Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales Part 45

That's cleverly done! said she.

HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE![58]

Hey diddle diddle, The cat sc.r.a.ped the fiddle, The cow jump'd over the moon; The little dog bayed To see such sports played, And the dish ran away with the spoon.

?d' ad??a, d??a d' ade, ??? ?a?? ???a? et??e, ???? de ???? ?pe?ep?da; ????d??? d' e??a??e?, a?, a?, ?a?d?a? ?' ???? t??a?de, ?a? t??????

?f??e ?a?d?p?? ?a??.

The unmeaning "Hey diddle diddle" is a corruption of the very intelligible ?d' ad??a, d??a d' ade, which is literally "Sing words not clear, and Sing words clear;" with which may be compared a Sibylline verse in Greek, ????? a?' ??? et? d????; ad??a de pa?ta ta ?????.

[Footnote 58: The above ingenious translation and remarks were communicated by Mr. George Burges.]

TOMMY LINN.

Tommy Linn is a Scotchman born, His head is bald and his beard is shorn; He has a cap made of a hare skin, An alderman is Tommy Linn.

Tommy Linn has no boots to put on, But two calves' skins, and the hair it was on.

They are open at the side and the water goes in: Unwholesome boots, says Tommy Linn.

Tommy Linn no bridle had to put on, But two mouse's tails that he put on; Tommy Linn had no saddle to put on, But two urchin skins, and them he put on.

Tommy Linn's daughter sat on the stair, Oh, dear father, gin I be not fair?

The stairs they broke, and she fell in, You're fair enough now, says Tommy Linn.

Tommy Linn had no watch to put on, So he scooped out a turnip to make himself one; He caught a cricket, and put it within; It's my own ticker, says Tommy Linn.

Tommy Linn, his wife, and wife's mother, They all fell into the fire together; Oh, said the topmost, I've got a hot skin: It's hotter below, says Tommy Linn.

An immense variety of songs and catches relating to Tommy Linn are known throughout the country. The air of Thom of Lyn is one of those mentioned in the Complaynt of Scotland, 1549. See Chambers, p. 192, who gives a Scotch version of the above song. The song itself is quoted in Wager's play, 'The longer thou livest the more foole thou art,' written about the year 1560. Dr. Leyden conjectures that the hero is the same with Tamlene, who is introduced into a well-known fairy ballad published by Sir W. Scott.

THE BEGGARS OF RATCLIFFE FAIR.

As I went to Ratcliffe Fair, there I met with a jolly beggare, Jolly beggare, and his name was John, and his wife's name was Jumping Joan; So there was John and Jumping Joan, Merry companions every one.

As I went to Ratcliffe Fair, there I met with a jolly beggare, Jolly beggare, and his name was Richard, and his wife's name was Mrs. Ap Richard; So there was Richard, and Mrs. Ap Richard, And there was John and Jumping Joan, Merry companions every one.

As I went to Ratcliffe Fair, there I met with a jolly beggare, Jolly beggare, and his name was Robert, and his wife's name was Mrs. Ap Robert; So there was Robert and Mrs. Ap Robert, And there was Richard and Mrs. Ap Richard, And there was John and Jumping Joan, Merry companions every one.

As I went to Ratcliffe Fair, there I met with a jolly beggare, Jolly beggare, and his name was Rice, and his wife's name was Mrs. Ap Rice; So there was Rice and Mrs. Ap Rice, And there was Richard and Mrs. Ap Richard, And there was Robert and Mrs. Ap Robert, And there was John and Jumping Joan, Merry companions every one.

As I went to Ratcliffe Fair, there I met with a jolly beggare, Jolly beggare, and his name was Jones, and his wife's name was Mrs. Ap Jones; So there was Jones and Mrs. Ap Jones, And there was Rice and Mrs. Ap Rice, And there was Robert and Mrs. Ap Robert, And there was Richard and Mrs. Ap Richard, And there was John and Jumping Joan, Merry companions every one.

As I went to Ratcliffe Fair, there I met with a jolly beggare, Jolly beggare, and his name was Lloyd, and his wife's name was Mrs. Ap Lloyd; So there was Lloyd and Mrs. Ap Lloyd, And there was Jones and Mrs. Ap Jones, And there was Rice and Mrs. Ap Rice, And there was Robert and Mrs. Ap Robert, And there was Richard and Mrs. Ap Richard, And there was John and Jumping Joan, Merry companions every one.

As I went to Ratcliffe Fair, there I met with a jolly beggare, Jolly beggare, and his name was Owen, and his wife's name was Mrs. Ap Owen; So there was Owen and Mrs. Ap Owen, And there was Lloyd and Mrs. Ap Lloyd, And there was Jones and Mrs. Ap Jones, And there was Rice and Mrs. Ap Rice, And there was Robert and Mrs. Ap Robert, And there was Richard and Mrs. Ap Richard, And there was John and Jumping Joan, Merry companions every one.

As I went to Ratcliffe Fair, there I met with a jolly beggare, Jolly beggare, and his name was Lewin, and his wife's name was Mrs. Ap Lewin; So there was Lewin and Mrs. Ap Lewin, And there was Owen and Mrs. Ap Owen, And there was Lloyd and Mrs. Ap Lloyd, And there was Jones and Mrs. Ap Jones, And there was Rice and Mrs. Ap Rice, And there was Robert and Mrs. Ap Robert, And there was Richard and Mrs. Ap Richard, And there was John and Jumping Joan, Merry companions every one.

As I went to Ratcliffe Fair, there I met with a jolly beggare, Jolly beggare, and his name was Shenkyn, and his wife's name was Mrs. Ap Shenkyn; So there was Shenkyn and Mrs. Ap Shenkyn, And there was Lewin and Mrs. Ap Lewin, And there was Owen and Mrs. Ap Owen, And there was Lloyd and Mrs. Ap Lloyd, And there was Jones and Mrs. Ap Jones, And there was Rice and Mrs. Ap Rice, And there was Robert and Mrs. Ap Robert, And there was Richard and Mrs. Ap Richard, And there was John and Jumping Joan, Merry companions every one.

As I went to Ratcliffe Fair, there I met with a jolly beggare, Jolly beggare, and his name was Howell, and his wife's name was Mrs. Ap Howell; So there was Howell and Mrs. Ap Howell, And there was Shenkyn and Mrs. Ap Shenkyn, And there was Lewin and Mrs. Ap Lewin, And there was Owen and Mrs. Ap Owen, And there was Lloyd and Mrs. Ap Lloyd, And there was Jones and Mrs. Ap Jones, And there was Rice and Mrs. Ap Rice, And there was Robert and Mrs. Ap Robert, And there was Richard and Mrs. Ap Richard, And there was John and Jumping Joan, Merry companions every one.

This singular acc.u.mulative tale produces great amus.e.m.e.nt amongst children when rapidly repeated. Mr. Chambers, p. 197, has given a Scotch version, very different from the above, commencing-

The first time that I gaed to Coudingham fair, I fell in with a jolly beggar; The beggar's name O it was Harry, And he had a wife, and they ca'd her Mary: O Mary and Harry, and Harry and Mary, And Janet and John, That's the beggars one by one; But now I will gie you them pair by pair, All the brave beggars of Coudingham fair.

CONCLUSION.

Our collection of vernacular sc.r.a.ps, which, like the "brave beggars of Coudingham fair," have been gathered from the lanes and by-ways, is now brought to a conclusion. They are, it must be confessed, but literary vagrants at the best; but they breathe of country freshness, and may impart some of their spirit to our languis.h.i.+ng home-life. The cottage without its traditional literature is but a poor feature in the landscape that is loved by the poet. The legend or antique rhyme emanating from its door expresses a characteristic he would not willingly see perish. It may be that little of this now remains in England, but the minutest indications should be carefully chronicled ere they disappear.

Many of the fragments in the preceding pages are, in fact, rather indications of what formerly existed than complete specimens of their cla.s.s. It is beyond a doubt that, two centuries ago, our rural districts were rich in all kinds of popular and traditional literature, in legends and ancient rhymes. Unfortunately, the antiquaries of the old school considered such matters beneath their notice; and instead of conferring a very important benefit on literature by preserving them, occupied a great portion of their time in essays of very questionable utility. It thus happened that allusions in our old poets, intelligible enough in those days, became enigmas when the memory of these trifles disappeared.

We should fall into a similar error did we neglect those which still remain, merely because their value is not always immediately apparent, or be alarmed at a suggestion that we are "suckling fools, and chronicling small beer."

Let us hope the reader may view these trifles with more indulgence, and enlist his sympathies with our own; for if literary value is insisted upon as the sole use of their publication, the critic may require an abler apologist. He may refuse to admit the importance of preserving a large collection for the sake of the few which may ill.u.s.trate the works of our ancient authors. But we trust this opinion will not be general; that their natural simplicity will compensate in some respects for deficiency of literary elegance; and that the universal and absorbing prevalence of one pursuit has not put to flight all kindly memory of the recreations of a happier age:

The sports of childhood's roseate dawn Have pa.s.sed from our hearts like the dew-gems from morn: We have parted with marbles-we own not a ball, And are deaf to the hail of a "whoop and a call."

But there's an old game that we all keep up, When we've drank much deeper from life's mixed cup; Youth may have vanished, and manhood come round, Yet how busy we are on "Tom Tidler's ground Looking for gold and silver!"

FINIS.