—Forest of Dean, Gloucester (Miss Matthews). VIII. Here comes an old woman from Cumberland, With seven poor children in her hand; One can sing, the other can sew; One can sit up in the corner and cry, Alleluia! Choose the fairest you can see. The fairest one that I can see is ——, come to me. Now my daughter —— gone, A thousand pound in her pocket and a gold ring on her finger. Good-bye, mother, good-bye! —Berkshire (Miss Thoyts, _Antiquary_, xxvii. 254). IX. There was an old woman from Sandyland With all her children in her hand. One can knit and one can sow [sew], One can make a lily-white bow. Please take one in. When all the children have been taken in, the Old Woman says— There was an old woman from Sandiland With no children by the hand. Will you give me one? —Ballynascaw School, co. Down (Miss C. N. Patterson). (_b_) The first Dorsetshire game is played as follows:—Two girls are chosen, the one to represent a lady and the other a mother, who is supposed to be taking her children out to service. She has one or more of them in each hand, and leads them up to the lady, saying or singing the first verse. The dialogue then proceeds, and the verse is repeated until all the children are similarly disposed of. A few days are supposed to pass, after which the mother calls to see her children, when the lady tells her she cannot see them. At last she insists upon seeing them, and the children are all “sat down” behind the lady, and the mother asks one child what the lady has done to her; and she tells her “that the lady has cut off her nose, and made a nose-pie, and never give her a bit of it.” Each one says she has done something to her and made a pie, and when all have told their tale “they all turn on her and put her to prison.” The second Dorsetshire game somewhat differs. One child takes seven or eight others whom she pretends are her children. Another child, presumably a mistress in want of servants, stands at a distance. The first child advances, holding the hand of her children, saying the first verse. The dialogue is concluded, and as the woman and her children are supposed to be out of hearing, the last couplet is said or sung. This process is gone through again until the mistress has engaged all the children as her servants, when she is supposed to let them all out to play with the mustard pots, which are represented by sticks or stones, in their hands.