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
The other versions are played as follows:—The children form a line, the
one in the middle being the mother, or widow; they advance and retire,
the mother alone singing the first verse. One child, who is standing
alone on the opposite side, who has been addressed by the widow, then
asks [not sings] the question. The mother, or widow, sings the reply,
and points to one child when singing the last line, who thereupon
crosses over to the other side, joining the one who is standing alone.
This is continued till all have been selected. The Ballynascaw version
(Miss Patterson) is played in a similar way. One child sits on a bank,
and the others come up to her in a long line. The “old woman” says the
first five lines. No question is asked by the “lady,” she simply takes
one child. The “old woman” shakes hands with this child, and says
good-bye to her. When all the children have been “taken in” by the one
who personates the “lady,” the “old woman” says the other three lines,
and so one by one gets all the children back again. The Berkshire
version (Miss Thoyts) is said, not sung, and is played with two leaders,
“old woman” and “lover.” As the lover chooses a child, that one is sent
behind him, holding round his waist. Each child as she goes says,
“Good-bye, mother, good-bye,” and pretends to cry. Finally they all cry,
and the game ends in a tug of war. This tug is clearly out of place
unless only half the children are selected by one side. Miss Thoyts does
not say how this is done.
(_c_) This game is called “School-teacher” in Belfast. The corruption of
“Lady of the Land,” to “Babyland,” “Babylon,” and “Sandiland,” is
manifest. It appears to be only fragmentary in its present form, but the
versions undoubtedly indicate that the origin of the game arises from
the practice of hiring servants. Mr. Halliwell has preserved another
fragmentary rhyme, which he thinks may belong to this game.
I can make diet bread
Thick and thin,
I can make diet bread
Fit for the king; (No. cccxliv.)
which may be compared with the rhyme given by Chambers (_Popular
Rhymes_, p. 136), and another version given by Halliwell, p. 229.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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