I’ll neither have a duck, my dear,
Nor will I have a drake;
But I will have a young man
To answer for my sake.
She now leaves the line and takes her stand beside the one that stands in front, and all begin to clap their hands and sing—
The bells will ring,
And the psalms will sing,
And we’ll all claps hands together.
The two in front then begin to sing what the one first sang, and the same goes on till all are chosen.—Peterhead; St. Andrews (Mrs. Stewart, when a girl).
Here we go in a merry band,
Round about the berry buss;
Come all ye pretty fair maids,
And dance along with us;
We shall have a duck and drake,
We shall have a dragon,
We shall have a young man,
The prince of the Saigen.
The young man dies,
And leaves the girl a widow.
The birds shall sing, the bells shall ring,
And we will all clap hands together.
Here we go a roving,
A roving in a band;
I will take my pretty Mary,
I will take her by the hand.
—Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another version, very similar to that given in [vol. i. pp. 161-162] from Congleton Workhouse School, and sent me by Mr. J. Lawson, Laurieston School, Kirkcudbrightshire, begins, “Will you take silver and gold?”
Another Scottish version of this game is given in Notes and Queries, 3rd ser., v. 393, as follows:—
A duss, a duss of green grass,
A duss, a duss, a duss;
Come all you pretty maidens,
And dance along with us;
You shall have a duck, my dear,
And you shall have a dragon,
And you shall have a young gudeman,
To dance ere you’re forsaken.
The bells shall ring,
The birds shall sing,
And we’ll all clap hands together.