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
VII. London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
Build it up with mortar and bricks,
Mortar and bricks, mortar and bricks,
Build it up with mortar and bricks,
My fair lady.
[Then follow verses in the same style and with the same refrain,
beginning with—]
Bring some water, we’ll wash it away.
Build it up with silver and gold.
Silver and gold will be stolen away.
We’ll set a man to watch at night.
Suppose the man should fall asleep?
Give him a pipe of tobacco to smoke.
Suppose the pipe should fall and break?
We’ll give him a bag of nuts to crack.
Suppose the nuts were rotten and bad?
We’ll give him a horse to gallop around, &c.
—Enborne School, Berks (M. Kimber).
VIII. London Bridge is broken down,
Gran says the little D,
London Bridge is broken down,
Fair la-dy.
Build it up with lime and stone,
Gran says the little D,
Build it up with lime and stone,
Fair la-dy.
[Then follow verses beginning with the following lines—]
Lime and stone would waste away.
Build it up with penny loaves.
Penny loaves would be eaten away.
Build it up with silver and gold.
Silver and gold would be stolen away.
Get a man to watch all night.
If the man should fall asleep?
Set a dog to bark all night.
If the dog should meet a bone?
Set a cock to crow all night.
If the cock should meet a hen?
Here comes my Lord Duke,
And here comes my Lord John;
Let every one pass by but the very last one,
And catch him if you can.
—Cork (Mrs. B. B. Green).
IX. London Bridge is broken down,
Broken down, broken down,
London Bridge is broken down,
My fair lady.
[Other verses commence with one of the following lines, and are sung in
the same manner—]
Build it up with penny loaves.
Penny loaves will melt away.
Build it up with iron and steel.
Iron and steel will bend and bow.
Build it up with silver and gold.
Silver and gold I have not got.
What has this poor prisoner done?
Stole my watch and broke my chain.
How many pounds will set him free?
Three hundred pounds will set him free.
The half of that I have not got.
Then off to prison he must go.
—Crockham Hill, Kent (Miss E. Chase).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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