The Nursery Rhymes of England Part 26

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

Two sticks and an apple, Say the bells at Whitechapel.

Old Father Baldpate, Say the slow bells at Aldgate.

You owe me ten shillings, Say the bells at St. Helen's.

Pokers and tongs, Say the bells at St. John's.

Kettles and pans, Say the bells at St. Ann's.

When will you pay me?

Say the bells at Old Bailey.

When I grow rich, Say the bells at Sh.o.r.editch.

Pray when will that be?

Say the bells of Stepney.

I am sure I don't know, Says the great bell at Bow.

Here comes a candle to light you to bed, And here comes a chopper to chop off your head.

CCLx.x.xII.

[One child holds a wand to the face of another, repeating these lines, and making grimaces, to cause the latter to laugh, and so to the others; those who laugh paying a forfeit.]

Buff says Buff to all his men, And I say Buff to you again; Buff neither laughs nor smiles, But carries his face With a very good grace, And pa.s.ses the stick to the very next place!

CCLx.x.xIII.

[Game with the hands.]

Pease-pudding hot, Pease-pudding cold, Pease-pudding in the pot, Nine days old.

Some like it hot, Some like it cold, Some like it in the pot, Nine days old.

CCLx.x.xIV.

Awake, arise, pull out your eyes, And hear what time of day; And when you have done, pull out your tongue, And see what you can say.

CCLx.x.xV.

GAME OF THE GIPSY.

[One child is selected for Gipsy, one for Mother, and one for Daughter Sue. The Mother says,--

I charge my daughters every one To keep good house while I am gone.

You and _you_ (_points_) but specially _you_, [_Or sometimes_, but specially _Sue_.]

Or else I'll beat you black and blue.

During the Mother's absence, the Gipsy comes in, entices a child away, and hides her. This process is repeated till all the children are hidden, when the Mother has to find them.]

CCLx.x.xVI.

[This game begins thus: Take this--What's this?--A gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog, &c.]

Twelve huntsmen with horns and hounds, Hunting over other men's grounds!

Eleven ships sailing o'er the main, Some bound for France and some for Spain: I wish them all safe home again: Ten comets in the sky, Some low and some high; Nine peac.o.c.ks in the air, I wonder how they all came there, I do not know and I do not care; Eight joiners in joiner's hall, Working with the tools and all; Seven lobsters in a dish, As fresh as any heart could wish; Six beetles against the wall, Close by an old woman's apple stall; Five puppies of our dog Ball, Who daily for their breakfast call; Four horses stuck in a bog, Three monkeys tied to a clog; Two pudding-ends would choke a dog.

With a gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog.

CCLx.x.xVII.

[A string of children, hand in hand, stand in a row. A child (A) stands in front of them, as leader; two other children (B and C) form an arch, each holding both the hands of the other.]

A. Draw a pail of water, For my lady's daughter; My father's a king, and my mother's a queen, My two little sisters are dress'd in green, Stamping gra.s.s and parsley, Marigold leaves and daisies.

B. One rush, two rush, Pray thee, fine lady, come under my bush.

[A pa.s.ses by under the arch, followed by the whole string of children, the last of whom is taken captive by B and C. The verses are repeated, until all are taken.]

CCLx.x.xVIII.

[The following seems to belong to the last game; but it is usually found by itself in the small books of children's rhymes.]

Sieve my lady's oatmeal, Grind my lady's flour, Put it in a chesnut, Let it stand an hour; One may rush, two may rush, Come, my girls, walk under the bush.

CCLx.x.xIX.

Queen Anne, queen Anne, you sit in the sun, As fair as a lily, as white as a wand.

I send you three letters, and pray read one, You must read one, if you can't read all, So pray, Miss or Master, throw up the ball.

CCXC.

There were three jovial Welshmen, As I have heard them say, And they would go a-hunting Upon St. David's day.

All the day they hunted, And nothing could they find But a ship a-sailing, A-sailing with the wind.

One said it was a ship, The other he said, nay; The third said it was a house, With the chimney blown away.

And all the night they hunted, And nothing could they find But the moon a-gliding, A-gliding with the wind.