After he has said these words he is at liberty to hop out, and use his knotted handkerchief. Whoever he can touch is Fox instead, but the geese run on two legs, and if the Fox puts his other leg down, he is hunted back to his home.
[THE OLD DAME.]
One child, called the Old Dame, sits on the floor, and the rest, joining hands, form a circle round her, and dancing, sing the following lines:
Children.
To Beccles! to Beccles!
To buy a bunch of nettles!
Pray, Old Dame, what's o'clock?
Dame.
One, going for two.
Children.
To Beccles! to Beccles!
To buy a bunch of nettles!
Pray, Old Dame, what's o'clock?
Dame.
Two, going for three.
And so on till she reaches, "Eleven going for twelve." After this the following questions are asked, with the replies.—C. Where have you been? D. To the wood. C. What for? D. To pick up sticks. C. What for? D. To light my fire. C. What for? D. To boil my kettle. C. What for? D. To cook some of your chickens. The children then all run away as fast as they can, and the Old Dame tries to catch one of them. Whoever is caught is the next to personate the Dame.
[THE POOR WOMAN OF BABYLON.]
One child stands in the middle of a ring formed by the other children joining hands round her. They sing—
Here comes a poor woman from Babylon,
With three small children all alone:
One can brew, and one can bake,
The other can make a pretty round cake.
One can sit in the arbour and spin,
Another can make a fine bed for the king.
Choose the one and leave the rest,
And take the one you love the best.
The child in the middle having chosen one in the ring of the opposite sex, the rest say,—
Now you're married, we wish you joy;
Father and mother you must obey:
Love one another like sister and brother,
And now, good people, kiss each other!