The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 13

6. Again on ground and catch (once) at end of first "pot," and twice for second "pot."

-Hexham (Miss J. Barker).

Pray, Pretty Miss

I. Priperty Miss, will you come out, Will you come out, will you come out?

Priperty Miss, will you come out To help us with our dancing?

No!

The naughty girl, she won't come out, She won't come out, she won't come out; The naughty girl, she won't come out To help us with our dancing.

Priperty Miss, will you come out, Will you come out, will you come out?

Priperty Miss, will you come out To help us with our dancing?

Yes!

Now we've got another girl, Another girl, another girl; Now we've got another girl To help us with our dancing.

-Fochabers (Rev. W. Gregor).

II. Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out, Will you come out, will you come out?

Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out To help me in my dancing?

No!

Then you are a naughty Miss!

Then you are a naughty Miss!

Then you are a naughty Miss!

Won't help me in my dancing.

Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out, Will you come out, will you come out?

Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out To help me in my dancing?

Yes!

Now you are a good Miss!

Now you are a good Miss!

Now you are a good Miss!

To help me in my dancing.

-Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 47, 48).

III. Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out to help us in our dancing?

No!

Oh, then you are a naughty Miss, won't help us with our dancing.

Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out to help us in our dancing?

Yes!

Now we've got our jolly old la.s.s to help us with our dancing.

-Sheffield, Yorks. (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 87).

IV. Oh, will you come and dance with me, Oh, will you come and dance with me?

No!

[They say as above to the next girl, who says "Yes."]

Now we've got our bonny bunch To help us with our dancing.

-Hurstmonceux, Suss.e.x (Miss Chase).

(_b_) The Scottish version of this game is played as follows:-All the players stand in a line except two, who stand facing them. These two join hands crosswise, and then advancing and retiring, sing to the child at the end of the line the first four lines. The first child refuses, and they then dance round, singing the second verse. They sing the first verse again, and on her compliance she joins the two, and all three dance round together, singing the last verse. The three then advance and retire, singing the first verse to another child.

The Cornish version is played differently: a ring is formed, boy and girl standing alternately in the centre. The child in the middle holds a white handkerchief by two of its corners; if a boy he would single out one of the girls, dance backwards and forwards opposite to her, and sing the first verse. If the answer were "No!" spoken with averted head over the left shoulder, he sang the second verse. Occasionally three or four in turn refused. When the request was granted the words were changed to the fourth verse. The handkerchief was then carefully spread on the floor; the couple knelt on it and kissed: the child formerly in the middle joined the ring, and the other took his place, or if he preferred it remained in the centre; in that case the children clasped hands and sang together the first verse over again, the last to enter the ring having the privilege of selecting the next partner.

(_c_) Miss Courtney says (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 47), that this game is quite a thing of the past. Of the Hurstmonceux version, Miss Chase says, "This game is not fully remembered. It was played about 1850." The words indicate an invitation to the dance similar to those in "Cushion Dance,"

"Green Gra.s.s."

Pretty Little Girl of Mine

[Music]

-Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).

[Music]

-Tean, North Staffordshire (Miss Burne).

[Music]

-Eccleshall (Miss Burne).

[Music]

-Nottingham (Miss Youngman).

[Music]

-Hanbury, Staffordshire (Edith Hollis).

I. Here's a pretty little girl of mine, She's brought me many a bottle of wine; A bottle of wine she gave me too- See what this little girl can do.

On the carpet she shall kneel As the gra.s.s grows on the fiel'; Stand upright on your feet, And choose the one you love so sweet.

Now you are married I wish you joy, First a girl and then a boy; Seven years after, son and daughter; Pray, young couple, kiss together.