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

by Alice Bertha Gomme

V.

Wally, wally wallflower,
Growing up so high—
All ye young ladies
You must all die.
Excepting ——,
She’s the best of all—
She can hop, and she can skip,
She can turn the mangle,
Oh my, fie for shame,
Turn your back to the wall again.

—Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).

VI.

Wall flowers, wall flowers, growing up so high,
We are all children, and we shall all die.
Excepting ——, she’s the youngest child,
She can hop, she can skip,
She can turn the wedding ring,
Fie, fie, fie for shame,
Turn your face to the wall again.

—Nottingham (Miss Youngman).

VII.

Wally, wally wall-flower,
A-growen up so high,
All we children be sure to die.
Excepting [naming the youngest]
’Cause she’s the youngest,
Oh! fie! for shame! fie! for shame!
Turn your back to the wall again.

—Symondsbury, Dorset (Folk-lore Journal, vii. 215).