The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 90

This is the one that I love best, that I love best, that I love best, This is the one that I love best, my dilsee dollsie dee.

This is the one I love the best, my dilsee dollsie dofficer.

The centre child takes the one selected by the hand, and they stand together in the centre, while the ring dances round and sings-

Open the gates to let the bride out, to let the bride out, to let the bride out, Open the gates to let the bride out, my dilsee dollsie dee.

Open the gates to let the bride out, my dilsee dollsie dofficer.

The children then unclasp hands, and the two children walk out. Another child goes in the centre and the game is begun again, and continued until the ring is too small for dancing round. Sometimes, instead of this, the two children return to the ring singing, "Open the gates and let the bride in," and then they take places in the circle, while another goes in the centre.-(Dr. A. C. Haddon.)

Doagan.

An extraordinary game, which was played by Manx children sixty years ago. A rude wooden representation of the human form was fastened on a cross, and sticks were thrown at it, just after the fas.h.i.+on of the modern "Aunt Sally." But it is quite possible that this game, taken in connection with the following very curious words which the children repeated when throwing the sticks, is a survival of a more serious function-

Shoh dhyt y Doagan.

"This to thee, the Doagan."

Cre dooyrt y Doagan?

"What says the Doagan?"

Dar y chrosh, dar y chron, "Upon the cross, upon the block,"

Dar y maidjey beg, jeeragh ny cam, "Upon the little staff, straight or crooked,"

Ayns y cheylley veg s.h.i.+d hoal, "In the little wood over yonder."

My verrys oo yn kione jeh'n Doagan, "If thou wilt give the head of the Doagan,"

Verym y kione jeeds er y hon.[16]

"I will give thy head for it."

Mr. Moore writes that Kelly, who gives these words in his Dictionary, says that Doagan was a play, and that it refers to the head of Dagon being broken off. Does he mean the Philistine G.o.d of that name? As he is capable of seeing a reference to the G.o.d, Baal, in the Manx word for May-day, Boaldyv, it is quite possible that his imagination may lead him so far!-Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).

[16] Manx Society, vol. xiii. p. 63.

Down in Yonder Meadow.

[Vol. i. p. 99; ii. p. 323; "All the Boys," i. 2-6.]

Down in yonder meadow where the green gra.s.s grows, Where (name of girl) she bleaches her clothes; She sang, she sang, she sang so sweet, She sang (name of boy) across the street.

He kissed her, he kissed her, he bought her a gown, He bought her a gown and a guinea gold ring, A guinea, a guinea, a guinea gold ring, A feather for the church and a pea-brown hat.

Up the streets and down the streets the windows made of gla.s.s, Oh, isn't (name of girl) a braw young la.s.s.

But isn't (name of boy) as nice as she, And when they get married I hope they will agree.

Agree, agree, I hope they will agree, And when they get married I hope they will agree.

-Laurieston School, Kirkcudbrights.h.i.+re (J. Lawson).

Down in yonder meadow where the green gra.s.s grows, Where so and so (a girl's name) she bleaches her clothes; She sang, and she sang, and she sang so sweet, Come over (a boy's name), come over, come over the street.

So and so (same girl's Christian name) made a pudding so nice and sweet, So and so (same boy's Christian name) took a knife and tasted it.

Taste, love; taste, love; don't say no, For the next Sabbath morning to church we must go.

Clean sheets and pillowslips, and blankets an' a', A little baby on your knee, and that's the best of a'.

Heepie tarrie, heepie barrie, bo barrie grounds, Bo barrie ground and a guinea gold ring, A guinea gold ring and a peac.o.c.k hat, A cherry for the church and a feather at the back.

She paints her cheeks and she curls her hair, And she kisses (boy's name) at the foot o' the stair.

-Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr. Gregor).

The above are played in the same way as previously described.

Another version, from Perth, says, after the line, "She sang, and she sang" (as above).

Come over the water, come over the street, She baked him a dumpling, she baked it so sweet That bonny (Billie Sanders) was fain for to eat, &c.

Down in the meadows where the green gra.s.s grows, There's where my Nannie she sound her horn; She sound, she sound, she sound so sweet;

Nannie made the puddin' so nice and so sweet, Johnny took a knife and he taste a bit; Love, taste; love, taste, and don't say nay, For next Sunday mornin' is our weddin'-day.

Off wid the thimble and on wid the ring; A weddin', a weddin', is goin' to begin.

O Nannie, O Nannie, O Nannie my joy, Never be ashamed for to marry a boy!

For I am but a boy, and I'll soon be a man, And I'll earn for my Nannie as soon as I can.

And every evenin' when he comes home, He takes her for a walk on the Circular Road.

And every little girl that he sees pa.s.sin' by, He thinks 'tis his Nannie he has in his eye.

-Howth, Dublin (Miss H. G. Harvey).

Draw a Pail of Water.

[Vol. i. pp. 100-107].

A lump of sugar, Grind your mother's flour, Three sacks an hour, One in a rush, two in a crush, Pray, old lady, creep under the bush (all jump round).

-Girton village, Cambridges.h.i.+re (Dr. A. C. Haddon).

Drop Handkerchief.

[Vol. i. pp. 109-112; "Black Doggie," vol. ii. p. 407.]

As played at Fochabers the game varies slightly in the way it is played from those previously described. The words are-

"I dropt it, I dropt it, a king's copper next, I sent a letter to my love, and on the way I dropt it."

The players forming the ring are forbidden to look round. The one having the handkerchief endeavours to drop it at some one's back without his or her knowledge, and then to get _three_ times round the ring without being struck by the handkerchief. If the player does not manage this she has to sit in the centre of the ring as "old maid;" the object in this version evidently is not to let the player upon whom the handkerchief is dropped be aware of it.-Fochabers, N.E. Scotland (Rev. Dr. Gregor).

Dumb Crambo.

[See "Hiss and Clap," vol. i. p. 215.]

The players divide into two sides: one side goes outside the room, the other remains in the room, and decides on some verb to be guessed and acted by the other. The outside party is told that the chosen verb "rhymes with --." The outside party decide on some verb, and come in and act this word in dumb show, whilst the inside party sit and look on, hissing if the guess is wrong, and clapping if the acting shows the right word is chosen. No word must pa.s.s on either side.-Bedford, and generally known (Mrs. A. C. Haddon).

Dump.