. The first player who completes the game wins.—Waterville,
Co. Kerry (Mrs. B. B. Green).
Poor Widow.
[Vol. ii. pp. 62, 63.]
Here’s a poor widow from Babylon,
All her sons and daughters are gone.
Come choose to the east, come choose to the west,
Come choose you the very one that you like best.
Now they are married I wish them joy,
Every year a girl and boy.
Loving each other like sister and brother,
A happy new couple may kiss together.
—Laurieston School, Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
A circle is formed, two children in the centre, one of whom kneels, the
other walks round singing—
I am a poor widow go walking around,
Go walking around, go walking around, my own.
And all of my children are married but one,
Are married but one, are married but one, my own.
I put on a nightcap to keep her head warm,
To keep her head warm, to keep her head warm, my own.
Then rise up my daughter and choose whom you please,
And choose whom you please, and choose whom you please, my own.
The mother then joins the circle, and the daughter becomes poor widow.
On the mention of the nightcap a white handkerchief is spread over the
head, the circle walking around slowly, and chanting the words slowly
and dismally.
—Penzance (Miss Courtney).
See “Widow,” _ante_, p. 381.
Rashes.
A game played by children with rushes in Derbyshire, which is a relic of
the old custom of rush-bearing. In the warm days of May and June the
village children proceed in parties to the sedges and banks of dyke and
brook, there to gather the finest and best rushes. These are brought
with childish ceremony to some favourite spot, and then woven into
various articles, such as baskets, parasols, and umbrellas. Small
arbours are made of green bushes and strewn with rushes, inside which
the children sit and sing and play at “keeping house” with much lordly
ceremony. At these times they play at a game which consists in joining
hands in a circle, and going round a heap of rushes singing or saying—
Mary Green and Bessy Bell,
They were two bonny lasses;
They built a house in yonder hill,
And covered it with rashes.
Rashes, rashes, rashes!
At each repetition of the word “rashes” (rushes) they loosen hands, and
each picking up a lot of rushes, throw them into the air, so that they
may fall on every one in the descent. Many of the articles made with
rushes are hung over the chimney-piece in houses, and in children’s
bedrooms, as ornaments or samples of skill, and there remain until the
next season, or until the general cleaning at Christmas.—Thomas.
Radcliffe, in “Long Ago,” vol. i. p. 49 (1873).
Queen Anne.
[Vol. ii. pp. 90-102.]
Lady Queen Anne, she sits in her pan,
As fair as a lilly, as white as a lamb;
Come tittle, come tattle, come tell me this tale,
Which of these ladies doth carry the ball?
My father sent me three letters, please deliver the ball.
If a correct guess is made by the opposite side, the queen and the child
who had the ball say—
The ball is mine, it is not yours,
You may go to the garden and pick more flowers.
—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
Sally Water.
[Vol. ii. pp. 150-179.]
Sally, Sally, Walker, sprinkling in a pan,
Rye, Sally; rye, Sally, for a young man,
Come, choose to the east, come, choose to the west,
And come choose to the very one that you love best.
The choice is made here, and the two stand in the centre as usual.
Now there’s a couple married in joy,
First a girl and then a boy.
—— made a pudding nice and sweet,
—— took a knife and tasted it.
Taste, love; taste, love, don’t say no,
Next Monday morning is our marriage day.
Seven years after, seven years to come,
This young man shall be kissed and be done.
—Fochabers, N. E. Scotland (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Sally, Sally, Water, sprinkled in a pan,
Rise, Sally; rise, Sally, for a young man.
Choose the best, leave the worst,
Choose the prettiest you can.
Now you’re married we wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after son and daughter,
Kiss before you go over the water.
—London (Dr. A. C. Haddon, from Miss E. A. Passmore).
Played in usual way.
Shuffle the Brogue.
[See “Hunt the Slipper,” vol. i. pp. 241, 242.]
The boys sat on their haunches in a circle. One of the players takes a
small object, and hands it from one to another under the legs from
behind. The players as they pass the brogue repeat the words—
Shuffle the brogue once,
Shuffle the brogue twice,
Shuffle the brogue thrice.
The object has always to be passed along in the same direction. One
player who is blindfolded has to catch it as it is passing along. The
one in whose hand it is found becomes the catcher. —Crossmichael,
Kirkcudbrightshire (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Soldiers, Soldiers.
Soldiers, soldiers, march away,
Monday morning’s here again;
The drums shall rattle, the pipes shall play
“Over the hills and far away.”
Now you’re married I wish you joy,
First a girl and then a boy;
If one don’t kiss, the other must,
So kiss, kiss, kiss.
—Girton Village, Cambridgeshire (Dr. A. C. Haddon).
A circle is formed, and the children sing the first four lines. One
chooses a partner, and they dance round in the ring.
Three Dukes.
[Vol. ii. pp. 233-255.]
In a version of the Three Dukes, collected by Dr. A. C. Haddon, the
first lines are—
Here comes one duke a riding by, a riding by,
A riding by (repeat).
Rasima, Tasima, Tisima tay;
Pray what is your will, sir?
My will is to get married.
Will any of my fair daughters do?
They’re all as stiff as pokers.
We can bend as well as you, sir.
The duke goes round, chooses one, and sings—
I go to the kitchen, I go to the hall,
I pick the fairest one of all (as previous versions).
—Girton Village, Cambridgeshire (Dr. A. C. Haddon).
Three Knights from Spain. [Vol. ii. pp. 257-279.]
A version of this game called “Gipsies,” varies slightly from those
previously printed.
Here comes one gipsy come from Spain,
To call upon your daughter Jane;
Our daughter Jane is far too young,
To be controlled by flattering tongue.
Oh, very well, I must away;
I’ll call again some other day.
Come back, come back,
Your tails are flag,
And choose the fairest one you see.
The gipsy then chooses a girl from the line of players, and asks her to
come. The girl asked replies, “No.” Then the gipsy turns round and
dances, saying, “Naughty girl, she won’t come out (repeat), to help me
in my dancing.” Again the gipsy asks the girl, when she replies, “Yes,”
and goes to the gipsy, who says, “Now we have got the flower of May,
the flower of May, &c., to help us with our dancing.”—Auchencairn, N.
B. (Mary Haddon).
Tug-of-War Game.
Apples and oranges, two for a penny,
Come all ye good scholars, buy ever so many.
Come choose the east, come choose the west,
Come choose the one you love the best.
Played like “Oranges and Lemons.” One child is “Apple,” and another
“Orange.”—Ross-shire (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Played in the same way is—
Pancakes and flitters is the wax of cantailers,[18]
I owe you two farthings, I’ll pay you to-morrow;
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a hatchet to chop off your head.
—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
[18] Mr. Moore says he does not know the meaning of this word.
We are the Rovers.
[Vol. ii. pp. 343-360].
In a version sent me by Dr. Haddon, there is a slight variation. The
first lines of each verse are—
Have you any bread and wine?
We are the Romans.
Have you, &c.
Yes, we have some bread and wine,
We are the English.
Yes, we have, &c.
Will you give us some of it, &c.
No; we’ll give you none of it, &c.
We will tell our magistrates, &c.
We don’t care for your magistrates, &c.
We will tell our new-born prince, &c.
We don’t care for your new-born prince, &c.
Are you ready for a fight?
Yes, we’re ready for a fight.
Tuck up sleeves and have a fight.
General scrimmage follows.—Girton Village, Cambridgeshire (Dr. A. C.
Haddon).
When I was a Young Girl.
[Vol. ii. pp. 362-374.]
The first lines are—
When I was a naughty girl, &c., and this way went I (shrugging
shoulders),
When I was a good girl, &c. (folding arms, walking soberly),
When I was a teacher (beating time or whacking, optional),
When I went a-courting (walking arm in arm),
When I had a baby (nursing apron as baby),
When my baby died (crying),
When my father beat me (hitting one another),
When my father died,
How I did laugh! (laughing).
—Girton Village, Cambridgeshire (Dr. A. C. Haddon).
MEMOIR ON THE STUDY OF CHILDREN’S GAMES
Children’s games have not hitherto been studied in the same way as
customs and superstitions and folk-tales have been studied, namely, as a
definite branch of folk-lore. It is well however, to bear in mind that
they form a branch by themselves, and that, as such, they contribute to
the results which folk-lore is daily producing towards elucidating many
unrecorded facts in the early history of civilised man.
Although games have been used by Dr. Tylor and others as anthropological
evidence, these authorities have mostly confined themselves to those
games of skill or chance which happen to have parallels in savage life;
and the particular point of their conclusions rests rather upon the
parallels, than upon the substantive evidence of the games themselves.
I will first point out the nature of the material for the study. It will
be seen that the greater number of games printed in these two volumes
have been collected by myself and many kind correspondents, from
children in the present day—games that these children have learned from
other children or from their parents, and in no case, so far as I am
aware, have they been learned from a printed source. To this collection
I have added all printed versions of the traditional game, that is,
versions of games written down by the collector of folk-lore and
dialect—in some cases unconscious collectors of folk custom—from any
available source. A distinctive feature of the collection is, therefore,
that I have printed all versions of each game known to me which show
differences of words or methods of play. The importance of having all
the principal variants from different parts of the country will be
obvious when definite conclusions as to the origin and significance of
traditional games are being considered.
Strutt mentions many games played by boys in his day, but his remarks
are confined principally to games of skill with marbles, tops, &c., and
games like “Prisoner’s Base,” “Scots and English,” “Hot Cockles,” &c. He
records none of those interesting dialogue games which we know now as
singing games. It may be that these games were in his day, as now, the
property more of girls than of boys, and he may not have looked for or
thought of recording them, for it can hardly be imagined that he was
unaware of their existence. He records swinging and ball and shuttlecock
playing as girls’ amusements, but very little else, and it cannot even
be suggested that the singing game and dialogue game have arisen since
his time. Indeed, an examination of the games will, I hope, prove for
them a very remote origin, showing traces of early beliefs and customs
which children could not have invented, and would not have made the
subjects of their play unless those beliefs and customs were as familiar
to them as cabs, omnibuses, motor cars, and railways, are to the
children of to-day, who use these things as factors in games which they
make up.
I do not pretend to have made a complete collection of all versions of
games to be found in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It will be seen
from my list that some counties are entirely unrepresented; but I think
examples enough have been brought together from a sufficient number of
different places to show that, even could I obtain the games of every
county, I could not reasonably hope to obtain any that would be
completely different from those appearing here. Versions differing, more
or less, in words from these would, doubtless, appear, but I do not
think an entirely different game, or any variants that would materially
alter my conclusions, will now be found. All those sent me during the
progress of the volumes through the press—and these are a considerable
number—show no appreciable differences.
A detailed examination of each game has led me to draw certain
conclusions as to the origin of many of the games. These conclusions
differ materially from those advanced by Halliwell, Strutt, or the
earlier writers, when they have attempted to suggest the origin of a
game. I also differ from Mr. Newell in many of the conclusions advanced
in his admirable collection of American children’s games, although I
fully recognise the importance of his method of research. I believe,
too, that hitherto no attention has been paid to the manner or method in
which the game is played. It is to the “method” or “form” of play, when
taken together with the words, that I wish to draw particular attention,
believing it to be most important to the history of the games.
I do not, of course, claim that all the games recorded in these two
volumes are traditional in their present form, or have had independent
origins; many of these now known under different names have a common
origin. There is, probably, not one game in the same condition,
especially as regards words, as it was fifty or a hundred years ago; but
I consider the “form” or “method” would remain practically the same even
if the words get materially altered.
All games seem primarily to fall into one of two sections: the first,
dramatic games; the second, games of skill and chance. Now the game
proper, according to the general idea, must contain the element of
winning or losing. Thus, the games of skill and chance are played either
for the express purpose of winning property of some sort from a less
fortunate or skilful player, or to attain individual distinction. Games
of this kind are usually called boys’ games, and are played principally
by them; but beyond these generally recognised games is the important
section of dramatic games, which are regarded as the property of the
girls, and played principally by them.
These two sections are generally considered as the peculiar
and particular property of each sex. Although this idea is borne out by
a study of the traditional game, it will be found that the boys have
dramatic games of their own, and the girls have special games of skill
and chance. It has so happened, however, that the development in the
case of the boys’ dramatic games has been in the direction of
increasing the rules or laws of a game, introducing thereby so much
variety that it is difficult to recognise them as descendants of the
dramatic originals. This has probably been the result of their use in
school playgrounds, while the girls’ dramatic games, not being utilised
as a means of exercise, have been left alone, and are dying a natural
death.
It will be convenient if, at this point, the games are classified as I
shall use them in discussing the question of origin. The first necessary
classification will relate to the incidents which show the customs and
rites from which the games have descended; the second classification
will relate to the dramatic force of the games, as it is from this that
I hope to construct the ladder by which the game can be shown to have
descended from a long past stage of culture.
The classification, according to incident, is as follows, the name of
each game referring to the title-name in the dictionary:—
MARRIAGE GAMES.
All the Boys.
Babbity Bowster.
Cushion Dance.
Down in the Valley.
Galley, Galley, Ship.
Glasgow Ships.
Hear all! let me at her.
Here comes a Virgin.
Here’s a Soldier left alone.
Here stands a Young Man.
Isabella.
Jolly Miller.
King William.
Kiss in the Ring.
Mary mixed a Pudding.
Merry-ma-tanza.
Nuts in May.
Oats and Beans.
Oliver, Oliver, follow the King.
Pretty little Girl of Mine.
Queen Anne.
Rosy Apple.
Round and round the Village.
Sally Water.
Silly Old Man, he walks alone.
Three Dukes.
Three Knights.
Three Sailors.
Widow.
COURTSHIP AND LOVEMAKING GAMES.
Curly Locks.
Dig for Silver.
Gallant Ship.
Here comes a Lusty Wooer.
Here I sit on a Cold Green Bank.
Hey Wullie Wine.
Jolly Hooper.
Jolly Sailors.
Knocked at the Rapper.
Lady on the Mountain.
Paper of Pins.
Pray, pretty Miss.
Queen Mary.
Ring me Rary.
Salmon Fishers.
Shame Reel.
Soldier.
Sun Shines.
Three Old Bachelors.
Wind, The.
FORTRESS GAMES.
Barbarie, King of the.
Canlie (Addenda).
How many Miles to Babylon.
King of the Castle.
London Bridge.
Tower of London.
Willie Wastell.
FUNERAL GAMES.
Booman.
Green Grass.
Green Gravel.
Jenny Jones.
Old Roger.
Wallflowers.
HARVEST GAMES.
Oats and Beans and Barley.
Would you know how doth the Peasant?
TRADE GAMES.
Dumb Motions.
Trades.
GHOST GAMES.
Deil amo’ the Dishes.
Ghost at the Well.
Mouse and Cobbler.
WELL WORSHIP GAME.
Draw a Pail of Water.
RUSH-BEARING GAME.
Rashes.
TREE WORSHIP GAME.
Eller Tree.
WINDING UP GAMES.
Bulliheisle.
Port the Helm.
Snail Creep.
Tuilzie Wap.
Wind up the Bush Faggot.
TABU GAME.
Old Soldier.
DIVINATION GAMES.
Dan’l my Man.
Hot Cockles.
Jack’s Alive.
Keppy Ball.
’Ot millo.
Priest Cat.
Ragman.
Ringie Red Belt.
Shuttlefeather.
Swinging.
VICTIMISING OR PENALTY GAMES.
(_Forms of Torture._)
Block, Hammer, and Nail.
Bonnety.
Carrying the Queen a Letter.
Cat Beds.
Cobbin Match.
Cry Notchil.
Dump.
Ezzeka.
Father’s Fiddle.
Heap the Cairn.
Hecklebirnie.
Hewley Puley.
Hickety Bickety.
Hiry Hag.
Hot Cockles.
Jack’s Alive.
Magic Whistle.
More Sacks to the Mill.
Namers and Guessers.
Priest of the Parish.
Pun o’ mair Weight.
Ronin the Bee.
Sacks.
Salt Eel.
Shoe the Auld Mare.
Wild Birds.
CHARM GAMES.
Cockeldy Bread.
Thun’er Spell.
EFFIGY GAME.
Drawing Dun out of the Mire.
IMITATION OF SPORT GAMES.
All a Row.
Cock-fight.
Hare and Hounds.
Hunting.
Knights.
Puff in the Dart.
IMITATION OF SPORTS (WITH ANIMAL) GAMES.
Badger the Bear.
Bull in the Park.
Call the Guse.
Cockertie-hooie.
Cock-fight.
Cock’s-heading.
Doncaster Cherries.
Fox.
Fox in the Fold.
Fox in the Hole.
Frog in the Middle.
Garden Gate.
Hare and Hounds.
Shue-Gled-Wylie.
Wolf.
WEIGHING GAMES.
Bag o’ Malt.
Honey Pots.
Rockety Row.
Way Zaltin’.
Weigh the Butter.
WITCH OR CHILD STEALING GAMES.
Gipsy.
Keeling the Pot.
Mother, Mother, the Pot boils over.
Old Cranny Crow.
Steal the Pigs.
Three Jolly Welshmen.
Witch.
ANIMAL CONTEST GAMES.
Chickens, come clock.
Fox and Geese.
Gled-Wylie.
Hen and Chickens.
Letting the Buck out.
Old Dame.
Shepherds and Sheep.
Who goes round my Stone Wall?
Wolf.
Wolf and Lamb.
FISHING GAME.
Catch the Salmond.
CHURNING GAME.
Churning.
CONUNDRUM GAMES.
Cross Questions.
Thing done.
Three Flowers.
GUESSING GAMES.
All the Birds in the Air.
Bannockburn.
Bird Apprentice.
Birds, Beasts, and Fishes.
Brother Ebenezer.
Buck, Buck.
Buff.
Dumb Crambo.
Fool, Fool, come to School.
Handy Croopen.
Handy Dandy.
Hiss and Clap.
Hot Cockles.
King Plaster Palacey.
Little Dog I call you.
Namers and Guessers.
Old Johnny Hairy.
Priest-Cat (2).
Religious Church.
Thimble Ring.
Trades.
CONTEST GAMES.
_To take Prisoners._
Bedlams.
Blackthorn.
Buckey-how.
Canlie.
Chickidy Hand.
Click.
Cock.
Flowers.
Hornie.
Hunt the Staigie.
Johnny Rover.
King Cæsar.
King Come-a-lay.
King of Cantland.
Lamploo.
Over Clover.
Prisoner’s Base.
Range the Bus.
Rax.
Relievo.
Rin-im-over.
Save all.
Shepherds.
Stacks.
Stag.
Stag Warning.
Warney.
_Prisoners and Possession of Ground._
Barley Break.
French and English.
How many Miles to Babylon (2).
Pi-cow.
Prisoner’s Base.
Range the Bus.
Rigs.
Scots and English.
_Catching and Touching for “he” or “it.”_
Black Doggie.
Blackman’s Tig.
Boggle about the Stacks.
Canlie.
Cross Tig.
Cutters and Trucklers.
Drop Handkerchief.
Fire on the Mountains.
Hand in and Hand out.
High Windows.
Jinkie.
King o’ the Castle.
Letting the Buck out.
Long Terrace.
Mannie on the Pavement.
One Catch all.
Push in the Wash Tub.
Puss in the Corner.
Rakes and Roans.
Round Tag.
Ticky Touchwood.
Tig.
Time.
Tom Tiddler’s Ground.
Touch.
Tres-acre.
Twos and Threes.
_Tug of War._
A’ the Birdies.
Namers and Guessers.
Oranges and Lemons.
Sun and Moon.
Three Day’s Holidays.
Through the Needle ’ee.
DANCE GAMES.
(_With words and singing._)
All the Soldiers in the Town.
Alligoshee.
Auntie loomie.
As I was walking.
Ball of Primrose.
Basket.
Bell-Horses.
Betsy Bungay.
Bingo.
Bold Jolly Lads.
Boys and Girls.
Carry my Lady to London.
Chicamy.
Click, Clock, Cluck.
Contrary, Rules of.
Dinah.
Duck Dance.
Duck under the Water.
Farmer’s Den.
Frincy-francy.
Galloping.
Green Grass (Addenda).
Green grow the Leaves (2).
Green grow the Leaves.
Here we go Around.
Jenny Mac.
Jingo Ring.
Leap Candle.
Leaves are Green.
Long Duck.
Lubin.
My delight’s in Tansies.
Phœbe.
Pop goes the Weasel.
Pray, pretty Miss.
Pretty Miss Pink.
Push the Business on.
Queen Mary.
Ring by Ring.
Ring o’ Roses.
Round and Round went the Gallant
Ship.
Sailor Lad.
Sally go round.
Sunday Night.
Three Little Ships.
Town Lovers.
Trip and Go.
Turn Cheeses.
Turn the Ship.
Turvey Turvey.
Uncle John.
Up the Streets.
Weary.
Weave the Diaper.
DANCE AND SEE-SAW GAMES.
Cobble.
Cobbler’s Hornpipe.
Curcuddie.
Cutch-a-Cutchoo.
Harie Hutcheon.
Hirtschin Hairy.
Huckie Buckie down the Brae.
See-saw.
Skiver the Guse.
HIDE AND SEEK GAMES.
(1.) PERSONS—
Bicky.
Cuckoo.
Gilty Galty.
Hide and Seek (1).
Howly.
Kick the Block.
King by your Leave.
Mount the Tin.
Salt Eel.
Spy Arm.
Strike-a-licht.
(2). OBJECTS—
Codham.
Find the Ring.
Gigg.
Hide and Seek (2).
Kittlie-cout.
Odd-man.
Peesie Weet.
Priest Cat (2).
Shuffle the Brogue.
Smuggle the Gig.
Thimble Ring.
Tip it.
LEAP-FROG AND HOPPING GAMES.
Accroshay.
Bung the Bucket.
Cat Gallows.
Foot and Over.
Half Hammer.
Hop Frog.
Hopscotch.
Leap-frog.
Loup the Bullocks.
Saddle the Nag.
Ships.
Skin the Goatie.
CARRYING GAMES.
Betsy Bungay.
Carry my Lady to London.
King’s Chair.
Knapsack.
Knights.
BLINDFOLD GAMES.
Blind Bell.
Blindman’s Buff.
Blindman’s Stan.
Buff.
Cock Stride.
Dinah.
French Blindman’s Buff.
Giddy.
Hot Cockles.
Kick the Block.
Muffin Man.
Old Johnny Hairy, Crap in!
’Ot millo.
Pillie Winkie.
Pointing out a Point.
Queen of Sheba.
FOLLOW MY LEADER GAMES.
Follow my Gable.
Follow my Leader.
Jock and Jock’s Man.
Quaker.
Quaker’s Wedding.
Religious Church.
Solomon.
The Drummer Man.
FORFEIT GAMES.
American Post.
Button.
Cross Questions.
Diamond Ring.
Fire, Air, Water.
Follow my Gable.
Forfeits.
Genteel Lady.
Jack’s Alive.
Malaga Raisins.
Mineral, Animal, Vegetable.
Minister’s Cat.
Mr. Barnes.
Old Soldier.
Turn the Trencher.
Twelve Days of Christmas.
Wads and the Wears.
BALL, HAND.
Ball.
Ball in the Decker.
Balloon.
Balls and Bonnets.
Burly Whush.
Caiche.
Colley Ball.
Cuck-ball.
Cuckoo.
Han’-and-Hail.
Hats in Holes.
Keppy Ball.
Monday, Tuesday.
Pat-Ball.
Pize Ball.
Pots.
Stones.
Teesty-Tosty.
Trip-Trout.
Tut-ball.
BALL, FOOT.
Camp.
Football.
Hood.
BALL GAMES.
(_With bats and sticks played by rival parties._)
Bad.
Baddin.
Bandy-ball.
Bandy-cad.
Bandy-hoshoe.
Bandy-wicket.
Bittle-battle.
Buzz and Bandy.
Cat and Dog.
Cat and Dog Hole.
Catchers.
Cat i’ the Hole.
Chinnup.
Chow.
Church and Mice.
Codlings.
Common.
Crab-sowl.
Crooky.
Cuck-ball.
Cudgel.
Dab-an-Thricker.
Doddart.
Hawkey.
Hockey.
Hornie Holes.
Hummie.
Hurling.
Jowls.
Kibel and Nerspel.
Kirk the Gussie.
Kit-Cat.
Lobber.
Munshets.
Nur and Spel.
Peg and Stick.
Rounders.
Scrush.
Shinney.
Sow-in-the-Kirk.
Stones.
Stool-ball.
Tip-cat.
Trap-bat and ball.
Tribet.
Trippet and coit.
Troap.
Trounce hole.
Trunket.
Waggles.
GAMES OF SKILL AND CHANCE.
AIM—_Throwing sticks or stones to hit particular object._
All in the Well.
Cockly Jock.
Cogs.
Doagan.
Duck at the Table.
Duckstone.
Loggats.
Mag.
Nacks.
Paip.
Pay Swad.
Peg-fiched.
Penny Cast.
Penny Prick.
Roly Poly.
BUTTONS.
Banger.
Buttons.
Cots and Twisses.
Hard Buttons.
Pitch and Toss.
Skyte the Bob.
CHANCE, or GAMBLING.
Chuck Farthing.
Cross and Pile.
Dab.
Davie Drap.
Hairry my Bossie.
Headicks and Pinticks.
Heads and Tails.
Hustle Cap.
Jingle-the-Bonnet.
Lang Larence.
Neivie-nick-nack.
Odd-man.
Odd or Even.
Pednameny.
Pick and Hotch.
Pinch.
CHERRY STONES.
Cherry Odds.
Cherry-pit.
Paip.
EGGS.
Blindman’s Stan.
Cogger.
Jauping Paste-eggs.
Pillie Winkie.
Wink-egg.
MARBLES.
Boss-out.
Bridgeboard.
Bun-hole.
Capie-hole.
Castles.
Chock or Chock-hole.
Cob.
Crates.
Dumps.
Ho-go.
Hoilakes.
Holy Bang.
Hundreds.
Hynny-pynny.
Lab.
Lag.
Long-Tawl.
Marbles.
Nine holes.
Pig-ring.
Pit-Counter.
Pits.
Plum pudding.
Pyramids.
Ring-taw.
Ship-sail.
Shuvvy-Hawle.
Span-counter.
Spangle.
Spannims.
Splints.
Stroke.
Three Holes.
NUTS ON STRING.
Cob-nut.
Cock-battler.
Cogger.
Conkers.
Conquerors.
Jud.
Peggy nut.
ON DIAGRAM OR PLAN.
Corsicrown.
Fipenny Morell.
Fox and Geese (2).
Hap-the-beds.
Hickety-Hackety.
Hopscotch.
Kit-cat-cannio.
London.
Nine Men’s Morris.
Noughts and Crosses.
Pickie.
Tip-tap-toe.
Tit-tat-toe.
Tods-and-lambs.
Tray Trip.
Troy Town.
PENCE.
Chuck Farthing.
Chuck Hole.
PINS.
Hattie.
Pinny-Show.
Pins.
Pop-the-Bonnet.
Push-pin.
SHUTTLECOCK.
Shuttlefeather.
STONES AND DICE.
Chance Bone.
Checkstones.
Chucks.
Dalies.
Dibbs.
Ducks and Drakes.
Gobs.
Huckle-Bones.
Jackysteauns.
TOPS.
Chippings.
Gully.
Hoatie.
Hoges.
Peg-in-the-Ring.
Peg Top.
Scop-peril.
Scurran-Meggy.
Tops.
Totum.
Whigmeleerie.
WITH FINGERS AND STRING.
Cat’s-Cradle.
This leaves over a few games which do not come under either of these
chief heads, and appear now to be only forms of pure amusement. These
are:—
Blow-point.
Bob Cherry.
Bummers.
Chinny-mumps.
Cuddy among the Powks.
Dish-a-loof.
Dust Point.
Handy Dandy.
Level Coil.
Lug and a Bite.
Lugs.
Magician.
Malaga Raisins.
Musical Chairs.
Neighbour, I torment thee.
Obadiah.
Penny Hop.
Pigeon Walk.
Pinny Show.
Pins.
Pirly Peaseweep.
Pon Cake.
Poor and Rich.
Prick at the Loop.
Robbing the Parson’s Hen Roost.
Scat.
She Said, and She Said.
Stagging.
Sticky-stack.
Stroke Bias.
Sweer Tree.
Thing Done.
Troco.
Troule-in-Madame.
Truncher.
Turn Spit Jack.
Wiggle Waggle.
Wild Boar.
In order to show the importance of this classification, let me first
refer to the games of skill. These are (1) where one individual plays
with some articles belonging to himself against several other players
who play with corresponding articles belonging to them; (2) where one
player attempts to gain articles deposited beforehand by all the players
as stakes or objects to be played for. These games are played with
buttons, marbles, cherry-stones, nuts, pins, and pence. In the second
group, each player stakes one or more of these articles before beginning
play, which stakes become the property of the winner of the game. The
object of some of the games in the first group is the destruction of the
article with which the opponent plays. This is the case with the games
of “conkers” played with nuts on a string, and peg-top; the nuts and top
are broken, if possible, by the players, to prevent their being used
again, the peg of the top being retained by the winner as a trophy. The
successful nut or top has the merit and glory of having destroyed
previously successful nuts or tops. The victories of the one destroyed
are tacked on and appropriated by each victor in succession. So we see a
nut or a top which has destroyed another having a record of, say,
twenty-five victories, taking these twenty-five victories of its
opponent and adding them to its own score. In like manner the pegs of
the tops slain in peg-top are preserved and shown as trophies. That the
destruction of the implements of the game, although not adding to the
immediate wealth of the winner, does materially increase his importance,
is manifest, especially in the days when these articles were
comparatively much more expensive than now, or when it meant, as at one
time it must have done, the making of another implement.
These games are of interest to the folk-lorist, as showing connection
with early custom. We know that playing at games for stakes involving
life or death to the winner, or the possession of the loser’s magical or
valuable property or knowledge, is not only found in another branch of
folk-lore, namely, folk-tales, but there is plenty of evidence of the
early belief that the possession of a weapon which had, in the hands of
a skilful chief, done great execution, would give additional skill and
power to the person who succeeded in obtaining it. When I hear of a
successful “conker” or top being preserved and handed down from father
to son,[19] and exhibited with tales of its former victories, I believe
we have survivals of the form of transmission of virtues from one person
to another through the means of an acquired object. I do not think that
the cumulative reckoning and its accompanying ideas would occur to
modern boys, unless they had inherited the conception of the virtue of a
conquered enemy’s weapon being transferred to the conqueror’s.
[19] I know of one nut which was preserved and shown to admiring boys
as a conqueror of 1000.
Other games of skill are those played by two or more players on diagrams
or plans. Many of these diagrams and plans are found scratched or carved
on the stone flooring or walls of old churches, cathedrals, and monastic
buildings, showing that the boys and men of the Middle Ages played them
as a regular amusement—probably monks were not averse to this kind of
diversion in the intervals of religious exercise; plans were also made
on the ground, and the games played regularly by shepherds and other
people of outdoor occupation. We know this was so with the well-known
“Nine Men’s Morris” in Shakespeare’s time, and there is no reason why
this should not be the case with others, although “Nine Men’s Morris”
appears to have been the favourite. These diagram games are primitive in
idea, and simple in form. They consist primarily of two players trying
to form a row of three stones in three consecutive places on the plan;
the one who first accomplishes this, wins. This is the case with
“Kit-Cat-Cannio” (better known as “Noughts and Crosses”) “Corsicrown”
and “Nine Men’s Morris.”
Now, in “Noughts and Crosses” the simplest form of making a “row of
three,” where only two players play, and in another diagram game called
“Tit-Tat-Toe,” it is possible for neither player to win, and in this
case the result is marked or scored to an unknown or invisible third
player, who is called “Old Nick,” “Old Tom,” or “Old Harry.” In some
versions this third player is allowed to keep all the marks he
registers, and to win the game if possible; in others, the next
successful player takes “Old Nick’s” score and adds it to his own. Here
we have an element which needs explanation, and it is interesting to
remind oneself of the primitive custom of assigning a certain proportion
of the crops or pieces of land to the devil, or other earth spirit,
which assignment was made by lot. It seems to me that a game in which an
invisible player takes part must come from an era in which unknown
spirits were believed to take part in people’s lives, the interpretation
of such part being obtained by means of divination.
Again, in the games played with ball (hand) are remains of divination,
and the ball games played by two opposite parties with bats and sticks,
the origin of our modern cricket and football, have been developed from
those early contests which have played such an important part in parish
and town politics. Even in the simple game of “Touch” or “Tig” a
primitive element can be found. In this game, as in many others, it is
one of the fundamental rules, now unfortunately being disregarded, that
the player who is “he” or “it” must be chosen by lot; one of the
“counting out” rhymes is said until all the players but one are counted
out—this one is then “he.” This “he” is apparently a “tabooed” person;
he remains “he” until he succeeds in touching another, who becomes
“tabooed” in turn, and the first is then restored to his own
personality. There would be no necessity for this deciding by lot unless
something of an ignominious or “evil” character had been originally
associated with the “unnamed” or “tabooed” player. In some games the
player who is counted out is the victim of the rough play or punishment,
which is the motive of the game. It is possible that the game of “Touch”
has developed from the practice of choosing a victim by lot, or from
tabooing people suffering from certain diseases or subjected to some
special punishment.
The “counting out” rhymes of children are in themselves an interesting
and curious study. They contain the remains in distorted form of some of
the early numerals. The fact of a counting-out rhyme being used in the
games is of itself evidence of antiquity and old usage. For those
interested in this branch of study I can refer to the valuable book on
this subject by Mr. H. Carrington Bolton, which contains hundreds of
these rhymes collected from various sources.
I mention these instances of possible connection between the games of
skill and ancient belief and custom, to show that the anthropological
significance of traditional games is not absent from what might perhaps
be considered quite modern games. This is important to my argument,
because when I turn to the dramatic section of children’s games there is
so much evidence of the survival of ancient custom and belief, that I am
supported in the arguments which I shall advance by the fact that the
whole province of children’s play, and not particular departments,
contribute to this evidence. It will be seen from the classification
that many customs are dramatised or represented in a more or less
imperfect form in a large number of games, and that these customs have
been those which obtained a firm hold on the people, and formed an
integral part of their daily life. Courtship, love, and marriage form
the largest number; then the contest games for the taking of prisoners
and of territory are the next in point of numbers. Funerals appear as
the next most widely spread, then harvest customs, while the practice of
divination, the belief in ghosts and charms, well-worship, tree-worship,
and rush-bearing, witches, and child-stealing, are fully represented.
Next come imitations of sports (animal), and contest games between
animals, and then a number of games in which “guessing” is a principal
feature, and a large number dealing with penalties or punishments
inflicted for breach of rules.
A survey of the classification scheme of traditional games introduces
the important fact that games contain customs; in other words, that
games of skill and chance have come down from a time when practices were
in vogue which had nothing originally to do with games, and that
dramatic games have come down from times when the action they dramatise
was the contemporary action of the people. It becomes important,
therefore, to work more closely into the details of these games, to
ascertain if we can what customs are preserved, to what people or period
of culture they might have belonged. In many instances enough is said
under each game to show the significance of the conclusions, but when
brought together and compared one with another these conclusions become
more significant. The fact that marriage custom is preserved in a given
form becomes of immense value when it is found to have been preserved in
many games. I shall not go further into the games of skill and chance,
but confine myself to the important class of dramatic games.
By the dramatic game I mean a play or amusement which consists of words
sung or said by the players, accompanied by certain pantomimic actions
which accord with the words used, or, as I prefer to put it, of certain
definite and settled actions performed by the players to indicate
certain meanings, of which the words are only a further illustration.
To take the method of play first, I have found five distinct and
different methods:—
(1) The line form of game, played by the children being divided into two
sides of about an equal number on each side, with a space of ground of
about eight or ten feet between the two lines. Each line joins hands,
and advances and retires in turn while singing or saying their parts.
(2) The circle form, played by the children joining hands and forming a
circle, and all walking or dancing round together when singing the
words.
(3) The individual form, where the children take separate characters and
act a little play.
(4) The arch form, in which two children clasp each other’s hands, hold
their arms high, and so form a kind of arch, beneath which all the other
players run in single file.
(5) Winding-up form, in which the players, clasping hands, wind round
another player until all are wedged closely together, and then unwind
again, generally assuming a serpentine form in so doing.
It will be well, in the first place, to arrange the games played under
each of these methods:—
GAMES PLAYED IN LINE FORM (_with singing and action_).
Babbity Bowster.
Green Grass.
Hark the Robbers (_one form_).
Here comes a Lusty Wooer.
Here comes one Virgin on her Knee.
Jenny Jones (_one form_).
Jolly Hooper (_only one line advance_).
Lady of the Land.
London Bridge (_one form_).
Mary Brown (_one form_).
Milking Pails.
Nuts in May.
Pray, pretty Miss (_one form_).
Queen Anne.
Three Dukes.
Three Knights.
Three Sailors.
We are the Rovers.
CIRCLE FORM (_singing and action subdivided into three methods_).
(1) Green Gravel.
Jolly Miller.
London Bridge (_some versions_).
Lubin.
Mulberry Bush.
Nettles.
Oats and Beans and Barley.
Ring a Ring o’ Roses.
Rushes.
Wallflowers.
When I was a Young Girl.
Would You know how doth the Peasant?
(2) All the boys.
Down in the Valley.
Glasgow Ships.
Here stands a Young Man.
Isabella.
Jolly Fisherman.
Jolly Sailors.
King William.
Kiss in the Ring.
Knocked at the Rapper.
Lady on the Mountain.
Mary Brown.
Mary mixed a Pudding.
Merry-ma-tanza.
Needle Cases.
Old Widow.
Oliver, Oliver, follow the King.
Poor Mary sits a-weeping.
Poor Widow.
Pretty little Girl of Mine.
Punch Bowl.
Queen Mary.
Rosy Apple, Lemon, and Pear.
Round and Round the Gallant Ship.
Sally Water.
Silly Old Man.
Uncle John.
Wind.
(3) Booman.
Old Roger.
Round and Round the Village.
Who goes round my Stone Wall?
INDIVIDUAL FORM (_dialogue game_).
Auld Grannie.
Baste the Bear.
Fox and Goose.
Ghost at the Well.
Gipsey.
Gled-wylie.
Hen and Chickens.
Honey Pots.
Jack, Jack, the Bread’s a-burnin’.
Keeling the Pot.
King of the Barbarie.
Lady on yonder Hill.
Lend Me your Key.
Mother, may I go out?
Mother Mop.
Mother, Mother, the Pot boils over.
Mouse and Cobbler.
Old Granny Crow.
Old Woman.
Shepherds and Sheep.
Steal the Pigs.
Three Jolly Welshmen.
Witch.
The arch form of game, or tug-of-war as it is usually called, subdivide
into two methods:—
ARCH FORM.
(1) Draw a Pail of Water.
Hark the Robbers (_some versions_).
How many Miles to Babylon.
London Bridge.
Long Duck.
Thread the Needle.
Through the Needle Eye.
(2) Fool, Fool, come to School.
Hark the Robbers (_some versions_).
Little Dog, I call you.
Namers and Guessers.
Oranges and Lemons.
Three Days’ Holidays.
Tug of War.
WINDING UP, OR SERPENT’S COIL FORM.
Bulliheisle.
Eller Tree.
Port the Helm.
Snail Creep.
Tuilzie Wap.
Winding up the Bush Faggot.
The first or line form of games is characterised by no one player being
distinguished above his fellows; there are no distinct or separate
characters to be played. All the players on one line say the same words
and perform the same actions; all advance together and retire together.
Each line stands still while the other line advances, retires, and has
its “say.” In this way questions are asked and answers are given.
Questions and answers form an essential part of the line form of game.
The one line of players imply action of a party composed of several
persons who are of the same opinion, and the line on the opposite side
is a party who hold different opinions, and express these in words and
by actions; so that in no game played in line form do we get unanimous
action of all the players, but half and half.
These line games represent in the main a contest, and there are contests
of different kinds; that is, war between the people of two different
locations, between parishes or border countries of different
nationalities, and contests for wives, of a more or less friendly
nature. That the lines or sides indicate people who come from one
country or district to another country or district is shown, I think, by
the fact that a line is drawn in the middle of the ground, which line
separates the territory of the two sides. Players can go as far as the
line on their own side, but one step over lands them in the enemy’s
territory. In a marriage game of the line form, the girl when unwilling
is pulled across the line, and when willing she walks across to the
opposite side. It is also clear that in the marriage games the party on
one side represents young men, and on the other side young women.
In the second group, the circle form, all the players join hands to form
a circle. They all perform the same actions and say the same words. This
circle form is used in three ways.
In the first or simplest class all the players perform the same actions,
sing the same words all together. There is no division into parties, and
no individual action or predominance. This method is adopted when a
certain recurring custom is celebrated or a special event is
commemorated. The event is described in pantomimic action, and
accompanied with dance and song.
In the second class the circle is formed, the players all clasp hands,
dance round together, and sing the same words; but the action is
confined to first one and then two players, who are taken by “choice”
from those forming the circle. This class principally consists of
courtship, love-making, and marriage games. The two principal parties
concerned usually have no words to say, though in some “love” games the
centre player does express his or her own feelings in verse. The fact
that this form is used for love and marriage games accounts for the much
larger number of games in this class and their greater variety.
In the third class of the circle game the players form the circle to act
the part of “chorus” to the story. There are also two, three, or four
players, as required, who act parts in dumb show suitable to the
character personified. In this class the circle personate both animate
and inanimate objects. The circle is stationary—at least the players
forming it do not dance or walk round. They sometimes represent houses;
a village, and animals are usually represented rather than people.
The circle games I consider to be survivals of dramatic representations
of customs performed by people of one village or of one town or
tribe—representations of social customs of one place or people, as
distinct from the “line” form of games, which represent a custom
obtaining between two rival villages or tribes. Thus I am inclined to
consider the joining of hands in a circle as a sign of amity, alliance,
and kinship. In the case of the line games hands are clasped by all
players on each side, who are thus in alliance against those on the
opposite side. When hands are joined all round so that a circle is
formed, all are concerned in the performance of the same ceremony. There
is no division into parties, neither is difference of opinion shown
either by action or words in circle games.
In the third class of game there are several distinct characters, and
the game partakes more of the nature of what we should call a play
proper, and may be considered an outcome of the circle play. There are
several characters, usually a mother, a witch or old woman, an elder
daughter and several younger children, a ghost, and sometimes animals,
such as sheep, wolves, fox, hen, and chickens. The principal characters
(not more than two or three) are played by different children, and these
having each a part allotted to them, have also a certain amount of
dialogue to say, and corresponding actions to perform. The remaining
characters, whether children or animals, merely act their part when
action is required, all doing the same thing, and have no words to say.
The dialogue in these games is short and to the point. It has not been
learnt from written sources, but orally, and as long as the main idea
and principal incidents are not departed from, the players may,
according to their capacity, add to or shorten the dialogue to heighten
the situation. There is no singing in these games, though there is what
perhaps might be called the remains of rhyme in the dialogue.
The fourth form, that of the arch, is played in two ways. In the first,
two children clasp their hands and hold them up to form an arch. Under
this all the other players run as if going through an arch or gateway,
and the players are generally stopped by the two who form the arch. Then
a circle is formed, and all the players join hands and dance round
together. In the second way, the arch is formed as above, and all the
players run under. These players are then caught one by one within the
arch, and have to choose one of the two leaders, behind whom they stand.
A tug-of-war then ensues between the two leaders and their followers.
The first of these, that ending with the circle or dancing, indicates
the celebration of an event in which all the people join, and all are of
one way of thinking—differing from this group of customs celebrated by
the simple circle game by each person in turn performing a ceremony,
signified in games by the action of going under or through an arch.
The second way, when the “tug” follows, represents a contest, but I do
not think the contest is of the same kind as that of the line form. This
rather represents the leaders of two parties who are antagonistic, who
call, in the words of the rhymes, upon the people of a town, or faction,
to join one of the two sides. The fact that each player in the line or
string is caught by the leaders, and has to choose which of them he will
fight under, together with the tug or pulling of one side over a marked
line, by the other side, indicates a difference in the kind of warfare
from the line contests, where territory is clearly the cause of the
struggle and fight. The line contest shows a fight between people of
different lands; and the arch contest, a method of choosing leaders by
people living in one land or town.
In the fifth form, “winding up games,” the players join hands in a long
line, and wind round and round one player at the end of the line,
usually the tallest, who stands still until all are formed in a number
of circles, something like a watch spring. They then unwind, sometimes
running or dancing, in a serpentine fashion until all are again in
straight line. These games probably refer to the custom of encircling
trees, as an act of worship. They differ from the circle game in this
way: The players in a circle game surround something or some one. In the
“winding up” game they not only surround, but attachment or “hold” to
the thing surrounded has to be kept.
The fact that these games lend themselves to such treatment, and the
fact that I am obliged to use the terms, district, tribe, localities,
obliged to speak of a state of contest between groups, of the sacred
encircling of a tree, and of other significant usages, go far to suggest
that these games must contain some element which belongs to the
essential part of their form, and my next quest is for this element. I
shall take each class of game, and endeavour to ascertain what element
is present which does not necessarily belong to games, or which belongs
to other and more important branches of human action; and it will depend
on what this element is as to what can ultimately be said of the origin
of the games.
Of the games played in “line” form, “We are the Rovers” is the best
representative of pure contest between two opposing parties. If
reference is made to the game (vol. ii. pp. 343-356), the words will be
found to be very significant. In my account of the game (pp. 356-60), I
suggest that it owes its origin to the Border warfare which existed on
the Marches between England and Scotland and England and Wales, and I
give my reasons, from analysing the game, why I consider it represents
this particular form of contest rather than that of a fight between two
independent countries. Both sides advancing and retiring in turn, while
shouting their mutual defiance, and the final fight, which continues
until all of one side are knocked down or captured, show that a
deliberate fight was intended to be shown. I draw attention, too, to the
war-cry used by each side, which is also significant of one of the old
methods of rallying the men to the side of their leader—an especially
necessary thing in undisciplined warfare. This game, then, contains
relics of ancient social conditions. That such a contest game as this is
represented by the line form combining words, singing, and action, is, I
submit, good evidence of my contention that the line form of game
denotes contest. This game, then, I consider a traditional type of
contest game.
It is remarkable that among the ordinary, now somewhat old-fashioned,
contest games played by boys there should be some which, I think, are
degenerate descendants of this traditional type. There are a number of
boys’ games, the chief features of which are catching and taking
prisoners and getting possession of an enemy’s territory—as in the
well-known “Prisoner’s Base” and “Scots and English.” “Prisoner’s Base”
(ii. pp. 80-87) in its present form does not appear to have much in
common with games of the type of “We are the Rovers,” but on turning to
Strutt we find an earlier way of playing (_ibid._ p. 80). Now, this
description by Strutt gives us “Prisoner’s Base” played by two lines of
players, each line joining hands, their homes or bases being at a
distance of twenty to thirty feet apart. That the line of players had to
keep to their own ground is, I think, manifest, from it being necessary
for one of the line to touch the base. There is no mention of a leader.
Thus we have here an undoubted form of a contest game, where the taking
of prisoners is the avowed motive, played in almost the same manner as
the line dramatic game. When the dramatic representation of a contest
became formulated in a definite game, the individual running out and
capturing a certain player on the opposite side would soon develop and
become a rule of the game, instead of all on one side trying to knock
down all on the other side. It may be a point to remember, too, that in
primitive warfare the object is to knock down and kill as many of the
enemy as possible, rather than the capture of prisoners.
In other games of a similar kind, the well-known “Scots and English”
(ii. p. 183), for example, we have the ground divided into two parts,
with a real or imaginary line drawn in the middle; the players rush
across the line and try to drag one of the opposite side across it, or
to capture the clothes of the players.
In other boys’ games—“Lamploo,” “Rax,” “King of Cantland,” “King Cæsar,”
“Stag”—there are the two sides; the players are sometimes all on one
side, and they have to rush across to the other, or there are some
players on each side, who rush across to the opposite, trying to avoid
being taken prisoner by a player who stands in the middle between the
opposite goals. When this player catches a boy, that boy joins hands
with him; the next prisoner taken also joins hands, and these assist in
capturing others. This is continued until all the players are caught and
have joined hands in a long line, practically reverting to the line form
of game, and showing, according to my theory of the line game, that all
joining hands are of one side or party. If the line gets broken the
players can run back to their own side. There are many other games which
are played in a similar way (see Contest Games), though farther removed
from the original form. In most of these we have practically the same
thing—the sides have opposite homes, and the leader, though individual
at first, becomes merged in the group when the line is formed, and the
game ends by all the players being on one side. It must be mentioned,
too, that in these boys’ games of fighting, the significant custom of
“crowning,” that is, touching the head of the captured one, obtains. If
this is omitted the prisoner is at liberty to escape (see “Cock,” “King
of Cantland”).
Although there is no dialogue between the opposing parties in these
contest games, there are in some versions undoubted remains of it, now
reduced to a few merely formal words called a “nominy.” These “nominys”
must be said before the actual fight begins, and the remains are
sufficient to show that the nominy was originally a defiance uttered by
one side and answered by the other. For these nominys, see “Blackthorn,”
“Chickidy Hand,” “Hunt the Staigie,” “Scots and English,” “Johnny
Rover,” “Shepherds,” “Stag,” “Warney,” &c.
The next most important games in line form are marriage games. In the
well-known “Nuts in May” (vol. i. p. 424-433) there is a contest between
the two parties, but the contest here is to obtain an individual for the
benefit of the side. A line is drawn on the ground and a player is
deliberately sent to “fetch” another player from the opposite side, and
that this player is expected to conquer is shown by the fact that he is
selected for this purpose, and also because the ceremony of “crowning”
prevails in some versions. The boy, after he has pulled the girl across
the line, places his hand on her head to complete the capture and to
make a prisoner. This custom of “crowning” prevails in many games where
prisoners are made, and I have already mentioned it as occurring in the
boys’ contest games. If the crowning is performed, the capture is
complete; if not performed, the prisoner may escape.
The evidence of this game, I consider, points to customs which belong to
the ancient form of marriage, and to what is technically known as
marriage by capture.
In the game of the “Three Dukes” (vol. ii. p. 233-255), it will be
noticed that the actions are very spirited. Coquetry, contempt, and
annoyance are all expressed in action, and the boys imitate riding and
the prancing of horses. I must draw special attention to the remarks I
have made in my account of the game, and for convenience in comparing
the line marriage games I will repeat shortly the principal points here.
In some versions, the three dukes each choose a wife at the same time,
and when these three are “wived” or “paired” another three do the same.
In another version “five” dukes each choose a wife, and all five couples
dance round together. But most significant of all is the action of the
dukes after selecting the girl, trying to carry her off, and her side
trying to prevent it.
In this game, then, I think we have a distinct survival of or
remembrance of the tribal marriage—marriage at a period when it was the
custom for the men of a clan or village to seek wives from the girls of
another clan—both belonging to one tribe. The game is a marriage game of
the most matter-of-fact kind. Young men arrive from a place at some
distance for the purpose of seeking wives. The maidens are apparently
ready and expecting their arrival. They are as willing to become wives
as the men are to become husbands. It is not marriage by force or
capture, though the triumphant carrying off of a wife appears. It is
exogamous marriage custom. The suggested depreciation of the girls, and
their saucy rejoinders, are so much good-humoured chaff and banter
exchanged to enhance each other’s value. There is no mention of “love”
in the game, nor courtship between the boy and girl. The marriage
formula does not appear, nor is there any sign that a “ceremony” or
“sanction” to marry is necessary, nor does “kissing” occur. Another
interesting point about this game is the refrain, “With a rancy, tancy,
tee,” which refrain, or something similar, accompanies all verses of all
versions, and separates this game from others akin to it. This refrain
is doubtless a survival of an old tribal war-cry.
The game of “The Three Knights from Spain” (ii. pp. 257-279), played in
the same way as “Three Dukes,” may appear at first to be a variant of
the “Three Dukes”; but it is significant that the form of marriage
custom is different, though it is still marriage under primitive
conditions of society. The personal element, entirely absent from the
“Three Dukes,” is here one of the principal characteristics. The
marriage is still one without previous courtship or love between two
individuals, but the parental element is present here, or, at any rate,
if not parental, there is that of some authority, and a sanction to
marry is given, although there is no trace of any actual ceremony. The
young men apparently desire some particular person in marriage, and a
demand is made for her. The suitors here are, I think, making a demand
on the part of another rather than for themselves. They may be the
ambassadors or friends of the would-be bridegroom, and are soliciting
for a marriage in which purchase-money or dowry is to be paid. The
mention of “gold” and “silver” and the line, “She must be sold,” and the
offering of presents by the “Knights,” are important. These indications
of purchase refer to a time when the custom of offering gold, money, and
other valuables for a bride was in vogue. While, therefore, the game has
traces of capturing or carrying off the bride, this carrying off is in
strict accord with the conditions prevalent when marriage by purchase
had succeeded to marriage by capture. There is evidence in this game of
a mercantile spirit, which suggests that women and girls were too
valuable to be parted with by their own tribe or family without
something deemed an equivalent in return.
In another line game, “Here comes Three Sailors” (ii. pp. 282-289),
there is still more evidence of the mercantile or bargaining spirit.
Here the representative of the parental element or other authority
selects the richest and highest in rank of the suitors, and a sum of
money is given with the bride. The suitors are supposed to have
performed some actions which have gained them renown and entitled them
to a wife. The suitors are accepted or rejected by a person having
authority, and this authority introduces an interesting and suggestive
feature. The suitors are invited to stay or lodge in the house if
accepted, probably meaning admission into the family. The girl is to
“wake up,” and not sleep, that is, to rouse up, be merry, dress in
bridal array, and prepare for the coming festival. She is given to the
suitors with “in her pocket one hundred pounds,” and “on her finger a
gay gold ring.” This is given by the “mother” or those having authority,
and refers, I believe, to the property the girl takes with her to her
new abode for her proper maintenance there; the ring shows her station
and degree, and is a token that she is a fit bride for a “king.”
Curious, too, is the “Here’s my daughter safe and sound,” which looks
like a warrant or guarantee of the girl’s fitness to be a bride, and the
robbery of the bride may also have originally related to the removal of
the bride’s wedding-dress or ornaments before she enters on her wifely
duties.
Following these definite marriage games in line form, in which previous
love or courtship does not appear, we have several games formerly played
at weddings, practically as a part of the necessary amusement to be gone
through after a marriage ceremony by the company present, amusements in
which are the traces of earlier custom.
“Babbity Bowster” (i. pp. 9-11) is an old Scottish dance or game which
used to be played as the last dance at weddings and merrymakings. It was
danced by two lines of players, lads on one side, girls on the other. A
lad took a handkerchief—in earlier times a bolster or pillow—and danced
out in front of the girls, singing. He then selected a girl, threw the
handkerchief into her lap or round her neck, holding both ends himself,
and placed the handkerchief at her feet on the floor. His object was to
obtain a kiss. This was not given without a struggle, and the line of
girls cheered their companion at every unsuccessful attempt the boy
made. When a girl took the handkerchief she threw it to a boy, who had
to run after and catch her and then attempt to take a kiss. When all had
done thus they danced in line form. This dance took place at the time
when bride and bridegroom retired to the nuptial chamber. It is probable
the bride and bridegroom would first go through the dance, and after the
bridegroom had caught his bride and they had retired the dance would be
continued in sport. The chasing of the bride in sport by her new-made
husband at the close of the marriage festivities is mentioned in old
ballads.
In the “Cushion Dance” (i. pp. 87-94) we have an instance of another
similar old English game sang and danced at weddings. The “Cushion
Dance,” though not played in line form, has two other elements of
“Babbity Bowster.” The description is so interesting, I will repeat it
shortly here. The company were all seated. Two young men left the room,
and returned carrying, one a square cushion, the other a drinking horn
or silver tankard. The young man carrying the cushion locked the door,
taking the key. The young men then danced round the room to a lively
tune played by a fiddler, and sang the words of the dance. There is a
short dialogue with the fiddler, in which it is announced that “Jane
Sandars won’t come to.” The fiddler says “She must come, whether she
will or no.” The young men then dance round again and choose a young
woman, before whom they place the cushion and offer the horn or cup. The
girl and the young man kneel on the cushion and kiss. Here there is no
capturing or chasing of the girl, but her reluctance to be brought to
the cushion is stated by another person, and the locking of the door is
evidently done to prevent escape of the girls.
Other line games contain the element of courting, some versions of
“Green Grass,” for instance (i. pp. 161-62), show boys on one line,
girls on the other, inviting girls to come and dance, and promising them
gifts. After the boys have selected a girl, she is asked if she will
come. She replies first No! then Yes! “Pray, Pretty Miss,” is similar to
these (vol. ii. pp. 65-67).
The remaining line form of marriage games are probably degenerate
versions of “Three Dukes,” “Three Knights,” except “Here Comes a Lusty
Wooer” (i. 202) and “Jolly Hooper” (i. 287-88). Ritson records the
first of these two in “Gammer Gurton’s Garland,” 1783; the second is
probably a degenerate version of the first or similar version. They are
both demands for a bride.
The other important line games are “Jenny Jones” (i. 260-283), “Lady of
the Land,” and “Queen Anne.” I refer here to the Scotch version of
“Jenny Jones,” quoted from Chambers, given in vol. i. p. 281, where
“Janet Jo” is a dramatic entertainment amongst young rustics. Two of the
party represent a goodman and a goodwife, the rest a family of
daughters. One of the lads, the best singer, enters, demands to court
Janet Jo. He is asked by the goodwife what he will give for Janet Jo.
His offers of a peck o’ siller, a peck of gold, are refused; he offers
more and is accepted, and told to sit beside his chosen one. He then has
a scramble with her for kisses. Versions of this game which indicate
funeral customs will be treated under that head; but love and courtship
appear in the game, and the courting appears to be that of a young man
or young men, to whom objection is made, pretended or real; the suitors
are evidently objects of suspicion to the parental authority, and their
sincerity is tested by the offers they make.
In “Queen Anne,” vol. ii. pp. 90-102, I have attempted a conjectural
rendering of what the game might have been, by putting together the
words of different versions. If this conjectural restoration be accepted
as something near the original form, it would suggest that this game
originated from one of the not uncommon customs practised at weddings
and betrothals, where the suitor has to discriminate between several
girls all dressed exactly alike, and to distinguish his bride by some
token. This incident of actual primitive custom also obtains in
folk-tales, showing its strong hold on popular tradition. Many a lost
bride in the folk-tales proves her identity by having possession of some
article previously given as a token, and this idea may account for the
“ball” incident in this game. (See also “King William.”)
From these games, when thus taken together, we have evidence of the
existence of customs obtaining in primitive marriage, and the fact that
these customs, namely, those of marriage by capture, marriage by
purchase, marriage by consent of others than those principally
concerned, in other words, marriage between comparative strangers, occur
in games played in line form, a form used for contest and fighting
games, tends to show that the line form is used for the purpose of
indicating the performance of customs which are supposed to take place
between people living in different countries, towns, and villages, or
people of different tribes or of different habits and customs. The more
imperfect games of this type, though they have lost some of the vigour,
have still enough left to show, when placed with the others, a
connection with customs performed in the same manner.
In “Lady of the Land,” for instance (vol. i. pp. 313-20), the words
indicate a lady hiring a poorer woman’s daughters as servants, and, no
doubt, originates from the country practice of hiring servants at fairs,
or from hirings being dramatically acted at Harvest Homes. The old
practice of hirings at fairs is distinctly to be traced in local customs
(see p. 319), and is a common incident in folk-tales. In this game, too,
actions would be performed suitable to the work the players undertake to
do.
It is not necessary to mention in detail any of the remaining line
games, because they are fragmentary in form, and do not add any further
evidence to that already stated.
In considering this group of games it is obvious, I think, that we have
elements of custom and usage which would not primarily originate in a
game, but in a condition of local or tribal life which has long since
passed away. It is a life of contest, a life, therefore, which existed
before the days of settled politics, when villages or tribal territories
had their own customs differing from each other, and when not only
matters of political relationship were settled by the arbitrament of the
sword, but matters now considered to be of purely personal relationship,
namely, marriage. While great interest gathers round the particular
marriage customs or particular contests indicated in this group of
games, the chief point of interest lies in the fact that they are all
governed by the common element of contest.
I will now turn to the circle games. Like the line games, this form
contains games which show marriage custom, but it is significant that
they all show a distinctly different form of marriage. Thus they all
show courtship and love preceding the marriage, and they show that a
distinct ceremony of marriage is needful; but this ceremony is not
necessarily the present Church ceremony. The two best examples are
“Sally Water” (vol. ii. pp. 149-179) and “Merry-ma-tansa” (vol. i. pp.
369-367).
In “Sally Water” the two principal characters have no words to say, but
one chooses another deliberately, and the bond is sealed by a kiss, and
in some instances with joining of hands. The circle of friends approve
the choice, and a blessing and good wishes follow for the happiness of
the married couple, wishes that children may be born to them, and the
period of the duration of the marriage for seven years (the popular
notion of the time for which the marriage vows are binding). I have
printed a great many versions of this game (about fifty), and note that
in the majority of them “Sally” and “Water” are conspicuous words. In
fact they are usually taken to mean the name of the girl, but on
examining the game closely I think it is possible, and probable, that
“Sally Water” may be a corruption of some other word or words, not the
name of a girl; that the word “Water” is connected, not with the name of
the maiden, but with the action of sprinkling which she is called upon
to fulfil. The mention of water is pretty constant throughout the game.
There are numerous instances of the corruption of words in the game, and
the tendency has been to lose the sprinkling of water incident
altogether.
The sitting or kneeling attitude, which indicates a reverential
attitude, obtains in nearly all versions, as do the words “Rise and
choose a young man,” and “Crying for a young man.” This “crying” for a
young man does not necessarily mean weeping; rather I consider it to
mean “announcing a want” in the way “wants” or “losses” were cried
formerly by the official crier of a town, and in the same manner as in
games children “cry” forfeits; but, losing this meaning in this game,
children have substituted “weeping,” especially as “weeping” with them
expresses many “wants” or “woes.” The incident of “crying” for a lover,
in the sense of wanting a lover, appears in several of these games. I
have heard the expression they’ve been “cried in church” used as meaning
the banns have been read. The choosing is sometimes “to the east” and
“to the west,” instead of “for the best and worst.” Now, the expression
“for better for worse” is an old marriage formula preserved in the
vernacular portion of the ancient English Marriage Service, and I think
we have the same formula in this game, especially as the final
admonition is to choose the “one loved best.” Then comes the very
general lines of the marriage formula occurring so frequently in these
games, “Now you’re married, we wish you joy,” &c.
In “Merry-ma-tansa” the game again consists of a marriage ceremony, with
fuller details. The choice of the girl is announced to the assembled
circle of friends by a third person, and the friends announce their
approval or disapproval. If they disapprove, another choice is made.
When they approve, the marriage formula is repeated, and the capacity of
the bride to undertake housewifely duties is questioned in verse by the
friends (p. 370). All the circle then perform actions imitating sweeping
and dusting a house, baking and brewing, shaping and sewing. The
marriage formula is sung, and prognostications and wishes for the birth
of children are followed by actions denoting the nursing of a baby and
going to church, probably for a christening. In one version, too, the
bride is lifted into the circle by two of the players. This may indicate
the carrying of the bride into her new home, or the lifting of the bride
across the threshold, a well-known custom. In another version (Addenda,
p. 444) after the ceremony the bridegroom is blindfolded and has to
catch his bride.
These two games relate undoubtedly to marriage customs, and to no other
ceremony or practice. They are, so to speak, the type forms to which
others will assimilate.
In “Isabella” (vol. i. pp. 247-56) the actions indicate a more modern
marriage ceremony. The young couple, after choosing, go to church, clasp
hands, put on ring, kneel down, say prayers, kiss, and eat dinner. The
clasping of hands, putting on a ring, and kissing are more like a solemn
betrothal before a marriage ceremony.
In the other marriage games which show remains of a ceremony are those
of the kind to which “All the Boys” belongs (vol. i. pp. 2-6). In this
game, customs which belong to a rough and rude state of society are
indicated. The statement is made that a man cannot be happy without a
wife. He “huddles” and “cuddles” the girl, and “puts her on his knee.”
The principal thing here to be noted is the mention in all versions of
this game the fact that some food is prepared by the bride, which she
gives to the bridegroom to eat. This, although called a “pudding,”
refers, of course, to the bridal cake, and to the old custom of the
bride preparing it herself, and giving some to her husband first.
Other rhymes of this kind, belonging, probably, to the same game, are
“Down in the Valley,” “Mary mixed a Pudding,” “Oliver, Oliver, follow
the King,” “Down in Yonder Meadow.” In all these the making and eating
of a particular “pudding” or food is mentioned as an important item; in
two, catching and kissing the sweetheart is mentioned; and in all,
“courting” and “cuddling”; articles for domestic use are said to be
bought by the bride. The formal ceremony of marriage is contained in the
verbal contract of the two parties, and the important ceremony of the
bridegroom and bride partaking of the bridal food. The eating together
of the same food is an essential part of the ceremony among some savage
and semi-civilised peoples. The rhymes have a peculiar parallel in the
rude and rough customs associated with betrothal and marriage which
prevailed in Wales and the North of England.
In “Poor Mary sits a-weeping” (vol. ii. pp. 46-62) we have very
distinctly the desire of the girl for a “lover.” She is “weeping” for a
sweetheart, and, as in the case of “Sally Water,” her weeping or
“crying” is to make her “want” known. She is told by her companions to
rise and make her choice. In some versions the marriage lines follow, in
others the acceptance of the choice ends with the giving of a kiss.
Others of a similar kind are “Here stands a Young Man who wants a
Sweetheart” (vol. i. p. 204), “Silly Old Man who wants a Wife” (vol. ii.
196-99). This is a simple announcement of the young man’s need for a
wife or sweetheart (probably originally intended to announce his having
arrived at manhood, as expressed in the expression, “he ain’t a man till
he’s got a sweetheart and gone a-courtin’”). These verses are followed
by the marriage formula. Games of this kind are used for a kiss in the
ring game, without the chasing and capturing. The ordinary kiss in the
ring games are probably relics of older custom. These consist of one
person going round the assembled circle with a handkerchief and choosing
another of the opposite sex, after saying a nominy or form of set words.
This was probably originally something in the shape of a “counting out”
rhyme, to obtain sweethearts by “lot.” A chase follows, and capture of
the girl, and the giving and receiving of a kiss in the circle. This was
a method of choosing sweethearts which prevailed until quite a late
period at country festivals and fairs, but at an earlier period was a
serious function. It is still customary on Easter and Whit-Monday for
this game to be played on village greens, and the introduction thus
afforded is held sufficient to warrant continued acquaintance between
young people.
In connection with this class of games I must point out that a game such
as “Hey, Wullie Wine” (vol. i. pp. 207-210), though it cannot be
considered exactly a marriage game, points to the matter-of-fact way in
which it was customary for young people to possess sweethearts. It seems
to have been thought not only desirable, but necessary to their social
standing. A slur is cast on the young man or young woman who has no
lover, and so every facility is given them to make a choice from among
their acquaintances. In the game “King William” is a remnant of the
disguising of the bride among some of her girl friends and the
bridegroom’s test of recognition, when that custom became one of the
forms of amusement at weddings.
The remaining love and marriage games mostly consist of lines said in
praise of some particular girl or young man, the necessity of him or her
possessing a sweetheart, and their being married. These are probably
fragments of the more complete forms preserved in the other games of
this class. Marriage games, preceded by courtship or love-making, are
played in the second method of the circle form.
Among the games played in the first method of the circle form, “Oats and
Beans and Barley,” and “Would you know how doth the Peasant,” show
harvest customs. The first of these (vol. ii. pp. 1-13) shows us a time
when oats, beans, and barley were the principal crops grown, before
wheat—now, and for some time, one of the principal crops—came into such
general cultivation as at present. All the players join in singing the
words and performing the actions. They imitate sowing of seed, folding
arms and standing at ease while the corn is growing, clap hands and
stamp on the ground to awake the earth goddess, and turning round and
bowing, to propitiate the spirit and do reverence to her. In “Would you
know how doth the Peasant” (ii. 399-401) we find actions performed
showing sowing, reaping, threshing, kneeling, and praying, and then
resting and sleeping. These actions are in both games accompanied by
dancing round hand in hand. These two games, then, take us back to a
time when a ceremony was performed by all engaged in sowing and reaping
grain; when it was thought necessary to the proper growth of the crops
that a religious ceremony should be performed to propitiate the earth
spirit. I believe these games preserve the tradition of the formula sung
and danced at the spring festivals, about which Mr. Frazer has written
so fully.
“Oats and Beans and Barley” also preserves a marriage formula, and after
the religious formula has been sung and danced, courting and marriage
follows. A partner is said to be wanted, is chosen, and the marriage
ceremony follows. The addition of this ceremony to the agricultural
custom is of considerable significance, especially as the period is that
of spring, when, according to Westermarck, natural human marriage, as
also animal pairing, takes place. It is evidently necessary to this game
for all the players to perform the same actions, and the centre player
is not required until the choosing a partner occurs. There is no centre
player in the other agricultural game, and no marriage occurs.
In “When I was a Young Girl” (ii. pp. 362-374) we have all players
performing actions denoting the principal events of their lives from
girlhood to old age. When young, enjoyment in the form of dancing is
represented (in present day versions, going to school is taking the
place of this), then courting, marriage, nursing a baby, and occupations
which women perform; the death of the baby and of husband follows, and
the woman takes in washing, drives a cart to support herself, and
finally gets old. Here, again, there is little doubt that this game owes
its origin to those dances originally sacred in character, in which men
and women performed actions, accompanied with song and dance, of the
same nature as those they wished or intended to perform seriously in
their own lives. “Mulberry Bush” is another descendant of this custom.
In “Green Gravel” and “Wallflowers” we have a death or funeral custom.
Originally there may have been other actions performed than those the
game contains now. These two are noticeable for the players turning
themselves round in the course of the play so that they face outwards.
It is this turning outwards, or “to the wall,” which indicates hopeless
sorrow and grief, and there is some probability that the death mourned
is that of a maiden, by the other maidens of the village. The game is
not a representation of an ordinary funeral.
I must here refer to the game of “Rashes” (Addenda, ii. pp. 452, 453). I
have not succeeded in obtaining a version played now, and fear it is
lost altogether, which is, perhaps, not surprising, as the use of
“rushes” has practically ceased; but, as recorded by Mr. Radcliffe in
1873, there is no doubt it represented the survival of the time when
rushes were gathered and used with ceremony of a religious nature.
Even in the extremely simple “Ring a Ring of Roses” (ii. 108-111), now
only a nursery game played by very young children, there can be traced
a relationship to a dance, in which the use of flowers, and all the
dancers bowing or falling prostrate to the ground together, with loud
exclamations of delight obtained. It may well be that sneezing, an
imitation of which is an essential part of the game, was actually a
necessary part of the ceremonial, and sneezing was always considered of
sacred significance among primitive peoples. It is not probable that
children would introduce this of their own accord in a dance and “bop
down” game.
The games played in the third method of this group are also
representative of custom. In “Old Roger” (vol. ii. pp. 16-24), the
circle of players is stationary throughout; the circle sings the words
describing the story, and the other players or actors run into the
circle and act their several parts in dumb show. The story, it will be
seen, is not the acting of a funeral, but the planting of a tree over
the grave of a dead person by relatives and friends, and the spirit
connection which this tree has with the dead. The spirit of the dead
“Old Roger” enters the tree, and resents the carrying away of the fruit
by the old woman by jumping up and making her drop the apples.
Possession of the fruit would give her power over the spirit. That the
tree is sacred is clear; and I am tempted to suggest that we may
possibly have in this game a survival of the worship of the sacred tree,
and its attendant priest watching until killed by his successor, as
shown to us by Mr. Frazer in the story of the “Golden Bough.”
“Round and Round the Village” (ii. pp. 122-143) shows us the performance
of a recurring festival very clearly in the words which accompany all
versions, “As we have done before.” This conveys the idea of a special
event, the event in the game marriage, and I suggest that we have here a
periodical village festival, at which marriages took place. It is
characteristic of this, as in “Old Roger,” that the chorus or circle
stand still and sing the event, while the two characters act. This
acting is the dancing round the village, going in and out the windows
and houses, then choosing a lover, and “follow her to London.” It is
quite possible that the perambulation of boundaries with which festive
dances and courtship were often associated would originate this game.
The perambulation was a recurring custom periodically performed, and on
p. 142, vol. ii., I have given some instances of custom which, I think,
confirm this.
In “Who goes round my Stone Wall” we find the players in circle form,
standing still and representing the houses of a village (the stone
wall), and also animals. The game represents the stealing of sheep, one
by one, from the village, by a predatory animal or thief. In this game
the circle do not sing the story. That element has disappeared; the two
actors repeat a dialogue referring to the stealing of the sheep from the
“wall.” This dialogue is short, and is disappearing. The game is not now
understood, and consequently is dying out. “Booman,” another of the same
kind, represents a funeral. The grave is dug in action, Booman is
carried to his grave, the dirge is sang over him, and flowers are
pretended to be strewn over.
There are other circle games, which it is not needful to examine in
detail. They are fragmentary, and do not present any fresh features of
interest. It is, however, important to note that a few examples have
evidently been derived from love ballads, drinking songs, and toasts;
some of the dance games are of this origin. This may be explained by the
fact that children, knowing the general form of marriage games, would
naturally dance in circle form to any ballad verses in which marriage or
love and courtship occurs, and in this manner the ballad would become
apparently a fresh game, though it would only be putting new words to an
old formula of action.
Dr. Jacob Jacobsen, in _Dialect and Place Names of Shetland_, tells us
that all the _vissiks_ or ballads have been forgotten since 1750, or
thereby. They were sung to a dance, in which men and women joined hands
and formed a ring, moving forwards, and keeping time with their hands
and feet. Mr. Newell (_Games_, p. 78), records that “Barbara Allen” was
sung and danced in New England at children’s parties at a period when
dancing was forbidden to be taught in schools. “Auld Lang Syne” is a
further instance.
It will easily be seen that the circle games have a distinctive
characteristic compared with the line games. These, as I have already
pointed out, are games of contest, whereas the circle games are games in
which a homogeneous group of persons are performing a ceremony belonging
entirely to themselves. The ceremony is of a religious character, as in
“Oats and Beans and Barley,” or “Old Roger,” dedicated to a spirit
intimately connected with the group who perform it, and having nothing
belonging to any outside group. The position of the marriage ceremony in
this group is peculiar. It has settled down from the more primitive
state of things shown in the line marriage games, and has acquired a
more social and domestic form. Except in the very significant water
custom in “Sally Water,” which I have suggested (ii. pp. 176, 177) may
take us back to perhaps the very oldest stage of culture, all the games
in this group are evidently of a later formation. Let it be noted, too,
that the circle has deep religious significance not entirely absent from
the customs of comparatively later times, among which the singing of
“Auld Lang Syne” is the most generally known.
But in speaking of matters of religious significance, it is important to
bear in mind that we are not dealing with the religion of the Church.
Everywhere it is most significant that marriage ceremony, sacred rite,
social custom, or whatever is contained in these games, do not take us
to the religion of to-day. Non-Christian rites can only be pre-Christian
in origin, and these games therefore take us to pre-Christian religious
or social custom, and this is sufficient to stamp them with an antiquity
which alone would certify to the importance of studying this branch of
folk-lore.
To take now the dialogue or individual form of game, the best example
for my purpose is “Mother, Mother, the Pot boils over” (vol. i. pp.
396-401). Here the chorus has disappeared; the principal characters tell
the story in dialogue, the minor characters only acting when the
dialogue necessitates it, and then in dumb show. This is an interesting
and important game. It is a complete drama of domestic life at a time
when child-stealing and witchcraft were rife. A mother goes out to work,
and returns to find one of her seven children missing. The game
describes the stealing of the children one by one by the witch, but the
little drama tells even more than this. It probably illustrates some of
the practices and customs connected with fire-worship and the worship of
the hearth. There is a pot, which is a magical one, and which boils over
when each one of the children is stolen and the mother’s presence is
necessary. A remarkable point is that the witch asks to borrow a light
from the fire. The objection to the giving of fire out of the house is a
well-known and widely-diffused superstition, the possession of a brand
from the house fire giving power to the possessor over the inmates. The
witch in this game takes away a child when the eldest daughter consents
to give her a light. The spitting on the hearth gives confirmation to
the theory that the desecration of the hearth is the cause of the pot
boiling over. Instances of magical pots are not rare.[20]
[20] Mr. W. F. Kirby refers me to the form of initiation into
witchcraft in Saxony, where the candidate danced round a pot
filled with magic herbs, singing—
“I believe in this pot,
And abjure God;”
or else it was—
“I abjure God,
And believe in this pot.”
After the children are stolen the mother has evidently a long and
troublesome journey in search of them; obstacles are placed in her path
quite in the manner of the folk-tale. Blood must not be spilled on the
threshold. This game, then, which might be considered only as one of
child-stealing, becomes, when examined on the theories accompanying the
ancient house ritual, an extraordinary instance of the way beliefs and
customs have been dramatised, and so perpetuated. Other games of a
similar character to this, and perhaps derived from it, are “Witch,”
“Gipsy,” “Steal the Pigs.”
Amongst other games classified as dialogue games are those in which
animals take part. In some there is a contest between a beast of prey,
usually a fox or wolf, and a hen and her chickens or a goose and her
goslings; in others a shepherd or keeper guards sheep from a wolf, and
in these animals of the chase are hunted or baited for sport. In
the animal contest games, “Fox and Goose,” “Hen and Chickens,”
“Gled-wylie,” “Auld Grannie,” “Old Cranny Crow,” all played in the
dialogue form, the dialogue announces that the fox wants some food, and
he arouses the suspicion of the goose or hen by prowling around or near
her dwelling. After a parley, in which he tries to deceive the mother
animal, he announces his intention of catching one of the chickens. The
hen declares she will protect her brood, and a contest ensues. These
games have of course arisen from the well-known predatory habits of the
wolf, fox, and kite. On the other hand, the games illustrating the
hunting or baiting of animals, such as “Baste the Bear,” “Fox in the
Hole,” “Hare and Hounds,” are simply imitations of those sports.
“Baiting the Bear,” a popular and still played game, has continued since
the days of bear-baiting.
I may also mention the games dealing with ghosts. “Ghost at the Well,”
“Mouse and Cobbler,” show the prevailing belief in ghosts. Playing at
Ghosts has been one of the most popular of games. These two show the
game in a very degenerate condition. I need not, I think, describe in
detail any more of the dialogue games. There are none so good as
“Mother, the Pot boils over,” but that was hardly to be expected. The
customs which no doubt were originally dramatised in them all have in
many cases been lost, as in the case of some versions of “Mother, the
Pot boils over.”
The dialogue games appear to me to be later in form than both line and
circle games. They are, in fact, developments of these earlier forms.
Thus the “Fox and Goose” and “Hen and Chickens” type is played
practically in line form, and belongs to the contest group, while the
“Witch” type is probably representative of the circle form. But they
have assumed a dramatic character of a very definite shape. This, as
will be seen later on, is of considerable importance in the evidence of
the ancient origin of games; but I will only point out here that this
group has allowed the dramatic element to have full scope, with the
result that a pure dialogue has been evolved, while custom and usage has
to some extent been pushed in the background.
The next group is the arch form of game. This I divide into two
kinds—those ending in circle or dance form, and those ending with a
contest between two leaders. Of this first form there are several
examples. “London Bridge” (i. pp. 333-50) is possibly the most
interesting. Two players form the arch, all the others follow in single
file. The words of the story are sung while all the players run under or
through the arch. The players are all caught in turn in the arch, and
then stand aside; their part is finished. In some cases the game begins
by all forming a circle, and the verses are sung while the circle dances
round. The arch is then formed, and all run through it in single file,
and are caught in turn by being imprisoned between the lowered arms.
Also, we find the circle-dancing following the arch ceremony. In my
account of this game (vol. i. pp. 341-50), I have drawn attention to the
incident of a prisoner being taken as indicative of the widespread
custom known as the foundation sacrifice, because of the suggested
difficulty of getting the bridge to stand when the prisoner is taken. I
have given a few instances of the custom, and the tradition that the
stones of London Bridge were bespattered with the blood of little
children, and that the mortar was tempered with the blood of beasts. In
stories where a victim is offered as a foundation-sacrifice, the victim,
often a prisoner, is sometimes forced to enter a hole or cavity left on
purpose in the building, which is then walled or built up, enclosing the
victim. In some, recourse to lottery is had; in others, as at Siam,
mentioned by Tylor (_Primitive Culture_, i. 97), it was customary, when
a new city gate was being erected, for a number of officers to lie in
wait and seize the first four or eight persons who happened to pass by,
and who were then buried alive under the gate-posts. After these customs
of human sacrifice had ceased to be enforced, animals were slaughtered
instead; and later still the ceremony would be performed, as a ceremony,
by the incident being gone through, the person or animal seized upon
being allowed to escape the extreme penalty by paying a money or other
forfeit; and it may be this later stage which is represented in the
game. The dancing in circle form, which belongs, I think, to the
original method of play, shows us a ceremony in which people of one
place are concerned, and would supersede an older line form of game, if
there were one, when the custom showed a real victim being taken from
outsiders by force, who would resist the demand. The circle dance would
follow as the completion of the ceremony. The “line” form would also be
the first portion of the game to disappear when once its meaning was
lost.
The game, “Hark! the Robbers” (i. 192-99) may be a portion of “London
Bridge” made into a separate game by the part of the building being
lost, or the children who play both games may have mixed up the method
of playing; but as it ends in some places with a contest and in some
with a dance, it is difficult to say which is right.
“Thread the Needle,” played by all players running through an arch and
then dancing round, is a game well illustrated by customs obtaining on
Shrove Tuesday in different parts of the country. All the children play
“Thread the Needle” in the streets of Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon,
South Petherton, Evesham, besides other places, in long lines, whooping
and shouting as they run through the arches they make. After this they
proceed to the churchyard, and encompassing the church by joining hands,
dance all round it three times, and then return to their homes. Here is
the undoubted performance of what must have been an old custom,
performed at one time by all the people of the town, being continued as
an amusement of children. It was played at Evesham only on Easter
Monday, and in three other places only on Shrove Tuesday, and another
correspondent says played only on a special day. In other places where
it is played the game is not connected with a special day or season. The
circle dance does not always occur, and in some cases the children
merely run under each other’s clasped hands while singing the words. In
the places above mentioned we see it as a game, but still connected with
custom. It is a pity that the words used by the children on all these
occasions should not have been recorded too. “How many Miles to Babylon”
(vol. i. pp. 231-238) may with good reason be considered a game of the
same kind. It represents apparently a gateway of a town, and a parley
occurs between the gatekeepers and those wishing to enter or leave the
town. Small gateways or entrances to fortified towns were called
needle’s eyes, which were difficult to enter. But notwithstanding these
apparent identifications with the conditions of a fortified town, I
think the practice of going through the arch in this and in the previous
game relates to the custom which prevailed at festivals held during
certain seasons of the year, when people crept through holed stones or
other orifices to propitiate a presiding deity, in order to obtain some
particular favour. This would be done by a number of people on the same
occasion, and would terminate by a dance round the church or other spot
associated with sacred or religious character. “Long Duck” is another
probably almost forgotten version of this game.
“Draw a Pail of Water” (vol. i. pp. 100-108), though not quite in accord
with the arch form in its present state, is certainly one of the same
group. This game I consider to be a descendant of the custom of “well
worship.” In its present form it is generally played by children
creeping under the arms of two or four others, who clasp hands and sway
backwards and forwards with the other children enclosed in them. The
swaying movement represents, I believe, the drawing of water from the
well. The incidents of the game are:—
(1) Drawing water from a well. (2) For a devotee at a well. (3)
Collecting flowers for dressing the well. (4) Making a cake for
presentation. (5) Gifts to the well [a gold ring, silver pin, and
probably a garter]. (6) Command of silence. (7) The presence of
devotee at the sacred bush. (8) The reverential attitude (indicated
by the bowing and falling on the ground).
I can now add another incident, that of the devotee creeping through a
sacred bush or tree (signified by the creeping under or getting enclosed
within the arms of the leaders). These are all incidents of primitive
well worship.
I have from many different versions pieced together the lines as they
might appear in earlier versions (i. p. 107).
This restoration, though it is far from complete, shows clearly enough
that the incidents belong to a ceremonial of primitive well worship.
Dressing holy wells with garlands and flowers is very general; cakes
were eaten at Rorrington Well, Shropshire, and offerings of pins,
buttons, and portions of the dress, as well as small articles worn on
the person, are very general; silence is enforced in many instances, and
sacred trees and bushes are to be found at nearly all holy wells.
Offerings are sometimes hung in the bushes and trees, sometimes thrown
into the well. Miss Burne records in _Shropshire Folk-Lore_ (pp. 414,
433, 434) that at Rorrington Green, in the parish of Chirbury, is a holy
well, at which a wake was celebrated on Ascension Day. The well was
adorned with green bowers, rushes, and flowers, and a maypole was set
up. The people used to walk round the hill with fife, drum, and fiddle,
dancing and frolicking as they went. They threw pins into the well for
good luck, and to prevent them from being bewitched, and they also drank
the water. Cakes were eaten. These were round flat buns, from three to
four inches across, sweetened, spiced, and marked with a cross, and were
supposed to bring good luck if kept.
Instances of similar practices at holy wells could be multiplied, and
they are exhaustively examined in my husband’s book on _Ethnology in
Folk-Lore_. Halliwell records in his nursery rhymes what is perhaps the
oldest printed version of the rhyme. He says the children form a long
string, hand in hand; one stands in front as leader, two hold up their
clasped hands to form an arch, and the children pass under; the last is
taken prisoner. Though this way of playing does not appear to be used
now—no version, at least, has reached me—it is clear that the game might
be played in this way, probably as a commencement of the ceremonial, and
then the other positions might follow. Halliwell may not have recorded
it minutely or have heard of it as a whole, or the version sent him may
have been in degenerate form. It is, however, clear that the arch form
here indicates a ceremonial, and not the taking of a prisoner.
“Oranges and Lemons” (vol. ii. pp. 25-35) is the best-known game of the
arch form, followed by the contest or tug-of-war. In this game two
players, sometimes chosen by lot, clasp hands and form an arch. They
have each a name, which is secret. One is called “Orange,” the other is
“Lemon.” They sing the words of the game-rhyme, and the other players
run under the arch in a long line or string. At the close of the verses
which ends with the line, “Here comes a chopper to chop off your head,”
one of the string of players is caught and is asked which she prefers,
orange or lemon. She chooses, and is told to stand behind that leader
who took that name. This is repeated until all the players have been
separately caught, have chosen their side, and are standing behind the
respective leaders, holding on to each other by clasping each other’s
waists. A line is then drawn on the ground, and both sides pull; each
endeavours to drag the other over the line. The tug is generally
continued until one side falls to the ground. Now this is an undoubted
contest, but I do not think the contest is quite of the same kind as the
line game of contest and fighting. The line form is one of invaders and
invaded, and the fight is for territory. In this form it seems to me
that the contest is more of a social contest, that is, between people of
the same place, perhaps between parishes and wards of parishes, or
burghers and apprentices (townspeople) on one side, and the followers of
lords or barons (military power) on the other, or of two lords and
barons. The leaders are chosen by lot. Each leader has a “cry” or
“colour,” which he calls out, and the other players run and place
themselves under the banner they choose.
In my account of this game I draw particular attention to the following
details:—The game indicates contest and a punishment, and although the
sequence is not clear, as the execution precedes the contest, that is
not of particular importance in view of the power of the old baronial
lords to threaten and execute those of their following who did not join
their armed retainers when required. All rhymes of this game deal with
saints’ names and with bell ringing. Now, the only places where it would
be probable for bells to be associated with different saints’ names in
one area would be the old parish units of cities and boroughs. The
bells were rung on all occasions when it was necessary to call the
people together. The “alarm” bell tolling quickly filled the open spaces
and market-places of the towns, and it is a well-known fact that serious
contests and contest games between parishes and wards of parishes were
frequent. The names “oranges” and “lemons,” given to the leaders in the
game, usually considered to be the fruits of these names, are, in my
opinion, the names of the “colours” of the two rival factions.
The passing under the arch in this game is not absolutely necessary in
order that the players may exercise their choice of leaders, nor is the
“secrecy” which is observed necessary either. Even this may have its
origin in custom. It may signify the compulsory attendance of a vassal
under pain of punishment to serve one side, or the taking prisoner and
condemning to death for serving on the opponents’ or losing side. An
idea is current that it represents cutting off the last person’s head,
the last of the string or line of players, and in some places the last
one in the line is always caught instead of one whom the leaders choose
to enclose in their arms. Of course a “laggard” or late arrival would be
liable to suspicion and punishment, and this idea may be suggested in
the game; but I do not think that the game originates from the idea of
catching a “last” player. The passing under the arch can also be
attributed to the custom of compelling prisoners to pass under a yoke to
signify servitude, and the threat of execution would follow attempt to
escape or disobedience. Again, prisoners were offered life and freedom
on condition of joining the army of their opponents.
The other games of this method of play, “Three Days’ Holiday,” and “Tug
of War,” are the same game under other names, with only a nominy
surviving, and the method of play. Several games entered under the title
of “Through the Needle Eye,” are really the “arch” type with the “tug,”
that is the “Oranges and Lemons” game, instead of belonging to the
“Thread the Needle” or first form of arch type, as they are usually
considered. The Scottish form, described by Jamieson (ii. p. 290), is an
exception which should have been included with “Thread the Needle,” to
which group it belongs. The other games, “Through the Needle Eye,” have
lost a portion of their play, which probably accounts for the mixture of
name with the “Thread the Needle” games, because of both containing the
arch form. “Namers and Guessers,” “Fool, Fool, come to School,” “Little
Dog, I call you,” practically versions of one and the same game, which I
have classed in this type because of the “tug,” have an additional
element of guessing in them. The leader or namer on one side and the
guesser on the other take sides. All the players have names given them,
and it is the first business of the guesser to guess which of the
players has taken a particular name. If he guesses correctly, he takes
that player on his side; if incorrectly, he stays on the namer’s side.
After he has “guessed” at all the players, the “tug” follows, and the
beaten side has further to run the gauntlet between two lines of the
successful side. This game, having all its players chosen by guessing,
by what might have been originally choosing by “lot” or by magical
powers, may have an entirely different meaning, but it is clearly a
contest game, although there is no indication as to the why or
wherefore. The punishment of “running the gauntlet” is found in the
game, which again indicates military fighting.
This group of games, though small, is perhaps one of the most indicative
of early custom, for beyond the custom which is enshrined in each
game—foundation sacrifice, well worship, &c.—it will be noticed there is
a common custom belonging to all the games of this group; this is the
procession under the arch. The fact that this common custom can also be
referred to primitive usage, confirms my view that the particular
customs in each game owe their origin to primitive usage. Mr. W. Crooke
has very kindly supplied me with some notes on this interesting subject,
and I gladly avail myself of his research:—
“In Cairo, women walk under the stone on which criminals are
decapitated, in the hope of curing ophthalmia and getting children.
They must go in silence, and left foot foremost.”—Lane, _Modern
Egyptians_, i. p. 325; Hartland, _Perseus_, i. p. 163.
“Rheumatism and lumbago cured by crawling under granitic masses in
Cornwall.”—Hunt, _Popular Romances_, p. 177.
“Passing children under bramble to cure rupture.”—_Ibid._, pp. 412,
415.
“This cures chincough.”—Aubrey, _Remains_, p. 187.
“In Scotland, sick children are passed through the great stones of
Odin at Stennis, and through a perforated monolith at Burkham, in
Yorkshire.”—Rogers, _Social Life in Scotland_, i. p. 13.
“Barren women pass their hands through the holes of the Bore Stone
at Gask in order to obtain children.”—_Ibid._, iii. p. 227.
“Similar rites prevail in Cyprus.”—Hogarth, _Devia Cypria_, p. 48;
Gardner, _New Chapters in Greek History_, p. 172.
“This again gives rise to the use of the gateway through which
pilgrims pass to temples. Such are the Indian Torana, in this shape,
which are represented by the Torio, so common in Japan.
“The Greeks had the same, which they called Dokana (δὁκανα, from
δοκὁϛ, ‘a beam’). With them they represented the Dioscuri—Castor and
Pollux. They are described by Plutarch.”—_De Amor. Fratr._, i. p.
36.
“Similar arches, covered with charms, were seen at Dahomi by
Burton.”—_Mission to Gelele_, i. pp. 218, 286.
“Women in England creep under a gallows to get children.” (I have
mislaid the reference.)
“There are many ‘creeps’ or narrow holes in Irish dolmens certainly
used by people, who had to creep in to worship the ghost or bring
offerings. Captives intended to be slaughtered had to creep through
such places.”—Borlase, _Dolmens of Ireland_, ii. p. 554.
“Barren women pass their hands through such holes.”—_Ibid._, ii. p.
650.
“A good picture of such a stone from France.”—_Ibid._, ii. pp. 626,
700, 702, 707.
Mr. Albany F. Major has also kindly drawn my attention to the following
interesting passages from the sagas, which Dr. Jon Stefansson has kindly
translated as follows:—
“In old times this had been the custom of brave men, who made an
agreement (pact) that the one who lived the longest should revenge
the other’s death. They were to go under three earth-sods, and that
was their oath (eiðr). This ceremony (leikr) of theirs was in this
wise, that three long earth-sods (turfs) should be cut loose. All
the ends were to be fast in the ground (adhere to it), but the coils
(bends) were to be pulled upward, so that a man might go under
them. This play Thorgeir and Thormod went through.”—_Fóstbrædra
Saga_, ed. 1822, ch. i. p. 7.
“Now is spread about this report of Thorkell and his men, but
Gudmund had before told [the story] somewhat otherwise. Now that
tale seemed to those kinsmen of Thorarins somewhat doubtful, and
they said they would not put trust in it without proof, and they
claimed for themselves [to share] half the property with Thorkell,
but Thorkell thought to own it himself alone, and bade go to ordeal
after their custom. This was then the [form of] ordeal at that time,
that they should go under an earth-belt, that is, a sod [which] was
ripped up from the field. The ends of the sod must be fast in the
field, but the man who was to perform the ordeal must go thereunder.
Thorkell of the Scarf somewhat suspects whether the death of those
men can have happened in the way that Gudmund and his men had said
the latter time. Now, heathen men thought that they had no less at
stake, when they had to play such a part, than Christian men think
nowadays when ordeals are held. Then the man who went under the
earth-belt was clear if the sod fell not on him. Thorkell took
counsel with two men that they should let themselves fall out about
something or other, and be there standing near at hand when the
ordeal was being performed, and should touch the sod so hard that
all might see that they brought it down. After this the man who was
to perform the ordeal starts, and as soon as he was come under the
earth-belt those men who were set to do it sprang to meet each other
under arms, and they encounter near the bend of the sod and lie
fallen there, and the earth-belt fell down, as was to be expected.
At once men spring between them and separate them; that was easy,
because they were fighting with no risk to life. Thorkell of the
Scarf asked what people thought of the ordeal; now all his men say
that it would have done well if no one had spoilt it. Then Thorkell
took all the loose property, but the land is joined on to
Hrappstead.”—_Laxdæla Saga_, ch. xviii.
“Berg gave notice of the blow for the Hunawaterthing and began the
lawsuit there. As soon as men came to the thing they tried to
arrange a settlement. Berg said that he would not take payment in
atonement, and would only be reconciled under these terms, that
Jokull should go under three earth-belts, as was then the custom
after great transgressions, ‘and thus show humility towards me.’
Jokull said the trolls should take him before he thus bowed himself.
Thorstein said it was a matter for consideration, ‘and I will go
under the earth-belts.’ Berg said then would the matter be paid for.
The first earth-belt reached to the shoulder, the next to the
waist-belt, the third to mid-thigh. Then Thorstein went under the
first. Then said Berg: ‘Now I make thee stoop like a swine, who wast
the loftiest of the Vatnsdale men.’ Thorstein answers, ‘That hadst
thou no need to say, but this will be the first return for those
words, that I will not go under any more.’ Finnbogi said, ‘That is
clearly not well said, but then not much comes in repayment for
Berg’s wrong, that he gat from Jokull, if the matter shall here come
to a standstill, and everything seems to you lowly by the side of
you Vatnsdale men, and I will challenge thee, Thorstein, to
holm-gang a week hence by the stackyard which stands on the island
down before my farm at Borg.’”—_Vatnsdæla Saga_, ch. xxxiii.
These significant customs, I think, bear out my theory as to the origin
of the games played in the two methods of the arch form.
Lastly, I come to the “winding up” games. “Eller Tree” (i. p. 119) and
“Wind up the Bush Faggot” (ii. pp. 384-387), show a game in which a tree
or bush is represented, and is probably indicative of tree worship. The
tallest player represents the tree, and all the other players walk round
and round in line form, getting closer and closer each time, until all
are wound round the centre player. They call out when winding round “The
old tree gets thicker and thicker,” and then jump all together, calling
out “A bunch of rags,” and try and tread on each other’s toes. This last
action is evidently performed from not understanding the action of
stamping, which is, without doubt, the object of the players. It is
probable that this game descends from the custom of encircling the tree
(Mr. Addy suggests the alder-tree) as an act of worship, and the
allusion to the “rags” bears at least a curious relationship to hanging
rags on sacred trees. A ceremonial of this kind would probably take
place each spring, and the stamping on the ground would be, as in “Oats
and Beans and Barley,” a part of the ceremony to awake and arouse the
earth spirit to the necessity of his care for the trees under his
charge. The connection of all the players, by means of the clasped
hands, with the central figure or tree, may also be considered a means
of communicating life and action to it; the tree requiring contact with
living and moving creatures to enable it to put forth its leaves. In a
version of this game from Lincoln, called the “Old Oak Tree” (ii. p.
386), we find practically the same words and same actions, the dancing
round and jumping up and down are constant features of this game. It
remains in some degenerate versions from Scotland (_ibid._), where the
game has assumed the modern name of “Rolling Tobacco.” In “Wind up the
Bush Faggot” we have again the tree or bush suggested, and the dancing
and jumping, or stamping up and down. In Shropshire it is the closing
game of any playtime, and was played before “breaking-up” at a boys’
school in Shrewsbury in 1850-1856. This tends to show that the game had
originally been played at a special time or season.
For an example of this custom I may repeat (from ii. p. 386) that in
mid-Cornwall, in the second week in June, at St. Roche and one or two
adjacent parishes, a curious dance, like a serpent’s coil, is performed
at the annual “feasts.” The young people are assembled in a meadow, and
the band plays a lively tune. The band leads, and all the people follow
hand in hand. The band or head keeps marching in an ever-narrowing
circle, while its train of dancing followers becomes coiled round it in
circle after circle. Then the band, taking a sharp turn about, begins to
retrace the circle, still followed as before, and a number of young men,
with long leafy branches in their hands as standards, direct this
counter-movement. Although there is no mention of a tree in the account
round which this ceremony is performed, the custom is so striking as to
leave very little doubt of their connection. Lady Wilde (_Ancient Cures,
Charms, and Usages of Ireland_, p. 106) says, “On May-Day in Ireland all
the young men and maidens hold hands, and dance in a circle round a tree
hung with ribbons or garlands, or round a bonfire, moving in curves from
left to right, as if imitating the windings of a serpent.” This is a
closer parallel to the game still, and leaves no doubt as to its
connection with custom. There may be, too, some connection between these
winding-up or serpentine dances and the Maypole dances on May-Day in
England.
The detail into which I have gone in the case of these games makes it, I
think, unnecessary that I should enter into equal detail in other
customs mentioned in the classification. Thus, with regard to the
funeral customs indicated in “Jenny Jones,” we have not only a ceremony
of burial, but the courting of a maiden or maidens by a band of suitors,
the opposition of the mother or guardians to their suit, the putting
forward of domestic occupations as pretexts for refusal; there is also
the illness, dying and death of the maiden, the manner of her funeral
indicated by the colour selected for her burial, followed by the burial
itself, the singing of the lament or funeral dirge, and, in some
versions, the rising of the ghost or spirit of the departed. This game
in its best versions is played in line form. But in those versions where
two children only play the parts of “mother” and “Jenny Jones,” there is
also evidence of the tendency of the game to develop into the individual
form.
Again, those games in which “guessing” occurs remind us of the important
part that guessing or chance plays in the beliefs of the savage and
uncivilised. A person who, by a guess, discovers a special person out of
a number, or the exact number of articles concealed in a hand or under a
foot, has something of the supernatural or witch-element about him. This
is largely the foundation of the belief in witchcraft and the sorcerer.
It is not surprising to find, therefore, the guessing-element largely
extant in the dramatic game. The “guesser” is usually chosen by lot by
means of the counting-out rhyme; the leader then proceeds to confuse the
guesser’s or witch’s mind by re-naming secretly the rest of the players.
He calls the “guesser,” and in a doggerel rhyme (the remains or
imitation probably of an incantation), tells him to pick out or name a
certain person or thing. If the guess is correct, the “guesser” takes
that person to his side, indicating power over that individual or thing.
If the “guesser” is unsuccessful, he is scouted, mocked, and ill-used.
I now proceed with the second classification referred to on p. 461. Of
the games classified on pp. 461-470, _ante_, it will be found on
examination that nearly all of them are dramatic in form. This leads me
at once to suggest that so important a phase of their character needs
separate investigation, and this I proceed to do.
In the first place, it will be found that certain of the games are
wholly dramatic whatever may be the customs or rites they imitate. These
games are of two classes—first, where dramatic action is complete
throughout the whole game, that is where singing, action, and words are
represented; secondly, where singing has dropped out, action and words
only remaining.
These two classes are as follows:—
DRAMATIC GAMES.
(1) SINGING (_containing words, tune, action_).
All the Boys.
Babbity Bowster.
Booman.
Curly Locks.
Cushion Dance.
Dillsie, Dollsie Dee.
Down in the Valley.
Down in yonder Meadow.
Galley, Galley, Ship.
Glasgow Ships.
Green Grass.
Green Gravel.
Hark the Robbers.
Hear all! let me at her.
Here comes a Lusty Wooer.
Here comes a Virgin.
Here I sit on a Cold Green Bank.
Here’s a Soldier.
Here stands a Young Man.
Hey Wullie Wine.
Isabella.
Jenny Jones.
Jolly Fishermen.
Jolly Hooper.
Jolly Miller.
Jolly Rover.
Jolly Sailors.
Keys of Heaven.
King William.
Kiss in the Ring.
Knocked at the Rapper.
Lady of the Land.
Lady on the Mountain.
London Bridge.
Mary Brown.
Mary mixed a Pudding.
Merry-ma-tansa.
Milking Pails.
Mulberry Bush.
Needle Cases.
Nettles Grow.
Nuts in May.
Oats and Beans.
Old Dame.
Old Roger.
Oliver, Oliver, follow the King.
Oranges and Lemons.
Poor Mary sits a-weepin’.
Poor Widow.
Pray, pretty Miss.
Pretty little Girl.
Queen Anne.
Queen Mary.
Ring me Rary.
Rosy Apple.
Round and Round the Village.
Sally Water.
Salmon Fishers.
Silly Old Man.
Soldier.
Soldiers.
Three Dukes.
Three Knights.
Three Old Bachelors.
Three Sailors.
Wallflowers.
We are the Rovers.
When I was a Young Girl.
Widow.
Wind.
Would you know how doth the Peasant?
(2) DIALOGUE AND ACTION (_no singing_).
Auld Grannie.
Barbarie, King of the.
Chickens, come clock.
Deil amo’ the Dishes.
Doagan.
Draw a Pail of Water.
Dumb Motions.
Eller Tree.
Fox and Geese.
Ghost at the Well.
Giddy.
Gipsy.
Gled-Wylie.
Hen and Chickens.
Honey Pots.
How many Miles to Babylon.
Jack, Jack, the Bread’s a-burning.
Keeling the Pot.
King of Barbarie.
King of the Castle.
Lady on yonder Hill.
Lend me your Key.
Mother, may I go out?
Mother Mop.
Mother, Mother, the Pot boils over.
Mouse and Cobbler.
Namers and Guessers.
Old Cranny Crow.
Old Dame.
Rashes.
Shepherds and Sheep.
Steal the Pigs.
Thread the Needle.
Three Jolly Welshmen.
Tower of London.
Trades.
Who goes round my Stone Wall?
Willie Wastell.
Witch.
Wolf.
Nearly all the remaining dramatic games form a third class, namely,
those where action remains, and where both words and singing are either
non-existent or have been reduced to the merest fragments.
In order to complete the investigation from the point we have now
reached, it is necessary to inquire what is the controlling force which
has preserved ancient custom in the form of children’s games. The mere
telling of a game or tale from a parent to a child, or from one child to
another, is not alone sufficient. There must be some strong force
inherent in these games that has allowed them to be continued from
generation to generation, a force potent enough to almost compel their
continuance and to prevent their decay. This force must have been as
strong or stronger than the customs which first brought the games into
existence, and I identify it as the dramatic faculty inherent in
mankind.
A necessary part of this proposition is, that the element of the
dramatic in children’s games is more ancient than, or at all events as
ancient as, the customs enshrined in the games themselves, and I will
first of all see if this is so.
With the child the capacity to express itself in words is small and
limited. The child does not apparently pay as much attention to the
language of those adults by whom he is surrounded as he does to their
actions, and the more limited his vocabulary, the greater are his
attempts at expressing his thoughts by action. Language to him means so
little unless accompanied by action. It is too cold for a child. Every
one acquainted with children will be aware of their dramatic way of
describing to their mother or nurse the way in which they have received
a hurt through falling down the stairs or out of doors, or from knocking
their heads against articles of furniture. A child even, whose command
of language is fairly good, will usually not be content to say, “Oh,
mother, I fell down and knocked my head against the table,” but will
say, “Oh, I fell down like this” (suiting the action to the word by
throwing himself down); “I knocked my head like this” (again suiting the
action to the word by knocking the head against the table), and does not
understand that you can comprehend how he got hurt by merely saying so.
He feels it necessary to show you. Elders must respond in action as well
as in words to be understood by children. If “you kiss the place to make
it well,” and if you bind up a cut or sore, something has been done that
can be seen and felt, and this the child believes in as a means of
healing. A child understands you are sorry he has been hurt, much more
readily than if you say or repeat that you are sorry; the words pass
almost unheeded, the action is remembered.
Every one, too, must have noticed the observation of detail a child will
show in personifying a particular person. When a little child wishes to
personate his father, for instance, he will seat himself in the father’s
chair, cross his legs, pick up a piece of paper and pretend to read, or
stroke an imaginary beard or moustache, put on glasses, frown, or give a
little cough, and say, “Now I’m father,” if the father is in the habit
of indulging in either of the above habits, and it will be found that
sitting in the chair (if a special chair is used by the father to sit
in when at home) is the foundation and most important part of the
imitation. Other men of the child’s acquaintance read papers, smoke,
wear glasses, &c., but father sits in that chair; therefore to be
father, sitting in the chair is absolutely necessary, and is sufficient
of itself to indicate to others that “father” is being personified, and
not another person. To be “mother” a child will pretend to pour out tea,
or sew, or do some act of household work, the doing of which is
associated with “mother,” while a lady visitor or a relative would be
indicated by wearing hat or bonnet or silk dress, carrying a parasol,
saying, “How do you do?” and carrying on conversation. Again, too, it is
noticeable how a child realises a hurt if blood and swelling ensues
after a knock. This is something that can be seen and shown.
When wishing to be an animal, a child fixes at once on some
characteristic of that animal which is special to it, and separates it
from other animals similar in other ways. Children never personate
horses and cows, for instance, in the same manner. Horses toss their
heads, shake their manes, paw the ground, prance, and are restless when
standing still, gallop and trot, wear harness, and their drivers have
reins and a whip. When a child is a cow he does none of these things; he
walks in a slower, heavier way, lowers the head, and stares about as he
moves his head from side to side, lies down on the ground and munches;
he has horns, and rubs these against a tree or a fence.
A child of mine, when told that he must not run in the gutter when out
of doors, because that was not the place for little boys, replied, “I am
not a little boy now, I am a dog, so I may run in the gutter.” When he
came into the path again he became a boy.
Again the same child, when called by his name and told to come out from
under a table, a round one, under which he was lying rubbing his head
against the pedestal centre, because under the table was not the place
for little boys, said, “But I’m not [ ], I’m a cow, and it’s not a
table, it’s a tree, and I’m rubbing my horns.”
Again, when personating a train, the actions used are completely
different from those used when personating an animal. The child moves at
a steady rate, the feet progressing without raising the legs more than
necessary, because engines only have wheels, which keep close to the
ground; they don’t jump up like feet do, the arms are used as the
propeller, and the puffing and screeching, letting off steam, taking in
water, are imitated in sound to perfection. This is entirely on the
child’s own initiative. When children play in groups the same things
occur. Instances could be given _ad nauseam_. It cannot, therefore,
surprise us that in these games children should be found to use actions
which indicate to them certain persons or things, although the words
they use may render action unnecessary, as action is to them most
important. Children, when acting these games or dramas, appear not to
need the element of dress or of particular garments to indicate their
adoption of certain characters or characteristics. To display your heels
and look down at them while doing so signifies a man who wears spurs, a
knight; to prance along as if a horse, shows a man on horseback, a duke
a-riding. A child lies or stoops down and shuts her eyes, she is dead;
if she is passively carried by two others a little distance, she is
going to be buried. The child, by standing still, becomes a tree, a
house, or a stone wall. If an animal is required to be shown, down goes
the child on hands and knees, bends her head down, and the animal is
there. If a gate, fortress, or castle is wanted, two children join
hands, and their arms are raised or lowered when required for opening
the gate, &c. If one child is to personate a “mother,” one or two or
more smaller children are placed behind or beside her as her children,
because “mothers have children,” and so on. Many other examples could
be given from these games of the same kind of thing. There is, then, no
difficulty as to the reason why children should have continued playing
at these games when once they had seen their elders play them or similar
performances, nor why children should not have embodied in a game or
play some of the manners and customs which were constantly going on
around them in olden times as they do now, imitating the habits and
customs of the men and women and animals by whom they were surrounded.
We know from the evidence of those who have collected the games that
many were played as amusements by young men and women up to a few years
ago. Some are still so played, and some years further back it was a
general practice for men and women in country districts to play these or
similar games at fairs and festivals; it is unlikely that adults would
play seriously at children’s games, but children having seen their
elders playing at these amusements would adopt them and use them in
their turn, until these amusements become in turn too frivolous and
childish for them. It is not so very many years since that the then
educated or cultured classes amused themselves by occupations now deemed
silly and unfit even for children of the uneducated class—witness
practical joking, cock-fighting, &c.
The natural instinct to dramatic action in children is paralleled by the
same instinct in grown-up people when in a state of culture where they
are chiefly dependent upon their natural capacities for existence. Thus
evidence of the natural dramatic power in savages and in semi-civilised
races is abundant. The dances of savages are strongly dramatic. They
advance in lines dancing, gesticulating, and singing, while others sit
and look on; they dance in circles joining hands, they go down on all
fours imitating animal postures and noises, they wear masks, special
dresses and ornaments, and these have significance for their audience.
Some of these dances are peculiar to and only witnessed by men, others
performed by men are witnessed by both sexes. These ceremonial dances
are performed principally at the celebration of the initiative rites,
but some also represent other customs periodically performed.
Catlin’s (_North American Indians_) description of the Buffalo dance
among the Mandan Indians shows the dancers wearing masks made of a
buffalo’s head and horns, and a tail hanging down behind. The dancers
went through the actions of hunting, being shot with bow and arrow,
skinned and cut up, accompanied by singing and yelling. This dance was
performed as a ceremony when food was required and the hunters were at
a loss, and would continue until a herd of buffalos came in sight on the
prairie.
Mr. W. E. Roth gives dances accompanied by songs and pantomimic action
and games practised by the N.W. Central Australian aborigines.[21]
[21] _Ethnological Studies among the N.W. Central Queensland
Aborigines._ By Walter E. Roth. 1897. London.
In “Secular and Ceremonial Dances of Torres Straits” (_Zeit. für
Ethnogr._, vi. 1893, p. 131), Dr. Haddon describes a “saw-fish dance”
performed by natives. He says “the advent of different seasons of the
year is celebrated by ceremonies amongst most peoples; the most frequent
of these are harvest festivals, or periods of rejoicings at the
abundance of food. Very frequent also are ceremonies which relate to the
preparing for crops or the inauguration of a season which promises
abundant food supply. The saw-fish dance belongs to the latter class.”
Dr. Haddon visited the men, and saw the making of the masks which he
describes at length. These were worn by the dancers, and consisted of an
imitation of a human face resting on a crocodile’s head, and surmounted
by a figure of a saw-fish represented in a traditional method. The
dance, which lasted for hours, was accompanied by singing a chant, the
words of which served as a description of the meaning of the dance. This
dance is performed to ensure a good harvest from the sea.
He also refers to dramatic death dances and war dances, and describes
some interesting forms of other dances, one in which crabs are
represented. He says, all the men dance in single file, and each man
during the dance performs some definite movements which illustrate an
action in real life, such as agricultural, nautical, or fishing
employments; for example, a man would crouch and move his hands about as
if he were planting yams or looking for pearl shell at the bottom of the
sea. These movements are known to the spectators, though the foreign
observer may not catch the allusion. Probably most of these actions have
become more or less conventionalised during innumerable dance
representations, just as some of the adjuncts to the dance are
degenerate representations of objects used in everyday life. In the war
dance the actions illustrate the method pursued in war, ending with an
evolution which represented the successful warriors threading the heads
of the slain on the rattan slings which always hung on their backs when
they went out to fight.
Mrs. Murray-Aynsley in a paper on the secular and religious dances in
Asia and Africa (_Folk-lore Journal_, vol. v. pp. 273, 274), describes
an aboriginal dance which still takes place annually in certain villages
in the Khassia and Jaintia hills. It generally takes place in May. The
special reason of the dance is the display of all the unmarried girls
from far and near to choose, or be chosen by, suitable parties, and from
description it is probable that the girls choose. Many marriages result
from this one annual dance. The dances take place in a circular
enclosure which is set apart for this annual feast. The musicians sit in
the centre, and the girls form a large circle round the musicians, and
behind the girls, holding hands in a larger circle, the men dance and go
through their part of the performance. The girls perform very quiet
movements and dance slowly, while the men jig, leap, hop, and wave their
arms, legs, umbrellas, and _daos_ in the wildest confusion, accompanying
their movements with the most savage war-whoops, signifying nothing. It
is also usual for the men to dance when one of their tribe is buried.
In the Kulu district at Sultanpore is held the feast of Rugonath, the
chief god, when the gods belonging to every village in the valley are
bound to appear and pay him respect. There is feasting, and the men
dance round and round the palanquins containing the inferior gods. When
the excitement is at its height the temple attendants seize the
palanquins and dance them up and down violently, and make the godlings
salaam to each other and to Rugonath, the chief god.
In Spiti, a valley in the Western Himalayas, the people frequently dance
for hours for their own amusement. Men and women dance together, all
join hands and form a long line or circle. They commence by singing,
then dance to the accompaniment of their own voices, and the fun
speedily becomes fast and furious (_ibid._ p. 281).
Amongst the Lamas there are also religious and secular dances performed
at their feasts or fairs, the religious dances by the Lamas, the secular
by men and women together, or by each sex separately. In one dance those
who take part form themselves into two long lines. Each dancer holds on
to the one in front of him, as in our game of “Fox and Goose.” The two
strings of dancers wind in and out, then divide and dance opposite each
other, advancing and receding with a slow undulating movement, which
gradually becomes more energetic. Mock sword fights then take place
between two combatants, also sword dances, with two crossed weapons laid
on the ground, and precisely like those performed at our Highland
gatherings. In the religious dances each man wears a gigantic headpiece,
which comes down as far as the shoulders. Some of the masks are
ornamented. They perform several different dances, in which separate
characters are performed, one a Chinese mandarin and his wife, another,
two actors wear masks resembling ferocious-looking dogs, one places
himself against the entrance door, the other guards the door of exit.
They remind one, says Mrs. Murray-Aynsley, of the divan-palas, or
doorkeepers, whose statues are seen placed as guards on each side of the
shrine of some old Hindu temple. In Algeria the dancing at weddings is
performed by men and women. Before each woman went out to dance she was
enveloped in a garment which covered her from head to feet, her hands
even not being visible, the sleeves being drawn over and tied at the
ends so that the hands and arms were enclosed as in a bag. This was
apparently a form of disguise, as one woman was sent back because her
husband had discovered her. At a funeral also hired female mourners were
dancing on the surface of a newly-made grave and uttering wild shrieks.
An interesting account of the war-dance of the Coorgis is also given
(_ibid._ p. 251). “The Coorgis assembled in a clearing in the natural
jungle. The forest was only illumined by jungle. The torch-bearers
formed a large circle; within the open space, in the centre, were the
musicians. One dance was very peculiar, inasmuch as it seemed to be a
remnant of a period when every man’s hand was against his brother’s.
The performers may consist of any equal number of persons; they always
dance in pairs. Before they begin each man is given a bundle of sticks
or bamboos. This he holds in his left hand, and a stouter stick is given
him in his right hand. At first all the men dance round and round, with
head erect, as if going to war. Presently they narrow the circle and
assume a crouching attitude, their eyes glancing here, there, and
everywhere. The respective adversaries have been singled out; the
intending aggressors make a feint or two, then bend their knees so that
they are only about two-thirds of their ordinary stature; at the same
time they place their feet together and make a succession of bounds, or
rather hops, like a frog, and with the sticks the attacking party aim
cuts at the legs of the men whom they selected as their adversaries. The
latter now takes up the same attitude; he wards off attack, and returns
the blow if he can. Whether intentionally or not, one party is
victorious in the end.”
“A curious dance is also executed by Hindu women at Sagar, in the
Central Provinces of India (_ibid._ p. 253). Men are present, but as
spectators only. Some little time before preparations have been made for
this feast. Wheat or other grain has been sown in earth placed in pots
made of large leaves, held together by thorns of a species of acacia.
The richer women walk along, followed by their attendants carrying trays
filled with such pots; the poorer people carry their own plants. As soon
as each procession arrives at the ghat, or flight of steps leading down
to the lake, every family-circle of friends deposit their pots on the
ground and dance round them. After a time the dancers descend to the
water’s edge, taking their pots of earth and corn with them. They then
wash away the soil from the plants, and distribute these amongst their
friends. The whole of the ceremony is observed by the men, but they take
no part in it. It probably fixes the season for sowing some particular
crop.”
These amongst others are all dances of semi-civilised peoples, and these
dances, being all of a ceremonial nature, are probably derived from
older customs, and performed in commemoration of these.
There are also surviving some ceremonial dances, such as the singular
ceremony observed at Echternach, in Luxemburg, on Whit-Tuesday, in which
ten or fifteen thousand pilgrims take part. Professor Attwell thus
describes it in _Notes and Queries_ of May 17, 1890:—
“Early on the morning of Whit-Tuesday pilgrims arrive at Echternach from
the neighbouring villages, some alone, or in little family parties, some
in small bodies personally conducted by their _curés_, singing litanies
in honour of St. Willibrord. At about eight o’clock the bells of the
parish church begin to peal, and the clergy, intoning the ‘Veni
Creator,’ and preceded by numerous banners, issue from the principal
porch and march along the bank of the Sure to a stone crucifix, near
which, from an extemporised pulpit, the crowd is addressed. The short
sermon ended, the procession begins. It is headed by a choir of some
hundreds of voices chanting antiphonally with the clergy the litanies of
the saint. Then come numerous ecclesiastics, followed by a band playing
the cadenced music of the dance. The pilgrims are headed by young
children and men and women belonging to the parish, after whom comes the
throng, in groups of from three to six persons of either sex. The
dancers take three jumps forward and one backward, or five forward and
two backward. It is, of course, impossible for a moving crowd consisting
of many thousands to keep anything like time, save those who are near
one of the many bands of music, which, at irregular intervals, accompany
the procession. No special order is observed, but there is no confusion.
Poor mothers with sickly children in their arms jump side by side with
young well-to-do girls; old men, broken with toil, jump in step with
vigorous fellows in the heyday of youth. Water and wine are freely
offered by the townsfolk to the pilgrims, many of whom sink exhausted
under the unwonted effort. It sometimes happens that sick persons get
paid substitutes to perform for them the expiatory jumping. The distance
traversed is less than a mile, but the time occupied is fully two hours.
Before the church can be entered sixty-four steps have to be mounted.
But the singular backward and forward movements and the accompanying
music are continued, not only while the steps are ascended, but during
the circumambulation of the church, beneath the altar of which is the
tomb of the saint. On reaching the hallowed shrine the devotees manifest
their enthusiasm in various ways, kneeling before the altar, which is
surrounded by votive offerings, with sobs and gesticulations. When the
whole of the immense multitude has passed the shrine, the clergy ascend
the altar, the ‘Salve Regina’ is sung, the Benediction is given, and the
imposing ceremony is ended.”
Grimm also records the fact that about the year 1133 in a forest near
Inda (Ripuaria) a ship was built, set upon wheels, and drawn about the
country by men who were yoked to it, first to Aachen (Aix), and up the
river to Tongres, Looz, and so on, everywhere with crowds of people
assembling and escorting it. Wherever it halted there were joyful
shouts, songs of triumph, and dancing round the ship, kept up till far
into the night. This Grimm describes as a recollection of an ancient
heathen festival. It was utterly repugnant to and opposed strongly by
the clergy as a sinful and heathenish piece of work. On the other hand,
the secular power authorised and protected it (_Teutonic Mythology_, i.
258).
The story of the pied piper of Hamelin probably commemorates a
procession similar to the Echternach (see _Folk-lore Journal_, vol. ii.
209).
With this may also be noted a dance recorded by Mr. Newell (_Games of
American Children_, p. 89), who states that the name “Threading the
Needle” is given to a dance in which hundreds take part; in which from
time to time the pair who form the head of the row raise their arms to
allow the line to pass through, coiling and winding like a great
serpent. When a French savant asked the peasants of La Châtre why they
performed this dance, the answer was, “To make the hemp grow.”
I remember when quite a small child planting hemp seeds in a patch of
garden ground, and being told by a maid-servant, an illiterate country
girl, that the seeds would not grow well unless we danced, we joined
hands and danced round and round in a circle, then stooped down and
jumped about, saying, “Please, God, send it all up,” then again danced
round. This may have been said only to amuse us, but it may also have
been the remains of an old festival dance. I believe there were more
words, but I cannot remember them. Hemp seed is associated with
ceremonies of magical nature, being one of those used by maidens as a
charm to enable them to see a future husband.
Representation in pantomime of the different actions used in the
ceremonies of sowing the grain, its growth, and the consequent reaping,
binding, and carrying the grain, are practised in different parts of the
globe. This is brought down to later times by the custom noted on p.
319, vol. i., where from _Long Ago_ and Best’s _Rural Economy of
Yorkshire_ (1641), instances are given of it being customary, at
harvest-homes, to give representations of “hirings” of farm-servants.
The hiring of a farm labourer, the work he had to do, his terms of
service, and the food to be supplied him, were dramatically performed,
showing clearly that it had been customary to go through this sort of
thing, in earnest of what was expected—in fact, a sort of oral contract,
in presence of witnesses.
I will conclude this part of my evidence by a summary of the conclusions
arrived at by anthropological authorities.
Sir John Lubbock, in _Origins of Civilisation_ (fifth ed., p. 257),
says, “Dancing among savages is no mere amusement.” He quotes from
Robertson’s _America_ (iv. p. 133) as follows: “It is an important
occupation, which mingles in every occurrence of public or private life.
If any intercourse be necessary between two American tribes, the
ambassadors of the one approach in a solemn dance, and present the
calumets or emblem of peace; the sachems of the other receives it with
the same ceremony. If war is denounced against an enemy, it is by a
dance expressive of the resentment which they feel, and of the vengeance
which they meditate. If the wrath of their gods is to be appeased, or
their beneficence to be celebrated; if they rejoice at the birth of a
child, or mourn the death of a friend—they have dances appropriate to
each of these situations, and suited to the different sentiments with
which they are animated. If a person is indisposed, a dance is
prescribed as the most effectual means to restore him to health; and if
he himself cannot endure the fatigue of such an exercise, the physician
or conjurer performs it in his name, as if the virtue of his activity
could be transferred to his patient.”
Sir J. Lubbock mentions some special dances practised among different
peoples, and gives an illustration of a circle dance practised by the
natives of Virginia round a circle of upright stones (p. 268).
Dr. Tylor (_Anthropology_, p. 296) says, “Savages and barbarians dance
their joy and sorrow, love and rage, even their magic and religion. The
forest Indians of Brazil, rattle in hand, stamp in one-two-three time
round the great earthen pot of intoxicating kawi-liquor; or men or women
dance a rude courting dance, advancing in lines with a kind of primitive
polka step; or the ferocious war-dance is performed by armed warriors in
paint. We have enough of the savage left in us to feel how Australians
leaping and yelling at a corrobboree by firelight in the forest can work
themselves up into frenzy for next day’s fight. But with our civilised
notions it is not so easy to understand that barbarians’ dancing may
mean still more than this; it seems to them so real, that they expect it
to act on the world outside. Such an example as the buffalo dance (given
_ante_, p. 518) shows how, in the lower level of culture, men dance to
express their feeling and wishes. All this explains how in ancient
religion dancing came to be one of the chief acts of worship. Religious
processions went with song and dance to the Egyptian temples, and Plato
said all dancing ought to be thus an act of religion. . . . Modern
civilisation has mostly cast off the sacred dance. . . . To see this
near its old state the traveller may visit the temples of India, or
among the Lamas of Tibet watch the mummers in animal masks dancing
the demons out or the new year in, to wild music of drums and
shell-trumpets. Remnants of such ceremonies come down from the religion
of England before Christian times are still sometimes to be seen in the
dances of boys and girls round the midsummer bonfire or mummers of
Yuletide.”
Dr. Tylor continues: “At low levels in civilisation it is clear that
dancing and play-acting are one. The scenes of hunting and war furnish
barbarians with subjects for dances, as when the Gold Coast negroes have
gone out to war and their wives at home dance a fetish dance in
imitation of battle to give their absent husbands strength and
courage. . . . Historians trace from the sacred dances of ancient Greece
the dramatic art of the civilised world. Thus from the festivals of the
Dionysia arose tragedy and comedy. In the classic ages the players’ art
divided into several branches. The pantomimes kept up the earliest form,
where the dancers acted in dumb show such pieces as the labours of
Herakles, or Kadmos sowing the dragons teeth, while the chorus below
accompanied the play by singing the story. The modern pantomime ballets
which keep up remains of these ancient performances show how grotesque
the old stage gods and heroes must have looked in their painted masks.
In Greek tragedy and comedy the business of the dancers and chorus were
separated from that of the actors, who recited or chanted each his
proper part in the dialogue.”
Grimm (_Teutonic Mythology_, i. p. 43), says, “Easter fires, May Day
fires, Midsummer fires, with their numerous ceremonies, carry us back to
heathen sacrifices, especially such customs as rubbing the sacred flame,
running through glowing embers, throwing flowers into the fire, baking
and distributing loaves or cakes, and the circular dance. Dances passed
into plays and dramatic representations.”
It is then clear that dances accompanied with song and pantomimic action
have been used by men and women from the earliest period of which we
have record, at all times and upon all occasions. In times of joy and
mirth, sorrow and loss, victory or defeat, weddings and funerals,
plagues and pestilences, famine and plenty, civilised and savage alike
dance, act, and sing their griefs and their joys. The gods of all
nations have been worshipped by pantomimic dance and song, their altars
and temples are encircled by their worshippers; and as the occasion was
one of fear or joy, and the god entreated or terrified by his followers,
so would the actions and voices of the dancers be in accord. When once
certain actions were recognised as successful, fitting, or beautiful,
they would tend to become repeated and stereotyped, and the same form
would be used for other gods, other occasions, and other customs where
the requirements were similar or the same. The circle dance, for
instance, after being performed several times would necessarily become a
part of the religious customs or ceremony, and form a part of the
ordinary religious observance. It would become particularly associated
with the place where it was first instituted, and might be used to
inaugurate other festivals. We know that the early Christians when
taking over to their use the temples and altars of their so-called
heathen predecessors, or when erecting a church where a temple had
previously stood, held their worship there and performed their dances to
their God as the heathens had done to theirs. The custom of encircling a
church on its festival day existed until lately in several parishes in
England, and this could only be a descendant of the custom once held
sacred by all the followers of one belief, demonstrating by their action
in group form the fact that they all believed in the same thing and held
together, by the clasp of hands and the dance round, their determination
to hold to and keep to it.
If these customary dances obtained and have survived in religious ritual
to the present day, is it not to be expected that we should find
survivals in dance form of non-religious customs which also impressed
themselves strongly on the minds of the people? Births, marriages,
deaths, the sowing and gathering in of the crops; the protection of
cattle from disease and animals of prey; the necessity for water and
fire; the protection of the house and the village—have all helped to
surround these events with ceremonials which have lasted, and been
transmitted from generation to generation, altering to suit later ideas,
it is true, but preserving through all some trace of the events which
first called them into existence.
It is because of this tendency to believe more in the power of
expression by action, than in the power of expression by language alone,
that dramatic action and gesture have formed such a necessary part of
representation of custom as to become an integral part of it. Limited as
is our knowledge of the popular plays performed about the country by
troops of strolling players before the age of the written play, we know
that their chief attraction must have been the dramatic rendering of
characters and events personified by certain well-known actions of the
actors, accompanied by special style of dress, or portions of dress,
which were recognised as sufficient in themselves to show who and what
was being personified. The story was shown more by action than by words;
the idea being to present events to the onlooker, and impress them on
his mind. It is in these dramatic performances of what was expected we
have the germs of the dramatic art that afterwards developed into the
regular play or drama. Every important custom of life was probably
depicted by pantomimic action. We have, first, words, describing the
events, sung or said by a chorus of onlookers and dancers, afterwards a
short dialogue between the chief characters taking the place of the
chorus, and then, as the number of characters were increased, the
representations become something that could be performed independently,
without the need of a particular season or custom to render it
intelligible.
At this stage of the primitive drama the characters merely present
actions of the _dramatis personæ_ time after time, always performed in
the same manner, and this would produce conventional methods of
presenting certain events. We know that events of a religious nature
were presented in the same manner by the Church. This must have been in
consequence of the attraction plays possessed as depicting pagan
religion and events of ordinary life and manners and customs. It is
easily conceivable that before the era of books and literature, a rough
sort of presentation of life, present and past, would be eagerly
welcomed; and it would not be until the advent of a writer who developed
the individual acting, at the expense of the event depicted, that what
we know as a play could be written.
Mr. Ordish, in his study of Folk drama, published in the Folk-lore
Society’s journal, has conclusively proved the development of the drama
independently of the miracle and mystery plays of the Middle Ages, or
from the old Greek plays, and this development has taken place through
the action of the people, always accustomed to the influence of dramatic
representation. Hence in the remains of the traditional games we have
preserved a form in which we can see the beginning and early development
of the drama. When once the line form was firmly established as an
indication of two opposite parties, it would be used for such indication
wherever it was required, and thus it became the common property of the
children’s game and the early stage. The remains of the line and circle
form, as denoting opponents and friendly communion can, I think, be
traced in old plays and old methods of acting.
In old pantomimes, the demons or evil spirits and their followers enter
on one side and stand in lines; the good fairy and her followers enter
on the opposite side and stand in line; the principal characters advance
from the line, and talk defiance to each other. We do not have a circle
form on the stage, but a half-circle, seated on the stage, is or was
until comparatively lately a method of representing a social or family
party. Every one who has seen a mummer’s play performed, either in or
out of doors, will be aware that the same method obtains in them—the
performers are all on the stage or stand together at once, walking
forward as each one’s name is mentioned, saying his allotted part, and
then standing back again, while the next player has his turn.
The action in these plays has remained in stationary form; as far as the
method goes there has probably been very little difference in the manner
of presenting them for a long period of time.
These traditional games are valuable, therefore, for the information
they afford in a direction not hitherto thought of, namely, in the study
of the early drama. If the drama can be seen in its infancy anywhere,
surely it can be seen in these children’s plays.
The study of children’s games takes us, therefore, into several
departments of research. Many traces of customs that do not belong to
modern life, customs that take us back to very early times indeed, are
brought before us. The weapons are bows and arrows, the amusements
hunting and hawking; animals are found in such close relationship with
human beings, that only very primitive conditions of life would allow:
contests between men and women occur in such a way that we are taken
back to one of the earliest known customs of marriage, that known as
marriage by capture—then from this stage to a later, where purchase or
equivalent value obtains; then to a marriage with a ceremony which
carries us back to the earliest forms of such ceremonies. That such
customs can be suggested in connection with these games goes far to
prove that they, in fact, originate the game—that no other theory
satisfactorily accounts for all the phenomena.
In looking for the motive power which has caused the continuity of these
customs to be practised as amusements, we have found that the dramatic
power inherent in mankind supplies the necessary evidence, and from this
stage we have been led to an interesting point in the early history of
the drama and of the stage. It is not, therefore, too much to say that
we have in these children’s games some of the oldest historical
documents belonging to our race, worthy of being placed side by side
with the folk-tale and other monuments of man’s progress from savagery
to civilisation.
ALICE B. GOMME.
THE END
Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO.
Edinburgh & London
Transcriber’s notes:
General:
This eBook is Volume II of a two-volume work. Volume I is available as
ebook number 41727 via the website of LibraryBlog
in 1894 and Volume II in 1898, there is no symmetry in the references
between the two volumes (for example, Gled Wylie from Volume I does not
refer to Shue-Gled-Wylie from Volume II, whereas Shue-Gled-Wylie does
refer to Gled Wylie).
This eBook contains a number of symbols and characters that may not
display properly, depending on the software used and its settings.
This text follows the original printed work, including inconsistencies.
Inconsistencies include differences in spelling of the names of games
and locations, differences in transcription of dialect, inconsistencies
in lay-out, etc. Where changes were made, these are documented below.
References:
Both volumes contain some uncertain references to (other) games, caused
by the naming and/or spelling of game names. Where these differences
were trivial (for example, Wolf and Lamb versus Wolf and the Lamb),
their identity has been assumed silently. Following is a list of less
trivial references.
The game Stag is often referred to as Stag Warning, but occasionally
they are listed as thought they were separate games.
Page xiv: Lubin, Looby Loo is listed as game in the Addenda, but not
present there; Hulla-balloo-ballee is not listed, but present in Addenda
(including references to Lubin and Looby Loo).
Page 56: reference to the Scottish version. From the text and the
analysis this is probably version XVIII.
Page 145: reference to Tag. This game is not listed as such, but
according to the description it could be a version of French Jackie,
which is called French Tag in some places.
Page 282: reference to See the Farmer Sow his Seed, which is not a
separate game, but one version of Oats and Beans and Barley.
Page 307 and 421: reference to Twos and Threes, which is not a separate
game, but a local name for Round Tag.
Page 383: reference to Silly Young Man, which is probably a mistake for
Silly Old Man.
Page 436: reference to Jolly Lads, which is not a separate game
(probably the game intended is Jolly Sailors).
Page 467: reference to Drummer Man; no such game listed, the only
Drummer Man occurs in one of the variants of Follow my Gable.
Page 470: reference to Lugs; there is no such game listed, possibly this
should be Luggie.
Page 476: reference to Old Widow; there is no such game listed, it could
be a reference to Poor Widow; Baste the Bear, ditto, this is mentioned
under Badger the Bear; Old Woman, ditto, this could refer to Dumb
Motions.
Textual remarks:
At least some of the quotations presented by the author are not verbatim
quotations, they have been edited by the author (for example Aubrey on
cockle-bread).
In the Addenda, the original work uses Arabic rather than Roman numerals
for different variants; this has not been changed.
The original work uses both 2-4 and 2/4 to indicate musical time; this
has not been standardised.
Page 199: Love another like sister and brother is probably a mistake
(Love one another like sister and brother).
Page 336/7: The original work does not give a source or authority for
variation XXV.
Changes made to the original text:
Footnotes have been moved to end of the description of the game or to
immediately underneath the relevant paragraph (in the Memoir).
Sources (when printed in smaller type in the original work) have been
moved to a separate line where necessary.
In the Addenda, the references to games have been moved to the next
line.
First page: mustergiltig changed to mustergültig (exemplary)
Page vii: Pocklington Coltman changed to Pocklington-Coltman
Page xiii: Teesty-Totsy changed to Teesty-Tosty as in text
Page xv: Game Hulla-balloo-ballee added to list
Page 35: the other player’s changed to the other players
Page 56-60: some rows consisting of dashes only were combined in the
original work, these have been split into separate rows
Page 66: Hurstmonceaux changed to Hurstmonceux as elsewhere
Page 67: Hurstmonceaux changed to Hurstmonceux as elsewhere
Page 88: galop changed to gallop as elsewhere
Page 100: square brackets moved from line of verse to explanation, as
elsewhere [I pray ... the ball], putting ... three girls. changed to I
pray ... the ball, [putting ... three girls.]
Page 101: square bracket after yield up the ball. removed
Page 108: Egmond changed to Edgmont
Page 150: Biddgelert changed to Beddgelert
Page 153: (variant VIII) rise, Sally changed to rise, Sallie
Page 167: Strixwould changed to Stixwould
Page 192: Encyclopedia changed to Encyclopædia as elsewhere
Page 212: seldom or ever changed to seldom or never
Page 214: Warkwickshire changed to Warwickshire
Page 221: 1 and 2 changed to I and II as elsewhere
Page 274: come with we changed to come with me
Page 304: Schir, ξit remembir as of befoir changed to Schir, ȝit
remembir as of befoir
Page 321/2: I. and II. added for consistency
Page 323: Collyhurst changed to Colleyhurst as elsewhere
Page 324: Ill changed to I’ll
Page 333: Sprole changed to Sporle
Page 347: Hartley Witney changed to Hatley Wintney
Page 359: Authencairn changed to Auchencairn
Page 360: beleagured changed to beleaguered
Page 411: 229-303 changed to 299-303
Page 412: Page 292 changed to Page 294
Page 415: Doagan: placed on separate line as other section headers
Page 423: reference to Wads and the Wears: vol. i changed to vol. ii
Page 438: 315-319 changed to 313-319
Page 462: Tuilzie changed to Tuilyie
Page 464: Johnny Hairy changed to Johanny Hairy
Page 466: Cobler’s changed to Cobbler’s
Page 469: Spangle changed to Spangie
Page 475: Babity changed to Babbity as elsewhere
Page 476: Granny Crow changed to Cranny Crow; Rushes changed to Rashes
Page 477: Tuilzie changed to Tuilyie
Page 499: and in animals of the chase changed to and in these animals of
the chase
Page 482: Johnny Hairy changed to Johanny Hairy
Page 506: Orange and Lemons changed to Oranges and Lemons
Page 517: mother’s have children changed to mothers have children
Page 519: “Secular and Ceremonial Dances” of Torres Straits changed to
“Secular and Ceremonial Dances of Torres Straits”.
*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol II of II) - With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc." ***
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