CCXV. [Children hunting bats.] BAT, bat (clap hands), And I'll give you a slice of bacon ; And when I bake, I'll give you a cake, If I am not mistaken. CCXVI. [THIS is acted by two or more girls, who walk or dance up and down, turning, when they say, "turn, cheeses, turn.” The 66 'green cheeses," as I am informed, are made with sage and potatoe-tops. Two girls are said to be "cheese and cheese."] GREEN cheeses, yellow laces, Up and down the market-places, CCXVII. [Two of the strongest children are selected, A and B. within a ring of the children, B being outside.] A. Who is going round my sheepfold? A stands 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.] CCXVIII. [CHILDREN stand round, and are counted one by one by means of this rhyme, which I have already given in a different form at p. 89. 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.] 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! CCXIX. [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), you set your foot awry (11), [The child upon whom (14) falls, is then taken out and forced to select one of the opposite sex. The middle child then proceeds.] This [lady or gentleman] is none of ours, Has put [his 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 think, takes the middle place. Otherwise, I think, there is a salute.] CCXX. 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. I caught a hare alive; 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, I let him go again. CCXXI. 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. CCXXII. 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. CCXXIII. [Another version of No. 219.] As I go round ring by ring, A maiden goes a maying, And here's a flower and there's a flower, Gentle John will make you cry; If you set your Gentle John will give you a good kiss. foot awry, CCXXIV. ONE old Oxford ox opening oysters; Two tee totums totally tired of trying to trot to Tad berry; Three tall tigers tippling ten-penny 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; Ten tinkers tinkling upon ten tin tinder-boxes with ten tenpenny tacks ; Eleven elephants elegantly equipt; Twelve typographical topographers typically translating types. CCXXV. [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, "No." A says B. I will give you gold and silver, I will give you pearl, I will give you anything for a pretty girl. |