The Nursery Rhymes of England :: TENTH CLASS GAMES.

TENTH CLASS GAMES.

J. O. Halliwell-Phillipps

fancy rule

CCLXXVII.

[Rhymes used by children to decide who is to begin a game.]

NE-ERY, two-ery,

Ziccary zan;

Hollow bone, crack a bone,

Ninery, ten:

Spittery spot,

It must be done;

Twiddleum twaddleum,

Twenty-one.

Hink spink, the puddings stink,

The fat begins to fry,

Nobody at home, but jumping Joan,

Father, mother, and I.

Stick, stock, stone dead,

Blind man can't see,

Every knave will have a slave,

You or I must be he.

CCLXXVIII.

[A game of the Fox. In a children's game, where all the little actors are seated in a circle, the following stanza is used as question and answer.]

Who goes round my house this night?

None but cruel Tom!

Who steals all the sheep at night?

None but this poor one.

CCLXXIX.

Dance, Thumbkin, dance,

[Keep the thumb in motion.

Dance, ye merrymen, every one:

[All the fingers in motion.

For Thumbkin, he can dance alone,

[The thumb only moving.

Thumbkin, he can dance alone,

[Ditto.

Dance, Foreman, dance,

[The first finger moving.

Dance, ye merrymen, every one;

[The whole moving.

But Foreman, he can dance alone,

Foreman, he can dance alone.

[and So on With the Others—naming the 2d Finger Longman—the 3d Finger Ringman—and the 4th Finger Littleman. Littleman Cannot Dance Alone.]

CCLXXX.

[The following is used by schoolboys, when two are starting to run a race.]

One to make ready,

And two to prepare;

Good luck to the rider,

And away goes the mare.

CCLXXXI.

[At the conclusion, the captive is privately asked if he will have oranges or lemons (the two leaders of the arch having previously agreed which designation shall belong to each), and he goes behind the one he may chance to name. When all are thus divided into two parties, they conclude the game by trying to pull each other beyond a certain line.]

Gay go up and gay go down,

To ring the bells of London town.

Bull's eyes and targets,

Say the bells of St. Marg'ret's.

Brickbats and tiles,

Say the bells of St. Giles'.

Halfpence and farthings,

Say the bells of St. Martin's.

Oranges and lemons,

Say the bells of St. Clement's.

Pancakes and fritters,

Say the bells of St. Peter's.

Two sticks and an apple,

Say the bells at Whitechapel.

Old Father Baldpate,

Say the slow bells at Aldgate.

You owe me ten shillings,

Say the bells at St. Helen's.

Pokers and tongs,

Say the bells at St. John's.

Kettles and pans,

Say the bells at St. Ann's.

When will you pay me?

Say the bells at Old Bailey.

When I grow rich,

Say the bells at Shoreditch.

Pray when will that be?

Say the bells of Stepney.

I am sure I don't know,

Says the great bell at Bow.

Here comes a candle to light you to bed,

And here comes a chopper to chop off your head.

CCLXXXII.

[One child holds a wand to the face of another, repeating these lines, and making grimaces, to cause the latter to laugh, and so to the others; those who laugh paying a forfeit.]

Buff says Buff to all his men,

And I say Buff to you again;

Buff neither laughs nor smiles,

But carries his face

With a very good grace,

And passes the stick to the very next place!

CCLXXXIII.

[Game with the hands.]

Pease-pudding hot,

Pease-pudding cold,

Pease-pudding in the pot,

Nine days old.

Some like it hot,

Some like it cold,

Some like it in the pot,

Nine days old.

CCLXXXIV.

Awake, arise, pull out your eyes,

And hear what time of day;

And when you have done, pull out your tongue,

And see what you can say.

CCLXXXV.

GAME OF THE GIPSY.

[One child is selected for Gipsy, one for Mother, and one for Daughter Sue. The Mother says,—

I charge my daughters every one

To keep good house while I am gone.

You and you (points) but specially you,

[Or sometimes, but specially Sue.]

Or else I'll beat you black and blue.

[During the Mother's absence, the Gipsy comes in, entices a child away, and hides her. This process is repeated till all the children are hidden, when the Mother has to find them.]

CCLXXXVI.

[This game begins thus: Take this—What's this?—A gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog, &c.]

Twelve huntsmen with horns and hounds,

Hunting over other men's grounds!

Eleven ships sailing o'er the main,

Some bound for France and some for Spain:

I wish them all safe home again:

Ten comets in the sky,

Some low and some high;

Nine peacocks in the air,

I wonder how they all came there,

I do not know and I do not care;

Eight joiners in joiner's hall,

Working with the tools and all;

Seven lobsters in a dish,

As fresh as any heart could wish;

Six beetles against the wall,

Close by an old woman's apple stall;

Five puppies of our dog Ball,

Who daily for their breakfast call;

Four horses stuck in a bog,

Three monkeys tied to a clog;

Two pudding-ends would choke a dog.

With a gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog.

CCLXXXVII.

[A string of children, hand in hand, stand in a row. A child (A) stands in front of them, as leader; two other children (B and C) form an arch, each holding both the hands of the other.]

a.Draw a pail of water,

For my lady's daughter;

My father's a king, and my mother's a queen,

My two little sisters are dress'd in green,

Stamping grass and parsley,

Marigold leaves and daisies.

b.One rush, two rush,

Pray thee, fine lady, come under my bush.

[A passes by under the arch, followed by the whole string of children, the last of whom is taken captive by B and C. The verses are repeated, until all are taken.]

CCLXXXVIII.

[The following seems to belong to the last game; but it is usually found by itself in the small books of children's rhymes.]

Sieve my lady's oatmeal,

Grind my lady's flour,

Put it in a chesnut,

Let it stand an hour;

One may rush, two may rush,

Come, my girls, walk under the bush.

CCLXXXIX.

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 pray, Miss or Master, throw up the ball.

CCXC.

There were three jovial Welshmen,

As I have heard them say,

And they would go a-hunting

Upon St. David's day.

All the day they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But a ship a-sailing,

A-sailing with the wind.

One said it was a ship,

The other he said, nay;

The third said it was a house,

With the chimney blown away.

And all the night they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But the moon a-gliding,

A-gliding with the wind.

One said it was the moon,

The other he said, nay;

The third said it was a cheese,

And half o't cut away.

And all the day they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But a hedgehog in a bramble bush,

And that they left behind.

The first said it was a hedgehog,

The second he said, nay;

The third it was a pincushion,

And the pins stuck in wrong way.

And all the night they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But a hare in a turnip field,

And that they left behind.

The first said it was a hare,

The second he said, nay;

The third said it was a calf,

And the cow had run away.

And all the day they hunted,

And nothing could they find

But an owl in a holly tree,

And that they left behind.

One said it was an owl,

The other he said, nay;

The third said 'twas an old man,

And his beard growing grey.

CCXCI.

Is John Smith within?—

Yes, that he is.

Can he set a shoe?—

Ay, marry, two,

Here a nail, there a nail,

Tick, tack, too.

CCXCII.

Margery Mutton-pie, and Johnny Bopeep,

They met together in Grace-church Street;

In and out, in and out, over the way,

Oh! says Johnny, 'tis chop-nose day.

CCXCIII.

Intery, mintery, cutery-corn,

Apple seed and apple thorn;

Wine, brier, limber-lock,

Five geese in a flock,

Sit and sing by a spring,

O-u-t, and in again.

CCXCIV.

[The game of water-skimming is of high antiquity, being mentioned by Julius Pollux, and also by Eustathius, in his commentary upon Homer. Brand quotes a curious passage from Minucius Felix; but all antiquaries seem to have overlooked the very curious notice in Higgins' adaptation of Junius's 'Nomenclator,' 8vo, London, 1585, p. 299, where it is called "a duck and a drake, and a halfe-penie cake." Thus it is probable that lines like the following were employed in this game as early as 1585; and it may be that the last line has recently furnished a hint to Mathews in his amusing song in 'Patter v. Clatter.']

A duck and a drake,

A nice barley-cake,

With a penny to pay the old baker;

A hop and a scotch,

Is another notch,

Slitherum, slatherum, take her.

CCXCV.

See, Saw, Margery Daw,

Sold her bed and lay upon straw;

Was not she a dirty slut,

To sell her bed and lie in the dirt!

CCXCVI.

See, saw, Margery Daw,

Little Jackey shall have a new master;

Little Jackey shall have but a penny a day,

Because he can't work any faster.

CCXCVII.

1. I am a gold lock.

2. I am a gold key.

1. I am a silver lock.

2. I am a silver key.

1. I am a brass lock.

2. I am a brass key.

1. I am a lead lock.

2. I am a lead key.

1. I am a monk lock.

2. I am a monk key!

CCXCVIII.

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury-cross,

To buy little Johnny a galloping-horse;

It trots behind, and it ambles before,

And Johnny shall ride till he can ride no more.

CCXCIX.

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury-cross,

To see what Tommy can buy;

A penny white loaf, a penny white cake,

And a twopenny apple-pie.

CCC.

Jack be nimble,

And Jack be quick:

And Jack jump over

The candle-stick.

CCCI.

[This should be accompanied by a kind of pantomimic dance, in which the motions of the body and arms express the process of weaving; the motion of the shuttle, &c.]

Weave the diaper tick-a-tick tick,

Weave the diaper tick—

Come this way, come that

As close as a mat,

Athwart and across, up and down, round about,

And forwards, and backwards, and inside, and out;

Weave the diaper thick-a-thick thick,

Weave the diaper thick!

CCCII.

[Used in Somersetshire in counting out the game of pee-wip or pee wit.]

One-ery, two-ery, hickary, hum,

Fillison, follison, Nicholson, John,

Quever, quauver, Irish Mary,

Stenkarum, stankarum, buck!

CCCIII.

Whoop, whoop, and hollow,

Good dogs won't follow,

Without the hare cries "pee wit."

CCCIV.

Tom Brown's two little Indian boys,

One ran away,

The other wouldn't stay,—

Tom Brown's two little Indian boys.

CCCV.

There were two blackbirds,

Sitting on a hill,

The one nam'd Jack,

The other nam'd Jill;

Fly away Jack!

Fly away Jill!

Come again Jack!

Come again Jill!

CCCVI.

Tip, top, tower,

Tumble down in an hour.

CCCVII.

1. I went up one pair of stairs.

2. Just like me.

1. I went up two pair of stairs.

2. Just like me.

1. I went into a room.

2. Just like me.

1. I looked out of a window.

2. Just like me.

1. And there I saw a monkey.

2. Just like me.

CCCVIII.

Number number nine, this hoop's mine;

Number number ten, take it back again.

CCCIX.

Here goes my lord

A trot, a trot, a trot, a trot,

Here goes my lady

A canter, a canter, a canter, a canter!

Here goes my young master

Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch:

Here goes my young miss,

An amble, an amble, an amble, an amble!

The footman lays behind to tipple ale and wine,

And goes gallop, a gallop, a gallop, to make up his time.

CCCX.

[This is acted by two or more girls, who walk or dance up and down, turning, when they say, "turn, cheeses, turn." The "green cheeses," as I am informed, are made with sage and potatoe-tops. Two girls are said to be "cheese and cheese."]

Green cheese, yellow laces,

Up and down the market-places,

Turn, cheeses, turn!

CCCXI.

To market ride the gentlemen,

So do we, so do we;

Then comes the country clown,

Hobbledy gee, Hobbledy gee;

First go the ladies, nim, nim, nim;

Next come the gentlemen, trim, trim, trim;

Then comes the country clowns, gallop-a-trot.

CCCXII.

Ride a cock-horse to Coventry-cross;

To see what Emma can buy;

A penny white cake I'll buy for her sake,

And a twopenny tart or a pie.

CCCXIII.

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury-cross,

To see an old lady upon a white horse,

Rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes,

And so she makes music wherever she goes.

CCCXIV.

[Song set to five toes.]

1. Let us go to the wood, says this pig;

2. What to do there? says that pig;

3. To look for my mother, says this pig;

4. What to do with her? says that pig;

5. Kiss her to death, says this pig.

CCCXV.

[A number of boys and girls stand round one in the middle, who repeats the following lines, counting the children until one is counted out by the end of the verses.]

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.

[The child upon whom (14) falls is then taken out, and forced to select one of the other sex. The middle child then proceeds.]

This [lady or gentleman] is none of ours,

Has put [him or her] self in [the selected child's] power,

So clap all hands, and ring all bells, and make the wedding o'er.

[All clap hands.]

[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.]

CCCXVI.

[Another game, played exclusively by boys. Two, who are fixed upon for the purpose, leave the group, and privately arrange that the pass-word shall be some implement of a particular trade. The trade is announced in the dialogue, and then the fun is, that the unfortunate wight who guesses the "tool" is beaten with the caps of his fellows till he reaches a fixed goal, after which he goes out in turn.]

"Two broken tradesmen,

Newly come over,

The one from France and Scotland,

The other from Dover."

"What's your trade?"

[Carpenters, nailors, smiths, tinkers, or any other is answered, and on guessing the instrument "plane him, hammer him, rasp him, or solder him," is called out respectively during the period of punishment.]

CCCXVII.

Clap hands, clap hands,

Hie Tommy Randy,

Did you see my good man?

They call him Cock-a-bandy.

Silken Stockings on his legs,

Silver buckles glancin',

A sky-blue bonnet on his head,

And oh, but he is handsome.

CCCXVIII.

[A song set to five fingers.]

1. This pig went to market;

2. This pig staid at home;

3. This pig had a bit of meat;

4. And this pig had none;

5. This pig said, Wee, wee, wee! I can't find my way home.

CCCXIX.

[Children hunting bats.]

Bat, bat, (clap hands,)

Come under my hat,

And I'll give you a slice of bacon;

And when I bake,

I'll give you a cake,

If I am not mistaken.

CCCXX.

[A game at ball.]

Cuckoo, cherry tree,

Catch a bird, and give it to me;

Let the tree be high or low,

Let it hail, rain, or snow.

CCCXXI.

[Two of the strongest children are selected, a and b; a stands within a ring of the children, b being outside.]

a. Who is going round my sheepfold?

b. Only poor old Jacky Lingo.

a. Don't steal any of my black sheep.

b. No, no more I will, only by one,

Up, says Jacky Lingo. (Strikes one.)

[The child struck leaves the ring, and takes hold of b behind; b in the same manner takes the other children, one by one, gradually increasing his tail on each repetition of the verses, until he has got the whole; a then tries to get them back; b runs away with them; they try to shelter themselves behind b; a drags them off, one by one, setting them against a wall, until he has recovered all. A regular tearing game, as children say.]

CCCXXII.

Highty cock O!

To London we go,

To York we ride;

And Edward has pussy-cat tied to his side;

He shall have little dog tied to the other,

And then he goes trid trod to see his grandmother.

CCCXXIII.

This is the key of the kingdom.

In that kingdom there is a city.

In that city there is a town.

In that town there is a street.

In that street there is a lane.

In that lane there is a yard.

In that yard there is a house.

In that house there is a room.

In that room there is a bed.

On that bed there is a basket.

In that basket there are some flowers.

Flowers in the basket, basket in the bed, bed in the room, &c. &c.

CCCXXIV.

[Children stand round, and are counted one by one, by means of this rhyme. The child upon whom the last number falls is out, for "Hide or Seek," or any other game where a victim is required. A cock and bull story of this kind is related of the historian Josephus. There are other versions of this, and one may be seen in 'Blackwood's Magazine' for August, 1821, p. 36.]

Hickory (1), Dickory (2), Dock (3),

The mouse ran up the clock (4),

The clock struck one (5),

The mouse was gone (6);

O (7), u (8), t (9), spells OUT!

CCCXXV.

One old Oxford ox opening oysters;

Two tee-totums totally tired of trying to trot to Tadbury;

Three tall tigers tippling tenpenny tea;

Four fat friars fanning fainting flies;

Five frippy Frenchmen foolishly fishing for flies;

Six sportsmen shooting snipes;

Seven Severn salmons swallowing shrimps;

Eight Englishmen eagerly examining Europe;

Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nonpareils;

Ten tinkers tinkling upon ten tin tinderboxes with ten tenpenny tacks;

Eleven elephants elegantly equipt;

Twelve typographical topographers typically translating types.

CCCXXVI.

[The following lines are sung by children when starting for a race.]

Good horses, bad horses,

What is the time of day?

Three o'clock, four o'clock,

Now fare you away.

CCCXXVII.

See-saw, jack a daw,

What is a craw to do wi' her?

She has not a stocking to put on her,

And the craw has not one for to gi' her.

CCCXXVIII.

[The following is a game played as follows: A string of boys and girls, each holding by his predecessor's skirts, approaches two others, who with joined and elevated hands form a double arch. After the dialogue, the line passes through, and the last is caught by a sudden lowering of the arms—if possible.]

How many miles is it to Babylon?—

Threescore miles and ten.

Can I get there by candle-light?—

Yes, and back again!

If your heels are nimble and light,

You may get there by candle-light.

CCCXXIX.

Clap hands, clap hands!

Till father comes home;

For father's got money,

But mother's got none.

Clap hands, &c.

Till father, &c.

CCCXXX.

See-saw sacradown,

Which is the way to London town?

One foot up, and the other down,

And that is the way to London town.

CCCXXXI.

Here stands a post,

Who put it there?

A better man than you;

Touch it if you dare!

CCCXXXII.

[A stands with a row of girls (her daughters) behind her; B, a suitor, advances.]

b. Trip trap over the grass: If you please will you let one of your [eldest] daughters come,

Come and dance with me?

I will give you pots and pans, I will give you brass,

I will give you anything for a pretty lass.

a. says, "No."

b. I will give you gold and silver, I will give you pearl,

I will give you anything for a pretty girl.

a. Take one, take one, the fairest you may see.

b. The fairest one that I can see

Is pretty Nancy,—come to me.

[B carries one off, and says:]

You shall have a duck, my dear,

And you shall have a drake,

And you shall have a young man apprentice for your sake.

[Children say:]

If this young man should happen to die,

And leave this poor woman a widow,

The bells shall all ring, and the birds shall all sing,

And we'll all clap hands together.

[So it is repeated until the whole are taken.]

CCCXXXIII.

[The "Three Knights of Spain" is a game played in nearly the same manner as the preceding. The dramatis personÆ form themselves in two parties, one representing a courtly dame and her daughters, the other the suitors of the daughters. The last party, moving backwards and forwards, with their arms entwined, approach and recede from the mother party, which is stationary, singing to a very sweet air. See Chambers' 'Popular Rhymes,' p. 66.]

Suitors.

We are three brethren out of Spain,

Come to court your daughter Jane.

Mother.

My daughter Jane she is too young,

And has not learned her mother tongue.

Suitors.

Be she young, or be she old,

For her beauty she must be sold.

So fare you well, my lady gay,

We'll call again another day.

Mother.

Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,

And rub thy spurs till they be bright.

Suitors.

Of my spurs take you no thought,

For in this town they were not bought,

So fare you well, my lady gay,

We'll call again another day.

Mother.

Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,

And take the fairest in your sight.

Suitor.

The fairest maid that I can see,

Is pretty Nancy,—come to me.

Here comes your daughter safe and sound,

Every pocket with a thousand pound;

Every finger with a gay gold ring;

Please to take your daughter in.

CCCXXXIV.

[A game on the slate.]

Eggs, butter, bread,

Stick, stock, stone dead!

Stick him up, stick him down,

Stick him in the old man's crown!

CCCXXXV.

[In the following childish amusement, one extends his arm, and the other in illustration of the narrative, strikes him gently with the side of his hand at the shoulder and wrist; and then at the word "middle," with considerable force, on the flexor muscles at the elbow-joint.]

My father was a Frenchman,

He bought for me a fiddle,

He cut me here, he cut me here,

He cut me right in the middle.

CCCXXXVI.

[Patting the foot on the five toes.]

Shoe the colt, shoe!

Shoe the wild mare;

Put a sack on her back,

See if she'll bear.

If she'll bear,

We'll give her some grains;

If she won't bear,

We'll dash out her brains!

CCCXXXVII.

[Game on a child's features.]

Here sits the Lord Mayor ..forehead.

Here sit his two men...eyes.

Here sits the cock....right cheek.

Here sits the hen....left cheek.

Here sit the little chickens..tip of nose.

Here they run in....mouth.

Chinchopper, chinchopper,

Chinchopper, chin!...chuck the chin.

CCCXXXVIII.

[A play with the face. The child exclaims:]

Ring the bell!...giving a lock of its hair a pull.

Knock at the door!.tapping its forehead.

Draw the latch!..pulling up its nose.

And walk in!...opening its mouth and putting in its finger.

CCCXXXIX.

[An exercise during which the fingers of the child are enumerated.]

Thumbikin, Thumbikin, broke the barn,

Pinnikin, Pinnikin, stole the corn.

Long back'd Gray

Carried it away.

Old Mid-man sat and saw,

But Peesy-weesy paid for a'.

CCCXL.

This pig went to market,

Squeak mouse, mouse, mousey;

Shoe, shoe, shoe the wild colt,

And here's my own doll, Dowsy.

CCCXLI.

[From Yorkshire. A game to alarm children.]

Flowers, flowers, high-do!

Sheeny, greeny, rino!—

Sheeny greeny,

Rum tum fra!

CCCXLII.

1. This pig went to the barn.

2. This eat all the corn.

3. This said he would tell.

4. This said he wasn't well.

5. This went week, week, week, over the door sill.

CCCXLIII.

[The two following are fragments of a game called "The Lady of the Land," a complete version of which has not fallen in my way.]

Here comes a poor woman from baby-land,

With three small children in her hand:

One can brew, the other can bake,

The other can make a pretty round cake.

One can sit in the garden and spin,

Another can make a fine bed for the king;

Pray ma'am will you take one in?

CCCXLIV.

I can make diet bread,

Thick and thin;

I can make diet bread,

Fit for the king.

CCCXLV.

Here we come a piping,

First in spring, and then in May;

The queen she sits upon the sand,

Fair as a lily, white as a wand:

King John has sent you letters three,

And begs you'll read them unto me.—

We can't read one without them all,

So pray, Miss Bridget, deliver the ball!

CCCXLVI.

The first day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

A partridge in a pear tree.

The second day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Two turtle doves and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The third day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The fourth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The fifth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The sixth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The seventh day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The eighth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The ninth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The tenth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Ten pipers piping,

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The eleventh day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Eleven ladies dancing,

Ten pipers piping,

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

The twelfth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Twelve lords a leaping,

Eleven ladies dancing,

Ten pipers piping,

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five gold rings,

Four colly birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and

A partridge in a pear tree.

[Each child in succession repeats the gifts of the day, and forfeits for each mistake. This accumulative process is a favorite with children: in early writers, such as Homer, the repetition of messages, &c. pleases on the same principle.]

CCCXLVII.

[A game on the fingers.]

Heetum peetum penny pie,

Populorum gingum gie;

East, West, North, South,

Kirby, Kendal, Cock him out!

CCCXLVIII.

[A game-rhyme.]

Trip and go, heave and hoe,

Up and down, to and fro;

From the town to the grove

Two and two let us rove,

A-maying, a-playing;

Love hath no gainsaying;

So merrily trip and go,

So merrily trip and go!

CCCXLIX.

This is the way the ladies ride;

Tri, tre, tre, tree,

Tri, tre, tre, tree!

This is the way the ladies ride,

Tri, tre, tre, tre, tri-tre-tre-tree!

This is the way the gentlemen ride;

Gallop-a-trot,

Gallop-a-trot!

This is the way the gentlemen ride,

Gallop-a-gallop-a-trot!

This is the way the farmers ride;

Hobbledy-hoy,

Hobbledy-hoy!

This is the way the farmers ride,

Hobbledy hobbledy-hoy!

CCCL.

There was a man, and his name was Dob,

And he had a wife, and her name was Mob,

And he had a dog, and he called it Cob,

And she had a cat, called Chitterabob.

Cob, says Dob,

Chitterabob, says Mob,

Cob was Dob's dog,

Chitterabob Mob's cat.

CCCLI.

[Two children sit opposite to each other; the first turns her fingers one over the other, and says:]

"May my geese fly over your barn?"

[The other answers, Yes, if they'll do no harm. Upon which the first unpacks the fingers of her hand, and waving it over head, says:]

"Fly over his barn and eat all his corn."