The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 22

Have you been to a religious church?

Row of children answer-

No!

Have I asked you?

No!

Put your fingers on your lips and follow me.

All the row follow behind her to some other part of the ground, where she stands with her back to them, and they form a new row. One child out of the row now steps forward, and standing behind the first girl says-

Guess who stands behind you?

If the first girl guesses right she keeps her old place, and they begin again. If she is wrong the child who has come from the row takes her place, and a new game is begun. Of course the child who asks the last question alters its voice as much as possible, so as not to be recognised.-Liphook, Hants. (Miss Fowler).

Rigs

A game of children in Aberdeens.h.i.+re, said to be the same as Scotch and English, and also called Rockety Row.-Jamieson's _Dictionary_.

Ring

See "Ring-taw."

Ring a Ring o' Roses

[Music]

-Marlborough (H. S. May).

[Music]

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

[Music]

-Sporle (Miss Matthews).

I. Ring a ring o' roses, A pocket-full o' posies; One for me, and one for you, And one for little Moses- Hasher, Hasher, Hasher, all fall down.

-Winterton, Lincoln, and Leadenham (Miss M. Peac.o.c.k).

II. A ring, a ring o' roses, A pocket-full o' posies; One for Jack, and one for Jim, and one for little Moses- A-tisha! a-tisha! a-tisha!

-Shrops.h.i.+re (Burne's _Shrops.h.i.+re Folk-lore_, p. 511).

III. A ring, a ring o' roses, A pocket-full o' posies; A curchey in, and a curchey out, And a curchey all together.

-Edgmond (Burne's _Shrops.h.i.+re Folk-lore_, p. 571).

IV. Ring, a ring o' roses, A pocket full o' posies; Up-stairs and down-stairs, In my lady's chamber- Husher! Husher! Cuckoo!

-Wakefield, Yorks. (Miss Fowler).

V. Ring, a ring of roses, Basket full of posies- Tisha! Tisha! all fall down.

-Penzance, Cornwall (Mrs. Mabbott).

VI. Ring, a ring a roses, A pocketful of posies; Hush, oh! hush, oh!

All fall down!

-Colchester, Ess.e.x (Miss G. M. Frances).

VII. Ring, a ring a rosy, A pocket full of posies; One for you, and one for me, And one for little Moses- Atishm! Atishm!

-Beddgelert (Mrs. Williams).

VIII. A ring, a ring of roses, A pocket full of posies- Hist! hus.h.!.+ last down dead!

-Gainford, Durham (Miss A. Eddleston).

IX. Ring, a ring a row-o, See the children go-o, Sit below the goose-berry bush; Hark! they all cry Hus.h.!.+ hus.h.!.+ hus.h.!.+

Sitty down, sit down.

Duzzy, duzzy gander, Sugar, milk, and candy; Hatch-u, hatch-u, all fall down together.

-South s.h.i.+elds (Miss Blair, aged 9).

X. Ringey, ringey rosies, A pocketful of posies- Hach-ho, hach-ho, all fall down.

Another version-

Hash-ho! Tzhu-ho! all fall down.

-Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).

XI. Windy, windy weather, Cold and frosty weather, When the wind blows We all blow together.

I saw Peter!

When did you meet him?

Merrily, cherrily [so p.r.o.nounced]

All fall down.

A ring, a ring of roses, A pocketful of posies- Ashem, ashem, all fall down.

-Sheffield (S. O. Addy).

(_b_) A ring is formed by the children joining hands. They all dance round, singing the lines. At the word "Hasher" or "Atcha" they all raise their hands [still clasped] up and down, and at "all fall down" they sit suddenly down on the ground. In Lancas.h.i.+re (Morton) they pause and curtsey deeply. The imitation of sneezing is common to all. Miss Peac.o.c.k says, in Nottinghams.h.i.+re they say "Hashem! Hashem!" and shake their heads. In the Sheffield version the children sing the first eight lines going round, and all fall down when the eighth is sang. They then form a ring by holding hands, and move round singing the next three lines, and then they all fall either on their knees or flat on their faces.