| No. | Belfast. | Swaffham. | London. | Barnes. | Hersham. | Sussex. | Devon. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3. | Lady Queen Anne. | Queen Anne. | Queen Anne. | Queen Anne. | Lady Queen Anne. | Queen Ann. | Queen Ann. |
| 4. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5. | Sits on a stand. | — | — | — | Sits in a tan. | — | — |
| 6. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7. | — | Sits in the sun. | Sits in the sun. | Sits in the sun. | — | Sits in the sun. | Sat in the sun. |
| 8. | Pair of green gloves all over her hand. | — | — | — | — | — | Pair of white gloves to cover her hand. |
| 9. | Fair as lily, white as swan. | — | — | Fair as lily, white as swan. | Fair as lily, white as swan. | — | White as lily, red as rose. |
| 10. | — | Fair as lily, brown as bun. | Fair as lily, brown as bun. | — | — | Fair as lily, bright as one. | — |
| 11. | Fairest lady in the land. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13. | Taste my lily, smell my rose. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 14. | Which of my babes do you choose? | — | — | — | — | — | To which young lady do you propose? |
| 15. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 16. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 17. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18. | — | We’ve brought three letters. | We bring you three letters. | I bring you three letters. | Queen of Morocco sent you a letter. | King Geo. has sent you three letters. | — |
| 19. | — | Pray can you read one. | Pray you read one. | Pray you choose one. | Please to read one. | Desires you to read one. | — |
| 20. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 21. | Choose not one but choose all. | — | Cannot read one without all. | Cannot read one without all. | I won’t read one except all. | Cannot read one without all. | — |
| 22. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 23. | Please, Miss Nell, give up the ball. | Pray deliver the ball. | Please give up the ball. | Pray give up the ball. | Please, Miss [ ], deliver the ball. | Pray, Miss [ ], deliver the ball. | — |
| 24. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 25. | — | You, old gipsy sit in the sun. | — | — | — | So, black gipsies, sit in the sun. | — |
| 26. | — | We fair ladies, go and come. | — | — | — | We fair ladies, go as we come. | — |
| 27. | The ball is ours, it is not yours. | The ball is mine, and none of thine. | The ball is ours, and none of yours. | The ball is ours, it is not yours. | — | The ball is ours, and none of yours. | — |
| 28. | We’ll go to the woods and gather flowers. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 29. | — | — | And we’ve the right to keep it. | And we’ve the right to keep it. | — | — | — |
| 30. | — | — | The ball is yours, and not ours. | The ball is yours, it is not ours. | — | — | — |
| 31. | — | — | You, black gipsies, sit in the sun. | — | — | — | — |
| 32. | — | — | While we, fair ladies, go as we come. | — | — | — | — |
| 33. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 34. | — | — | — | And you’ve the right to keep it. | — | — | — |
| 35. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 36. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 37. | We will get pins to pin our clothes. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 38. | You will get nails to nail your toes. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 39. | — | So good morning Valentine. | — | — | — | — | — |
This game appears to be in such a state of decadence that it is difficult to do more than suggest an origin. It may be that “Queen Anne” represents an oracle, and the petition is addressed to her to discover the stolen treasure; but more probably the players represent disguised damsels, one of whom is a bride whose identity has to be found out by her showing or possessing some object which belongs to or has been given previously by her suitor. The “guessing” or “naming” a particular person runs through all the versions, and is undoubtedly the clue to the game. If the [Belfast version] is the nearest to the original of those at present existing, and there is every probability that this is so, especially as [Chambers’ version] is so similar, an early form of the game might be restored, and from this its origin may be ascertained. Using the first four lines of one of Halliwell’s versions, and what appear to be the common lines of the other versions, the reading is—
Suitor and Friends.
Here we come a-piping,
First in Spring and then in May.
The Queen she sits upon the sand,
Fair as a lily, white as a wand [swan].
| Here’s a pair of | - | white | - | gloves to cover the hands [suitors offer gloves], | ||
| green |
Of the fairest lady in all the land.
Guardian (or Mother) and Maidens.
| Come | - | taste | - | my lily, come | - | taste | - | my rose, | ||||
| smell | smell |
For which of my maidens do you propose?
Suitors or Queen Anne.
I chose but one, I chose from all,
I pray, Miss ( ), receive the ball [throwing ball to one girl, who catches it].