The Nursery Rhymes of England Part 29

Silken Stockings on his legs, Silver buckles glancin', A sky-blue bonnet on his head, And oh, but he is handsome.

CCCXVIII.

[A song set to five fingers.]

1. This pig went to market; 2. This pig staid at home; 3. This pig had a bit of meat; 4. And this pig had none; 5. This pig said, Wee, wee, wee! I can't find my way home.

CCCXIX.

[Children hunting bats.]

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.

CCCXX.

[A game at ball.]

Cuckoo, cherry tree, Catch a bird, and give it to me; Let the tree be high or low, Let it hail, rain, or snow.

CCCXXI.

[Two of the strongest children are selected, A and B; A stands within a ring of the children, B being outside.]

A. Who is going round my sheepfold?

B. Only poor old Jacky Lingo.

A. Don't steal any of my black sheep.

B. No, no more I will, only by one, Up, says Jacky Lingo. (_Strikes one._)

[The child struck leaves the ring, and takes hold of B behind; B in the same manner takes the other children, one by one, gradually increasing his tail on each repet.i.tion of the verses, until he has got the whole; A then tries to get them back; B runs away with them; they try to shelter themselves behind B; A drags them off, one by one, setting them against a wall, until he has recovered all. A regular tearing game, as children say.]

CCCXXII.

Highty c.o.c.k O!

To London we go, To York we ride; And Edward has p.u.s.s.y-cat tied to his side; He shall have little dog tied to the other, And then he goes trid trod to see his grandmother.

CCCXXIII.

This is the key of the kingdom.

In that kingdom there is a city.

In that city there is a town.

In that town there is a street.

In that street there is a lane.

In that lane there is a yard.

In that yard there is a house.

In that house there is a room.

In that room there is a bed.

On that bed there is a basket.

In that basket there are some flowers.

Flowers in the basket, basket in the bed, bed in the room, &c. &c.

CCCXXIV.

[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 or Seek," or any other game where a victim is required. A c.o.c.k and bull story of this kind is related of the historian Josephus. There are other versions of this, and one may be seen in 'Blackwood's Magazine' for August, 1821, p.

36.]

Hickory (1), d.i.c.kory (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!

CCCXXV.

One old Oxford ox opening oysters; Two tee-totums totally tired of trying to trot to Tadbury; Three tall tigers tippling tenpenny tea; Four fat friars fanning fainting flies; Five frippy Frenchmen foolishly fis.h.i.+ng for flies; Six sportsmen shooting snipes; Seven Severn salmons swallowing shrimps; Eight Englishmen eagerly examining Europe; Nine nimble n.o.blemen nibbling nonpareils; Ten tinkers tinkling upon ten tin tinderboxes with ten tenpenny tacks; Eleven elephants elegantly equipt; Twelve typographical topographers typically translating types.

CCCXXVI.

[The following lines are sung by children when starting for a race.]

Good horses, bad horses, What is the time of day?

Three o'clock, four o'clock, Now fare you away.

CCCXXVII.

See-saw, jack a daw, What is a craw to do wi' her?

She has not a stocking to put on her, And the craw has not one for to gi' her.

CCCXXVIII.

[The following is a game played as follows: 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 pa.s.ses 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.

CCCXXIX.

Clap hands, clap hands!

Till father comes home; For father's got money, But mother's got none.

Clap hands, &c.

Till father, &c.