The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 4

When they were ripe and ready to fall, Hum-ha! ready to fall.

There comes an old woman a-picking them up, Hum-ha! a-picking them up.

c.o.c.k Robin jumps up and gives her a good knock, Hum-ha! gives her a good knock.

-Derbys.h.i.+re (_Folk-lore Journal_, i. 385).

X. Poor Roger is dead and lies low in his grave, Low in his grave, low in his grave, E. I. low in his grave.

There grew an old apple tree over his head, Over his head, over his head, E. I. over his head.

When the apples were ripe they all fell off, All fell off, all fell off, E. I. all fell off.

There was an old woman came picking them up, Picking them up, picking them up, E. I. picking them up.

Poor Roger jumped up and gave her a nudge, Gave her a nudge, gave her a nudge, E. I. gave her a nudge.

Which made the old woman go lippety lop, Lippety lop, lippety lop, E. I. lippety lop.

-Newark, Nottinghams.h.i.+re (S. O. Addy).

XI. Poor Toby is dead and he lies in his grave, He lies in his grave, he lies in his grave; They planted an apple tree over his head, Over his head, over his head.

The apples grew ripe and beginning to fall, Beginning to fall, beginning to fall; The apples grew ripe and beginning to fall, Beginning to fall, beginning to fall.

There came an old woman picking them up, Picking them up, picking them up; Poor Toby rose up and he gave her a kick, Gave her a kick, gave her a kick.

And the poor old woman went hipperty hop, Hipperty hop, hipperty hop; And the poor old woman went hipperty hop, Hipperty hop along.

-Belfast (W. H. Patterson).

XII. There was an old woman we buried her here, Buried her here, buried her here; There was an old woman we buried her here, He-ho! buried her here.

-Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).

(_b_) A ring is formed by children joining hands; one child, who represents Sir Roger, lays down on the ground in the centre of the ring with his head covered with a handkerchief. The ring stands still and sings the verses. When the second verse is begun, a child from the ring goes into the centre and stands by Sir Roger, to represent the apple tree. At the fourth verse another child goes into the ring, and pretends to pick up the fallen apples. Then the child personating Sir Roger jumps up and knocks the child personating the old woman, beating her out of the ring. She goes off hobbling on one foot, and pretending to be hurt.

In the Ordsall game the children dance round when singing the verses instead of standing still, the action of the game being the same. In the Tong version, the action seems to be done by the ring. Miss Burne says the children go through various movements, finally all limping round.

The Newark (Notts), and Bath versions are played as first described, Poor Roger being covered with a cloak, or an ap.r.o.n, and laying down in the middle of the ring. A Southampton version has additional features-the ring of children keep their arms crossed, and lay their hands on their chests, bending their heads and bodies backwards and forwards, in a mourning att.i.tude, while they sing; in addition to which, in the Bath version, the child who personates the apple tree during the singing of the third verse raises her arms above her head, and then lets them drop to her sides to show the falling apples.

(_c_) Various as the game-rhymes are in word detail, they are practically the same in incident. One remarkable feature stands out particularly, namely, the planting a tree over the head of the dead, and the spirit-connection which this tree has with the dead. The robbery of the fruit brings back the dead Sir Roger to protect it, and this must be his ghost or spirit. In popular superst.i.tion this incident is not uncommon. Thus Aubrey in his _Remains of Gentilisme_, notes that "in the parish of Ockley some graves have rose trees planted at the head and feet," and then proceeds to say, "They planted a tree or a flower on the grave of their friend, and they thought the soule of the party deceased went into the tree or plant" (p. 155). In Scotland a branch falling from an oak, the Edgewell tree, standing near Dalhousie Castle, portended mortality to the family (Dalyell, _Darker Superst.i.tions_, p. 504).

Compare with this a similar superst.i.tion noted in Carew's _History of Cornwall_, p. 325, and Mr. Keary's treatment of this cult in his _Outlines of Primitive Belief_, pp. 66-67. In folk-tales this incident also appears; the spirit of the dead enters the tree and resents robbery of its fruit, possession of which gives power over the soul or spirit of the dead.

The game is, therefore, not merely the acting of a funeral, but more particularly shows the belief that a dead person is cognisant of actions done by the living, and capable of resenting personal wrongs and desecration of the grave. It shows clearly the sacredness of the grave; but what, perhaps to us, is the most interesting feature, is the way in which the game is played. This clearly shows a survival of the method of portraying old plays. The ring of children act the part of "chorus," and relate the incidents of the play. The three actors say nothing, only act their several parts in dumb show. The raising and lowering of the arms on the part of the child who plays "apple tree," the quiet of "Old Roger" until he has to jump up, certainly show the early method of actors when details were presented by action instead of words. Children see no absurdity in being a "tree," or a "wall," "apple," or animal.

They simply _are_ these things if the game demands it, and they think nothing of incongruities.

I do not, of course, suggest that children have preserved in this game an old play, but I consider that in this and similar games they have preserved methods of acting and detail (now styled traditional), as given in an early or childish period of the drama, as for example in the mumming plays. Traditional methods of acting are discussed by Mr.

Ordish, _Folk-lore_, ii. 334.

Old Soldier

One player personates an old soldier, and begs of all the other players in turn for left-off garments, or anything else he chooses. The formula still used at Barnes by children is, "Here comes an old soldier from the wars [or from town], pray what can you give him?" Another version is-

Here comes an old soldier from Botany Bay, Have you got anything to give him to-day.

-Liverpool (C. C. Bell).

The questioned child replying must be careful to avoid using the words, Yes! No! Nay! and Black, White, or Grey. These words are tabooed, and a forfeit is exacted every time one or other is used. The old soldier walks lame, and carries a stick. He is allowed to ask as many questions, talk as much as he pleases, and to account for his dest.i.tute condition.

(_c_) Some years ago when colours were more limited in number, it was difficult to promise garments for a man's wear which were neither of these colours tabooed. Miss Burne (_Shrops.h.i.+re Folk-lore_, p. 526), in describing this game says, "The words Red or Blue are sometimes forbidden, as well as Yes or No," and adds that "This favourite old game gives scope for great ingenuity on the part of the beggar, and 'it seems not improbable' (to use a time-honoured antiquarian phrase!) that the expression 'To come the old soldier over a person' may allude to it."

Halliwell (_Nursery Rhymes_, p. 224) describes the game as above.

Oliver, Oliver, follow the King!

Oliver, Oliver, follow the King!

Oliver, Oliver, last in the ring!

_Jim Burguin_ wants a wife, and a wife he shall have, _Nelly_ he kissed at the back-cellar door, _Nelly_ made a pudding, she made it over sweet, She never stuck a knife in till he came home at night, So next Monday morning is our wedding-day, The bells they shall ring, and the music shall play!

Oliver, Oliver, follow the King! (_da capo_).

-Berrington (Burne's _Shrops.h.i.+re Folk-lore_, p. 508).

(_b_) The children form a ring and move round, singing the first two lines. Then they curtsey, or "douk down," all together; the one who is last has to tell her sweetheart's name. The other lines are then sung and the game is continued. The children's names are mentioned as each one names his or her sweetheart.

This is apparently the game of which "All the Boys," "Down in the Valley," and "Mary Mixed a Pudding up," are also portions.

One Catch-all

The words "Cowardy, cowardy custard" are repeated by children playing at this game when they advance towards the one who is selected to catch them, and dare or provoke her to capture them. Ray, _Localisms_, gives Costard, the head; a kind of opprobrious word used by way of contempt.

Bailey gives Costead-head, a blockhead; thus elucidating this exclamation which may be interpreted, "You cowardly blockhead, catch me if you dare" (Baker's _Northamptons.h.i.+re Glossary_).

The words used were, as far as I remember,

Cowardy, cowardy custard, eat your father's mustard, Catch me if you can.

To compel a person to "eat" something disagreeable is a well-known form of expressing contempt. The rhyme was supposed to be very efficacious in rousing an indifferent or lazy player when playing "touch" (A. B.

Gomme).

Oranges and Lemons

[Music]

An older and more general version of the last five bars (the tail piece) is as follows:-

[Music]

-London (A. B. Gomme).

[Music]