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
X. Willie, willie wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We are all fair maids, we shall all die!
Excepting little ——, and she’s the youngest here,
Turn your head towards the south, and she’s the one to bear,
The willie, willie wallflowers.
_Or_,
Oh! for shame, fie, for shame, turn yourself to the wall
again—
—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
XI. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We are all ladies, we must all die!
Excepting ——, who is the prettiest child.
Fie, for shame, fie, for shame, turn your back to the wall
again.
—Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire (Miss Winfield)
XII. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We’re all ladies, and we shall all die!
Excepting [naming smallest child in ring],
She can hop, and she can skip, and she can play the organ!
Oh! for shame, fie, for shame,
Turn your back upon our game.
—Enbourne School, Berks. (Miss M. Kimber).
XIII. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We are all pretty maidens, we all have to die!
Except ——, she’s the youngest girl,
Ah! for shame, ah! for shame,
Turn your back to us again.
I’ll wash you in milk,
I’ll dress you in silk,
I’ll write down your name,
With a gold pen and ink.
—Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy).
XIV. Oh flower, oh flower, growing up so high!
We are all children, we have all to die!
Except ——, she the youngest gay,
Oh! for shame, fie, for shame,
Turn your back against the wall.
—Beddgelert (Mrs. Williams).
XV. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We are all little, and we’ve got to die!
Excepting ——, and she’s the only one,
Oh! for shame, fie, for shame,
Turn your back to the wall again.
—Cowes, Isle of Wight (Miss E. Smith).
XVI. Little Molly white-flower, we are all maidens,
And we shall all die, except Polly Pegg,
She’s the best of all,
She can hop, and she can skip, and she can turn the
candlestick!
Oh! fie, for shame,
Turn your back to the wall.
—Hanbury, Staffordshire (Miss Edith Hollis).
XVII. Wall-flowers, wall-flowers, growing up so high!
We are all playmates, we shall all die!
Excepting ——, for she’s the youngest flower,
Cry shame, cry shame,
And turn your face to the wall again.
—Sheffield (S. O. Addy).
XVIII. Wall-flower, wall-flower, growing up so high!
All the pretty maidens shall not die!
Excepting ——, she is the youngest child,
Oh! for shame, fie, for shame!
Turn your back to the wall again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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