The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.Gomme, Alice Bertha
General
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.
Gomme, Alice Bertha
Folklore -- Great Britain; Games -- Great Britain
Then come to me, my darlin’, my darlin’, darlin’ day,
With a ransom, tansom, tansom, tansom tay.
—London, Regent’s Park (A. B. Gomme).
XXX. There’s a young man that wants a sweetheart—
Wants a sweetheart—wants a sweetheart—
There’s a young man that wants a sweetheart,
To the ransom tansom tidi-de-o.
Let him come out and choose his own,
Choose his own, choose his own;
Let him come out and choose his own,
To the ransom tansom tidi-de-o.
Will any of my fine daughters do, &c.
They are all too black and brawny,
They sit in the sun uncloudy,
With golden chains around their necks,
They are too black and brawny.
Quite good enough for you, sir! &c.
I’ll walk in the kitchen, and walk in the hall,
I’ll take the fairest among you all;
The fairest of all that I can see,
Is pretty Miss Watts, come out to me.
Will you come out?
Oh, no! oh, no!
Naughty Miss Watts she won’t come out,
She won’t come out, she won’t come out;
Naughty Miss Watts she won’t come out,
To help us in our dancing.
Won’t you come out?
Oh, yes! oh, yes!
—Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 223-224).
(_c._) Three children, generally boys, are chosen to represent the three
dukes. The rest of the players represent maidens. The three dukes stand
in line facing the maidens, who hold hands, and also stand in line.
Sufficient space is left between the two lines to admit of each line in
turn advancing and retiring. The three dukes commence by singing the
first verse, advancing and retiring in line while doing so. The line of
maidens then advances singing the second verse. The alternate verses
demanding and answering are thus sung. The maidens make curtseys and
look coquettishly at the dukes when singing the fourth verse, and draw
themselves up stiffly and indignantly when singing the sixth, bending
and bowing lowly at the eighth. The dukes look contemptuously and
criticisingly at the girls while singing the fifth and seventh verses;
at the ninth or last verse they “name” one of the girls, who then
crosses over and joins hands with them. The game then continues by all
four singing “Here come four dukes a-riding,” and goes on until all the
maidens are ranged on the dukes’ side.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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