(_b_) A full description of this game could not be obtained in each case. The Earls Heaton game is played by forming a ring, one child standing in the centre. After the first verse is sung, a child from the ring goes to the one in the centre. Then the rest of the verses are sung. The action to suit the words of the verses does not seem to have been kept up. In the Hampshire version, after the line “As a bird upon a tree,” the two children named pair off like sweethearts while the rest of the verse is being sung. (_c_) The analysis of the game rhymes is as follows:— +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | | Hants. | Deptford (Kent). | Belfast. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.|Village life. |Village life. |Hunting life. | | 2.|All the boys happy. |All the boys happy. |All lusty bachelors. | | 3.|Except [   ], who |Except [   ], who |Except [   ], who | | |wants a wife. |wants a wife. |courts [   ]. | | 4.|He shall court [   ]. |He shall court [   ]. |He courted [   ]. | | 5.|Huddles and cuddles, |Kisses and cuddles, |Huggled andguggled, | | |and sits on his knee. |and sits on his knee. |and took on his knee. | | 6.| — | — | — | | 7.|Mutual expressions of |Mutual expressions of | — | | |love. |love. | | | 8.| — | — |Asking to marry. | | 9.|Wife makes a pudding. |Girl makes a pudding. |Girl makes a pudding. | |10.|Husband cuts a slice. |Boy cuts a slice. |Asks boy to taste. | |11.|Fixing of wedding day.|Fixing of wedding day.|Fixing of wedding day.| |12.|Wife in carriage, |Wife with domestic |Bride with rings on | | |husband in cart. |utensils. |fingers and bells on | | | | |toes. | |13.| — |Grief if wife should | — | | | |die. | | |14.| — | — |Bride with a baby. | |15.| — |Doctor, cat, and | — | | | |devil. | | |16.| — | — |Applause for the | | | | |bride. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+