Nursery rhymes, English; Oral tradition -- England
1. I went up one pair of stairs.
2. Just like me.
1. I went up two pair of stairs.
2. Just like me.
1. I went into a room.
2. Just like me.
1. I looked out of a window.
2. Just like me.
1. And there I saw a monkey.
2. Just like me.
CCCVIII.
Number number nine, this hoop's mine;
Number number ten, take it back again.
CCCIX.
Here goes my lord
A trot, a trot, a trot, a trot,
Here goes my lady
A canter, a canter, a canter, a canter!
Here goes my young master
Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch, Jockey-hitch:
Here goes my young miss,
An amble, an amble, an amble, an amble!
The footman lays behind to tipple ale and wine,
And goes gallop, a gallop, a gallop, to make up his time.
CCCX.
[This is acted by two or more girls, who walk or dance up
and down, turning, when they say, "turn, cheeses, turn." The
"green cheeses," as I am informed, are made with sage and
potatoe-tops. Two girls are said to be "cheese and cheese."]
Green cheese, yellow laces,
Up and down the market-places,
Turn, cheeses, turn!
CCCXI.
To market ride the gentlemen,
So do we, so do we;
Then comes the country clown,
Hobbledy gee, Hobbledy gee;
First go the ladies, nim, nim, nim;
Next come the gentlemen, trim, trim, trim;
Then comes the country clowns, gallop-a-trot.
CCCXII.
Ride a cock-horse to Coventry-cross;
To see what Emma can buy;
A penny white cake I'll buy for her sake,
And a twopenny tart or a pie.
CCCXIII.
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury-cross,
To see an old lady upon a white horse,
Rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes,
And so she makes music wherever she goes.
CCCXIV.
[Song set to five toes.]
1. Let us go to the wood, says this pig;
2. What to do there? says that pig;
3. To look for my mother, says this pig;
4. What to do with her? says that pig;
5. Kiss her to death, says this pig.
CCCXV.
[A number of boys and girls stand round one in the middle, who
repeats the following lines, counting the children until one
is counted out by the end of the verses.]
Ring me (1), ring me (2), ring me rary (3),
As I go round (4), ring by ring (5),
A virgin (6) goes a maying (7),
Here's a flower (8), and there's a flower (9),
Growing in my lady's garden (10),
If you set your foot awry (11),
Gentle John will make you cry (12),
If you set your foot amiss (13),
Gentle John (14) will give you a kiss.
[The child upon whom (14) falls is then taken out, and
forced to select one of the other sex. The middle child then
proceeds.]
This [lady or gentleman] is none of ours,
Has put [him or her] self in [the selected child's] power,
So clap all hands, and ring all bells, and make the wedding o'er.
[_All clap hands._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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