The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2) / With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.

by Alice Bertha Gomme

(b) A circle is formed by joining hands, and two children stand in the centre. They walk round. At the seventh line the two in the centre each choose one child from the ring, thus making four in the centre. They then sing the remaining four lines. The two who were first in the centre then go out, and the game begins again, with the other two players in the centre.

(c) Miss Burne says this game is more often played as “Three Jolly Fishermen.” At Cheadle, North Staffs., a few miles distant from Tean, this game is played by grown-up men and women.

Jolly Hooper

I.

Here comes a [or one] jolly hooper,
Ring ding di do do,
Ring ding di do do.

And who are you looking for,
In a ring ding di do do,
In a ring ding di do do?

I am looking for one of your daughters,
In a ring ding di do do,
In a ring ding di do do.

What shall her name be,
In a ring ding di do do,
In a ring ding di do do?

Her name shall be [Sarah],
In a ring ding di do do,
In a ring ding di do do.

Sarah shall ramble,
In a ring ding di do do,
In a ring ding di do do,
All around the chimney [jubilee] pot in 1881.