For this--quite, I think, a thing of the past--the children (a boy
and girl alternately) formed a ring. One stood in the middle holding
a white handkerchief by two of its corners: if a boy he would single
out one of the girls, dance backwards and forwards opposite to her,
and sing--
"Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out?
Will you come out? will you come out?
Pray, pretty Miss, will you come out,
To help me in my dancing?"
If the answer were "No!" spoken with averted head over the left
shoulder, the rhyme ran--
"Then you are a naughty Miss!
Then you are a naughty Miss!
Then you are a naughty Miss!
Won't help me in my dancing."
Occasionally three or four in turn refused. When the request was
granted the words were changed to--
"Now you are a good Miss!
Now you are a good Miss!
Now you are a good Miss!
To help me in my dancing."
The handkerchief was then carefully spread on the floor; the couple
knelt on it and kissed: the child formerly in the middle joined the
ring, and the other took his place, or if he preferred it, remained in
the centre; in that case the children clasped hands and sang together--
"Pray, pretty Miss (or Sir)," etc.
The last to enter the ring had always the privilege of selecting the
next partner.
In all these childish games, to prevent disputes, and decide who shall
be middleman, hide first, etc., one or other of the following formulæ
is always recited by the eldest of the party, who as he repeats the
words points with his forefinger at each player in succession until
he comes to the end of the rhyme. The person then indicated goes out:--
"Vizzery, vazzery, vozery-vem,
Tizzery, tazzery, tozery-tem,
Hiram, jiram, cockrem, spirem,
Poplar, rollin, gem."
"There stands a pretty maid in a black cap,
If you want a pretty maid in a black cap,
Please to take 'she.'"--(East Cornwall).
"Ene, mene, mona, mi,
Pasca, lara, bona (or bora), bi,
Elke, belke, boh!"
"Eggs, butter, cheese, bread,
Stick, stack, stone, dead!"--(West Cornwall).
To this latter there are several nonsensical modern editions.
A game with a jingle somewhat like the first is played by children
at Newlyn West, near Penzance, called--
"Vesey, vasey, vum."