The last verse enumerates:—Twelve apostles; eleven archangels; ten commandments; nine bright shiners; eight, the Gabriel riders; seven golden stars in heaven; six came on the board; five by water; four Gospel rhymers; three threble thribers; two lily-white maids and one was dressed in green O.[59]
This version of the chant was sung or recited at harvest-time in Norfolk also, and began:—
A: I'll sing the one O.
B: What means the one O?
A: When the one is left alone, No more can be seen O!
C: I'll sing the two Os.
D: What means the two Os?
Two's the lily-white boys—three's the rare O—four's the gospel makers—five's the thimble in the bowl—six is the provokers—seven's the seven stars in the sky—eight is[Pg 161] the bright walkers—nine's the gable rangers—ten's the ten commandments—'leven's the 'leven evangelists—twelve's the twelve apostles.[60]
The version current in Herefordshire is preserved as far as number eight only:—
Eight was the crooked straight,
Seven was the bride of heaven,
Six was the crucifix,
Five was the man alive,
Four was the lady's bower [or lady bird, or lady, or lady's birth?],
Three was the Trinity,
Two was the Jewry,
One was God to the righteous man
To save our souls to rest. Amen.[61]
Some of our nursery rhymes which are nonsensical represent these lines in a further degradation:—
One, two, three, four, five,
I caught a hare alive;
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
I let her go again.
(c. 1783, p. 48.)
And the following, in which "sticks" takes the place of crucifix, while "straight" recalls crooked straight:—
One, two, buckle my shoe,
Three, four, shut the door,
Five six, pick up sticks,
Seven, eight, lay them straight.
(1810, p. 30.)