The next incident, No. 10 of the analysis, goes through all the games except one (West Grinstead), where the very obvious corruption of “willows” for “windows” occurs. This incident takes us to the houses of the village; and thus the two lines show us a procession, first, going round outside the boundary of the village, and, secondly, proceeding in serpentine fashion through the houses. Incident 13 has a few variations which do not point to anything more than verbal alteration, due to the changes which have occurred in the conception of the game. Incidents 17 to 22 are not constant to all the versions, and their variations are of an unimportant character. Incident 27 is an important element in the game. The prevalence of London as the place of assignation is probably due to the influence of that city in the popular mind; but the real significance seems to be that the lover-husband follows his bride to her own village. In only two versions is this incident varied (No. 28) to indicate that the husband took his wife with him, and only three versions have dropped out the incident altogether.
Abnormal incidents occur in only seven versions, and they are not of great significance. The Lincolnshire and Sporle versions have a line of general introduction (No. 1) before the game proper begins. Incidents 8 and 9 occur only in the Lincolnshire version, and do not disturb the general movement beyond indicating that the game has become, or is becoming, an indoor game. Incident 21 is obviously a modern line. Nos. 26 and 31 suggest a chase after a fugitive pair which, as they do not occur in other versions, must be considered as later introductions, belonging, however, to the period when runaway marriages were more frequent than they are now, and thus taking us back to, at least, the beginning of this century; while the significant and pretty variant No. 32 shows that the game has lost touch with the actual life of the people. No. 30 in the Fraserburgh version has a suspicious likeness to a line in the American song “I’m off to Charlestown,” but as it occurs only in this one version it cannot count as an important element in the history of the game.
(e) Miss Matthews notes a Forest of Dean version. The children form a ring, singing, “Round and round the valley, where we have been before,” while one child walks round the outside. Then they stand with uplifted hands, joined together, and sing, “In and out of the windows, as we have done before,” while the child threads her way in and out of the ring. Then they sing, “Stand and face your lover, as we have done before;” the child then stands in the centre of the ring and faces some one, whom she afterwards touches, and who succeeds her. A version from North Derbyshire (Mr. S. O. Addy) is practically the same as the Tean, North Staffs. version, except that the third verse is “Run to meet your lover,” instead of “Stand and face your lover.” The first child, during the singing of the third verse, walks round outside the ring, and touches one she chooses, who then runs away. While the fourth verse is being sung she is chased and caught, and the game begins again with the second child walking round the village. So far as Lancashire is concerned, Miss Dendy says, “I have no good evidence as yet that it is a Lancashire play. I think it has been imported here by board-school mistresses from other counties.”
(f) The burden of this game-rhyme is undoubtedly the oldest part that has been preserved to modern times. It runs through all the versions without exception, though variations in the other lines is shown by the analysis to occur. The words of the line, “As we have done before,” convey the idea of a recurring event, and inasmuch as that event is undoubtedly marriage, it seems possible to suggest that we have here a survival of the periodical village festival at which marriages took place. If the incidents in the game compare closely with incidents in village custom, the necessary proof will be supplied, and we will first examine how far the words of the rhyme and the action of the game supply us with incidents; and, secondly, how far these incidents have been kept up in the village custom.
There is nothing in the words to suggest that the incidents which the game depicts belong to a fixed time, but it is an important fact that they are alluded to as having previously taken place. If, then, we have eventually to compare the game with a fixed periodical custom, we can at least say that the rhymes, though not suggesting this, do not oppose it.
This game belongs to the group of “custom games.” The first characteristic which suggests this is that the children, who join hands and form a circle, are always stationary, and do not move about as in dance games. To the minds of the children who play the game, each child in the circle represents something other than human beings, and this “something” is indicated in the first and second verses, which speak of the “windows,” of houses, and a journey round “a village.” In this game, too, the children, who thus represent a village, also act as “chorus,” for they describe in the words they sing the various actions of those who are performing their parts, as in the game of “Old Roger.”
With this evidence from the game itself, without reference to anything outside, it is possible to turn to custom to ascertain if there is anything still extant which might explain the origin of the game. Children copy the manners and customs of their elders. If they saw a custom periodically and often practised with some degree of ceremonial and importance, they would in their own way act in play what their elders do seriously.
Such a custom is the perambulation of boundaries, often associated with festive dances, courtship, and marriage. More particularly indicative of the origin of the game is the Helston Furry Dance—“About the middle of the day the people collect together to dance hand-in-hand round the streets, to the sound of the fiddler playing a particular tune, which they continue to do till it is dark. This is called a ‘Faddy.’ In the afternoon the gentility go to some farmhouse in the neighbourhood to drink tea, syllabab, &c., and return in a morrice-dance to the town, where they form a Faddy and dance through the streets till it is dark, claiming a right of going through any person’s house, in at one door and out at the other.”—Gent. Mag. Lib. Manners and Customs, p. 217. “In one, if not more, of the villages,” says Mr. Gregor (Folk-lore N.E. Scotland, p. 98), “when the marriage takes place in the home of the bride the whole of the marriage party makes the circuit of the village.” In South-Eastern Russia, on the eve of marriage the bride goes the round of the village, throwing herself on her knees before the head of each house. In an Indian custom the bride and bridegroom are conveyed in a particular “car” around the village.—Gomme, Folk-lore Relics, pp. 214, 215. According to Valle, a sixteenth century traveller, “At night the married couples passed by, and, according to their mode, went round about the city with a numerous company.”—Valle’s Travels in India (Hakluyt Soc.), p. 31.[6]
In these marriage customs there is ample evidence to suggest that the Indo-European marriage-rite contained just such features as are represented in this game, and the changes from rite to popular custom, from popular custom to children’s game, do much to suggest consideration of the evidence that folk-lore supplies.
This game is not mentioned by Halliwell or Chambers, nor, so far as I am aware, has it been previously printed or recorded in collections of English games. It appears in America as “Go round and round the Valley” (Newell, Games, p. 128).
See “Thread the Needle.”
[6] Among the Ovahererí tribe, at the end of the festive time, the newly-married pair take a walk to visit all the houses of the “Werst.” The husband goes first and the wife closely follows him.—South African Folk-lore Journal, i. 50.
Round and Round went the Gallant Ship
I.
And round and round went she;
Round and round went the gallant, gallant ship,
Till she sank to the bottom of the sea, the sea, the sea,
Till she sank to the bottom of the sea.
All go down as the ship sinks.
—Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).
II.
And three times round went she;
Three times round went our gallant ship,
Then she sank to the bottom of the sea.
As the players all “bob” down they cry out “the sea, the sea, the sea.”
—Aberdeen Training College (Rev. W. Gregor).
Round Tag
A large ring is formed, two deep, with wide right and left hand intervals between each couple, and one child stands in the ring and another outside. When the play begins the child in the middle runs and places herself in front of one of the groups of two, thus forming a group of three. Thereupon the third child, that is, the one standing on the outer ring, has to run and try to get a place in front of another two before the one outside the ring can catch her. Then she who is at the back of this newly-formed three must be on the alert not to be caught, and must try in her turn to gain a front place. The one catching has all along to keep outside the ring, but those trying to escape her may run in and out and anywhere; whoever is caught has to take the catcher’s place.—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
This game, called “Short Terrace” at East Kirkby, is played in the same way as that described from Sporle, with the exception that three players stand together instead of one in the centre to start the game. The player who stands immediately outside the circle is called the “clapper;” it is his object to hit the player who stands behind two others.—East Kirkby, Lincolnshire (Miss K. Maughan).
“Twos and Threes” is the name by which this game is known in Hampshire, Monton in Lancashire (Miss Dendy), and other places. It is played in precisely the same manner as at Sporle.
Halliwell’s Dictionary says of this game as played in Devon, “A round game, in which they all stand in a ring.”
See “Tag.”[Addendum] [Addendum]
Rounders
This is a boys’ game. A round area is marked out by boundary sticks, and at a chosen point of the boundary the base is fixed. This is marked out independently of the boundary, but inside it. Sides are then chosen. One side are the “ins,” and strike the ball; the other side are the “outs,” and deliver the ball, scout, and endeavour to get their opponents, the “ins,” out as soon as possible. The ball (an indiarubber one) is delivered by the “feeder,” by pitching it to a player, who stands inside the base armed with a short stick. The player endeavours to strike the ball as far away as possible from the fielders or scouts. As soon as the ball is struck away he runs from the base to the first boundary stick, then to the second, and so on. His opponents in the meantime secure the ball and endeavour to hit him with it as he is running from stage to stage. If he succeeds in running completely round the boundary before the ball is returned it counts as one rounder. If he is hit he is out of the game. He can stay at any stage in the boundary as soon as the ball is in hand, getting home again when the next player of his own side has in turn hit the ball away. When a ball is returned the feeder can bounce it within the base, and the player cannot then run to any new stage of the boundary until after the ball has again been hit away by another player. If a player misses a ball when endeavouring to strike at it he has two more chances, but at the third failure he is bound to run to the first boundary stick and take his chance of being hit with the ball. If a ball is caught the whole side is out at once; otherwise, the side keeps in until either all the players have been hit out with the ball or until the base is crowned. This can be done by bouncing the ball in the base whenever there is no player there to receive the delivery from the feeder. When a complete rounder is obtained, the player has the privilege either of counting the rounder to the credit of his side, or of ransoming one of the players who have been hit out, who then takes his part in the game as before. When all but one of the players are “out,” this last player in hitting the ball must hit it away so as to be able to make a rounder, and return to the base before his opponents get back the ball to crown the base.
An elaborate form of this game has become the national game of the United States.
Rounds
See “Roundabout.”
Row-chow-Tobacco
See “Bulliheisle,” “Eller Tree,” “Snail Creep,” “Wind up the Bush Faggot.”
Rowland-Ho
A Christmas game.—Halliwell’s Dictionary.
Rumps
A game with marbles [undescribed].—Dickinson’s Cumberland Glossary.
Rusty
A boys’ game, exactly the same as “Ships.”—Addy’s Sheffield Glossary.
Sacks
A number of children place their closed fists on top of one another in a pile. The leader asks, pointing to the topmost fist, “What’s in that sack?” Answer, Potatoes, or anything the child chooses. The leader tips it off with her finger, saying, “Knock it away,” and so to the very undermost fist, when she asks, “What’s in this sack?” The answer must be, “Bread and cheese;” and then the following dialogue takes place:—
And who ever speaks the first word shall get a sound round box on the ear.—Co. Cork (Mrs. B. B. Green).
Saddle the Nag
An equal number of players is chosen on each side. Two chiefs are chosen by lot. One of the chiefs takes his stand by a wall, and all his party bend their backs, joined in a line. One of the opposite side leaps on the back of the one farthest from the one standing at the wall, and tries to make his way over the backs of all the stooping boys, up to the one standing. Those stooping move and wriggle to cast him off, and if they succeed in doing so, he stands aside till all his side have tried. When all have tried and none succeed in crowning the one standing, the sides change. If one or more succeed, then each such has a second chance before the sides change. Each side commonly has six chances. The side that succeeds in oftenest touching the chief’s head wins the game.—Dyke (Rev. W. Gregor).
See “Skin the Goatie.”
Saggy
A game with marbles [undescribed].—Dickinson’s Cumberland Glossary.
Sailor Lad
And they were baith for me;
I wid raither tack the sailor lad,
And lat the tailor be.
Bit sit and sew a cloot,
When the bonnie sailor laddie
Can turn the ship aboot.
He can turn her far awa’;
He aye tells me t’ keep up my hairt
For the time that he’s awa’.
I saw ’im as he sailed;
I saw ’im cast his jacket
To try and catch a whale.
He sails upon the sea;
A fancy man wi’ a curly pow
Is aye the boy for me,
Is aye the boy for me;
A fancy man wi’ a curly pow
Is aye the boy for me.
He daurna smoke a pipe;
He daurna kiss a bonnie lass
At ten o’clock at night.
And I can wash it clean;
I can wash a sailor’s shirt,
And bleach it on the green.
Come a-rinkle-tinkle, fal-a-la, fal-a-la,
Aboun a man-o’-war.
—Rosehearty (Rev. W. Gregor).
A circle is formed by joining hands. They dance round and sing. Sometimes at Rosehearty two play the game by the one taking hold of the other’s left hand with her right.
Sally go Round the Moon
Sally go round the stars;
Sally go round the moon
On a Sunday afternoon.
—Deptford, Kent (Miss E. Chase).
Three or more girls take hold of hands, forming a ring; as they spin round they sing the lines. They then reverse and run round in the other direction with an O! or repeat over again.
This game is mentioned in the Church Reformer, by the Rev. S. D. Headlam, as one being played at Hoxton, but no account of how the game is played is given.
Sally Water
[Play]
[Play]
[Play]
[Play]
[Play]
Sprinkle in the pan;
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally,
And choose a young man.
Choose [or bow] to the east,
Choose [or bow] to the west,
And choose [or bow to] the pretty girl [or young man]
That you love best.
[Another version has:
Choose for the worst one,
Choose for the pretty girl
That you love best.]
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years after son and daughter;
And now, young people, jump over the water.
—Symondsbury, Dorsetshire (Folk-lore Journal, vii. 207).
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, and seek your young man;
Turn to the east and turn to the west,
And choose the one that you love best.
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after a son and a daughter,
So young lovers kiss together.
—Chudleigh Knighton, Devon (Henderson’s Folk-lore of the Northern Counties, p. 27).
Sprinkle in the pan;
Hi! Sally; Ho! Sally,
Choose a young man;
Choose for the best,
Choose for the worst,
Choose for the very one you love best.
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years after sister and brother;
Kiss each other and come out of the water.
—Somersetshire, Notes and Queries, 8th series, i. 249 (Miss R. H. Busk).
Rise, Sally; rise, Sally, for a young man!
Choose for the best, choose for the worst,
Choose for the very one you love the best.
First a girl and then a boy,
Seven years afterwards son and daughter;
Pray, young couple, kiss together.
—London version (Miss Dendy).
Sprinkling in a pan;
Rise, Sally; rise, Sally,
For a young man.
Come, choose from the west,
Come, choose out the very one
That you love best.
Married in joy;
First a girl,
And then a boy.
You must obey
Every word
Your husband says.
And walk away,
And remember the promise
You’ve made to-day.
—Fochabers (Rev. W. M’Gregor).
Sprinkled in the pan;
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally,
For a young man,
Choose the best and choose the worst,
And choose the prettiest you love best.
—Welford, Berks (Mrs. Stephen Batson).
Sprinkled in the pan, &c.,
Now you’re married, &c.,
On the carpet you shall kneel, &c.
—Notes and Queries, 5th series, iii.
Sprinkled in a pan;
Rise, Sallie, rise, Sallie,
Choose a young man.
Choose the best, and
Choose the worst, and
Choose the one that you love best.
—Enborne, Berks; Marlborough, Wilts; Lewes, Sussex (Miss Kimber).
Sprinkle in a pan;
Cry, Sally, cry, Sally,
For a young man.
Come choose the worst,
Come choose the best,
Come choose the young man
That you like the best.
I wish yer good joy,
Every year a girl and a boy.
Come love one another
Like sister and brother,
And kiss together for joy.
Clash the bells.
—Maxey, Northants; and Suffolk (Rev. W. D. Sweeting).
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, for a young man.
Pick and choose, but choose not me,
Choose the fairest you can see.
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years after a son and a daughter,
Please to come and kiss together.
—Summertown, Oxford (A. H. Franklin in Midland Garner, N. S. ii. 32).
Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, for a young man.
Choose for the worst, choose for the best,[7]
Choose for the prettiest that you loves best.
Now you are married, &c.
—Longcot, Berkshire, (Miss J. Barclay).
Sprinkle in a pan;
Cry, Sally, cry, Sally,
For a young man.
Dry your tears;
Choose the one you love the best,
Sally, my dear.
—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).
Is not —— a nice young man? and
Is not (girl’s name) as good as he?
They shall be married if they can agree.
I went to her house and I dropped a pin,
I asked if Mrs. ——- was in.
She is not within, she is not without,
She is up in the garret walking about.
Down she comes as white as milk,
With a rose in her bosom as soft as silk.
She off with her glove and showed me her ring,
To-morrow, to-morrow the wedding begins.
—Surrey (Folk-lore Record, v. 88).
For down in the meadows there’s a nice young man;
Rise up, Sally, don’t look sad,
For you shall have a husband, good or bad.
Till the grass grows round your feet;
Stand up straightly on your feet,
And choose the one you love so sweet.
First a girl, then a boy;
If it’s a boy, we’ll buy him a cap,
If it’s a girl, we will buy her a hat.
If one won’t do, will buy you two,
If two won’t do, will buy you three,
If three won’t do, will get you four,
If four won’t do, will get no more,
So kiss and shake hands, and come out.
—Tong, Shropshire (Miss C. F. Keary).
For down in the meadows there lies a young man.
Rise, Sally, rise, and don’t you look sad,
For you shall have a husband, good or bad.
Choose you one, choose you two,
Choose the fairest you can see!
Is Jenny Wood, pray come to me!
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years now, and seven to come,
Take her and kiss her, and send her off home.
—Shropshire Folk-lore, p. 509.
[My informant forgets the rest.]
—Nottinghamshire (Miss M. Peacock).
Come sprinkle your can,
Why don’t you rise, Sally,
And choose a young man?
Come choose of the wisest,
Come choose of the best,
Come choose of the young man
That lies in your breast.
—Gloucestershire and Warwickshire (Northall, 378).
Come, sprinkle your can;
Who do you lie mourning,
All for a young man?
Come, choose of the wisest,
Come, choose of the best,
Come, choose of the young men
The one you love best.
—Addy’s Sheffield Glossary.
Sprinkle in some water;
Knock it in a mortar,
And send it in a silver saucer
To —— door.
—Stixwould, Lincolnshire, seventy years ago (Miss M. Peacock).
Springin’ in a pan;
Cry, Sally, cry, Sally,
For a young man;
Choose for the worst ’un,
Choose for the best ’un,
Choose the little gell ’at you love the best.
—Wakefield, Yorkshire (Miss Fowler).
Come, water your can,
Such a young lady before a young man;
Rise, Sally Water,
Don’t look so sad,
For you shall have a husband, good or bad.
Father and mother, you need not cry;
Kiss and kiss each other again;
Now we’re happy, let’s part again.
—Long Itchington, Warwickshire (Northamptonshire Notes and Queries, ii. 105).
Sitting by the water,
Crying out and weeping
For a young man.
Rise, Sally, rise,
Dry up your eyes;
Turn to the east,
Turn to the west,
Turn to the young man
That you love the best.
So now you’ve got married
I hope you’ll enjoy
Your sons and your daughters,
So kiss and good-bye.
—Addy’s Sheffield Glossary.
What did she sprinkle for? for a young man;
Sprinkle, sprinkle, daughter, and you shall have a cow;
I cannot sprinkle, mother, because I don’t know how.
Sprinkle, sprinkle, daughter, and you shall have a man;
I cannot sprinkle, mother, but I’ll do the best I can.
Pick and choose, but don’t you pick me;
Pick the fairest you can see.
The fairest one that I can see is ——. Come to me.
Now you’re married I wish you much joy;
Your father and mother you must obey;
Seven long years a girl and a boy;
So hush, a bush, bush, get out of the way.
—Buckingham (Thos. Baker in Midland Garner, New Series, ii. 31).