The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2) With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.

(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 o...

(_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 whe...

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.

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...

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...

(_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 alternat...

(_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...

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...

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 C...

(_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, s...

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 tradit...

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 succ...

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.

"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 cond...

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.

"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 o...

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.

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.

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.

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 gues...

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 dan...

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, _Sheff...

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 stand...

+---+----------------------+ |No.| Beddgelert. | +---+----------------------+ | 1.|Sallie [ ]. | | 2.| -- | | 3.| -- | | 4.| -- | | 5.| -- | | 6.| -- | | 7.| -- | | 8.| -- | | 9...

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 Co...

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 may...

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." I...

(_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...

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....

(_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 Mon...

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...

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.

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, b...

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.

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.| London. | Barnes. | Hersham. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+--------------...

Produced by David Edwards, Harry Lamé, the Music Team (Anne Celnik, monkeyclogs, Sarah Thomson and others) and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (T...

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.| Staffordshire, | Belfast. | Wakefield. | | | Hanbury. | | | +---+----------------------+--------...

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 l...

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.

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...

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? Ra...

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.| Winterton. | Forest of Dean. | Liphook. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+---...

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.| Gloucestershire. | Sheffield. | Lincolnshire. | +---+----------------------+--------------------...