The [Lanarkshire version] is quite a different one, and contains rather remarkable features. Mr. Black says that the game was played entirely by girls, never by boys, and generally in the months of May or June, about forty years ago. The children sang with rather mincing and refined voices, evidently making an effort in this direction. They walked, with their hands clasped behind their backs, up and down the road. Each child was crowned with rushes, and also had sashes or girdles of rushes.
Mr. Ballantyne says in his boyhood it was played by a row of boys on one side and another of girls opposite. The boys selected a girl when singing the third verse.
In the [Roxton version], one child at the end of the line of children acts as “mother.” One child advances as “suitor,” and says the three first verses. The “mother” replies with the next line. The “suitor” chooses a girl and says the next verse, and then all the children sing the last verse. This is the same action as in [Halliwell’s version].
(d) The analysis of the game-rhymes is on [pp. 164]-[67]. This analysis presents us with a very good example of the changes caused by the game-rhymes being handed down by tradition among people who have forgotten the original meaning of the game. The first line in the [Scotch version] contains the word “dis,” which is not known to the ordinary vocabulary. Another word, of similar import, is “dik-ma-day” in the [Lanarkshire version]. Two other words occur, namely, “thegan” in the [Lanarkshire], and “maycanameecan” in the [Sussex versions], which are also not to be found in ordinary vocabularies. The two last words appear only once, and cannot, therefore, be used for the purpose of tracing out an original form of the game-rhyme, because on the system of analysis adopted they may be arbitrary introductions and totally unconnected with the original rhymes. This, however, is not the case with the two first-mentioned words, and I am inclined to consider them as forming part of the earliest version. The word “dis” is carried through no less than ten out of the fourteen variants, the gradation in the forms being as follows:—
| dis | |
| dass | |
| dish | |
| diss[y]—duss | |
| dossy | |
| this | —thus |
| —dust | |
| —dust[y] | |
| No. | Scot- land (Cham- bers). | Lanark- shire. | Biggar. | York- shire. | Roxton. | Shrop- shire. | Lincoln- shire, Froding- ham. | Sussex, Hurst- monceux. | Middle- sex. | London. | Hants, Liphook. | Halli- well. | Shef- field. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | A-dis, a-dis, a green grass. | A-dis, a-dis, a green grass. | A dish, a dish, a green grass. | Dissy, dissy, green grass. | Dossy, dossy, green grass. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2. | — | — | — | — | — | Walking up the green grass. | Stepping up the green grass. | Up and down the green grass. | Tripping up the green grass. | Here we come up the green grass. | Here we go up the green grass. | Trip, trap, over the grass. | Stepping up the green grass. |
| 3. | A-dis, a-dis, a-das. | A-dis, a-dis, a-dass. | A dish, a dish, a dish. | Dissy, dissy, duss. | Dossy, dossy, doss. | A dust, a dust, a dust. | Thus, and thus, and thus. | This, and that, and thus. | — | — | — | — | Thus, and thus, and thus. |
| 4. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Dusty, dusty day. | On a dusty, dusty day. | — | — | — |
| 5. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | So early in the morning. | — | — |
| 6. | Come all ye pretty maids. | Come my pretty fair maid. | Come all ye pretty maids. | Come all ye pretty maids. | Come all ye pretty maids. | We want a pretty maiden. | Please may we have a pretty lass. | Come all ye fair maids. | Come all ye pretty maids. | Fair maid, pretty maid. | Fair maid, pretty maid. | Please let one of your daughters come. | Will you let one of your fair maids. |
| 7. | And dance along with us. | And walk along with us. | And dance along with us. | And dance along with us. | Dance upon the grass. | To walk along with us. | To come and play with us. | And walk along with us. | Come and with us play. | — | — | Come and dance with me. | Come and play with us. |
| 8. | For we are going a-roving. | — | For we are lads a roving. | — | — | — | — | — | — | [[See below].] | — | — | — |
| 9. | We’ll take this maid by the hand. | — | We’ll take this pretty fair maid by the hand. | — | — | We’ll take her by the hand. | — | — | — | Give your hand to me. | Give your hand to me. | Take one, take the fairest you can see. | — |
| 10. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Pretty [ ] come to me. | — |
| 11. | — | — | — | — | — | She shall go to Derby. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12. | You shall have a duke, my dear. | You shall have a dik-ma-day. | Ye sall get a duke. | You shall have a duck. | You shall have a duck. (after No. 19) | She shall have a duck, my dear. | — | — | You shall have a duck. | — | — | You shall have a duck, my dear. | — |
| 13. | — | — | — | — | I will give pots and pans. | — | We will give you pots and pans. | — | — | — | — | I will give you pots and pans. | We will give you pots and pans. |
| 14. | — | — | — | — | ..... brass. | — | ..... brass. | — | — | — | — | ..... brass. | ..... brass. |
| 15. | — | — | — | — | ..... gold and silver. | — | ..... gold and silver. | Some will give us silver ..... gold. | — | — | — | ..... gold and silver. | ..... gold and silver. |
| 16. | — | — | — | — | ..... pearl. | — | ..... pearl. | — | — | — | — | ..... pearl. | ..... pearl. |
| 17. | — | — | — | — | ..... anything. | — | ..... anything. | — | — | — | — | ..... anything. | ..... anything. |
| 18. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I’ll show you a blackbird. | You shall see a blackbird. | — | — |
| 19. | — | — | — | — | For a pretty lass. | — | For a pretty lass. | — | — | — | — | For a pretty girl. | For a pretty lass. |
| 20. | You shall have a drake. | You shall have a dragon. | Ye sall get a drake. | You shall have a drake. | You shall have a drake. | She shall have a drake. | You shall have a goose for dinner. | — | You shall have a swan. | — | — | You shall have a drake. | — |
| 21. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Take hold of my finger. | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Maycana- meecan. | — | — | — | — | — |
| 23. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | All sorts of colours lying by his side. | — | — |
| [8.] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | We’ll all go roving. | — | — | — |
| 24. | And ye shall get a young prince. | You shall have a nice young man. | Ye sall get a bonny prince. | You shall have a nice young man. | You shall have a young man. | She shall have a nice young man. | You shall have a nice young man. | — | You shall have a nice young man. | — | — | You shall have a young man. | You shall have a nice young man. |
| 25. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Pray tell me the name of your young man. | — | — | — | — | — |
| 26. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I’ll take [ ] for my bride. | Take [ ] for my bride. | — | — |
| 27. | A young prince for your sake. | — | For your ain sake. | To love you for your sake. | — | A fighting for her sake. | — | — | A waiting for to come. | — | — | — | — |
| 28. | — | — | — | — | Apprentice for your sake. | — | — | — | — | — | — | Apprentice for your sake. | Born for your sake. |
| 29. | — | — | — | — | — | — | To take you up the garden. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 30. | If this young prince should die. | — | If they all should die. | If this young man should chance to die. | — | Suppose this young man was to die. | Suppose this young man was to die. | — | Suppose he were to die. | — | — | If this young man should happen to die. | — |
| 31. | — | — | — | — | If this young man should wealthy grow. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 32. | Ye shall get another. | — | Ye sall get anither. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 33. | — | — | — | And leave the girl a widow. | — | And leave the girl a widow. | And leave the girl a widow. | — | And leave his wife a widow. | — | — | And leave the poor woman a widow. | — |
| 34. | — | — | — | — | And give his wife a feather. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 35. | Bells will ring and birds sing. | — | The bells will ring, birds will sing. | Birds shall sing and bells ring. | Bells shall ring and birds sing. | Bells ring and we shall sing. | Bells would ring, cats would sing. | — | — | — | — | Bells shall ring, birds shall sing. | Bells shall ring, cats shall sing. |
| 36. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Come all ye pretty fair maids. | — | — | — | — |
| 37. | We’ll all clap hands together. | — | We’ll clap hands together. | Clap all your hands together. | We’ll all clap hands together. | And all clap hands together. | So we’ll all clap hands together. | — | Come clap your hands together. | — | — | We’ll all clap hands together. | We’ll all clap hands together. |
| 38. | — | With princes for his thegan. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 39. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Don’t you think [ ] a nice young man? | — | — | — | — | — |
| 40. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Don’t you think [ ] as handsome as he? | — | — | — | — | — |
| 41. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Then off with the glove, on with the ring. | — | — | — | — | — |
| 42. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | You shall be married when you can agree. | — | — | — | — | — |
| 43. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Naughty miss, she won’t come out. | Naughty old maid, she won’t come out. | — | — |
| 44. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | To help us with our dancing. | To help us with our dancing. | — | — |
| 45. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Now we’ve got our bonny lass. | Now we’ll get our bonny lass. | — | — |
| 46. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | To help us with our dancing. | To help us with our dancing. | — | — |
| No. | Sussex, Hurstmonceux. | Middlesex. | London. | Hants, Liphook. | Halliwell. | Sheffield. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2. | Up and down the green grass. | Tripping up the green grass. | Here we come up the green grass. | Here we go up the green grass. | Trip, trap, over the grass. | Stepping up the green grass. |
| 3. | This, and that, and thus. | — | — | — | — | Thus, and thus, and thus. |
| 4. | — | Dusty, dusty day. | On a dusty, dusty day. | — | — | — |
| 5. | — | — | — | So early in the morning. | — | — |
| 6. | Come all ye fair maids. | Come all ye pretty maids. | Fair maid, pretty maid. | Fair maid, pretty maid. | Please let one of your daughters come. | Will you let one of your fair maids. |
| 7. | And walk along with us. | Come and with us play. | — | — | Come and dance with me. | Come and play with us. |
| 8. | — | — | [[See below].] | — | — | — |
| 9. | — | — | Give your hand to me. | Give your hand to me. | Take one, take the fairest you can see. | — |
| 10. | — | — | — | — | Pretty [ ] come to me. | — |
| 11. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12. | — | You shall have a duck. | — | — | You shall have a duck, my dear. | — |
| 13. | — | — | — | — | I will give you pots and pans. | We will give you pots and pans. |
| 14. | — | — | — | — | ..... brass. | ..... brass. |
| 15. | Some will give us silver ..... gold. | — | — | — | ..... gold and silver. | ..... gold and silver. |
| 16. | — | — | — | — | ..... pearl. | ..... pearl. |
| 17. | — | — | — | — | ..... anything. | ..... anything. |
| 18. | — | — | I’ll show you a blackbird. | You shall see a blackbird. | — | — |
| 19. | — | — | — | — | For a pretty girl. | For a pretty lass. |
| 20. | — | You shall have a swan. | — | — | You shall have a drake. | — |
| 21. | Take hold of my finger. | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22. | Maycana- meecan. | — | — | — | — | — |
| 23. | — | — | — | All sorts of colours lying by his side. | — | — |
| [8.] | — | — | We’ll all go roving. | — | — | — |
| 24. | — | You shall have a nice young man. | — | — | You shall have a young man. | You shall have a nice young man. |
| 25. | Pray tell me the name of your young man. | — | — | — | — | — |
| 26. | — | — | I’ll take [ ] for my bride. | Take [ ] for my bride. | — | — |
| 27. | — | A waiting for to come. | — | — | — | — |
| 28. | — | — | — | — | Apprentice for your sake. | Born for your sake. |
| 29. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 30. | — | Suppose he were to die. | — | — | If this young man should happen to die. | — |
| 31. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 32. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 33. | — | And leave his wife a widow. | — | — | And leave the poor woman a widow. | — |
| 34. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 35. | — | — | — | — | Bells shall ring, birds shall sing. | Bells shall ring, cats shall sing. |
| 36. | — | Come all ye pretty fair maids. | — | — | — | — |
| 37. | — | Come clap your hands together. | — | — | We’ll all clap hands together. | We’ll all clap hands together. |
| 38. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 39. | Don’t you think [ ] a nice young man? | — | — | — | — | — |
| 40. | Don’t you think [ ] as handsome as he? | — | — | — | — | — |
| 41. | Then off with the glove, on with the ring. | — | — | — | — | — |
| 42. | You shall be married when you can agree. | — | — | — | — | — |
| 43. | — | — | Naughty miss, she won’t come out. | Naughty old maid, she won’t come out. | — | — |
| 44. | — | — | To help us with our dancing. | To help us with our dancing. | — | — |
| 45. | — | — | Now we’ve got our bonny lass. | Now we’ll get our bonny lass. | — | — |
| 46. | — | — | To help us with our dancing. | To help us with our dancing. | — | — |
What the meaning of this word is it may be impossible to ascertain, though probably Mr. Newell may be correct in his suggestion that it represents the old English word “adist,” the opposite of “ayont,” meaning “this way,” “come hither” (Games of American Children, p. 51). But the point really is, that the version which contains the oldest word-forms would probably be the purest in other respects. The analysis of the whole game confirms this view, as the [Scottish] and [Yorkshire versions] are nearly parallel, while the discrepancies begin to creep in with the [Shropshire version], reaching their last stage in the versions recorded by [Halliwell] and from [Congleton]. Following this line of argument, “dik-ma-day” becomes first “duke, my dear,” and then “duck, my dear.” Turning next to the import of the rhymes, apart from special words used, it is curious to note that “dis” is only converted into “dusty,” and hence into “dusty day,” in two versions out of the fourteen. The [Lincolnshire version] agrees with [Halliwell’s version] in making some curious offers for a pretty lass, but these rhymes are probably an innovation. In the same way the incidents numbered 39-40, occurring in the [Sussex version], and 43-46 occurring in the [London] and [Hants versions], are borrowings from other games, and not original portions of this. The [Congleton version] is evidently incomplete.