A History of Nursery Rhymes Part 20

"Hark! hark! the dogs do bark, The beggars are coming to town.

There are some in rags, There are some in tags, And one in a velvet gown."

"Bow-wow-wow, Whose dog art thou?

I'm Tommy Tucker's dog, Bow-wow-wow!"

Pope wrote an epigram which he had engraved on the collar of a dog, and gave it to H.R.H.:--

"I am his Highness' dog at Kew; Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?"

A B C JINGLES.

"A was an Archer that shot at a frog, B was a Butcher--he had a big dog, C was a Captain all covered with lace, D was a Dunce with a very long face."

"A was an apple pie; B bit it, C cut it, D danced for it, E eat it, F fought for it, G got it, H hid it," etc. etc.

A CATCH RHYME.

"Tottle 'em, bottle 'em, bother aboo, Who can count from one to two?"

"I can, I can!" "Do, do."

"One and two----" "See, calf, see, That's not two, but three, three."

"Three or two's all one to me."

CHAPTER XV.

BELL RHYMES.

The jingle of the bells in nursery poetry is certainly the prettiest of all the features in the poetical fictions of Baby-land.

The oft-repeated rhyme of--

"Ride a c.o.c.k-horse to _Banbury Cross_,[K]

To see a _fair_[L] lady upon a white horse; _Bells_[M] on her fingers and bells on her toes, She will have music wherever she goes,"

has a charm with every child.

The ride of my Lady of G.o.diva is fancifully suggested by the Coventry version.

"Bell horses, bell horses, what time of day?

One o'clock, two o'clock, three and away."

"_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; Brick-bats and tiles, chime the bells of St. Giles'; Halfpence and farthings, ring the bells of St. Martin's; Oranges and lemons, toll the bells of St. Clement's; Pancakes and fritters, say the bells of St. Peter's; Two sticks and an apple, say the bells of Whitechapel; Old Father Baldpate, toll the slow bells of Aldgate; You owe me ten shillings, say the bells of St. Helen's; When will you pay me? say the bells of Old Bailey; When I grow rich, chime the bells of Sh.o.r.editch; Pray when will that be? ask the bells of Stepney; I'm sure I don't know, tolled the big bell at _Bow_.

"Gay go up and gay go down To ring the bells of London town."

This almost forgotten nursery song and game of "The Bells of London Town" has a descriptive burden or ending to each line, giving an imitation of the sounds of the bell-peals of the princ.i.p.al churches in each locality of the City and the old London suburbs. The game is played by girls and boys holding hands and racing round sideways, as they do in "Ring a Ring a Rosies," after each line has been sung as a solo by the children in turns. The

"Gay go up and gay go down To ring the bells of London town"

is chorussed by all the company, and then the rollicking dance begins; the feet stamping out a noisy but enjoyable accompaniment to the words, "Gay go up, gay go down."

The intonation of the little vocal bell-ringers alters with each line,

"Pancakes and fritters, say the bells of St. Peter's,"

being sung to a quick tune and in a high key;

"Old Father Baldpate, toll the slow bells of Aldgate,"

suggesting a very slow movement and a deep, low tone.

The round singing of the ancients, of which this game is a fitting ill.u.s.tration, is probably a relic of Celtic festivity. The burden of a song, chorussed by the entire company, followed the stanza sung by the vocalist, and this soloist, having finished, had licence to appoint the next singer, "canere ad myrtum," by handing him the myrtle branch. At all events round singing was anciently so performed by the Druids, the Bardic custom of the men of the wand.

In Lancashire--

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow?

With c.o.c.kle sh.e.l.ls and silver bells, And pretty maids all in a row,"

is one of the songs the cottage mother sings to her child.

The Provencal--

"Ding dong, ding dong, Ring the bells of St. John's.

Now they are saying prayers.

Why ring so high?

'Tis the little children in the sky!"

"Maids in white ap.r.o.ns, say the bells of St. Catherine's."