Nursery Rhymes: Games
THERE were three jovial Welshmen,
As I have heard them say,
And they would go a-hunting
Upon St. David's day.
All the day they hunted,
And nothing could they find
But a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing with the wind.
One said it was a ship;
The other he said nay;
The third said it was a house,
With the chimney blown away.
And all the night they hunted,
And nothing could they find
But the moon a-gliding,
A-gliding with the wind.
One said it was the moon;
The other he said nay;
The third said it was a cheese,
And half o't cut away.
And all the day they hunted,
And nothing could they find
But a hedgehog in a bramble-bush,
And that they left behind.
The first said it was a hedgehog;
The second he said nay;
The third it was a pin-cushion,
And the pins stuck in wrong way.
And all the night they hunted,
And nothing could they find
But a hare in a turnip field,
And that they left behind.
The first said it was a hare;
The second he said nay;
The third said it was a calf,
And the cow had run away.
And all the day they hunted,
And nothing could they find
But an owl in a holly-tree,
And that they left behind.
One said it was an owl;
The other he said nay;
The third said 'twas an old man,
And his beard growing grey.
~ ~ ~
(Wikipedia: Jack Be Nimble)
JACK, be nimble,
And, Jack, be quick;
And, Jack, jump over
The candlestick.
~ ~ ~
As fair as a lily, as white as a wand.
I send you three letters, and pray read one;
You must read one, if you can't read all;
So pray, Miss or Master, throw up the ball.
~ ~ ~
BAT, bat,
(clap hands)
Come under my hat,
And I'll give you a slice of bacon;
And when I bake,
I'll give you a cake,
If I am not mistaken.
~ ~ ~
GAY go up and gay go down,
To ring the bells of London town.
Bull's eyes and targets,
Say the bells of St. Marg'ret's.
Brickbats and tiles,
Say the bells of St. Giles'.
Halfpence and farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin's.
Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement's.
Pancakes and fritters,
Say the bells of St. Peter's.
Two sticks and an apple,
Say the bells at Whitechapel.
Old Father Baldpate,
Say the slow bells at Aldgate.
You owe me ten shillings,
Say the bells at St. Helen's.
Pokers and tongs,
Say the bells at St. John's.
Kettles and pans,
Say the bells at St. Ann's.
When will you pay me?
Say the bells at Old Bailey.
When I grow rich,
Say the bells at Shoreditch.
Pray when will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney.
I am sure I don't know,
Says the great bell at Bow.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
[At the conclusion, the captive is privately asked if he will have oranges or lemons (the two leaders of the arch having previously agreed which designation shall belong to each), and he goes behind the one he may chance to name. When all are thus divided into two parties, they conclude the game by trying to pull each other beyond a certain line.]
~ ~ ~
Here sit his two men;
Here sits the cock;
Here sits the hen;
Here sit the little chickens;
Here they run in,
Chinchopper, chinchopper,
Chinchopper, chin!
[Game on a child's features.]
[Forehead.]
[Eyes.]
[Right cheek.]
[Left cheek.]
[Tip of nose.]
[Mouth.]
[Chuck the chin.]
~ ~ ~
Dance, ye merrymen, every one;
For Thumbkin, he can dance alone,
Thumbkin, he can dance alone;
Dance, Foreman, dance,
Dance, ye merrymen, every one;
But, Foreman, he can dance alone,
Foreman, he can dance alone.
[Keep the thumb in motion.]
[All the fingers in motion.]
[The thumb only moving.]
[Ditto.]
[The first finger moving.]
[The whole moving.]
[And so on with the others, naming the second finger "Longman," the third finger "Ringman," and the fourth finger "Littleman." Littleman cannot dance alone.]
~ ~ ~
(Wikipedia: Hickory Dickory Dock)
HICKORY, Dickory, Dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck one;
The mouse was gone;
O U T spells out!
[Children stand round, and are counted one by one, by means of this rhyme. The child upon whom the last number falls is out, for "Hide and Seek," or any other game where a victim is required.]
HICKORY (1),
Dickory (2),
Dock (3),
The mouse ran up the clock (4);
The clock struck one (5);
The mouse was gone (6);
O (7),
U (8),
T (9), spells out!
~ ~ ~
CUCKOO, cherry-tree,
Catch a bird, and give it to me;
Let the tree be high or low,
Let it hail, rain, or snow.
~ ~ ~
[A song set to five fingers.]THIS pig went to market;
This pig stayed at home;
This pig had a bit of meat,
And this pig had none;
This pig said, "Wee, wee, wee!
I can't find my way home."
~ ~ ~
RING the bell!
Knock at the door!
Draw the latch!
And walk in!
[Giving a lock of its hair a pull.]
[Tapping its forehead.]
[Pulling up its nose.]
[Opening its mouth and putting in its finger.]
~~~
(Wikipedia: Pease Porridge Hot)
[Game with the hands.]
PEASE-PUDDING hot,
Pease-pudding cold,
Pease-pudding in the pot,
Nine days old.
Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
Nine days old.
~~~
IS John Smith within?" —
"Yes, that he is."
"Can he set a shoe?" —
"Ay, marry, two,
Here a nail, there a nail,
Tick, tack, too."
~ ~ ~
2. Just like me.
1. I went up two pair of stairs.
2. Just like me.
1. I went into a room.
2. Just like me.
1. I looked out of a window.
2. Just like me.
1. And there I saw a monkey.
2. Just like me.
~ ~ ~
2. I am a gold key.
1. I am a silver lock.
2. I am a silver key.
1. I am a brass lock.
2. I am a brass key.
1. I am a lead lock.
2. I am a lead key.
1. I am a monk lock.
2. I am a monk key!
~ ~ ~
WE are three brethren out of Spain,
Come to court your daughter Jane.
Mother.
My daughter Jane she is too young,
And has not learned her mother-tongue.
Suitors.
Be she young, or be she old,
For her beauty she must be sold.
So fare you well, my lady gay,
We'll call again another day.
Mother.
Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,
And rub thy spurs till they be bright.
Suitors.
Of my spurs take you no thought,
For in this town they were not bought;
So fare you well, my lady gay,
We'll call again another day.
Mother.
Turn back, turn back, thou scornful knight,
And take the fairest in your sight.
Suitor.
The fairest maid that I can see,
Is pretty Nancy—come to me.
Here comes your daughter safe and sound,
Every pocket with a thousand pound,
Every finger with a gay gold ring.
Please to take your daughter in.
~ ~ ~
RIDE a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To buy little Johnny a galloping-horse;
It trots behind, and it ambles before,
And Johnny shall ride till he can ride no more.
~ ~ ~
To see what Tommy can buy;
A penny white loaf, a penny white cake,
And a twopenny apple-pie.
~ ~ ~
To see an old lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes,
And so she makes music wherever she goes.
~ ~ ~
[The following is a game played thus: A string of boys and girls, each holding by his predecessor's skirts, approaches two others, who with joined and elevated hands form a double arch. After the dialogue, the line passes through, and the last is caught by a sudden lowering of the arms—if possible.]
HOW many miles is it to Babylon?"—
"Threescore miles and ten."
"Can I get there by candle-light?" —
"Yes, and back again!
If your heels are nimble and light,
You may get there by candle-light."
~ ~ ~
A. DRAW a pail of water
For my lady's daughter.
My father's a king, and my mother's a queen;
My two little sisters are dress'd in green,
Stamping grass and parsley,
Marigold leaves and daisies.
One rush, two rush,
Pray thee, fine lady, come under my bush.
[a passes by under the arch, followed by the whole string of children, the last of whom is taken captive by b and c. The verses are repeated, until all are taken.]
SEE-SAW sacradown,
Which is the way to London town?
One foot up and the other down,
And that is the way to London town.
~ ~ ~
SEE, saw, Margery DawSold her bed and lay upon straw.
Was not she a dirty slut,
To sell her bed and lie in the dirt!
SEE, saw, Margery Daw,
Little Jackey shall have a new master;
Little Jackey shall have but a penny a day,
Because he can't work any faster.
~ ~ ~
ONE to make ready,
And two to prepare;
Good luck to the rider,
And away goes the mare.
~ ~ ~
EGGS, butter, bread,
Stick, stock, stone dead!
Stick him up, stick him down,
Stick him in the old man's crown!
~ ~ ~
None but bloody Tom!
Who steals all the sheep at night?
None but this poor one.
~ ~ ~
Good dogs won't follow,
Without the hare cries "Pee-wit."
~ ~ ~
Tri, tre, tre, tree,
Tri, tre, tre, tree!
This is the way the ladies ride:
Tri, tre, tre, tre, tri-tre-tre-tree!
This is the way the gentlemen ride:
Gallop-a-trot,
Gallop-a-trot!
This is the way the gentlemen ride:
Gallop-a-gallop-a-trot!
This is the way the farmers ride:
Hobbledy-hoy,
Hobbledy-hoy!
This is the way the farmers ride:
Hobbledy hobbledy-hoy!
~ ~ ~
"Who put it there?"
"A better man than you:
Touch it if you dare!"
~ ~ ~
Sitting on a hill,
The one nam'd Jack,
The other nam'd Jill.
Fly away Jack!
Fly away Jill!
Come again Jack!
Come again Jill!
Next: Nursery Rhymes: Jingles
(1500 words)
