Part 7

Now we dance looby, looby, looby, Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby, Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, Shake your right foot a little, And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby, Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, Shake your right foot a little, Shake your left foot a little, And turn you round about.

Now we dance looby, looby, looby, Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, Shake your right foot a little, Shake your left foot a little, Shake your head a little, And turn you round about.

[Children dance round first, then stop and shake the hand, &c. then turn slowly round, and then dance in a ring again.]

CCCLIII.

THE OLD DAME.

[One child, called the Old Dame, sits on the floor, and the rest, joining hands, form a circle round her, and dancing, sing the following lines:]

_Children._ To Beccles! to Beccles! To buy a bunch of nettles! Pray, old Dame, what's o'clock?

_Dame._ One, going for two.

_Children._ To Beccles! to Beccles! To buy a bunch of nettles! Pray, old Dame, what's o'clock?

_Dame._ Two, going for three.

[And so on till she reaches, "Eleven going for twelve." After this the following questions are asked, with the replies.--C. Where have you been? D. To the wood. C. What for? D. To pick up sticks. C. What for? D. To light my fire. C. What for? D. To boil my kettle. C. What for? D. To cook some of your chickens. The children then all run away as fast as they can, and the Old Dame tries to catch one of them. Whoever is caught is the next to personate the Dame.]

CCCLIV.

DROP-GLOVE.

[Children stand round in a circle, leaving a space between each. One walks round the outside, and carries a glove in her hand, saying:]

I've a glove in my hand, Hittity Hot! Another in my other hand, Hotter than that! So I sow beans, and so they come up, Some in a mug, and some in a cup. I sent a letter to my love, I lost it, I lost it! I found it, I found it! It burns, it scalds.

[Repeating the last words very rapidly, till she drops the glove behind one of them, and whoever has the glove must overtake her, following her exactly in and out till she catches her. If the pursuer makes a mistake in the pursuit, she loses, and the game is over; otherwise she continues the game with the glove.]

CCCLV.

[In the following, the various parts of the countenance are touched as the lines are repeated; and at the close the chin is struck playfully, that the tongue may be gently bitten.]

Eye winker, Tom Tinker, Nose dropper. Mouth eater, Chin chopper, Chin chopper.

CCCLVI.

Thumb bold, Thibity-thold, Langman, Lick pan, Mama's little man.

CCCLVII.

[A game of the fox.]

Fox a fox, a brummalary, How many miles to Lummaflary? Lummabary.

A. Eight and eight, and a hundred and eight. How shall I get home to night?

A. Spin your legs, and run fast.

CCCLVIII.

[A Christmas custom in Lancashire. The boys dress themselves up with ribands, and perform various pantomimes, after which one of them, who has a blackened face, a rough skin coat, and a broom in his hand, sings as follows.]

Here come I, Little David Doubt; If you don't give me money, I'll sweep you all out. Money I want, And money I crave; If you don't give me money, I'll sweep you all to the grave!

CCCLIX.

[The following lines are said by the nurse when moving the child's foot up and down.]

The dog of the kill,[*] He went to the mill To lick mill-dust: The miller he came With a stick on his back,-- Home, dog, home! The foot behind, The foot before: When he came to a stile, Thus he jumped o'er.

[Footnote *: That is, kiln.]

CCCLX.

[The following lines are repeated by the nurse when sliding her hand down the child's face.]

My mother and your mother Went over the way; Said my mother to your mother, It's chop-a-nose day!

ELEVENTH CLASS--PARADOXES.

CCCLXI.

[The following is quoted in Parkin's reply to Dr. Stukeley's second number of 'Origines Roystonianæ,' 4to, London, 1748, p. vi.]

Peter White will ne'er go right, Would you know the reason why? He follows his nose where'er he goes, And that stands all awry.

CCCLXII.

O that I was where I would be, Then would I be where I am not! But where I am must be, And where I would be I cannot.

CCCLXIII.

[The following was sung to the tune of Chevy Chase. It was taken from a poetical tale in the 'Choyce Poems,' 12mo, London, 1662, the music to which may be seen in D'Urfey's 'Pills to Purge Melancholy,' 1719, vol. iv, p. 1.]

Three children sliding on the ice Upon a summer's day, As it fell out, they all fell in, The rest they ran away.

Now had these children been at home, Or sliding on dry ground, Ten thousand pounds to one penny, They had not all been drown'd.

You parents all that children have, And you that have got none, If you would have them safe abroad, Pray keep them safe at home.

CCCLXIV.

There was a man of Newington, And he was wond'rous wise, He jump'd into a quickset hedge, And scratch'd out both his eyes: But when he saw his eyes were out, With all his might and main, He jump'd into another hedge, And scratch'd 'em in again.

CCCLXV.

Up stairs, down stairs, upon my lady's window, There I saw a cup of sack and a race of ginger; Apples at the fire, and nuts to crack, A little boy in the cream-pot up to his neck.

CCCLXVI.

I would if I cou'd, If I cou'dn't, how cou'd I? I cou'dn't, without I cou'd, cou'd I? Cou'd you, without you cou'd, cou'd ye? Cou'd ye, cou'd ye? Cou'd you, without you cou'd, cou'd ye?

CCCLXVII.

If all the world was apple-pie, And all the sea was ink, And all the trees were bread and cheese, What should we have for drink?

CCCLXVIII.

Tobacco wick! tobacco wick! When you're well, 'twill make you sick: Tobacco wick! tobacco wick! 'Twill make you well when you are sick.

CCCLXIX.

[The following occurs in a MS. of the seventeenth century, in the Sloane Collection, the reference to which I have mislaid.]

The man in the wilderness asked me, How many strawberries grew in the sea? I answered him, as I thought good, As many as red herrings grew in the wood.

CCCLXX.

[The conclusion of the following resembles a verse in the nursery history of Mother Hubbard.]

There was an old woman, and what do you think? She lived upon nothing but victuals and drink: Victuals and drink were the chief of her diet; This tiresome old woman could never be quiet.

She went to the baker, to buy her some bread, And when she came home her old husband was dead; She went to the clerk to toll the bell, And when she came back her old husband was well.

CCCLXXI.

Here am I, little jumping Joan; When nobody's with me, I'm always alone.

CCCLXXII.

There was an old woman had nothing, And there came thieves to rob her; When she cried out she made no noise, But all the country heard her.

CCCLXXIII.

There was a little Guinea-pig, Who, being little, was not big; He always walked upon his feet, And never fasted when he eat.

When from a place he ran away, He never at that place did stay; And while he ran, as I am told, He ne'er stood still for young or old.

He often squeak'd and sometimes vi'lent, And when he squeak'd he ne'er was silent; Though ne'er instructed by a cat, He knew a mouse was not a rat.

One day, as I am certified, He took a whim and fairly died; And, as I'm told by men of sense, He never has been living since.

CCCLXXIV.

[Mind your punctuation!]

I saw a peacock with a fiery tail, I saw a blazing comet drop down hail, I saw a cloud wrapped with ivy round, I saw an oak creep upon the ground, I saw a pismire swallow up a whale, I saw the sea brimful of ale, I saw a Venice glass full fifteen feet deep, I saw a well full of men's tears that weep, I saw red eyes all of a flaming fire, I saw a house bigger than the moon and higher, I saw the sun at twelve o'clock at night, I saw the man that saw this wondrous sight.

CCCLXXV.

My true love lives far from me, Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie. Many a rich present he sends to me, Petrum, Partrum, Paradise, Temporie, Perrie, Merrie, Dixie, Dominie.

He sent me a goose, without a bone; He sent me a cherry, without a stone. Petrum, &c.

He sent me a Bible, no man could read; He sent me a blanket, without a thread. Petrum, &c.

How could there be a goose without a bone? How could there be a cherry without a stone? Petrum, &c.

How could there be a Bible no man could read? How could there be a blanket without a thread? Petrum, &c.

When the goose is in the egg-shell, there is no bone; When the cherry is in the blossom, there is no stone. Petrum, &c.

When ye Bible is in ye press no man it can read; When ye wool is on ye sheep's back, there is no thread. Petrum, &c.

CCCLXXVI.

There was a man and he was mad, And he jump'd into a pea-swad;[A] The pea-swad was over-full, So he jump'd into a roaring bull; The roaring bull was over-fat, So he jump'd into a gentleman's hat; The gentleman's hat was over-fine, So he jump'd into a bottle of wine; The bottle of wine was over-dear, So he jump'd into a bottle of beer; The bottle of beer was over-thick, So he jump'd into a club-stick; The club-stick was over-narrow, So he jump'd into a wheel-barrow; The wheel-barrow began to crack, So he jump'd on to a hay-stack; The hay-stack began to blaze, So he did nothing but cough and sneeze!

[Footnote A: The pod or shell of a pea.]

CCCLXXVII.

I saw a ship a-sailing, A-sailing on the sea; And, oh! it was all laden With pretty things for thee!

There were comfits in the cabin, And apples in the hold; The sails were made of silk, And the masts were made of gold:

The four-and-twenty sailors, That stood between the decks, Were four-and-twenty white mice, With chains about their necks.

The captain was a duck, With a packet on his back; And when the ship began to move, The captain said, "Quack! quack!"

CCCLXXVIII.

Barney Bodkin broke his nose, Without feet we can't have toes; Crazy folks are always mad, Want of money makes us sad.

CCCLXXIX.

If a man who turnips cries Cries not when his father dies, It is a proof that he would rather Have a turnip than his father.

TWELFTH CLASS--LULLABIES.

CCCLXXX.

Hushy baby, my doll, I pray you don't cry, And I'll give you some bread and some milk by and bye; Or, perhaps you like custard, or may-be a tart,-- Then to either you're welcome, with all my whole heart.

CCCLXXXI.

Dance, little baby, dance up high, Never mind, baby, mother is by; Crow and caper, caper and crow, There, little baby, there you go; Up to the ceiling, down to the ground. Backwards and forwards, round and round; Dance, little baby, and mother will sing, With the merry coral, ding, ding, ding!

CCCLXXXII.

[The following is quoted in Florio's 'New World of Words,' fol., London, 1611, p. 3.]

To market, to market, To buy a plum bun: Home again, come again, Market is done.

CCCLXXXIII.

Dance to your daddy, My little babby, Dance to your daddy; My little lamb.

You shall have a fishy, In a little dishy; You shall have a fishy When the boat comes in.

CCCLXXXIV.

Tom shall have a new bonnet, With blue ribbands to tie on it, With a hush-a-bye and a lull-a-baby, Who so like to Tommy's daddy?

CCCLXXXV.

Bye, baby bumpkin, Where's Tony Lumpkin? My lady's on her death-bed, With eating half a pumpkin.

CCCLXXXVI.

[From 'The Pleasant Com[oe]die of Patient Grissell,' 1603.]

Hush, hush, hush, hush! And I dance mine own child, And I dance mine own child, Hush, hush, hush, hush!

CCCLXXXVII.

Hush thee, my babby, Lie still with thy daddy, Thy mammy has gone to the mill, To grind thee some wheat, To make thee some meat, And so, my dear babby, lie still.

CCCLXXXVIII.

Hey, my kitten, my kitten, And hey, my kitten, my deary! Such a sweet pet as this Was neither far nor neary.

Here we go up, up, up, And here we go down, down, downy; And here we go backwards and forwards, And here we go round, round, roundy.

CCCLXXXIX.

I won't be my father's Jack, I won't be my mother's Gill, I will be the fiddler's wife, And have music when I will. T'other little tune, T'other little tune, Pr'ythee, love, play me T'other little tune.

CCCXC.

Danty baby diddy, What can a mammy do wid'e, But sit in a lap, And give 'un a pap? Sing danty baby diddy.

CCCXCI.

Rock-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green; Father's a nobleman, mother's a queen; And Betty's a lady, and wears a gold ring; And Johnny's a drummer, and drums for the king.

CCCXCII.

Bye, O my baby! When I was a lady, O then my poor baby did'nt cry! But my baby is weeping, For want of good keeping, Oh, I fear my poor baby will die!

CCCXCIII.

Hush-a-bye, a ba lamb, Hush-a-bye a milk cow, You shall have a little stick To beat the naughty bow-wow.

CCCXCIV.

Hush-a-bye, baby, on the tree top, When the wind blows, the cradle will rock, When the bough bends, the cradle will fall, Down will come baby, bough, cradle, and all.

CCCXCV.

Ride, baby, ride, Pretty baby shall ride, And have a little puppy-dog tied to her side, And little pussy-cat tied to the other, And away she shall ride to see her grandmother, To see her grandmother, To see her grandmother.

CCCXCVI.

Bye, baby bunting, Daddy's gone a hunting, To get a little hare's skin To wrap a baby bunting in.

CCCXCVII.

Give me a blow, and I'll beat 'em, Why did they vex my baby? Kissy, kiss, kissy, my honey, And cuddle your nurse, my deary.

CCCXCVIII.

My dear cockadoodle, my jewel, my joy, My darling, my honey, my pretty sweet boy; Before I do rock thee with soft lullaby, Give me thy dear lips to be kiss'd, kiss'd, kiss'd.

CCCXCIX.

[A favourite lullaby in the north of England fifty years ago, and perhaps still heard. The last word is pronounced _bee_.]

Hush-a-bye, lie still and sleep, It grieves me sore to see thee weep, For when thou weep'st thou wearies me, Hush-a-bye, lie still and _bye_.

CCCC.

[From _Yorkshire_ and _Essex_. A nursery-cry.--It is also sometimes sung in the streets by boys who have small figures of wool, wood, or gypsum, &c. of lambs to sell.]

Young Lambs to sell! Young Lambs to sell! If I'd as much money as I can tell, I never would cry--Young Lambs to sell!

CCCCI.

[From _Yorkshire_. A nursery-cry.]

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit-Pie! Come, my ladies, come and buy; Else your babies they will cry.

CCCCII.

To market, to market, To buy a plum cake; Home again, home again, Ne'er a one baked; The baker is dead and all his men, And we must go to market again.

CCCCIII.

Rock well my cradle, And "bee baa," my son; You shall have a new gown, When ye lord comes home.

Oh! still my child, Orange, Still him with a bell; I can't still him, ladie, Till you come down yoursell!

CCCCIV.

Where was a sugar and fretty? And where was jewel and spicy? Hush-a-bye, babe in a cradle, And we'll go away in a tricy!

CCCCV.

I'll buy you a tartan bonnet, And some feathers to put on it, Tartan trews and a phillibeg, Because you are so like your daddy.

THIRTEENTH CLASS--JINGLES.

CCCCVI.

[The first line of the following is the burden of a song in the 'Tempest,' act i, sc. 2. and also of one in the 'Merchant of Venice, act iii, sc. 2.]

Ding dong bell, Pussy's in the well! Who put her in?-- Little Tommy Lin. Who pulled her out?-- Dog with long snout. What a naughty boy was that To drown poor pussy-cat, Who never did any harm, But kill'd the mice in his father's barn.

CCCCVII.

Hey ding a ding, what shall I sing? How many holes in a skimmer? Four and twenty,--my stomach is empty; Pray, mamma, give me some dinner.

CCCCVIII.

Cock a doodle doo! My dame has lost her shoe; My master's lost his fiddling stick, And don't know what to do.

Cock a doodle doo! What is my dame to do? Till master finds his fiddling stick, She'll dance without her shoe.

Cock a doodle doo! My dame has lost her shoe, And master's found his fiddling stick, Sing doodle doodle doo!

Cock a doodle doo! My dame will dance with you, While master fiddles his fiddling stick. For dame and doodle doo.

Cock a doodle doo! Dame has lost her shoe; Gone to bed and scratch'd her head, And can't tell what to do.

CCCCIX.

Diddledy, diddledy, dumpty; The cat ran up the plum-tree. I'll lay you a crown I'll fetch you down; So diddledy, diddledy, dumpty.

CCCCX.

Little Tee Wee, He went to sea In an open boat; And while afloat The little boat bended, And my story's ended.

CCCCXI.

Sing, sing, what shall I sing? The cat has eat the pudding-string; Do, do, what shall I do? The cat has bit it quite in two.

CCCCXII.

[I do not know whether the following may have reference to the game of handy-dandy, mentioned in 'King Lear,' act iv, sc. 6, and in Florio's 'New World of Words,' 1611, p. 57.]

Handy Spandy, Jack-a-dandy, Loved plum-cake and sugar-candy; He bought some at a grocer's shop, And out he came, hop, hop, hop.

CCCCXIII.

Tiddle liddle lightum, Pitch and tar; Tiddle liddle lightum, What's that for?

CCCCXIV.

Sing jigmijole, the pudding-bowl, The table and the frame; My master he did cudgel me For speaking of my dame.

CCCCXV.

Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John Went to bed with his trowsers on; One shoe off, the other shoe on, Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John.

CCCCXVI.

Dibbity, dibbity, dibbity, doe. Give me a pancake And I'll go. Dibbity, dibbity, dibbity, ditter, Please to give me A bit of a fritter.

CCCCXVII.

Feedum, fiddledum fee, The cat's got into the tree. Pussy, come down, Or I'll crack your crown, And toss you into the sea.

CCCCXVIII.

Little Jack a Dandy Wanted sugar-candy, And fairly for it cried; But little Billy Cook Who always reads his book, Shall have a horse to ride.

CCCCXIX.

Hyder iddle diddle dell, A yard of pudding's not an ell; Not forgetting tweedle-dye, A tailor's goose will never fly.

CCCCXX.

Gilly Silly Jarter, Who has lost a garter? In a shower of rain, The miller found it, The miller ground it, And the miller gave it to Silly again.

CCCCXXI.

Hub a dub dub, Three men in a tub; And who do you think they be? The butcher, the baker, The candlestick-maker; Turn 'em out, knaves all three!

CCCCXXII.

Hey diddle, dinketty, poppety, pet, The merchants of London they wear scarlet; Silk in the collar, and gold in the hem, So merrily march the merchantmen.

CCCCXXIII.

Fiddle-de-dee, fiddle-de-dee, The fly shall marry the humble-bee. They went to the church, and married was she, The fly has married the humble-bee.

CCCCXXIV.

Hey, dorolot, dorolot! Hey, dorolay, dorolay! Hey, my bonny boat, bonny boat, Hey, drag away, drag away!

CCCCXXV.

A cat came fiddling out of a barn, With a pair of bag-pipes under her arm; She could sing nothing but fiddle cum fee, The mouse has married the humble-bee; Pipe, cat,--dance, mouse, We'll have a wedding at our good house.

CCCCXXVI.

Hey! diddle, diddle, The cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon; The little dog laugh'd To see the sport, While the dish ran after the spoon.

CCCCXXVII.

Doodledy, doodledy, doodledy, dan, I'll have a piper to be my good man; And if I get less meat, I shall get game, Doodledy, doodledy, doodledy, dan.

CCCCXXVIII.

Tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee Resolved to have a battle, For tweedle-dum said tweedle-dee Had spoiled his nice new rattle. Just then flew by a monstrous crow, As big as a tar-barrel, Which frightened both the heroes so, They quite forgot their quarrel.

CCCCXXIX.

Come dance a jig To my Granny's pig, With a raudy, rowdy, dowdy; Come dance a jig To my Granny's pig, And pussy-cat shall crowdy.

CCCCXXX.

Pussicat, wussicat, with a white foot, When is your wedding? for I'll come to't. The beer's to brew, the bread's to bake, Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, don't be too late.

CCCCXXXI.

Ding, dong, darrow, The cat and the sparrow; The little dog has burnt his tail, And he shall be hang'd to-morrow.

CCCCXXXII.

Little Dicky Dilver Had a wife of silver, He took a stick and broke her back, And sold her to the miller; The miller would'nt have her, So he threw her in the river.

CCCCXXXIII.

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig, Home again, home again, dancing a jig; Ride to the market to buy a fat hog, Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.

CCCCXXXIV.

Doodle, doodle, doo, The princess lost her shoe; Her highness hopp'd, The fidler stopped, Not knowing what to do.

CCCCXXXV.

Rompty-iddity, row, row, row, If I had a good supper, I could eat it now.

CCCCXXXVI.

[Magotty-pie is given in MS. Lands. 1033, fol. 2, as a Wiltshire word for a magpie. See also 'Macbeth,' act iii, sc. 4. The same term occurs in the dictionaries of Hollyband, Cotgrave, and Minsheu.]

Round about, round about, Magotty-pie, My father loves good ale, And so do I.

CCCCXXXVII.

High, ding, cockatoo-moody, Make a bed in a barn, I will come to thee; High, ding, straps of leather, Two little puppy-dogs tied together; One by the head, and one by the tail, And over the water these puppy-dogs sail.

CCCCXXXVIII.

[Our collection of nursery songs may appropriately be concluded with the Quaker's commentary on one of the greatest favourites--Hey! diddle, diddle. We have endeavoured, as far as practicable, to remove every line from the present edition that could offend the most fastidious ear; but the following annotations on a song we cannot be induced to omit, would appear to suggest that our endeavours are scarcely likely to be attended with success.]

"Hey! diddle, diddle, The cat and the fiddle"--

Yes, thee may say that, for that is nonsense.

"The cow jumped over the moon"--

Oh no! Mary, thee musn't say that, for that is a falsehood; thee knows a cow could never jump over the moon; but a cow may jump under it; so thee ought to say--"The cow jumped _under_ the moon." Yes,--

"The cow jumped under the moon; The little dog laughed"--

Oh Mary, stop. How can a little dog laugh? thee knows a little dog can't laugh. Thee ought to say--"The little dog _barked_--to see the sport,"

"And the dish ran after the spoon"--

Stop, Mary, stop. A dish could never run after a spoon; thee ought to know that. Thee had better say--"And the _cat_ ran after the spoon." So,--

"Hey! diddle, diddle, The cat and the fiddle, The cow jump'd _under_ the moon; The little dog _bark'd_, To see the sport, And the _cat_ ran after the spoon!"

FOURTEENTH CLASS.

LOVE AND MATRIMONY.

CCCCXXXIX.