Yes! No! Nay! and Black, White, or Grey. These words are tabooed, and a
forfeit is exacted every time one or other is used. The old soldier
walks lame, and carries a stick. He is allowed to ask as many questions,
talk as much as he pleases, and to account for his destitute condition.
(_c_) Some years ago when colours were more limited in number, it was
difficult to promise garments for a man's wear which were neither of
these colours tabooed. Miss Burne (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 526), in
describing this game says, "The words Red or Blue are sometimes
forbidden, as well as Yes or No," and adds that "This favourite old game
gives scope for great ingenuity on the part of the beggar, and 'it seems
not improbable' (to use a time-honoured antiquarian phrase!) that the
expression 'To come the old soldier over a person' may allude to it."
Halliwell (_Nursery Rhymes_, p. 224) describes the game as above.
Oliver, Oliver, follow the King!
Oliver, Oliver, follow the King!
Oliver, Oliver, last in the ring!
_Jim Burguin_ wants a wife, and a wife he shall have,
_Nelly_ he kissed at the back-cellar door,
_Nelly_ made a pudding, she made it over sweet,
She never stuck a knife in till he came home at night,
So next Monday morning is our wedding-day,
The bells they shall ring, and the music shall play!
Oliver, Oliver, follow the King! (_da capo_).
--Berrington (Burne's _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 508).
(_b_) The children form a ring and move round, singing the first two
lines. Then they curtsey, or "douk down," all together; the one who is
last has to tell her sweetheart's name. The other lines are then sung
and the game is continued. The children's names are mentioned as each
one names his or her sweetheart.
This is apparently the game of which "All the Boys," "Down in the
Valley," and "Mary Mixed a Pudding up," are also portions.
One Catch-all
The words "Cowardy, cowardy custard" are repeated by children playing at
this game when they advance towards the one who is selected to catch
them, and dare or provoke her to capture them. Ray, _Localisms_, gives
Costard, the head; a kind of opprobrious word used by way of contempt.
Bailey gives Costead-head, a blockhead; thus elucidating this
exclamation which may be interpreted, "You cowardly blockhead, catch me
if you dare" (Baker's _Northamptonshire Glossary_).
The words used were, as far as I remember,
Cowardy, cowardy custard, eat your father's mustard,
Catch me if you can.
To compel a person to "eat" something disagreeable is a well-known form
of expressing contempt. The rhyme was supposed to be very efficacious in
rousing an indifferent or lazy player when playing "touch" (A. B.
Gomme).
Oranges and Lemons
[Music]
An older and more general version of the last five bars (the tail piece)
is as follows:--
[Music]
--London (A. B. Gomme).
[Music]
--Yorkshire (H. Hardy).
[Music]
--Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
I. Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement's;
You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin's;
When will you pay me,
Say the bells of Old Bailey;
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch;
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney;
I'm sure I don't know,
Says the Great Bell of Bow.
Here comes a light to light you to bed;
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head;
The last, last, last, last man's head.
--London (A. B. Gomme).
II. Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement's;
You owe me four farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin's;
When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey;
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch;
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney;
I'm sure I don't know,
Says the Great Bell of Bow.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed;
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head;
Last, last, last, last, last man's head.
--Winterton and Leadenham, Lincolnshire; also Nottinghamshire (Miss M.
Peacock).
III. Oranges and lemons,
Says the bells of S. Clemen's.
Brickdust and tiles,
Says the bells of S. Giles.
You owe me five farthings,
Says the bells of S. Martin's.
I do not know you,
Says the bells of S. Bow.
When will you pay me?
Says the bells of Old Bailey.
When I get rich,
Says the bells of Shoreditch.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
--Derbyshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, i. 386).
IV. Oranges and lemons,
The bells of St. Clemen's;
You owe me five farthings,
The bells of St. Martin's;
When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey;
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch;
When will that be?
Say the bells of Shorlea;
I don't know,
Says the Great Bell Bow.
Here comes the candle to light you to bed,
Here comes the chop to chop off your head.
Chop, chop, chop, &c.
--Middlesex (Miss Winfield).
V. Orange or lemon,
The bells of St. Clement's [or the bells are a clemming].
I owe you five farthings,
And when shall I pay you,
To-day or to-morrow?
To-morrow will do.
Here come some great candles
To light you to bed,
Here come some great choppers
To chop off your head.
Come under, come under,
Come run as you ought;
Come under, come under,
Until you are caught;
Then stand just behind us
And pull either way;
Which side pulls the strongest
That side wins the day.
--Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
VI. Oranges and lemons,
The bells of St. Clement's.
I owe you three farthings,
When shall I pay you?
When I get rich.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a hatchet to chop off your head.
--Brigg (from a Lincolnshire friend of Miss Barker).
VII. Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clemen's.
I owe you five farthins,
Say the bells of St. Martin's.
When shall I pay you?
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
Or Sunday?
--Symondsbury, Dorset (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 216).
VIII. I owe you five farthings.
When will you pay me,
To-day or to-morrow?
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
--Broadwinsor, Dorset (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 217).
IX. Oranges and lemons, the bells of St. Clement's [or St.
Helen's].
I owe you five farthings. And when will you pay me?
I'm sure I don't know.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a chop'n bill to chop off your head--
Chop--chop--chop--chop.
[Or Here comes a chop'n bill to chop off the last man's
head.]
--Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).
X. Lend me five shillings,
Said the bells of St. Helen's.
When will you pay me?
Said the bells of St. Philip's.
I do not know,
Said the Great Bell of Bold.
Ring a ding, ding,
Ring a ding, ding,
Ring a ding, ding, ding, ding.
--Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy, as told him by A. K.).
XI. Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement's;
You owe me five farthings, and when will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch.
And the last one that comes shall be chop, chop.
--Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 86).
XII. Orange and lemon,
Say the bells of St. Martin (or the bells of Sweet Lemon);
I owe you five farthings,
But when shall I pay you?
Here comes a candle
To light you to bed,
Here comes a hatchet
To chop off your head.
--Eckington, Derbyshire (S. O. Addy).
XIII. Oranges and lemons,
The bells of St. Clement's;
I owe you five farthings,
And when will you pay me?
Oh, that I can't tell you;
Sim, Bim, bim, bow, bay.
--Settle, Yorks. (Rev. W. E. Sykes).
XIV. Oranges or lemons,
The bells of St. Clement's;
You owe me five farthings,
Pray, when will you pay me?
Here come the clappers to knock you down backwards, carwoo!
--Suffolk (Mrs. Haddon).
XV. Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement's;
Brick dust and tiles, say the bells of St. Giles;
You owe me three farthings, say the bells of St. Martin's;
When will you pay me? say the bells of Old Bailey;
When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch;
When will that be? say the bells of Stepney;
I'm sure I don't know, says the Great Bell of Bow.
--Perth (Rev. W. Gregor).
XVI. Pancakes and fritters,
Says the bells of St. Peter's;
Where must we fry 'em?
Says the bells of Cold Higham;
In yonder land thurrow (furrow),
Says the bells of Wellingborough;
You owe me a shilling,
Says the bells of Great Billing;
When will you pay me?
Says the bells of Widdleton Cheney;
When I am able,
Say the bells at Dunstable;
That will never be,
Says the bells at Coventry;
Oh, yes, it will,
Says Northampton Great Bell;
White bread and sop,
Says the bells at Kingsthorp;
Trundle a lantern,
Says the bells at Northampton.
--Northamptonshire (Baker's _Words and Phrases_).
(_c_) This game is generally played as follows:--
Two of the taller children stand facing each other, holding up their
clasped hands. One is named Orange and the other Lemon. The other
players, grasping one another's dresses, run underneath the raised arms
and round Orange, and then under the arms again and round Lemon, while
singing the verses. The three concluding lines are sung by "Orange" and
"Lemon" in a slow emphatic manner, and at the word "head" they drop
their arms over one of the children passing between them, and ask her
secretly whether she will be _orange_ or _lemon_. The captive chooses
her side, and stands behind whichever leader she selects, placing her
arms round her waist. The game continues till every one engaged in it
has ranged herself behind one or other of the chiefs. When the two
parties are ranged a "tug of war" takes place until one of the parties
breaks down, or is pulled over a given mark.
[Illustration: Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3]
In the Middlesex version (Miss Winfield) the children form a ring and go
round singing the verses, and apparently there is neither catching the
"last man" nor the "tug." Mr. Emslie says he has seen and played the
game in Middlesex, and it always terminated with the cutting off the
last man's head. In the Symondsbury version the players drop their hands
when they say "Sunday." No tug is mentioned in the first Earls Heaton
version of the game (Mr. Hardy). In the second version he says bells are
represented by children. They should have in their hands, bells, or some
article to represent them. All stand in a row. First, second, and third
bells stand out in turn to sing. All rush for bells to sing chorus. Miss
Barclay writes: The children of the Fernham and Longcot choir, playing
on Christmas Eve, 1891, pulled across a handkerchief. In Monton,
Lancashire, Miss Dendy says the game is played as elsewhere, but without
words. In a Swaffham version (Miss Matthews), the girls sometimes call
themselves "Plum pudding and roast beef," or whatever fancy may suggest,
instead of oranges and lemons. They join hands high enough for the
others to pass under, which they do to a call of "Ducky, Ducky,"
presently the hands come down and catch one, who is asked in
_confidence_ which she likes best. The game then proceeds in the usual
way, one side trying to pull the other over a marked line. Oranges and
lemons at Bocking, Essex, is an abbreviated variant of the rhyme printed
by Halliwell (_Folk-lore Record_, iii., part II., 171). In
Nottinghamshire, Miss Peacock says it is sometimes called "Tarts and
Cheesecakes." Moor (_Suffolk Words_) mentions "Oranges and Lemons" as
played by both girls and boys, and adds, "I believe it is nearly the
same as 'Plum Pudding and Roast Beef.'" In the Suffolk version sent by
Mrs. Haddon a new word is introduced, "carwoo." This is the signal for
one of the line to be caught. Miss Eddleston, Gainford, Durham, says
this game is called--
Through and through the shally go,
The last shall be taken.
Mr. Halliwell (_Nursery Rhymes_, No. cclxxxi.) adopts the verses
entitled, "The Merry Bells of London," from Gammer Gurton's _Garland_,
1783, as the origin of this game. In Aberdeen, Mr. M. L. Rouse tells me
he has heard Scotch children apparently playing the same game, "Oranges
and Lemons, ask, Which would you have, 'A sack of corn or a sack of
coals?'"
(_d_) This game indicates a contest between two opposing parties, and a
punishment, and although in the game the sequence of events is not at
all clear, the contest taking place after the supposed execution, these
two events stand out very clearly as the chief factors. In the endeavour
to ascertain who the contending parties were, one cannot but be struck
with the significance of the bells having different saint's names. Now
the only places where it would be probable for bells to be associated
with more than one saint's name within the circuit of a small area are
the old parish units of cities and boroughs. Bells were rung on
occasions when it was necessary or advisable to call the people
together. At the ringing of the "alarm bell" the market places were
quickly filled by crowds of citizens; and by turning to the customs of
these places in England, it will be found that contest games between
parishes, and between the wards of parishes, were very frequent (see
Gomme's _Village Community_, pp. 241-243). These contests were generally
conducted by the aid of the football, and in one or two cases, such as
at Ludlow, the contest was with a rope, and, in the case of Derby, it is
specially stated that the victors were announced by the joyful ringing
of their parish bells. Indeed, Halliwell has preserved the "song on the
bells of Derby on football morning" (No. clxix.) as follows:--
Pancake and fritters,
Say All Saints and St. Peter's;
When will the _ball_ come,
Say the bells of St. Alkmun;
At two they will throw,
Says Saint Werabo;
O! very well,
Says little Michel.
This custom is quite sufficient to have originated the game, and the
parallel which it supplies is evidence of the connection between the
two. Oranges and lemons were, in all probability, originally intended
to mean the _colours_ of the two contesting parties, and not _fruits_ of
those names. In contests between the people of a town and the authority
of baron or earl, the adherents of each side ranged themselves under and
wore the colours of their chiefs, as is now done by political partizans.
The rhymes are probably corrupted, but whether from some early cries or
calls of the different parishes, or from sentences which the bells were
supposed to have said or sung when tolled, it is impossible to say. The
"clemming" of the bells in the Norfolk version (No. 5) may have
originated "St. Clements," and the other saints have been added at
different times. On the other hand, the general similarity of the rhymes
indicates the influence of some particular place, and, judging by the
parish names, London seems to be that place. If this is so, the main
incident of the rhymes may perhaps be due to the too frequent
distribution of a traitor's head and limbs among different towns who had
taken up his cause. The exhibitions of this nature at London were more
frequent than at any other place. The procession of a criminal to
execution was generally accompanied by the tolling of bells, and by
torches. It is not unlikely that the monotonous chant of the last lines,
"Here comes a light to light you to bed," &c., indicates this.
'Otmillo
A boy (A) kneels with his face in another's (B) lap; the other players
standing in the background. They step forward one by one at a signal
from B, who says to each in turn--
'Otmillo, 'Otmillo,
Where is this poor man to go?
A then designates a place for each one. When all are despatched A
removes his face from B's knees, and standing up exclaims, "Hot! Hot!
Hot!" The others then run to him, and the laggard is blinded instead of
A.--Warwickshire (Northall's _Folk Rhymes_, p. 402).
This is probably the same game as "Hot Cockles," although it apparently
lacks the hitting or buffeting the blinded wizard.
Over Clover
The name for the game of "Warner" in Oxfordshire. They have a song used
in the game commencing--
Over clover,
Nine times over.
--Halliwell's _Dictionary_.
See "Stag Warning."
Paddy from Home
[Music]
--Long Eaton, Notts. (Miss Youngman).
Paddy from home has never been,
A railway train he's never seen,
He longs to see the great machine
That travels along the railway.
--Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire borders (Miss Youngman).
(_c_) The children form a ring, and hold in their hands a string tied at
the ends, and on which a ring is strung. They pass the ring from one to
another, backwards and forwards. One child stands in the centre, who
tries to find the holder of the ring. Whoever is discovered holding it
takes the place of the child in the centre.
(_d_) This game is similar to "Find the Ring." The verse is, no doubt,
modern, though the action and the string and ring are borrowed from an
older game. Another verse used for the same game at Earl's Heaton (Mr.
Hardy) is--
The ring it is going;
Oh where? oh where?
I don't care where,
I can't tell where.
Paip
Three cherry stones are placed together, and another above them. These
are all called a castle. The player takes aim with a cherry stone, and
when he overturns the castle he claims the spoil.--Jamieson. See "Cob
Nut."
Pallall
A Scottish name for "Hop Scotch."--Jamieson.
Pally Ully
See "Hop Scotch."
Pat-ball
A child's name for the simple game of throwing a ball from one to
another.--Lowsley's _Berkshire Glossary_.
Pay-swad
A boys' game, somewhat similar to "Duckstone." Each boy, when he threw
his stone, had to say "Pay-swad," or he had to go down
himself.--Holland's _Cheshire Glossary_.
See "Duckstone."
Pednameny
A game played with pins: also called "Pinny Ninny," "Pedna-a mean,"
"Heads and Tails," a game of pins.--Courtenay's _West Cornwall
Glossary_.
Peesie Weet
The game of "Hide and Seek." When the object is hidden the word
"Peesie-weet" is called out.--Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire (Rev. W.
Gregor).
See "Hide and Seek (2)."
Peg and Stick
The players provide themselves with short, stout sticks, and a peg (a
piece of wood sharpened at one or both ends). A ring is made, and the
peg is placed on the ground so as to balance. One boy then strikes it
with his stick to make it spring or bounce up into the air; while in the
air he strikes it with his stick, and sends it as far as he possibly
can. His opponent declares the number of leaps in which the striker is
to cover the distance the peg has gone. If successful, he counts the
number of leaps to his score. If he fails, his opponent leaps, and, if
successful, the number of leaps count to his score. He strikes the next
time, and the same process is gone through.--Earls Heaton, Yorks.
(Herbert Hardy).
See "Tip-cat."
Peg-fiched
A west country game. The performers in this game are each furnished with
a sharp-pointed stake. One of them then strikes it into the ground, and
the others, throwing their sticks across it, endeavour to dislodge it.
When a stick falls, the owner has to run to a prescribed distance and
back, while the rest, placing the stick upright, endeavour to beat it
into the ground up to the very top.--Halliwell's _Dictionary_.
Peggy Nut
A boyish game with nuts.--Dickinson's _Cumberland Glossary_.
Peg-in-the-Ring
A game of "Peg-top." The object of this game is to spin the top within a
certain circle marked out, in which the top is to exhaust itself without
once overstepping the bounds prescribed (Halliwell's _Dict.
Provincialisms_). Holloway (_Dictionary_) says, "When boys play at
'Peg-top,' a ring is formed on the ground, within which each boy is to
spin his top. If the top, when it has ceased spinning, does not roll
without the circle, it must remain in the ring to be pegged at by the
other boys, or he redeems it by putting in an inferior one, which is
called a 'Mull.' When the top does not roll out, it is said to be
'mulled.'" Mr. Emslie writes: "When the top fell within the ring the
boys cried, 'One a penny!' When two had fallen within the ring it was,
'Two a penny!' When three, 'Three a penny, good as any!' The aim of each
spinner was to do what was called 'drawing,' _i.e._, bring his top down
into the ring, and at the same time draw the string so as to make the
top spin within the ring, and yet come towards the player and out of the
ring so as to fall without."
See "Tops."
Peg-top
One of the players, chosen by lot, spins his top. The other players
endeavour to strike this top with the pegs of their own tops as they
fling them down to spin. If any one fails to spin his top in due form,
he has to lay his top on the ground for the others to strike at when
spinning. The object of each spinner is to split the top which is being
aimed at, so as to release the peg, and the boy whose top has succeeded
in splitting the other top obtains the peg as his trophy of victory. It
is a matter of ambition to obtain as many pegs in this manner as
possible.--London (G. L. Gomme).
See "Peg-in-the-Ring," "Tops."
Penny Cast
A game played with round flat stones, about four or six inches across,
being similar to the game of quoits; sometimes played with pennies when
the hobs are a deal higher. It was not played with pennies in
1810.--Easther's _Almondbury Glossary_. In an article in _Blackwood's
Magazine_, August 1821, p. 35, dealing with children's games, the writer
says, Pennystanes are played much in the same manner as the quoits or
discus of the ancient Romans, to which warlike people the idle tradesmen
of Edinburgh probably owe this favourite game.
See "Penny Prick."
Penny Hop
A rude dance, which formerly took place in the common taverns of
Sheffield, usually held after the bull-baiting.--Wilson's Notes to
_Mather's Songs_, p. 74, cited by Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_.
Penny Prick
"A game consisting of casting oblong pieces of iron at a
mark."--Hunter's _Hallamsh. Gloss._, p. 71. Grose explains it, "Throwing
at halfpence placed on sticks which are called hobs."
Their idle houres, I meane all houres beside
Their houres to eate, to drinke, drab, sleepe, and ride,
They spend at shove-boord, or at pennie-pricke.
--Scots' _Philomythie_, 1616.
Halliwell gives these references in his _Dictionary_; Addy, _Sheffield
Glossary_, describes it as above; adding, "An old game once played by
people of fashion."
See "Penny Cast."
Penny Stanes
See "Penny Cast."
Ph[oe]be
The name of a dance mentioned in an old nursery rhyme. A correspondent
gave Halliwell the following lines of a very old song, the only ones he
recollected:--
Cannot you dance the Ph[oe]be?
Don't you see what pains I take;
Don't you see how my shoulders shake?
Cannot you dance the Ph[oe]be?
--Halliwell's _Dictionary_.
These words are somewhat of the same character as those of "Auntie
Loomie," and are evidently the accompaniment of an old dance.
See "Lubin."
Pick and Hotch
The game of "Pitch and Toss."--Brogden's _Provincial Words_,
Lincolnshire. It is called Pickenhotch in Peacock's _Manley and
Corringham Glossary_.
Pi-cow
A game in which one half of the players are supposed to keep a castle,
while the others go out as a foraging or marauding party. When the
latter are all gone out, one of them cries _Pee-ku_, which is a signal
to those within to be on the alert. Then those who are without attempt
to get in. If any one of them gets in without being seized by the
holders of the castle, he cries to his companions, _The hole's won_; and
those who are within must yield the fortress. If one of the assailants
be taken before getting in he is obliged to change sides and to guard
the castle. Sometimes the guards are successful in making prisoners of
all the assailants. Also the name given to the game of Hide and
Seek.--Jamieson.
Pigeon Walk
A boy's game [undescribed].--Patterson's _Antrim and Down Glossary_.
Pig-ring
A game at marbles where a ring is made about four feet in diameter, and
boys "shoot" in turn from any point in the circumference, keeping such
marbles as they may knock out of the ring, but loosing their own "taw"
if it should stop within.--Lowsley's _Berkshire Glossary_. See "Ring
Taw."
Pillie-Winkie