"Here come three tinkers three by three, To court your daughter merrily; Can we have a lodging," etc. "Sleep, my daughter, do not wake-- Here come three tinkers and they sha'n't take; They sha'n't have a lodging," etc. "Here come three kings, three by three, To court your daughter merrily; Can we have a lodging," etc. "Wake, my daughter, do not sleep-- Here come three kings, and they _shall_ take; They _shall_ have a lodging, they shall have a lodging, They shall have a lodging here to-night." (_To the kings_)-- "Here is my daughter safe and sound, And in her pocket five hundred pound, And on her finger a plain gold ring, And she is fit to walk with the king." (The daughter goes with the kings; but they are villains in disguise: they rob her, push her back to her mother, and sing)-- "Here is your daughter _not_ safe and sound, And in her pocket _not_ five hundred pound, And on her finger no plain gold ring, And she's not fit to walk with the king." (The mother pursues the kings, and tries to catch and beat them). _Charlestown, W. Va._ No. 3. _Here Comes a Duke._ This rhyme is only a later development of the same game. The suitor is now made to address himself directly to his mistress, and the mercenary character of the previous transaction is replaced by coquetry. Our New England song loses nothing by comparison with the pretty Scotch. A company of little girls sit in a row. A little girl from the middle of the room goes dancing up to the first one in the row, singing, "Here comes a duke a-roving, Roving, roving, Here comes a duke a-roving, With the ransy, tansy, tea! With the ransy, tansy, tario! With the ransy, tansy, tea! Pretty fair maid, will you come out, Will you come out, will you come out, To join us in our dancing?" Little girl answers, "No." Suitor steps backward, singing, "Naughty girl,[39] she won't come out, She won't come out, she won't come out, To join us in our dancing." Suitor advances as before. The answer now is, "Yes." These two now retire, singing together, "Now we've got the flowers of May, The flowers of May, the flowers of May, To join us in our dancing." They join hands and call out the next one in the row; thus the play goes on until the last is selected, when they form a ring, dance, and sing, "Now we've got the flowers of May, The flowers of May, the flowers of May, To join us in our dancing." _Concord, Mass._ Avulgarized form of the same game is common through the Middle States: _Boys._ "We are three _ducks_ a-roving, (thrice) _With a ransom dansom dee._" _Girls._ "What is your good-will, sir?" etc. _Boys._ "My good-will is to marry," etc.