Part 11
(_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
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."
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.