Part 3

One, two, buckle my shoe, Three, four, knock at the door, Five, six, breaking up sticks, Seven, eight, Mary at the gate....

(I forget the rest)

or

One fair maid a-dancing (repeat twice), All on a summer’s day. All go round and curtsey (repeat) All on a summer’s day. Two fair maids a-dancing etc.

or (skipping)

Rat a tat tat, who is that? Only grandma’s pussy-cat. What do you want? A pint of milk. Where is your money? In my pocket. Where is your pocket? I forgot it. O you silly pussy-cat.

or

Our boots are made of Spanish (or _of leather_) Our stockings are made of silk, Our pinafores are made of cotton As white as white as milk. Here we go around, around, And we all must touch the ground.

or

Rosy apples lemon and a pear A bunch of roses she shall wear. Gold and silver by her side, I shall make her my bride, Take her by the hand, Lead her across the water, Give her kisses one, two, three, And call her a lady’s daughter.

or (for a ball-game)

Queen Anne, Queen Anne, she sits in the sun, As fair as a lily, as white as a swan. We bring you ten letters, pray can you read one? We cannot read one, unless you bring all, So pray Master Willie give up the ball, The ball is ours, it is not yours-- So we have a right to keep it.

or (for an action game)

We are washing linen, linen, We are washing linen clean (repeat) This way, tra la la, That way, tra la la (repeat). We are rinsing linen, linen etc. We are mangling linen, linen etc. We are hanging linen, linen etc.

or

The big ship sails on the holly holly ho, Holly holly ho Holly holly ho The big ship sails on the holly holly ho On the last day of December.

or (for skipping)

Lady, lady, drop your purse, Lady, lady, pick it up, Lady, lady, touch the ground, Lady, lady, turn right round, Lady, lady, show your foot, Lady, lady, sling your hook.

or (ring game)

There was once a king of York Who had ten thousand men, He led them up to the top of a hill And led them down again, And when they were up they were up And when they were down they were down, And when they were only half way up They were neither up nor down.

or

Lady, lady on the sea-shore, She has children one to four, The eldest one is twenty-four, Then she shall marry a tinker, tailor etc.

or

There come six Jews from Juda Spain In order for your daughter Jane-- My daughter Jane is far too young To marry you, you Spanish Jew-- Farewell, farewell, I’ll walk away, And come again another day-- Come back, come back, you Spanish Jew, And choose the fairest one of us-- The fairest one that I can see Is (Dolly Hayes), so come to me--

or

The farmer’s in his den, (or: ill in bed), the farmer’s in his den, He I Hedy Ho, the farmer’s in his den. The farmer wants a wife etc. The wife wants a child etc. The child wants a nurse etc. The nurse wants a dog etc. We all pat the dog etc.

or

I-N spells in-- I was in my kitchen Doing a bit of stitching, Old Father Nimble Came and took my thimble, I got up a great big stone, Hit him on the belly bone-- O-U-T spells out.

or

Caroline Pink, she fell down the sink, She caught the Scarlet Fever, Her husband had to leave her, She called in Doctor Blue, And he caught it too-- Caroline Pink from China Town.

or

Hush-a-larly, hush-a-larly You are a funny girl. Hush-a-larly, hush-a-larly Will you give me a kiss?

or

Eight o’clock bells are ringing Mother, may I go out My young man’s a-waiting For to take me out. First he bought me apples, Then he bought me pears, Then he gave me sixpence To kiss him on the stairs. I don’t want your apples, I don’t want your pears, I don’t want your sixpence To kiss me on their stairs. Then he tears the leg of my drawers, And that’s the last of all.

or (an old one)

As I was going to Strawberry Fair, Singing buttercups and daisies, I met a maiden taking the air-- Her eyes were blue and gold her hair, As she goes on to Strawberry Fair....[I]

or (skipping)

Who’s in the well? Only the pussy-cat. Who pulled him out? Little Tommy Stout. Oh, you naughty pussy-cat.

or

I am a little beggar-girl, My mother she is dead, My father is a drunkard And won’t give me no bread. I look out of the window To hear the organ play-- God bless my dear mother, She gone far away. Ding-dong the castle bells Bless my poor mother-- Her coffin shall be black, Six white angels at her back-- Two to watch and two to pray, And two to carry her soul away.

Not a very cheerful rope-song, you’ll say; but our girls love it; you can’t think how it makes them laugh. They laugh more than the boys, anyhow, over their games--

or

Cold meat, mutton pies, Tell me when your mother dies. I’ll be there to bury her-- Cold meat, mutton pies.

which is also sung like this:

Cold meat, mutton chops, Tell me when your mother drops. I’ll be there to pick her up-- Cold meat, mutton chops.

or

My name is sweet (Jennie), my age is sixteen, My father’s a father [farmer] and I am a Queen. Got plenty of money to dress me in silk, But nobody loves me but (Gladys dear).

or

My mother sent me out a-fishing, Fishing cockles in the sea. My foot slipped and I tumbled in-- Two little nigger-boys laughed at me.

or

Charlie likes whisky, Charlie likes brandy, Charlie likes kissing girls-- O sugar-de-candy.

or (a new one)

What O she bumps, She skips and she jumps, If she don’t jump I’ll make her bump.

or (ring game)

There was a jolly miller and he lived by himself, As the mill went round he made his wealth, One hand in his pocket and the other in his bag-- As the mill went round he made his grab.

or (ring game)

Wallie, Wallie, Wall-flowers Growing up so high-- All these young ladies Will all have to die. Excepting (Mabel Groves), she is the only one, She can hop and she can skip, She can turn the organ-- Hi, Hi, turn again, Turn your face to the wall again.

or

In and out the windows (repeat twice) As you have done before. Stand and face your lover (repeat twice) As you have done before. Take her off to London etc. Bring her back from London etc. Kiss her before you leave her etc.

or

Here we go Loobeloo, here we go Loobellee, Here we go Loobelloo, on a Sunday afternoon. Put your right arm in, put your right arm out, Shake it a little, a little, then turn yourself about. Put your left arm in (repeat as before). Put your right leg in, etc. Put your left leg in, etc. Put your noddle in, etc. Put your whole self in, etc.

or (an old one)

Here comes three duks [dukes] a-riding, a-riding, a-riding, Here comes three duks a-riding, on a Ransi-tansi-tay. Please we’ve come to marry, to marry, to marry, Please we’ve come to marry with a Ransi-tansi-tay. Marry one of us Sir, us Sir etc. Your all as stiff as pocars, pocars, etc. We can bend as well as you Sir, you Sir etc. Your all to black and dirty, dirty, dirty, Your all to black and dirty, with a Ransi-tansi-tay.

or

Old Roger (or: Poor Robin) is dead and gone to his grave, He, Hi, gone to his grave. They planted an apple-tree over his head, He, Hi, over his head. The apple grew ripe and ready to drop, He, Hi, ready to drop. There came an old woman of Hipertihop, He, Hi, Hipertihop, She began a picking them up, He, Hi, picking them up, Old Roger got up and gave her knock, He, Hi, gave her a knock, Which made the old woman go hipertihop. He, Hi, Hipertihop.

or (skipping)

I went to the animal show, and what do you think I saw there? The Elephant sneezed and fell on his knees, And what became of the monkey--

(Keep saying monkey untill out).

or

Early in the morning at eight o’clock You may hear the postman’s knock, Up jumps Mabel to open the door-- Letters, one, two, three, four.

or

We lost our cat aweek ago, But cant tell where to find it We sometimes hear a tuneful noise Is daily growing weaker So Tommy Brown we all must say That your to be the seeker

(something is hidden and after this is sung they come and look for it.)

or

Caroline Brown from China Town, Earning all the dollars Ironing shirts and collars, Busy as a bee You can always see Caroline Brown from China Town.

or

Ener Dena Dinah Doe Catch a nigger by his toe, If he hollows let him go-- Ener dena Dinah Doe.

or (one girl in the ring and two outside)

Brave news is come to town, Polly Dawson’s married. You can tell the parson’s wife, You can tell the people, You can buy the wedding-gown, I will thread the needle. What will you give to her for a loving token? A piece of soap and an old cart rope, And a candle-stick that’s broken. Out you get and out you go for a stingy miser, If you live till forty years I hope you will be wiser. Brave news is come to town (repeat first six lines) What will you give to her for a loving token? A piece of gold and a ring to hold The sweetest words ere spoken. In you get and in you go....

(I forget the rest).

or

Old mother roundabout Knocking all the kids about-- Outside Elsie’s door. Up comes Elsie with a great big stick And lets her know what for.

or

I was in the garden A-picking of the peas-- I busted out a-laughing To hear the chickens sneeze.

or

Mother got the Hooping cough Father got the gout-- Please (Rosie Milton) Will you walk out?

or

Half a pound of bacon, Fry it in the pan-- No one else shall have it But me and my young man.

or

Who’s that walking round my garden? Only Tommy Jingle. Don’t you steal none of my fat pigs, Or else I’ll make you tingle.

or

My young man is so lively, Takes me up the Wells[J] every Friday, Wears brown boots on a Sunday, With half a dozen buttons on his coat.

or

Here comes our jolly jolly sailors Just arrived on shore, We earn our money like ... And now we’ll work for more.

or

I fell into a box of eggs-- All the yellow run down my legs, All the white run up my shirt-- I fell into a box of eggs.

or (an old one)

Mother buy me a milking-pail, milking-pail, milking-pail, Mother buy me a milking-pail--one, two, three. Where’s the money coming from (repeat as above) Sell father’s feather-bed, etc. What’s father got to sleep in etc. Sleep in the pigsty, etc. What’s the pig got to sleep in, etc. Sleep in the washing-tub, etc. What have I got to wash in, etc. Wash in a thimble, etc. What have I got to sew with, etc. Sew with a poker, etc. What have I got to poke the fire with, etc. Poke it with your finger, etc. Suppose I burn my finger, etc. Serve you right.

(The mother then tries to catch her children).

or (this is a sham)

Up you go feathery toy, Up in the air so lightly-- Children gaze after you, Watching your movements brightly. Tap, tap, battledores, Up once more you spring, Just like little dicky-birds, Sporting on the wing.

or (this is the real thing)

Shuttlecock, shuttlecock, if you don’t spin, I’ll break your bones and bury your skin.

or

Appletree, peartree, plumtree pie, How many children before I die? One, two, three etc.

or

Three little children sitting on the sand, All, all a-lonely (repeat both lines) Down in the green wood shady-- There came an old woman, said Come on with me, All, all a-lonely (repeat both lines) Down in the green wood shady-- She stuck her pen-knife through their heart, All, all a-lonely (repeat both lines) Down in the green wood shady.

or

Goodbye (May), while you’re away, Send a letter, love, Say you’re better, love, Don’t forget your dear old (Nell)

(Call another girl in)

or

I know a girl, sly and deceitful, Every little tittle tat she goes and tells her people. Long nose, ugly face, ought to be put under a glass case, If you want to know her name, Her name is (Evie Allen). O (Evie Allen), get away from me, I don’t want to speak to you, Nor you to speak to me. Once we were playmates, But now we can’t agree-- O (Evie Allen), get away from me.

or (ring game)

Choose the one you love the best, Choose the merriest of the lot. Now you’re married I wish you joy-- First a girl and then a boy. Seven years old and ... Play and cuddle and kiss together-- Kiss her once, kiss her twice, Kiss her three times over.

or

There stands a lady on a mountain, Who she is I do not know, All she wants is gold and silver, All she wants is a nice young man. Madam will you walk it, Madam will you talk it, Madam will you marry me? No! Not if I buy you a silver spoon To feed your baby every afternoon? Madam will you walk it etc. No! Not if I buy you a nice silk hat With seven yards of ribbon hanging down the back? Madam will you walk it etc. No! Not if I buy you the keys of Heaven To let yourself in at half-past seven? Madam will you walk it etc. Yes! Go to church, love (repeat) Go to church, love,--Farewell. Put your ring on (repeat) Put your ring on,--Farewell. What for breakfast, love (repeat) What for breakfast, love,--Farewell. Boiled eggs and bread and butter (repeat twice) On the mountain,--Farewell. What’s for dinner, love (repeat) What’s for dinner love,--Farewell. Roast beef and plum pudding (repeat twice) On the mountain,--Farewell. What’s for tea, love (repeat) What’s for tea, love,--Farewell. Bread and butter, water-cress (repeat twice) On the mountain,--Farewell. What for supper, love (repeat) What for supper, love,--Farewell. Squashed flies and blackbeetles, Squashed flies and blackbeetles, Squashed flies and blackbeetles, On the mountain,--Farewell.

or

Now I’m off to the butcher’s shop, There I stay no longer. If I do, mother will say, Naughty girl to disobey, And play with the boys down yonder. Come in my (Ellen) dear, While I go out.

And if you like these chants, here are the beginnings of a few more:--

Oxford boys are very nice boys, Cambridge boys are better--

and

Handy-Pandy, sugar-de-candy, French almond rock--

and

Hoky Poky, penny a lump, The more you eat, the more you jump--

and

There was an old lady of Botany Bay: What have you got to sell today--

and (an old one)

All in together--all sorts of (or _frosty_) weather-- When the wind blows we all go together--

and (a very old one)

Here we come gathering nuts in May (they now call it: _and_ May) On a cold and frosty morning--

and (quite a new one)

Soldier, Soldier, you may be Just come home from Germany--

and

A house to let, enquire within, And please to call my Nellie in--

and

Hot boiled beans and melted butter: Ladies and gentlemen, come to supper--

and

Gladys, Gladys, come out tonight, The moon is shining bright--

and

O tonight is Saturday night, Tomorrow will be Sunday--

and (a very old one)

Sally, Sally Water--sprinkle in the pan: Fie, Sally--cry, Sally--for a young man--

and that’s really interesting, because the children don’t understand the meaning of this song any more, and so they have invented a new one to take its place, like this:

Little Sally Sanders, sitting on the sand, Weeping and crying for a young man, Rise Sally, rise so sweet--

I forget the rest; but you can see how they have twisted it about to make sense--

and

You naughty flea, You bit my knee--

and

Come in my garden, And give me your hand--

and

Slow skip, what you like, A dolly or a pepper--

and (a very naughty one)

Mabel, Mabel, Lay the table--

and

Mother made a seedy cake, Gave us all the belly ache--

and

I know a doctor, he knows me, What do you think he brought for tea--

and

Red, white and blue: I don’t speak to you--

and

O dear me, mother caught a flea, Put it in the tea-pot and made a cup of tea--

and

This house to let, no rent to pay, Knock at the door and run away--

and

Dolly dear, Dolly dear, Your sweetheart is dead--

and

Evie, Ivy, over, The kettle is boiling over--

and

Up in the North, a long way off, The donkey’s got the whooping-cough--

and

Turn your back, you saucy cat, And say no more to me--

and

Send a letter, send a letter, Be content in the weather--

and

Crossing the waters one by one, Crossing the waters two by two--

and

Four little chickens all in white, Saw some bread and began a fight--

and (skipping and shuttlecock)

Old mother Mason--broke a basin: What did it cost her? One penny, tuppence, etc.

and

Stockings red and garters blue, Shoes laced up with silver--

and

Penny on the water, tuppence on the sea, Threepence on the railway--out goes she--

and

Down by the river where the green grass grows, There little Sally was washing her clothes--

and

Here comes a little bird through the window, Here comes a little bird through the door--

and

Willie, Willie, I am waiting, I can’t wait no longer for you, Three times the whistle blows, are you coming yes or no?--

and (skipping)

Little Mary Anne who lives up stairs, With high legged boots and a feather in her hat-- That’s the way she meets her chap--

and

Take a little bird and hop in the corner, Take a little bird and hop away--

and

Ma she said that this won’t do, To play with the boys at half-past two--

and

On the carpet she shall kneel, Stand up-right upon your heel--

and

Ching Chang Chinaman had a penny doll-- Washed it, scrubbed it, called it pretty poll.

If you really like these songs, I can tell you the names of one or two more, such as I CAN DO THE TANGO and I’LL TELL MOTHER, MARY ANNE, and MOTHER, MOTHER, FETCH ME HOME and FATHER GIVE (that means _gave_) ME A HA’PENNY and POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON and JUMBO HAD A BABY and LEAVE THE ROPE and COME ON, AMY and SOME ONE’S UNDER THE BED and PLEASE WILL YOU LEND THE KEY and CINDARELLA-UMBERELLA and THE HOUSE IS EMPTY AND NOBODY IN and HABERDASHER ISHER ASHER OM POM TOSH and R. WHITE’S GINGER-BEER GOES OFF POP and MADEMOISELLE WENT TO THE WELL (which is interesting because they have forgotten what “mademoiselle” means and now call it ADAM AND ELL) and MY SON JOHN WENT TO BED WITH HIS STOCKINGS ON and MY MOTHER SAID THAT I WAS BORN and POOR JENNIE IS A-WEEPING and LONDON BRIDGE IS BROKEN DOWN (two well-known old ones) and WILLIE HAD A LETTER FOR TO GO ON BOARD A SHIP and OATS AND BEANS AND BARLEY GROW and NOW WE’RE ON THE BATTLEFIELD and MY FATHER HAD AN OLD SHOE and I WENT DOWN PICCADILLY.

You can get as many of these songs out of the girls as you like, if you care to come round and ask for them; you’ll find the girls far less shy about their games than the boys are. And you’ll also notice that they’re just as good at inventing sports--the boys show up best in the duty-games, and the girls in their songs. But there’s this difference. You’ll not find much talk in these songs about sunshine and flowers and things like that--except in the older ones which I think were used by girls and boys together, and perhaps even by grown-ups. The girls don’t discover poetic things like “Swimming in Blue Water” or “Dead Man’s Dark Scenery”; they’re matter-of-fact; they sing about clothes and food and money. That’s what makes Aunt Eliza say that women have more common sense than men....

FOOTNOTES:

[G] Not all of them are sung to games.

[H] There is an improper version of this, and of several others.

[I] “has I was goning to strrber far sing butter u cup and dassies I bet a mide take a there forder In the ises were belw but I gend a hir she gose on to strrber far rif rif tola len lile rif rif tale led lile.”

[J] Sadlers’ Wells.

Then the smaller girls and boys have a number of games together: MOTHERS AND FATHERS, for instance, and TEACHERS, and SCHOOLS, and SOLDIERS, and NURSES, and HOSPITALS, and CARTS AND HORSES, and SHOPS, and CONVICTS AND WARDERS, and RAILWAY STATIONS, and games of that kind; and OLD DADDY WITCHES (also called POLLY WITCH or GRANNY WITCH) and SLEIGHS and I BOUGHT A DONKEY and I BOUGHT A PENNY DOLL and FIRE ENGINES and FROGS and WAR and CAT AND MOUSE and CAT AND DOG and HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH and A.B.C.D.F.G.--WHAT HAVE I LEFT OUT?--

“one silly kid says E., and then all the others says you’re _it_!” namely “he” (E.)--

and JACK HORNER and OLD AUNT SALLY and TIP-TOP IS A SWEETS STORE and TOM TIDDLER. You know TOM TIDDLER, of course:

“I’m on old Tom Tiddler’s ground, Picking up gold and silver--”?

There is also another game of this kind where they sort themselves into two parties called ORANGES AND LEMONS to the song of

Oranges and Lemons Bells of Saint Clement’s--

Everybody knows that! In fact, children are not particular what they play at--

“I Can Play at Whipping top also i Play Hoopla. And i Play at Darts. And have a game at horses. And i Play at hide and seek and i play with Cherry stones. And i Play at skiping rope and Jumping over the rope. And i like a game of Boxing and i like a game of foot Ball and i like a game of Cricket. And i like a game of rounders and i Play a Game of Blow Cards and i play Pigy Backs and i play at Going up on your hands against the wall. i Play at racing. i Play Drawfs i Play with my hoop and Stick i Play at Soldiers....”

And other children’s sports are MARY, MARY and WEEK DAYS (a ball-game played by eight of them) and another one called SHEEP, SHEEP COME HOME, where one line of children represents the sheep, and another line the wolves; and behind the wolves stands the sheeps’ mother--many of these games are “mother-games”--who calls the sheep; but as they run to her they are caught by the wolves. It goes like this:

“Sheep Sheep come home, Afraid. What off. The Wolfs. Wolfs gone to Devenshire Wont be home for seven year Sheep Sheep come home--”

and DAN, DAN THREAD YOU NEEDLE and WILL YOU GIVE US BREAD AND WINE and