The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.Gomme, Alice Bertha
History
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.
Gomme, Alice Bertha
Folklore -- Great Britain; Games -- Great Britain
This is the more general way of playing the game. In those versions
where the reply, “Very well, ladies,” occurs, this is sung by the line
of children just before they sing, “We’ve come to see Jenny Jones.”
Sometimes, as in the Berrington and Chirbury game, two lines of children
facing each other advance and retire, singing the verses. They then
carry Jenny Jones to a corner, lay her down, stand in a circle round,
and sing to her the last verse. In the Hants versions sent by Miss
Mendham, six or eight children carry Jenny stretched out and flat, lay
her down, cover her over, and then sing the last lines. The rest of the
children follow them. In the Irish (Belfast) version the game is played
in the same way; the funeral is arranged, when Jenny suddenly comes to
life again (W. H. Patterson). In the Southampton version, after the
carrying of Jenny by her head and feet to the grave, and the other
children following and standing round, Jenny Jones rises up and pursues
the children. She is called the Ghost. The children run away in affected
terror, calling out, “The Ghost!” Whoever she catches becomes Jenny
Jones in the next game. This incident is also played in the Barnes,
Northants, Annaverna, co. Louth, Enborne and Liphook versions.
(_c_) This game is played very generally throughout the country, and I
have other versions collected from Earls Heaton (Mr. H. Hardy), Barnes
(A. B. Gomme), Cambridge (Mrs. Haddon), Hampshire (Miss Mendham),
Frodingham (Miss Peacock), Cowes, Isle of Wight (Miss E. Smith),
Sulhampstead, Berks (Miss Thoyts), and Platt, Kent (Miss Burne). These
versions are so similar to the Hanwell version, with the exception of
the “Very well, ladies,” that it is needless to print them in full;
special differences are noted hereafter. In some places the game is said
in a sing-song manner.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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