The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 12

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ No. Earls Heaton. Suffolk. Berkshire. +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ 1. - Poor Mary sits a- Poor Mary sits a- weeping. weeping. 2. Poor Mary, what are What is she weeping - you weeping for? for? 3. Pray tell us what you - Pray tell me what she are weeping for? is weeping for? 4. - She's weeping for a I'm weeping for a sweetheart. 5. On a bright summer's On a fine summer's On a bright summer's day. day. day. 6. - - - 7. - - - 8. - - - 9. - - - 10. - Pray get up and choose - one. 11. - - - 12. - - - 13. - - - 14. - Now you're married, we - wish you joy. 15. - - - 16. - - - 17. - - - 18. - - - 19. - - - 20. - - - 21. - - - 22. - Father and mother you - must obey. 23. - Love one another like - brother and sister. 24. - - - 25. - - - 26. - Pray go to church, - love. 27. - - - 28. - - - 29. - - - 30. My father he is dead, - - sir. 31. - - - 32. - Pray put the ring on. - 33. - Pray come back, love. - 34. - Now it's time to go - away. 35. - - Mary's got a shepherd's cross. 36. - - - 37. - - - 38. - - - 39. - - - 40. - - - 41. - - - 42. - - - 43. - - - +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ No. Staffordshire. Newbury. South Devon. +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ 1. Poor Mary sits a- Poor Mary sits a- Poor Mary is a- weeping. weeping. weeping. 2. - Pray what are you What is she weeping weeping for? for? 3. - - - 4. She's weeping for her She's weeping for a She's weeping for her lover. lover. lover. 5. On a bright summer's This bright summer's On a fine summer's day. day. day. 6. - - - 7. - - - 8. - - [See No. 41.] 9. - - - 10. Stand up and choose Rise up and choose - your lover. your lover. 11. - - - 12. - - - 13. - - - 14. - Now Mary she is - married. 15. - - - 16. - - - 17. - - - 18. - - - 19. - - - 20. - - - 21. - - - 22. - - - 23. - - - 24. - - - 25. - - - 26. - - - 27. - - - 28. - - - 29. - - - 30. - - - 31. - - - 32. - - - 33. - - - 34. - - - 35. - - - 36. Now she's got a lover. - - 37. - - Who is her lover? 38. - - I. O. is her lover. 39. - - Where is her lover? 40. - - Her lover is sleeping. 41. - - At the bottom of the sea. 42. - - - 43. - - - +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ No. Cambridge. Ogbourne. Manton. +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ 1. Poor Mary is a- Poor Mary is a- Poor Sally is a- weeping. weeping. weeping. 2. - Pray what is she Pray tell me what weeping for? you're weeping for. 3. - - - 4. - I'm weeping for my I'm weeping for my true love. sweetheart. 5. - On a bright summer's - day. 6. - - - 7. - - - 8. - - Down by the seaside. 9. - - - 10. Stand up upon your Stand up and choose - feet and show the one your true love. you love so sweet. 11. - - - 12. - - - 13. On the carpet she - - shall kneel till the gra.s.s grows on the field. 14. Now you're married I - - wish you joy. 15. First a girl and - - second a boy. 16. - - - 17. - - - 18. - - - 19. - - - 20. - - - 21. - - - 22. - - - 23. - - - 24. - - - 25. - - - 26. - - - 27. - - - 28. - - - 29. If one don't kiss, the - - other must. 30. - - - 31. - - - 32. - - - 33. - - - 34. - - - 35. - - - 36. - - - 37. - - - 38. - - - 39. - - - 40. - - - 41. - - - 42. - Ring a ring o' roses a A ring of roses a pocketful of posies. pocketful of posies. 43. - - We all tumble down. +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+---+----------------------+----------------------+ No. Berwickshire. Scotland. +---+----------------------+----------------------+ 1. What is Jennie weeping Poor Mary is a- for? weeping. 2. - Pray tell me what you're weeping for. 3. - - 4. I'm weeping for my own - true love. 5. All on this summer's On a fine summer's day. day. 6. - - 7. - - 8. - - 9. - - 10. - Stand up and choose your love. 11. - - 12. Rise up and choose - another love. 13. - - 14. - - 15. - - 16. - - 17. - - 18. - - 19. - - 20. - - 21. - - 22. - - 23. - - 24. - - 25. - - 26. - - 27. - - 28. - - 29. - - 30. - Because my father's dead and gone. 31. - She's kneeling by her father's grave. 32. - - 33. - - 34. - - 35. - - 36. - - 37. - - 38. - - 39. - - 40. - - 41. - - 42. - - 43. - - +---+----------------------+----------------------+

(_b_) A ring is formed by the children joining hands. One child kneels in the centre, covering her face with her hands. The ring dances round, and sings the first two verses. The kneeling child then takes her hands from her face and sings the next verse, still kneeling. While the ring sings the next verse, she rises and chooses one child out of the ring.

They stand together, holding hands while the others sing the marriage formula, and kiss each other at the command. The ring of children dance round quickly while singing this. When finished the first "Mary" takes a place in the ring, and the other child kneels down (Barnes and other places). At Enborne school, Newbury (Miss Kimber), this game is played by boys and girls. All the children in the ring sing the first two verses. Then the boys alone in the ring sing the next verse; all the ring singing the fourth. While singing this the kneeling child rises and holds out her hand to any boy she prefers, who goes into the ring with her. When he is left in the ring at the commencement of the game again, a boy's name is subst.i.tuted for that of "Mary." There appears to be no kissing. In the Liphook version (Miss Fowler), after the girl has chosen her sweetheart the ring breaks, and the two walk out and then kneel down, returning to the ring and kissing each other. A version identical with that of Barnes is played by the girls of Clapham High School. All tunes sent me were similar to that given.

(_c_) The a.n.a.lysis of the game rhymes is on pp. 56-60.

This a.n.a.lysis shows that the incidents expressed by the rhymes are practically the same in all the versions. In the majority of the cases the weeping is depicted as part of a ceremony, by which it is known that a girl desires a lover; she is enabled then to choose one, and to be married. The marriage formula is the usual one in the Barnes' version, but follows another set of words in three other versions. In the cases where the marriage is neither expressed by a formula, nor implied by other means (Winterton and Forest of Dean), the versions are evidently fragments only, and probably at one time ended, as in the other cases, with marriage. But in three other cases the ending is not with marriage.

The Earls Heaton and Scottish versions represent the cause of weeping as the death of a father, the Berkshire version introduces the apparently unmeaning incident of Mary bearing a shepherd's cross, and the South Devon version represents the cause of weeping the death of a lover at sea. It is obvious that at places where sailors abound, the incident of weeping for a sailor-lover who is dead would get inserted, and the fact of this change only occurring once in the versions I have collected, tells all the more strongly in favour of the original version having represented marriage and love, and not death, but it does not follow that the marriage formula belongs to the oldest or original form of the game. I am inclined to think this has been added since marriage was thought to be the natural and proper result of choosing a sweetheart.

(_d_) The change in some of the verses, as in the Cambridge version, is due to corruption and the marked decadence now occurring in these games.

No. 13 in the a.n.a.lysis is from the game "Pretty little girl of mine,"

and Nos. 42-3 "Ring o' Roses."

Poor Widow

I. Here's an old widow who lies alone, Lies alone, lies alone, Here's an old widow who lies alone, She wants a man and can't get one.

Choose one, choose two, choose the fairest.

The fairest one that I can see Is [Mary Hamilton], come unto me.

Now she is married and tied to a bag, She has got a man with a wooden leg.

-Belfast (W. H. Patterson).

II. There was an old soldier he came from the war, His age it was sixty and three.

Go you, old soldier, and choose a wife, Choose a good one or else choose none.

Here's a poor widow she lives her lone, She hasn't a daughter to marry but one.

Come choose to the east, choose to the west, And choose the very one you love best.

Here's a couple married in joy, First a girl and then a boy, Seven years after, and seven years come, Pree[1] young couple kiss and have done.

-Belfast (W. H. Patterson).

III. There was a poor widow left alone, And all her children dead and gone.

Come, choose you east, Come, choose you west, Take the man you love best.

Now they're married, I wish them joy, Every year a girl or a boy, I hope this couple may kiss each other.

-Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).

(_b_) One child is chosen to act the part of the widow. The players join hands and form a circle. The widow takes her stand in the centre of the circle in a posture indicating sorrow. The girls in the circle trip round and round, and sing the first five lines. The widow then chooses one of the ring. The ring then sings the marriage formula, the two kiss each other, and the game is continued, the one chosen to be the mate of the first widow becoming the widow in turn (Nairn).

(_c_) This game is probably the same as "Silly Old Man." Two separate versions may have arisen by girls playing by themselves without boys.

[1] Sometimes "pray," but "pree" seems to be the Scotch for taste:-"pree her moo" = taste her mouth = to kiss.

Pop Goes the Weasel

Half a pound of tup'ny rice, Half a pound of treacle; Mix it up and make it nice, Pop goes the weasel.

-Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy).

(_b_) Children stand in two rows facing each other, they sing while moving backwards and forwards. At the close one from each side selects a partner, and then, all having partners, they whirl round and round.

(_c_) An additional verse is sometimes sung with or in place of the above in London.

Up and down the City Road; In and out the Eagle; That's the way the money goes, Pop goes the weasel.

-(A. Nutt).

Mr. Nutt writes: "The Eagle was (and may be still) a well-known tavern and dancing saloon."

Pop-the-Bonnet

A game in which two, each putting down a pin on the crown of a hat or bonnet, alternately pop on the bonnet till one of the pins crosses the other; then he at whose pop or tap this takes place, lifts the stakes.-Teviotdale (Jamieson). The same game is now played by boys with steel pens or nibs.

See "Hattie."

Poppet-Show

See "Pinny Show."

Port the Helm

This is a boys' game. Any number may join in it. The players join hands and stand in line. The leader, generally a bigger boy, begins to bend round, at first slowly, then with more speed, drawing the whole line after him. The circular motion is communicated to the whole line, and, unless the boys at the end farthest from the leader run very quickly, the momentum throws them off their feet with a dash if they do not drop their hold.-Keith, Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).

Pots, or Potts

Throwing a ball against a wall, letting it bounce and catching it, accompanied by the following movements:-

1. Simply three times each.

2. Throw, twist hands, and catch.

3. Clap hands in front, behind, in front.

4. Turn round.

5. Beat down ball on ground three times, and catch.