II. Please, mother, may I go a-maying? Why, daughter, why? Because it is my sister’s birthday. Make three pretty curtseys and walk away. Where is your may? I met puss, and puss met me, and puss took all my may away. Where is puss? Run up the wood. Where is the wood? Fire burnt it. Where is the fire? Water quenched it. Where is the water? Ducks have drunk it. Where are the ducks? Butcher killed them. Where is the butcher? Behind the churchyard, cracking nuts, and leaving you the shells. —Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews). III. Please, mother, may we go out to play? Yes, if you don’t frighten the chickens. No, mother, we won’t frighten the chickens. [They all go out and say, “Hush! hush!” to pretended chickens.] Where have you been? To grandmother’s. What for? To go on an errand. What did you get? Some plums. What did you do with them? Made a plum-pudding. What did she give you? A penny. What did you do with it? Bought a calf. What did you do with it? Sold it. What did you do with the money? Gave it to the butcher, and he gave me a penny back, and I bought some nuts with it. What did you do with them? Gave them to the butcher, and he’s behind the churchyard cracking them, and leaving you the shells. —Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews). IV. Mother, mother, may I go to play? No, daughter, no! for fear you should stay. Only as far as the garden gate, to gather flowers for my wedding day. Make a fine curtsey and go your way. [They all curtsey and scamper off, and proceed to plan some mischief. Then they return.] Now where have you been? Up to Uncle John’s. What for? Half a loaf, half a cheese, and half a pound of butter. Where’s my share? Up in cupboard. ’Tisn’t there, then! Then the cat eat it. And where’s the cat? Up on the wood [_i.e._, the faggots]. And where’s the wood? Fire burnt it. Where’s the fire? Water douted it [_i.e._, put it out]. Where’s the water? Ox drank it. Where’s the ox? Butcher killed it. And where’s the butcher? Behind the door cracking nuts, and you may eat the shells of them if you like. —Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 219).