A sixpence for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle;
That's the way the money goes;
Pop goes the weasel.
Watch how the needle does fly,
Nimble hands to guide it;
Every time the wheel goes round,
Pop goes the weasel.
DESCRIPTION
Formation;—Double circle formation, partners facing; hands joined and raised shoulder height.
Suggestion;—In so far as possible have the sex units divided, the boys forming the inner circle and the girls forming the outer circle.
Description of the pupils occupying the outer circle (girls); inner circle (boys); counterlike.
| Verse | ||||
| 1st Line;— | A sixpence for |
a spool of thread, |
||
| Interpretation;— | Step dip, right. (In line of direction.) |
Step dip, left. (In reverse line of direction.) |
||
| 2nd Line;— | A penny for a needle; |
|||
| Inter.;— | Four chasse steps in line of direction. Note.—On the fourth chasse step do not close left foot to the right. |
|||
| 3rd Line;— | That's | the way | the money | goes; |
| Inter.;— | Face line of direction; inner hands joined and outer hands on hips. Step forward, left. |
Step forward, right. | Step forward, left. | Close right to left and place inner hand to hip. |
| 4th Line;— | Pop | goes the | weasel. | |
| Inter.;— | With a jump, execute a turn right about and clap hands once. |
With a jump, execute a turn right about, and clap hands once. Finish with inner hands joined and outer hands on hips. Facing in line of direction. |
||
POP GOES THE WEASEL
(Continued)
| Repeat Verse | ||||
| 1st Line;— | A sixpence for |
a spool of thread, |
||
| Interpretation;— | Two step, right. (In line of direction.) |
Two step, left. (In line of direction.) |
||
| 2nd Line;— | A penny | for a |
needle; | |
| Inter.;— | Step forward, right. | Step forward, left. |
Step forward, right and close left to right. |
|
| 3rd Line;— | That's the way |
the money goes; |
||
| Inter.;— | Two step, left. (In line of direction.) |
Two step, right. (In line of direction.) |
||
| 4th Line;— | Pop | goes the |
weasel. | |
| Inter.;— | Step forward, left. | Step forward, right. |
Step forward, left and close right to the left. Finish with hands on hips. |
|
| Chorus | ||
| 1st Line;— | Watch how | the needle does fly, |
| Inter.;— | Turn to partner and step dip, right. (In line of direction.) Clap hands three times. |
Step dip, left. (In reverse line of direction.) Clap hands three times. |
| 2nd Line;— | Nimble hands to guide it; |
|
| Inter.;— | Encircle to the right with three walking steps. (Right; left; right and close left to right.) As the first step is taken clap hands once and replace hands to hips. |
|
| 3rd Line;— | Every time | the wheel goes round, |
| Inter.;— | Step dip, left. (In reverse line of direction.) Clap hands three times. |
Step dip, right. (In line of direction.) Clap hands three times. |
| 4th Line;— | Pop goes the weasel. |
|
| Inter.;— | Encircle to the left with three walking steps. (Left; right; left and close right to the left.) As the first step is taken clap hands once and replace hands to hips. |
|
DAPPLE GREY
Arr. by J. N. Richards
musical notation with lyrics below
MIDI (sound file) pdf (music and lyrics)
I had a little pony
And his name was Dapple Grey;
I lent him to a lady,
To ride a mile away.
She whipped him and she slashed him,
She rode him through the mire;
I would not lend my pony now
For all the lady's hire.
DESCRIPTION
Formation;—Children arranged in double circle formation, facing counter clockwise (line of direction); outside hands placed on hips; inside hands joined and raised shoulder height.
Suggestion;—In so far as possible have the sex units divided, the boys forming the inside circle and the girls forming the outside circle.
Start the dance movement with the outside foot. (Boys beginning with the left foot; girls beginning with the right foot.)
Description of pupils in outer circles. (Girls.) Counterlike—Inner
| 1st Line;— | I had | a little | pony | |
| Interpretation;— | Point step forward, right. |
Point step backward, right. |
Three steps forward and hold. (Right; left and right.) |
|
|
Cues;—Point and point and step, step, step. |
||||
| And his name | was Dapple | Grey; | ||
| Inter.;— | Swing left forward and point step forward, left. |
Point step backward, left. |
Three steps forward and hold. (Left; right and left.) |
|
|
Cues;—Point and point and step, step, step. |
||||
| 2nd Line;— | I lent | him to | a lady, | |
| Inter.;— | With a jump, face partner; clasp outside hands and raise both arms to shoulder height. |
Jump, in place, once. |
Step throw, right and step throw, left. |
|
To ride a mile away. |
||||
Inter.;—Seven chasses in line of direction, closing left to right, completing movement. |
||||
| 3rd Line;— | She whipped him and she slashed him, |
|||
| Inter.;— |
Replace left hand to hip. Grasp imaginary whip with the right hand and with a vigorous motion imitate whipping. (Three times replacing hand to hip upon the word, "him.") Mark time, in place, six counts. (Right; left; right; left; right and left.) Note.—The downward movement of whipping takes place as the right foot is lowered to the floor. |
|||
She rode him through the mire; |
||||
| Inter.;— |
Clasp partner's hands, raising arms to shoulder height and bend and stretch knees six times. |
|||
| 4th Line;— | I would | not lend | my pony now | |
| Inter.;— | Step dip, right, clapping hands three times. |
Step dip, left, clapping hands three times. |
Face line of direction; replace hands to hips and execute two steps forward. (Right; left and close light to left.) |
|
| For all | the lady's | hire. | ||
| Inter.;— | Step throw, right. | Step throw, left. | Mark time, in place, three counts. (Right; left and right.) |
|
see caption
I HAD A LITTLE PONY
(See page 56)
SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE
Permission to use words and music:—McLoughlin Bros. Arr. by J. W. Elliott
musical notation with lyrics below
MIDI (sound file) pdf (music and lyrics)
Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of Rye;
Four and twenty Blackbirds Bak'd in a Pie.
When the Pie was open'd,
The Birds began to sing;
Wasn't that a dainty dish To set before a King.
DESCRIPTION
Formation;—Single circle formation facing counter clockwise (right) in close order formation. Hands are placed upon the shoulders of the pupil in front.
| 1st Verse | ||
| 1st Line;— | Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of Rye; |
|
| Interpretation;— | Starting with the inside foot (left) moving in line of direction execute point step forward and step, left; right; left and right. During this movement, bend the trunk slightly to the left and right as the activity proceeds. Cues;—Point and step; point and step; point and step; point and step. |
|
| 2nd Line;— | Four and twenty Blackbirds |
|
| Inter.;— | Turn the head to the left; step sideward, left and close right to left and repeat. Cue;—Step and close; step and close. |
|
Bak'd in a Pie. |
||
| Inter.;— | Turn the head to the right; step sideward, right and close left to the right and repeat. Cue;—Step and close; step and close. |
|
| 3rd Line;— | When the Pie was open'd, |
|
| Inter.;— | Facing inward (left); clasp hands to the right and left and starting with the right foot execute three steps backward. (Right; left; right and close left to the right.) Cues;—Step; step; step and close. |
|
The Birds began to sing; |
||
| Inter.;— | Three chasse steps in line of direction. (To the right.) |
|
| 4th Line;— | Wasn't that a dainty dish |
|
| Inter.;— | Extend arms forward slightly flexed, clapping hands seven times, and step bend, left and right. (Step to the left; place the right toe behind the left heel, bending both knees slightly. During this movement the head is turned to the left, the trunk bending slightly as the knee bending occurs. (Counterlike as to movement of head and trunk when executed to the right.) |
|
| To set before | a King? | |
| Inter.;— | Replace hands to hips; step sideward, left and close right to left. |
Bow and assume erect position. |
SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE (Continued)
Second Verse
J. W. Elliott
musical notation with lyrics below
MIDI (sound file) pdf (music and lyrics)
The King was in the counting house,
Counting out his money;
The Queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey;
The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes;
There came a little Dicky Bird,
And popp'd upon her nose.
DESCRIPTION
Formation;—Single circle facing inward with hands on hips.
| 1st Line;— | The King was in the counting house, |
||
| Interpretation;— | Starting with the left foot execute three steps forward. (Left; right; left and close right to the left.) |
||
Counting out his money; |
|||
| Inter.;— | Bend knees deeply and suit activity to the words, holding imaginary coins in the palm of the left hand, counting with the right hand. (Six counts.) |
||
| 2nd Line;— | The Queen was in the parlour, |
||
| Inter.;— | Stretch the knees, lower heels; facing to the right, start with the right foot, execute three chasse steps to the right, with arms raised sideward. |
||
Eating bread and honey; |
|||
| Inter.;— | Hold imaginary plate in the left hand (palm up) and suit activity to words, imitating eating with the right hand. (Six counts.) |
||
| 3rd Line;— | The maid was in | the garden, | |
| Inter.;— | Extend arms forward slightly flexed, clapping hands seven times, and step bend, left and right. (Step to the left, place right toe behind the left heel, bending both knees slightly. During this movement the head is turned to the left, the trunk bending slightly as the knee bending occurs. (Counterlike as to movement of head and trunk when executed to the right.) |
||
| Hanging | out | the clothes; | |
| Inter.;— | Replace left foot; stretch the knees; bending trunk forward, downward grasping clothes with hands. |
Stretching the trunk; raise arms forward upward to imaginary clothesline. |
Take clothespin out of mouth with right hand and pin clothes to line. |
| 4th Line;— | There came a little Dicky Bird, |
||
| Inter.;— | Replace hands to hips, execute four hops forward. |
||
And popp'd |
upon her nose. | ||
| Inter.;— | Clap hands, replacing same to hips, and execute one-quarter turn to the left by hopping. |
Bow and assume erect position. |
|