I.
Bell-horses, bell-horses, what time of day?
One o’clock, two o’clock, three, and away!
Bell-horses, bell-horses, what time of day?
Two o’clock, three o’clock, four, and away!
Five o’clock, six o’clock, now time to stay!
—Stanton Lacey (Burne’s Shropshire Folk-lore, p. 520).
II.
Bellasay, bellasay, what time of day?
One o’clock, two o’clock, three, and away.
—Halliwell’s Nursery Rhymes, p. 283.
(b) The children form long trains, standing one behind the other. They march and sing the first four lines, then the fifth line, when they stand and begin again as before.
(c) Miss Burne suggests a connection with the old pack-horses. Mr. Addy (Sheffield Glossary) gives the first two lines as a game. He says, “The first horse in a team conveying lead to be smelted wore bells, and was called the bell-horse.” I remember when a child the two first lines being used to start children a race (A. B. G.). Chambers (Pop. Rhymes, p. 148) gives a similar verse, used for starting a race:—
Race horses, race horses, what time of day?
One o’clock, two o’clock, three, and away;