Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales Part 11

Pandebeen, Oisteen, Naesebeen, Mundelip, Hagetip, Dikke, dikke, dik.

Brow-bone, Eye-stone, Nose-bone, Mouth-lip, Chin-tip, Dikke, dikke, dik!

The nurse, while repeating the last line, tickles the child under the chin. A German version, now common at Berlin, is printed by M. Kuhn, in his article on Kinderlieder, p. 237:

Kinnewippchen, Rothlippchen, Nasendrippchen, Augenthranechen, Ziep ziep Maranechen.

The following lines are repeated by the nurse when sliding her hand down the child's face:

My mother and your mother Went over the way; Said my mother to your mother, It's chop-a-nose day!

KNEE-SONGS.

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, 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!

This is a famous song for a young child, the nurse dancing it on her knee, and gradually increasing the ascent of the foot. Similar songs, but differing considerably from the above, are given in the Swedish nursery ballads of Arwidsson, iii. 489-91; the Danish of Thiele, iii.

130-2, iv. 176-7; and the German Wunderhorn, iii. 60-1. The following pretty Swedish version is given from Mr. Stephens's MS. collections:

Hvem ar det som rider?

Det ar en froken som rider: Det gr i sakta traf, I sakta traf!

Hvem ar det som rider?

Det ar en Herre som rider: Det gr jo i galopp, I galopp!

Hvem ar det som rider?

Det ar en Bonde som rider: Det gr s lunka p, Lunka p!

And pray, who now is riding?

A lady it is that's riding: And she goes with a gentle trot, A gentle trot!

And pray, who now is riding?

A gentleman it is that's riding: And he goes with a gallop-away, A gallop-away!

And pray, who now is riding?

A farmer it is that's riding: And he goes with a jog along, A jog along!

There are a great number of English variations of the above song, differing very materially from one another. A second version may be worth giving:

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 lags behind to tipple ale and wine, And goes gallop, a gallop, a gallop, to make up his time.

Here are other knee-songs:

Little Shon a Morgan, Shentleman of Wales, Came riding on a nanny-goat, Selling of pigs' tails.

Chicky, cuckoo, my little duck, See-saw, sickna downy; Gallop a trot, trot, trot, And hey for Dublin towny!

BO-PEEP.

The children's game of bo-peep is as old as the hills, hiding from each other, and saying,-

Bo-Peep, Little Bo-Peep: Now's the time for hide and seek.

But in ancient times the amus.e.m.e.nt appears to have been even of a simpler character, and adopted by nurses before children are capable of seeking recreation for themselves. Sherwood describes bo-peep as a child's game, in which the nurse conceals the head of the infant for an instant, and then removes the covering quickly. The Italians say _far bau bau_, or _baco, baco_, which Douce thinks is sufficient to show a connexion between the nurse's _boggle_ or _buggy-bo_, and the present expression. Shakespeare has condescended to notice the game, unless, indeed, we suppose the term to have pa.s.sed into a proverb. The reader will recollect what Butler says of Sir Edward Kelly, the celebrated conjuror,-

Kelly did all his feats upon The devil's looking-gla.s.s, a stone: Where, _playing with him at bo-peep_, He solv'd all problems ne'er so deep.

The term bo-peep appears to have been connected at a very early period with sheep. Thus in an old ballad of the time of Queen Elizabeth, in a MS. in the library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge,-

Halfe Englande ys nowght now but shepe, In everye corner they playe boe-pepe; Lorde, them confownde by twentye and ten, And fyll their places with Cristen men.

And every one is acquainted with the nursery rhyme which details the adventures of 'Little Bo-peep,'-

Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep, And can't tell where to find them: Leave them alone, and they'll come home, And bring their tails behind them.

Little Bo-peep fell fast asleep, And dreamt she heard them bleating: But when she awoke, she found it a joke, For they were still all fleeting.

Minsheu gives us a funny derivation of the word, which he says is no other than the noise which chickens make when they come out of the sh.e.l.l! I regret I have nothing better, certainly nothing so ingenious, to offer to my philological readers. Letting that pa.s.s, I take the opportunity of giving an anecdote respecting Ben Jonson and Randolph, which affords another ill.u.s.tration of the a.n.a.logy above mentioned. It is taken from a ma.n.u.script of the seventeenth century, in the possession of Mr. Stephens of Stockholm, who considers the volume to have been transcribed before the year 1650.

"Randolph havinge not soe much as ferry money, sought out Ben Johnson, and comminge to a place in London where he and three more were drinkinge, peeps in att the chamber doore. Ben Johnson espyinge him, said, 'Come in, Jack Bo-peepe.' Randolph, beinge very thirsty, it beeing then summer, and willinge to quench his thirst, willingly obeyed his command. The company dranke untill it came to five shillings: every man drawinge his money, Randolph made this motion, viz. that he that made the first coppy of verses upon the reckoninge should goe scot-free. Ben and all the rest, beeinge poetts, readily consented. Randolph, surpa.s.singe them in acutenesse, utter'd forthwith these followinge,-

I, Jack Bo-peep, And you foure sheep, Lett every one yeeld his fleece: Here's five shillinge, If you are willinge, That will be fifteene pence a-peece.

_Et sic impune evasit inops._"

We conclude in the words of Shakespeare,-

They then for sudden joy did weep, And I for sorrow sung, That such a king should play _bo-peep_, And go the fools among.

MISCELLANEOUS PUERILE AMUs.e.m.e.nTS.

I went to the sea, And saw twentee Geese all in a row: My glove I would give Full of gold, if my wife Was as white as those.