This childish drama has been familiar in the Middle States since the memory of the oldest inhabitant. The Scotch equivalent shows that the heroine's name was originally _Jenny jo_. "Jo" is an old English word for sweetheart, probably a corruption of _joy_, French _joie_, used as a term of endearment. _Jenny my joy_ has thus been modernized into Miss Jennia (commonly understood to be a contraction for Virginia) Jones! The story is originally a love-tale. The young lady, like Rosetina in the Venetian song (a part of which we have translated above) dies of blighted affection and the prohibition of cruel parents. The suitor, in America, is represented by feminine friends. Yet the drama has lived; a proof that in singing and playing love-tales the children rather imitated their elders than followed a necessity of their own nature. From various versions we select the following: A mother, seated. Miss Jennia Jones stands behind her chair, or reclines on her lap as if lying sick. A dancer advances from the ring. "I've come to see Miss Jennia Jones, Miss Jennia Jones, Miss Jennia Jones-- I've come to see Miss Jennia Jones, And how is she to-day?" "She's up-stairs washing, Washing, washing-- She's up-stairs washing, You cannot see her to-day." The questions are repeated to the same air for every day of the week, and the reply is that Miss Jennia Jones is ironing, baking, or scrubbing. She is then represented as sick, as worse, and finally as dead, which announcement is received with signs of deep grief. The dancers of the ring then discuss the costume in which she shall be buried: "What shall we dress her in, Dress her in, dress her in; What shall we dress her in-- Shall it be blue?" "Blue is for sailors, So that will never do." "What shall we dress her in, Shall it be red?" "Red is for firemen, So that will never do." "Pink is for babies, So that will never do." "Green is forsaken, So that will never do." "Black is for mourners, So that will never do." "White is for dead people, So that will just do." "Where shall we bury her? Under the apple-tree." After the ceremonies of burial have been completed, the ghost of Miss Jennia Jones suddenly arises-- "I dreamt I saw a ghost last night, Ghost last night, ghost last night-- I dreamt I saw a ghost last night, Under the apple-tree!" The ring breaks up, and flies with shrieks, and the one caught is to represent Miss Jennia Jones. An interesting feature of our game is the symbolism of color. "Each of these colors," says an informant, "which denoted a profession, also typified a feeling. Thus, blue, which is said to be for _sailors_, suggested _constancy_."