The Nursery Rhymes of England Part 28

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 c.o.c.k-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 c.o.c.k-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 s.e.x. 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 pa.s.s-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 c.o.c.k-a-bandy.