(c) The children join hands and form a ring with one child standing outside. The ring stands perfectly still throughout this game and sings the verses, the action being confined to at first one child, and then to two together. During the singing of the first verse the outside child dances round the ring on the outside. When the ring commences to sing the second verse the children hold up their arms to form arches, and the child who has been running round outside runs into the ring under one pair of joined hands, and out again under the next pair of arms, continuing this “in and out” movement until the third verse is commenced. The child should try and run in and out under all the joined hands. At the third verse the child stops in the ring and stands facing one, whom she chooses for her lover, until the end of the verse; the chosen child then leaves the ring, followed by the first child, and they walk round the ring, or they walk away a little distance, returning at the commencement of next verse. In the first three versions the second child is chased back and caught by the first child. In the [Clapham version] the two shake hands in the last verse. The [Barnes version] has kissing for its finale. The [Hanbury] also has kissing, but it precedes the following to London. In the [Brigg], Lincolnshire (Miss Barker), a child stands in the middle and points with her finger to each one she passes; finally selects one, who leaves the ring and kneels in front of the girl in the middle. At the end of the second verse the kneeling child gets up and the first child goes in and out under the arms of the players, followed by the other. At the fourth they reverse and go back under the arms in the opposite direction, finally stopping in the middle of the ring, when another child is chosen and the first one in goes out. In the [Winterton and Bottesford versions] (Miss Peacock), at the words “Stand and face your lover,” the child who has been going “in and out” stands before the one she chooses, beckons to her, and sings the next verse. Then the chosen one chases her until she can catch her. In the [Crockham Hill version] (Miss Chase) the love is measured out with a handkerchief three times, and after kneeling in the road, the chosen partner follows round the ring and reverses for the return.

(d) The analysis of the game-rhymes is on [pp. 134-39]. This shows that we are dealing with a game which represents a village, and also the houses in it. The village only disappears in six out of the twenty versions. In three of these ([Hanbury], [Fraserburgh], and [West Grinstead]) the line has gone altogether. In the fourth ([Lincolnshire]) it becomes “Round and round and round,” no mention being made of the village. In the fifth ([Belfast]) the line has become “Marching round the ladies.” In the sixth ([Settle]) it has become “Up and down the valley,” which also occurs in another imperfect version, of which a note was sent me by Miss Matthews from the Forest of Dean, where the line has become “Round and round the valley.” The substitution of “ladies” for “village” is very significant as evidence that the game, like all its compeers, is in a declining stage, and is, therefore, not the invention of modern times. The idea of a circle of children representing a village would necessarily be the first to die out if the game was no longer supported by the influence of any custom it might represent. The line of decadence becomes in this way an important argument for the discovery of the original form.

[134-
139]

No.Corn-
wall, Pen-
zance.		Kent, Crock-
ham Hill.		Herts, Steven-
age.		Yorks, Earls Heaton.N. Stafford-
shire, Tean.		Surrey, Clapham.Lincoln-
shire.		Surrey, Barnes.Nor-
folk, Sporle.		Staf-
ford-
shire, Han-
bury.		Belfast.Wake-
field.		Lin-
coln-
shire, Winter-
ton.		Dept-
ford.		Cullen.Roxton.Fraser-
burgh.		Settle.West Grin-
stead.
1.——————Three jolly sailor boys.—Come gather again on the old village green.——————————
2.Walking round the village.Go round and round the village.Round about the village.All round the village.All round the village.Round and round the village.—Round and round the village.Round about the village.——Round and round the village.Round and round the village.Round and round the village.—Round and round the village.———
3.—————————————————Up and down the valley.—
4.——————————————Out and in the villages.————
5.——————We go round and round and round.————————————
6.——————————Marching round the ladies.————————
7.As we have done before.As we have done before.As you have done before.As we have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.As we have done before.As we have done before.As you have done before.—As you have done before.——As you have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.—As I have done before.—
8.——————And this a girl and a very pretty girl.————————————
9.——————A kiss for kneeling here.————————————
10.In and out the windows.Go in and out the windows.In and out of the windows.In and out of the window.In and out the window.In and out the window.Go in and out the window.In and out the windows.In and out the windows.In and out of the windows.In and out the windows.In and out of the window.In and out of the window.In and out the windows.Out and in the windows.In and out the windows.Out and in the windows.In and out the window.In and out the windows.
11.———————————————————
12.As you have done before.As we have done before.As you have done before.As we have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.As we have done before.As we have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.——As you have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.As I have done before.As you have done before.
13.Stand and face your lover.—Stand before my lover.Stand and face your lover.Stand and face your lover.Stand and face your lover.—Stand and face your lover.—Stand and face your lover.Stand and face your lover.Stand and face your lover.Stand and face your lover.Stand and face your lover.Stand before your lover.Stand and face your lover.Stand before your lover.Stand and face your lover.Stand and face your lover.
14.—Come in and face your lover.—————————————————
15.——————Go back and face your lover.————————————
16.As you have done before.As we have done before.As I have done before.As we have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.As we have done before.As we have done before.—As you have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.——As you have done before.As I have done before.As you have done before.
17.Now they go off courting.——————————————————
18.—I measure my love to show you.—————————————————
19.———Kiss her if you love her.———Kiss her before you leave her.———————————
20.—————Shake hands with your lover.—————————————
21.————————Soon we will get married.——————————
22.—————————Give me a kiss, my darling.—————————
23.As they have done before.As we have done before.—As we have done before.—As you have done before.—As we have done before.—As you have done before.—————————
24.—I kneel because I love you.—————————————————
25.—As we have done before.—————————————————
26.Chase her back to Scotland.——————————————————
27.—Follow me to London.Follow me to London.—Follow her to London.—Follow me to London.Follow her to London.—Follow me to London.Follow me to London.Follow me to London.Follow me to London.——Follow me to London.Follow her to London.Follow me to London.Follow me to London.
28.———Take her off to London.————Take her off to London.——————————
29.As you have done before.As we have done before.As you have done before.As we have done before.As you have done before.—As we have done before.As we have done before.—As you have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.As you have done before.————As I have done before.As you have done before.
30.————————————————Before the break of day.——
31.—Back again to Westerham.—————————————————
32.——Dance away to fairyland.————————————————
33.——————————Bring me back to Belfast.————————
34.—As we have done before.As we have done before.———————As you have done before.————————