"Now we've got the flowers of May,
The flowers of May, the flowers of May,
To join us in our dancing."

They join hands and call out the next one in the row; thus the play goes on until the last is selected, when they form a ring, dance, and sing,

"Now we've got the flowers of May,
The flowers of May, the flowers of May,
To join us in our dancing."

Concord, Mass.

A vulgarized form of the same game is common through the Middle States:

Boys."We are three ducks a-roving, (thrice)
With a ransom dansom dee."
Girls."What is your good-will, sir?" etc.
Boys."My good-will is to marry," etc.
Girls."Which one of us will you have, sir?" etc.
Boys."You're all too black and blowzy," etc.
Girls."We are as good as you, sir," etc.
Boys."Then I will take you, miss," etc.

The pretended quarrel between intermediaries has here become a dispute of the principals.[40]

Finally, in the streets of New York the dialogue is made unrecognizable—

The Ring."Forty ducks are riding,
My dilsey dulsey officer;
Forty ducks are riding,
My dilsey dulsey day.
Which of the lot do you like best?"
Child in Centre."You're all too black and ugly—ugly," etc.
The Ring."We're not so black as you are," etc.