The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 78

And then I married a soldier, how happy was I! &c.

And then he bought me a donkey, how happy was I! &c.

And then the donkey throwed me, how sorry was I! &c.

And then I was a was.h.i.+ng-maid, how happy was I! &c.

And then my life was ended, how sorry was I!

-Chirbury (_Shrops.h.i.+re Folk-lore_, p. 515).

IX. When first we went to school-to school-to school- How happy was I!

'Twas this way and that way, How happy was I!

Next I went to service-to service-to service- How happy was I!

'Twas this way, and that way, How happy was I! &c.

Next I had a sweetheart-a sweetheart-a sweetheart- How happy was I! &c.

Next I got married-got married-got married- How happy was I! &c.

Next I had a baby-a baby-a baby- How happy was I! &c.

Next my husband died-he died-he died- How sorry was I! &c.

Next my baby died-she died-she died- How sorry was I! &c.

-Dorsets.h.i.+re (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. pp. 218-219).

X. Oh! when I was a soldier, I did this way, this way.

Oh! when I was a mower, I did this way, this way.

Oh! when I was a hedge cutter, I did this way, this way.

Oh! when I was a boot cleaner, I did this way, this way.

Oh! when I was a teacher, I did this way, this way.

Oh! when I was a governess, I did this way, this way.

Oh! when I had a baby, I did this way, this way.

Oh! when my baby died, I did this way, this way.

-Fernham and Longcot Choir Girls, Berks. (Miss I. Barclay).

XI. When I was a school-boy, a school-boy, a school-boy, When I was a school-boy, this way went I.

When I was a school-girl, &c.

When I was a-courting, &c.

When I got married, &c.

When I had a baby, &c.

When my baby died, &c.

When my husband was ill, &c.

When I was a shoe-black, &c.

When I was a washerwoman, &c.

When I was a soldier, &c.

When I was a sailor, &c.

-Frodingham and Nottinghams.h.i.+re (Miss M. Peac.o.c.k).

XII. When I was a school girl, a school girl, a school girl, When I was a school girl, a this way went I.

When I was a teacher, a teacher, a teacher, When I was a teacher, a this way went I.

[Verses follow for courtin'-

married woman, having a baby, death of baby.]

-Earls Heaton (H. Hardy).

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.

-Haxey, Lincolns.h.i.+re (C. C. Bell).

(_c_) The children join hands and form a ring. They all dance or walk round singing the words of the first two lines of each verse. Then all standing still, they unclasp hands, and continue singing the next two lines, and while doing so each child performs some action which ill.u.s.trates the events, work, condition, or profession mentioned in the first line of the verse they are singing; then rejoining hands they all dance round in a circle again. The actions used to ill.u.s.trate the different events are: In the versions from Platt school, for "young girl," each child holds out her dress and dances a step first to the right, then to the left, two or three times, finis.h.i.+ng by turning herself quite round; for a "sweetheart," the children turn their heads and kiss their hands to the child behind them; for "got married," they all walk round in ring form, two by two, arm in arm; for having a baby, they each "rock" and "hush" a pretended baby; when the baby dies, each pretends to cry; when the husband dies, they throw their ap.r.o.ns or handkerchiefs over their heads and faces; for "keeping a donkey," each child pretends to beat and drive the child immediately in front of her; for "washerwoman," each pretends to wash or wring clothes; for a "beggar," each drops curtseys, and holds out her hand as if asking alms, putting on an imploring countenance. The Barnes' version is played in the same way, with the addition of holding the hands together to represent a book, as if learning lessons, for "schoolgirl"; pretending to hold a cane, and holding up fingers for silence, when a "teacher"; when "my husband did beat me," each pretends to fight; and for "my husband died," each child walks round joyfully, waving her handkerchief, and all calling out Hurrah! at the end; the other verses being acted the same as at Platt. The Liphook version is much the same: the children beckon with their fingers when "wanting a sweetheart"; kneel down and pretend to pray when "at church"; prod pretended "clothes" in a wash-tub with a "dolly" stick when "I did peggy" is said; and mourn for the "husband's" death. In the Hanbury game, the children dance round or shake themselves for "flounces "; hold up dresses and walk nicely for "lady"; bow to each other for "gentlemen"; pretend to mend shoes when "cobblers"; brush shoes for "s...o...b..ack"; clap hands when the "husband"

dies; and kneel when they are "parsons." In the Ogbourne game, the children "hold up their dresses as ladies do" in the first verse; take off their hats repeatedly when "gentlemen"; pretend to cry when "schoolgirls"; walking round, swinging their arms, and looking as c.o.c.ky as possible, when "schoolboys"; patting each other's backs when "schoolmasters"; clapping hands for "schoolmistresses"; stooping down and walking on all fours for a "donkey"; and brus.h.i.+ng shoes for "s...o...b..ack." In the Shrops.h.i.+re games at Berrington, each child "walks demurely" for a good girl; puts finger on lip for "naughty girl"; walks two and two, arm in arm, for "courting"; holds on to her dress for "married"; whips the "baby," and cries when it dies. In the Market Drayton game, each pretends to tear her clothes for "naughty girl"; pretends to carry a bag for "schoolgirl"; walk in pairs side by side for "courting"; the same, arm in arm, for "married"; "hushes" for a baby, pretends to pat on the back for sick baby; covers her face with handkerchief when baby dies; pats her chest when husband is sick, cries and "makes dreadful work" when he dies; puts on handkerchief for a widow's veil for a widow; hobbles along, and finally falls down when "a hundred and four." In the Dorset game, when at "service," an imitation of scrubbing and sweeping is given; walk in couples for sweethearts, and married; the remaining verses the same as the Platt version. In the Fernham game the children shoot out their arms alternately for a soldier; for a mower, they stand sideways and pretend to cut gra.s.s; for hedge-cutter, they pretend to cut with a downward movement, as with a belt [_qy._ bill] hook, the other action similar to the Platt and Barnes games. In the Frodingham game they stamp and pretend to drill for "schoolboys," pretend to sew as "schoolgirls," kiss for "courting," put on a ring for "getting married," run for a doctor when "husband" is ill, punch and push each other for "soldiers," and haul ropes for "sailors."

In other versions, in which carpenters, blacksmiths, farmers, bakers appear, actions showing something of those trades are performed.

(_d_) It will be seen, from the description of the way this game is played, that it consists of imitative actions of different events in life, or of actions imitating trades and occupations. It was probably at one time played by both girls and boys, young men and young women. It is now but seldom played by boys, and therefore those verses containing lines describing male occupations are not nearly so frequently met with as those describing girls' or womens' life only. Young girl, sweetheart, or going courtin', marriage, birth of children, loss of baby and husband, widowhood, and the occupations of was.h.i.+ng and cleaning, exactly sum up the princ.i.p.al and important events in many working womens'

lives-comprising, in fact, the whole. This was truer many years ago than now, and the mention in many versions of school girl, teacher, governess, indicate in those versions the influence which education, first in the shape of dame or village schools, Sunday schools, and latterly Board schools, has had upon the minds and playtime of the children. These lines may certainly be looked upon as introductions by the children of comparatively modern times, and doubtless have taken the place of some older custom or habit. This game is exactly one of those to which additions and alterations of this kind can be made without destroying or materially altering, or affecting, its sense. It can live as a simple game in an almost complete state long after its original wording has been lost or forgotten, and as long as occupations continue and events occur which lend themselves to dumb action. The origin of the game I consider to be those dances and songs performed in imitation of the serious avocations of life, when such ceremonies were considered necessary to their proper performance, and acceptable to the deities presiding over such functions, arising from belief in sympathetic magic.

At harvest homes it was customary for the men engaged in the work of the farm to go through a series of performances depicting their various occupations with song and dance, from their engagement as labourers until the harvest was completed, and at some fairs the young men and women of the village, in song and dance, would go through in pantomimic representation, the several events of the year, such as courting, marriage, &c., and their several occupations.

Perhaps the most singular instance of imitative action being used in a semi-religious purpose, is that recorded by Giraldus Cambrensis in the twelfth century, who, speaking of the church of St. Almedha, near Brecknock, says a solemn feast is held annually in the beginning of August: "You may see men and girls, now in the church, now in the churchyard, now in the dance, which is led round the churchyard with a song, on a sudden falling on the ground as in a trance, then jumping up as in a frenzy, and representing with their hands and feet before the people whatever work they have unlawfully done on feast days; you may see one man put his hands to the plough, and another, as it were, goad on the oxen, one man imitating a shoemaker, another a tanner. Now you may see a girl with a distaff drawing out the thread and winding it again on the spindle; another walking and arranging the threads for the spindle; another throwing the shuttle and seeming to weave" (_Itinerary of Wales_, chap. ii.).

For the significance of some of the pantomimic actions used, I may mention that in Ches.h.i.+re for a couple to walk "arm-in-arm" is significant of a betrothed or engaged couple.