The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 40

They say first to him-

What are ye for wi' the pot, gudeman?

Say what are ye for wi' the pot?

We dinna like to see ye, gudeman, Sae thrang about this spot.

We dinna like ye ava, gudeman, We dinna like ye ava.

Are ye gaun to grow a gled, gudeman?

And our necks draw and thraw?

He answers-

Your minnie, burdies, ye maun lae; Ten to my nocket I maun hae; Ten to my e'enshanks, and or I gae lye, In my wame I'll lay twa dizzen o' ye by.

The mother of them, as it were, returns-

Try't than, try't than, do what ye can, Maybe ye maun toomer sleep the night, gudeman; Try't than, try't than, Gled-wylie frae the heugh, Am no sae saft, Gled-wylie, ye'll fin' me bauld and teugh.

After these rhymes are said the chickens cling to the mother all in a string. She fronts the flock, and does all she can to keep the kite from her brood, but often he breaks the row and catches his prey.-Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopaedia_.

Evidently denominated from the common mode of designating the kite among the vulgar (Jamieson). "The Greedy Gled's seeking ye," is one of the lines of a rhyme used in "Hide and Seek" in Edinburgh. Glead, or Gled, is also a Yorks.h.i.+re and Ches.h.i.+re name for a kite. "As hungry as a Glead"

(_Glossary_, by an Old Inhabitant).-Leigh (_Ches.h.i.+re Glossary_).

See "Fox and Goose," "Hen and Chickens," "Hide and Seek."

Glim-glam

The play of "Blind Man's Buff."-Banffs.h.i.+re, Aberdeen (Jamieson).

Gobs

A London name for the game of "Hucklebones."

See "Fivestones."

Green Gra.s.s

[Music]

-Middles.e.x (Miss Collyer).

[Music]

-London (A. B. Gomme).

[Music]

-Congleton (Miss A. E. Twemlow).

I. A dis, a dis, a green gra.s.s, A dis, a dis, a dis; Come all you pretty fair maids And dance along with us.

For we are going roving, A roving in this land; We'll take this pretty fair maid, We'll take her by the hand.

Ye shall get a duke, my dear, And ye shall get a drake; And ye shall get a young prince, A young prince for your sake.

And if this young prince chance to die, Ye shall get another; The bells will ring, and the birds will sing, And we'll clap hands together.

-Chamber's _Popular Rhymes_, pp. 137-38.

II. A-diss, a-diss, a-green gra.s.s, A-diss, a-diss, a-da.s.s; Come, my pretty fair maid, And walk along with us.

For you shall have a dik-ma-day, You shall have a dragon; You shall have a nice young man With princes for his thegan (or segan).

-Lanarks.h.i.+re (W. G. Black).

III. A dish, a dish, a green gra.s.s, A dish, a dish, a dish, Come all you pretty maidens And dance along wi' us.

For we are lads a roving, A roving through the land, We'll take this pretty fair maid By her lily white hand.

Ye sall get a duke, my dear, An ye sall get a drake, An ye sall get a bonny prince For your ain dear sake.

And if they all should die, Ye sall get anither; The bells will ring, the birds will sing, And we'll clap our hands together.

-Biggar (W. Ballantyne).

IV. Dissy, dissy, green gra.s.s, Dissy, dissy, duss, Come all ye pretty fair maids And dance along with us.

You shall have a duck, my dear, And you shall have a drake, And you shall have a nice young man To love you for your sake.

If this young man should chance to die And leave the girl a widow, The birds shall sing, the bells shall ring, Clap all your hands together.

-Yorks.h.i.+re (Henderson's _Folk-lore, Northern Counties_, p. 27).

V. Dossy, dossy green gra.s.s, Dossy, dossy, doss, Come all ye pretty fair maids And dance upon the gra.s.s.

I will give you pots and pans, I will give you bra.s.s, I will give you anything For a pretty la.s.s.

I will give you gold and silver, I will give you pearl, I will give you anything For a pretty girl.

Take one, take one, the fairest you can see.

You shall have a duck, my dear, You shall have a drake, You shall have a young man Apprentice for your sake.

If this young man shall wealthy grow And give his wife a feather, The bells shall ring and birds shall sing And we'll all clap hands together.

-Roxton, St. Neots (Miss Lumley).