Part 14

In the Roxton version, one child at the end of the line of children acts as "mother." One child advances as "suitor," and says the three first verses. The "mother" replies with the next line. The "suitor" chooses a girl and says the next verse, and then all the children sing the last verse. This is the same action as in Halliwell's version.

(_d_) The analysis of the game-rhymes is on pp. 164-67. This analysis presents us with a very good example of the changes caused by the game-rhymes being handed down by tradition among people who have forgotten the original meaning of the game. The first line in the Scotch version contains the word "dis," which is not known to the ordinary vocabulary. Another word, of similar import, is "dik-ma-day" in the Lanarkshire version. Two other words occur, namely, "thegan" in the Lanarkshire, and "maycanameecan" in the Sussex versions, which are also not to be found in ordinary vocabularies. The two last words appear only once, and cannot, therefore, be used for the purpose of tracing out an original form of the game-rhyme, because on the system of analysis adopted they may be arbitrary introductions and totally unconnected with the original rhymes. This, however, is not the case with the two first-mentioned words, and I am inclined to consider them as forming part of the earliest version. The word "dis" is carried through no less than ten out of the fourteen variants, the gradation in the forms being as follows:--

dis dass dish diss[y]--duss dossy this--thus --dust --dust[y]

What the meaning of this word is it may be impossible to ascertain, though probably Mr. Newell may be correct in his suggestion that it represents the old English word "adist," the opposite of "ayont," meaning "this way," "come hither" (_Games of American Children_, p. 51). But the point really is, that the version which contains the oldest word-forms would probably be the purest in other respects. The analysis of the whole game confirms this view, as the Scottish and Yorkshire versions are nearly parallel, while the discrepancies begin to creep in with the Shropshire version, reaching their last stage in the versions recorded by Halliwell and from Congleton. Following this line of argument, "dik-ma-day" becomes first "duke, my dear," and then "duck, my dear." Turning next to the import of the rhymes, apart from special words used, it is curious to note that "dis" is only converted into "dusty," and hence into "dusty day," in two versions out of the fourteen. The Lincolnshire version agrees with Halliwell's version in making some curious offers for a pretty lass, but these rhymes are probably an innovation. In the same way the incidents numbered 39-40, occurring in the Sussex version, and 43-46 occurring in the London and Hants versions, are borrowings from other games, and not original portions of this. The Congleton version is evidently incomplete.

+----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | No.| Scotland (Chambers). | Lanarkshire. | Biggar. | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.|A-dis, a-dis, a green |A-dis, a-dis, a green |A dish, a dish, a | | |grass. |grass. |green grass. | | 2.| -- | -- | -- | | 3.|A-dis, a-dis, a-das. |A-dis, a-dis, a-dass. |A dish, a dish, | | | | |a dish. | | 4.| -- | -- | -- | | 5.| -- | -- | -- | | 6.|Come all ye pretty |Come my pretty fair |Come all ye pretty | | |maids. |maid. |maids. | | 7.|And dance along with |And walk along with |And dance along with | | |us. |us. |us. | | 8.|For we are going a- | -- |For we are lads a | | |roving. | |roving. | | 9.|We'll take this maid | -- |We'll take this pretty| | |by the hand. | | fair maid by the | | | | |hand. | | 10.| -- | -- | -- | | 11.| -- | -- | -- | | 12.|You shall have a duke,|You shall have a dik- |Ye sall get a duke. | | |my dear. |ma-day. | | | 13.| -- | -- | -- | | 14.| -- | -- | -- | | 15.| -- | -- | -- | | 16.| -- | -- | -- | | 17.| -- | -- | -- | | 18.| -- | -- | -- | | 19.| -- | -- | -- | | 20.|You shall have a |You shall have a |Ye sall get a drake. | | |drake. |dragon. | | | 21.| -- | -- | -- | | 22.| -- | -- | -- | | 23.| -- | -- | -- | |[8.]| -- | -- | -- | | 24.|And ye shall get a |You shall have a nice |Ye sall get a bonny | | |young prince. |young man. |prince. | | 25.| -- | -- | -- | | 26.| -- | -- | -- | | 27.|A young prince for | -- |For your ain sake. | | |your sake. | | | | 28.| -- | -- | -- | | 29.| -- | -- | -- | | 30.|If this young prince | -- |If they all should | | |should die. | |die. | | 31.| -- | -- | -- | | 32.|Ye shall get another. | -- |Ye sall get anither. | | 33.| -- | -- | -- | | 34.| -- | -- | -- | | 35.|Bells will ring and | -- |The bells will ring, | | |birds sing. | |birds will sing. | | 36.| -- | -- | -- | | 37.|We'll all clap hands | -- |We'll clap hands | | |together. | |together. | | 38.| -- |With princes for his | -- | | | |thegan. | | | 39.| -- | -- | -- | | 40.| -- | -- | -- | | 41.| -- | -- | -- | | 42.| -- | -- | -- | | 43.| -- | -- | -- | | 44.| -- | -- | -- | | 45.| -- | -- | -- | | 46.| -- | -- | -- | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | No.| Yorkshire. | Roxton. | Shropshire. | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.|Dissy, dissy, green |Dossy, dossy, green | -- | | |grass. |grass. | | | 2.| -- | -- |Walking up the green | | | | |grass. | | 3.|Dissy, dissy, duss. |Dossy, dossy, doss. |A dust, a dust, a | | | | |dust. | | 4.| -- | -- | -- | | 5.| -- | -- | -- | | 6.|Come all ye pretty |Come all ye pretty |We want a pretty | | |maids. |maids. |maiden. | | 7.|And dance along with |Dance upon the grass. |To walk along with us.| | |us. | | | | 8.| -- | -- | -- | | 9.| -- | -- |We'll take her by the | | | | |hand. | | 10.| -- | -- | -- | | 11.| -- | -- |She shall go to Derby.| | 12.|You shall have a duck.|You shall have a duck.|She shall have a duck,| | | |(after No. 19) |my dear. | | 13.| -- |I will give pots and | -- | | | |pans. | | | 14.| -- |..... brass. | -- | | 15.| -- |..... gold and silver.| -- | | 16.| -- |..... pearl. | -- | | 17.| -- |..... anything. | -- | | 18.| -- | -- | -- | | 19.| -- |For a pretty lass. | -- | | 20.|You shall have a |You shall have a |She shall have a | | |drake. |drake. |drake. | | 21.| -- | -- | -- | | 22.| -- | -- | -- | | 23.| -- | -- | -- | |[8.]| -- | -- | -- | | 24.|You shall have a nice |You shall have a young|She shall have a nice | | |young man. |man. |young man. | | 25.| -- | -- | -- | | 26.| -- | -- | -- | | 27.|To love you for your | -- |A fighting for her | | |sake. | |sake. | | 28.| -- |Apprentice for your | -- | | | |sake. | | | 29.| -- | -- | -- | | 30.|If this young man | -- |Suppose this young man| | |should chance to die. | |was to die. | | 31.| -- |If this young man | -- | | | |should wealthy grow. | | | 32.| -- | -- | -- | | 33.|And leave the girl a | -- |And leave the girl a | | |widow. | |widow. | | 34.| -- |And give his wife a | -- | | | |feather. | | | 35.|Birds shall sing and |Bells shall ring and |Bells ring and we | | |bells ring. |birds sing. |shall sing. | | 36.| -- | -- | -- | | 37.|Clap all your hands |We'll all clap hands |And all clap hands | | |together. |together. |together. | | 38.| -- | -- | -- | | 39.| -- | -- | -- | | 40.| -- | -- | -- | | 41.| -- | -- | -- | | 42.| -- | -- | -- | | 43.| -- | -- | -- | | 44.| -- | -- | -- | | 45.| -- | -- | -- | | 46.| -- | -- | -- | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | No.| Lincolnshire, |Sussex, Hurstmonceux. | Middlesex. | | | Frodingham. | | | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.| -- | -- | -- | | 2.|Stepping up the green |Up and down the green |Tripping up the green | | |grass. |grass. |grass. | | 3.|Thus, and thus, and |This, and that, and | -- | | |thus. |thus. | | | 4.| -- | -- |Dusty, dusty day. | | 5.| -- | -- | -- | | 6.|Please may we have a |Come all ye fair |Come all ye pretty | | |pretty lass. |maids. |maids. | | 7.|To come and play with |And walk along with |Come and with us play.| | |us. |us. | | | 8.| -- | -- | -- | | 9.| -- | -- | -- | | 10.| -- | -- | -- | | 11.| -- | -- | -- | | 12.| -- | -- |You shall have a duck.| | 13.|We will give you pots | -- | -- | | |and pans. | | | | 14.|..... brass. | -- | -- | | 15.|..... gold and silver.|Some will give us | -- | | | |silver ..... gold. | | | 16.|..... pearl. | -- | -- | | 17.|..... anything. | -- | -- | | 18.| -- | -- | -- | | 19.|For a pretty lass. | -- | -- | | 20.|You shall have a goose| -- |You shall have a swan.| | |for dinner. | | | | 21.| -- |Take hold of my | -- | | | |finger. | | | 22.| -- |Maycanameecan. | -- | | 23.| -- | -- | -- | |[8.]| -- | -- | -- | | 24.|You shall have a nice | -- |You shall have a nice | | |young man. | |young man. | | 25.| -- |Pray tell me the name | -- | | | |of your young man. | | | 26.| -- | -- | -- | | 27.| -- | -- |A waiting for to come.| | 28.| -- | -- | -- | | 29.|To take you up the | -- | -- | | |garden. | | | | 30.|Suppose this young man| -- |Suppose he were to | | |was to die. | |die. | | 31.| -- | -- | -- | | 32.| -- | -- | -- | | 33.|And leave the girl a | -- |And leave his wife a | | |widow. | |widow. | | 34.| -- | -- | -- | | 35.|Bells would ring, cats| -- | -- | | |would sing. | | | | 36.| -- | -- |Come all ye pretty | | | | |fair maids. | | 37.|So we'll all clap | -- |Come clap your hands | | |hands together. | |together. | | 38.| -- | -- | -- | | 39.| -- |Don't you think [   ] | -- | | | |a nice young man? | | | 40.| -- |Don't you think [   ] | -- | | | |as handsome as he? | | | 41.| -- |Then off with the | -- | | | |glove, on with the | | | | |ring. | | | 42.| -- |You shall be married | -- | | | |when you can agree. | | | 43.| -- | -- | -- | | 44.| -- | -- | -- | | 45.| -- | -- | -- | | 46.| -- | -- | -- | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | No.| London. | Hants, Liphook. | Halliwell. | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.| -- | -- | -- | | 2.|Here we come up the |Here we go up the |Trip, trap, over the | | |green grass. |green grass. |grass. | | 3.| -- | -- | -- | | 4.|On a dusty, dusty day.| -- | -- | | 5.| -- |So early in the | -- | | | |morning. | | | 6.|Fair maid, pretty |Fair maid, pretty |Please let one of your| | |maid. |maid. |daughters come. | | 7.| -- | -- |Come and dance with | | | | |me. | | 8.|[See below.] | -- | -- | | 9.|Give your hand to me. |Give your hand to me. |Take one, take the | | | | |fairest you can see. | | 10.| -- | -- |Pretty [   ] come to | | | | |me. | | 11.| -- | -- | -- | | 12.| -- | -- |You shall have a duck,| | | | |my dear. | | 13.| -- | -- |I will give you pots | | | | |and pans. | | 14.| -- | -- |..... brass. | | 15.| -- | -- |..... gold and silver.| | 16.| -- | -- |..... pearl. | | 17.| -- | -- |..... anything. | | 18.|I'll show you a |You shall see a | -- | | |blackbird. |blackbird. | | | 19.| -- | -- |For a pretty girl. | | 20.| -- | -- |You shall have a | | | | |drake. | | 21.| -- | -- | -- | | 22.| -- | -- | -- | | 23.| -- |All sorts of colours | -- | | | |lying by his side. | | |[8.]|We'll all go roving. | -- | -- | | 24.| -- | -- |You shall have a young| | | | |man. | | 25.| -- | -- | -- | | 26.|I'll take [   ] for my|Take [   ] for my | -- | | |bride. |bride. | | | 27.| -- | -- | -- | | 28.| -- | -- |Apprentice for your | | | | |sake. | | 29.| -- | -- | -- | | 30.| -- | -- |If this young man | | | | |should happen to die. | | 31.| -- | -- | -- | | 32.| -- | -- | -- | | 33.| -- | -- |And leave the poor | | | | |woman a widow. | | 34.| -- | -- | -- | | 35.| -- | -- |Bells shall ring, | | | | |birds shall sing. | | 36.| -- | -- | -- | | 37.| -- | -- |We'll all clap hands | | | | |together. | | 38.| -- | -- | -- | | 39.| -- | -- | -- | | 40.| -- | -- | -- | | 41.| -- | -- | -- | | 42.| -- | -- | -- | | 43.|Naughty miss, she |Naughty old maid, she | -- | | |won't come out. |won't come out. | | | 44.|To help us with our |To help us with our | -- | | |dancing. |dancing. | | | 45.|Now we've got our |Now we'll get our | -- | | |bonny lass. |bonny lass. | | | 46.|To help us with our |To help us with our | -- | | |dancing. |dancing. | | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+----+----------------------+ | No.| Sheffield. | +----+----------------------+ | 1.| -- | | 2.|Stepping up the green | | |grass. | | 3.|Thus, and thus, and | | |thus. | | 4.| -- | | 5.| -- | | 6.|Will you let one of | | |your fair maids. | | 7.|Come and play with us.| | 8.| -- | | 9.| -- | | 10.| -- | | 11.| -- | | 12.| -- | | 13.|We will give you pots | | |and pans. | | 14.|..... brass. | | 15.|..... gold and silver.| | 16.|..... pearl. | | 17.|..... anything. | | 18.| -- | | 19.|For a pretty lass. | | 20.| -- | | 21.| -- | | 22.| -- | | 23.| -- | |[8.]| -- | | 24.|You shall have a nice | | |young man. | | 25.| -- | | 26.| -- | | 27.| -- | | 28.|Born for your sake. | | 29.| -- | | 30.| -- | | 31.| -- | | 32.| -- | | 33.| -- | | 34.| -- | | 35.|Bells shall ring, cats| | |shall sing. | | 36.| -- | | 37.|We'll all clap hands | | |together. | | 38.| -- | | 39.| -- | | 40.| -- | | 41.| -- | | 42.| -- | | 43.| -- | | 44.| -- | | 45.| -- | | 46.| -- | +----+----------------------+

(_e_) Henderson, in describing the curious rites accompanying the saining or blessing of a corpse in the Scottish Lowlands, states that empty dishes are arranged on the hearth as near as possible to the fire, and after certain ceremonies in connection therewith have been performed, the company join hands and dance round the dishes, singing this burden:--

A dis, a dis, a dis, A green griss; A dis, a dis, a dis.

--_Folk-lore of Northern Counties_, p. 54.

This rhyme is, it will be seen, the same as the first two lines of the game, the word "griss" in the burial-rhyme becoming "grass" in the game-rhyme, "grisse" being the old form for "grass" or herb (Halliwell, _Provincial Glossary_, quotes a MS. authority for this). This identification of the game-rhyme would suggest that the game originally was a child's dramatic imitation of an old burial ceremony, and it remains to be seen whether the signification of the words would carry out this idea.

In the first place, the idea of death is a prominent incident in the game, appearing in seven out of the fourteen versions. In all these cases the death is followed by the clapping of hands and bell-ringing, and in five cases by the singing of birds. Clapping of hands occurs in two other cases, and bell-ringing in one other case, not accompanied by the death incident. Now it is singular that the burial-rite which has just been quoted is called Dish-a-loof; and a reference to the game of "Dish-a-loof" [under that title], will show that it derives its name from the clapping of hands. In the ceremony, as described by Henderson, although songs and games are part of the burial-ceremony, there is no specific mention of hand-clapping; but it is conceivable that the action at one time formed part of the ceremony, and hence the name "Dish-a-loof." This would not account for the promise of a duck, drake, &c., as in incidents Nos. 12 and 20; nor for the promise of a young prince or young man; but these incidents might very well be variants of some earlier forms which are not now discoverable, especially as love-games were played at funerals, and as the tendency, in the less complete forms of the game as they have come down to us, is in the direction of transposing the game into a complete love-game. The use of rushes in the Lanarkshire game might indicate the funeral garland (Aubrey's _Remaines_, pp. 109, 139). For clapping of hands to indicate bell-tolling or bell-ringing at times of death see Napier's _Folklore_, p. 66. Henderson (p. 63) says the "passing bell" was supposed in former times to serve two purposes: it called on all good Christians within hearing to pray for the departing spirit, and it scared away the evil spirits who were watching to seize it, or at least to scare and terrify it.

On the whole evidence from the rhymes, therefore, I should be disposed to class this game as originally belonging to burial, and not love, rites.

Green Gravel

[Music]

--Madeley, Shropshire (Miss Burne).

[Music]

--Earls Heaton (H. Hardy).

[Music]

--Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).

[Music]

--Redhill, Surrey (Miss G. Hope).

[Music]

--Lancashire (Mrs. Harley).

[Music]

--Derbyshire (Mrs. Harley).

I. Green gravel, green gravel, your grass is so green, The fairest young damsel that ever was seen; We washed her, we dried her, we rolled her in silk, And we wrote down her name with a glass pen and ink. Dear Annie, dear Annie, your true love is dead, And we send you a letter to turn round your head.

--Belfast (W. H. Patterson).

II. Green gravel, green gravel, the grass is so green, The fairest young lady that ever was seen; I'll wash you in milk, And I'll clothe you with silk, And I'll write down your name with a gold pen and ink. O Sally, O Sally, your true love is dead, He sent you a letter to turn round your head.

--Berrington, Oswestry (_Shropshire Folk-lore_ p. 510).

III. Around the green gravel the grass is so green, All the pretty fair maids are plain to be seen; Wash them in milk, and clothe them in silk, Write their names down with a gold pen and ink. All but Miss "Jenny," her sweetheart is dead; She's left off her wedding to turn back her head.

O mother, O mother, do you think it is true? O yes, child! O yes, child! Then what shall I do? We'll wash you in milk, and dress you in silk, And write down your name with a gold pen and ink.

--Derbyshire and Worcestershire (Mrs. Harley).

IV. Green gravel, green gravel, The grass is so green, Such beautiful flowers As never were seen. O Annie [or any name], O Annie, Your sweetheart is dead! He has sent you a letter To turn back your head.

--Earls Heaton, Yorkshire (H. Hardy).

V. Green gravel, green gravel, The grass is so green, The fairest young damsels As ever were seen. O ----, O ----, your true love is dead; He sent you a letter To turn round your head.

Green gravel, green gravel, The grass is so green, The dismalest damsels As ever were seen. O ----, O ----, your true love's not dead; He sends you a letter To turn back your head.

--Lincoln, Winterton, and Wakefield (Miss Fowler and Miss Peacock).

VI. Green gravel, green gravel, the grass is so green, The fairest young lady [damsel] that ever was seen. O ----, O ----, your true love is dead; He's sent you a letter to turn round your head.