The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 29

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

[Music]

-Yorks.h.i.+re (Mr. H. Hardy).

[Music]

-Lancas.h.i.+re (Miss Dendy).

[Music]

-Enborne (Miss Kimber).

[Music]

-Welford (Mrs. Stephen Batson).

[Music]

-Liverpool (Mr. C. C. Bell).

[Music]

-Beddgelert, Wales (Mrs. Williams).

[Music]

-Nottingham (Miss Youngman).

I. Sally, Sally Water, 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 best one, Choose for the worst one, Choose for the pretty girl That you love best.]

And now you're married I wish you joy; First a girl and then a boy; Seven years after son and daughter; And now, young people, jump over the water.

-Symondsbury, Dorsets.h.i.+re (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 207).

II. Sally, Sally Walker, sprinkle water in the pan; 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.

Now you're married we wish you joy, 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).

III. Sally, Sally Water, 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.

Now you're married we wish you joy, First a girl and then a boy, Seven years after sister and brother; Kiss each other and come out of the water.

-Somersets.h.i.+re, _Notes and Queries_, 8th series, i. 249 (Miss R. H.

Busk).

IV. Sally Waters, Sally Waters, come sprinkle in the pan; 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.

Now you are married, we wish you joy; First a girl and then a boy, Seven years afterwards son and daughter; Pray, young couple, kiss together.

-London version (Miss Dendy).

V. Sally, Sally Walker, Sprinkling in a pan; Rise, Sally; rise, Sally, For a young man.

Come, choose from the east, Come, choose from the west, Come, choose out the very one That you love best.

Now there's a couple Married in joy; First a girl, And then a boy.

Now you're married; You must obey Every word Your husband says.

Take a kiss And walk away, And remember the promise You've made to-day.

-Fochabers (Rev. W. M'Gregor).

VI. Sally, Sally Waters, 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).

VII. Sally, Sally Wallflower, Sprinkled in the pan, &c., Now you're married, &c., On the carpet you shall kneel, &c.

-_Notes and Queries_, 5th series, iii.

VIII. Sallie, Sallie Waters, 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.

Now that you are married, I'm sure we wish you joy, First a girl, then a boy; Seven years after, Son and daughter, Pray, young couple, come kiss together.

-Enborne, Berks; Marlborough, Wilts; Lewes, Suss.e.x (Miss Kimber).

IX. Sally, Sally Waters, 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.

And now you're married 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, Clash the bells.