Volume I Part 48 (2/2)

What do you want your knives for?

To cut all the little chickens' heads off with.

Here the Outsider tries to dodge past the Leader to catch one of the children at the further end of the row, the Leader meanwhile attempting to bar her progress. When at last she succeeds, the child caught takes her place, and the game is recommenced.-Winterton (Miss M. Peac.o.c.k).

See ”Fox and Goose,” ”Gled-wylie.”

Here comes a l.u.s.ty Wooer

[Music]

-Rimbault's _Nursery Rhymes_.

Here comes a l.u.s.ty wooer, My a dildin, my a daldin; Here comes a l.u.s.ty wooer, Lily bright and s.h.i.+ne a'.

Pray who do you woo?

My a dildin, my a daldin; Pray who do you woo?

Lily bright and s.h.i.+ne a'.

For your fairest daughter, My a dildin, my a daldin; For your fairest daughter, Lily bright and s.h.i.+ne a'.

Then there she is for you, My a dildin, my a daldin; Then there she is for you, Lily bright and s.h.i.+ne a'.

-Ritson (_Gammer Gurton's Garland_, 1783).

Northall says this game is played after the manner of the ”Three Dukes”

(_Folk Rhymes_, p. 383). Halliwell (_Nursery Rhymes_, p. 98) has a version, and Rimbault (_Nursery Rhymes_) gives both words and tune. It is also contained in _The Merrie Heart_ (p. 47). See ”Jolly Hooper,”

”Jolly Rover.”

Here comes One Virgin

Here comes one Virgin on her knee, On her knee, on her knee, Here comes one Virgin on her knee, Pray what will you give her?

When did you come?

I came by night and I came by day, I came to steal poor Edie away.

She is too old, she is too young, She hasn't learnt her virgin tongue.

Let her be old or let her be young, For her beauty she must come.

In her pocket a thousand pounds, On her finger a gay gold ring.

Good-bye, good-bye, my dear.

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

One child stands by herself, and the rest of the players range themselves in line. The child sings the first verse and the line replies, the four succeeding verses being alternately sung. After the last line the girl tries to pull one whom she has chosen from the line toward her. If not successful, she must try again. If she is, they both stand in the middle, and commence singing the words again with-

Here come _two_ virgins on their knees, &c.

Probably a degraded version of ”Three Lords from Spain.”

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