Roundabout, or Cheshire Round

Rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,A bunch of ribbons she shall wear;Gold and silver by her side,I know who will be her bride.Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her over the water;Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For Mrs. —— daughter.

Rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,A bunch of ribbons she shall wear;Gold and silver by her side,I know who will be her bride.Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her over the water;Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For Mrs. —— daughter.

—Maxey, Northants. (Rev. W. D. Sweeting).

IV.

Rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,Bunch of roses you shall wear;Gold and silver by your side,I know who shall be a bride.Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her ’cross the water;Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For Mrs. (So-and-so’s) daughter.

Rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,Bunch of roses you shall wear;Gold and silver by your side,I know who shall be a bride.Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her ’cross the water;Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For Mrs. (So-and-so’s) daughter.

—Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).

V.

Rosie had an apple and a pear,A bunch of roses she shall wear;Gold and silver by her side,I knows who shall be her bride.Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her across the water;Give her a kiss, and one, two, three,Old Mother Sack-a-biddy’s daughter!

Rosie had an apple and a pear,A bunch of roses she shall wear;Gold and silver by her side,I knows who shall be her bride.Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her across the water;Give her a kiss, and one, two, three,Old Mother Sack-a-biddy’s daughter!

—Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).

VI.

Rosy apples, mellow pears,Bunch of roses she shall wear;Gold and silver by her side,Tell me who shall be her bride.Take her by her lily-white hand,Lead her across the ocean;Give her a kiss, and one, two, three,Mrs. —— daughter.

Rosy apples, mellow pears,Bunch of roses she shall wear;Gold and silver by her side,Tell me who shall be her bride.Take her by her lily-white hand,Lead her across the ocean;Give her a kiss, and one, two, three,Mrs. —— daughter.

—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).

VII.

A rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,A bunch of roses she shall wear;Gold and silver by your side,Choose the one to be your bride.Take her by her lily-white hand,Lead her to the altar;Give her a kiss by one, two, three,Mrs. —— daughter.

A rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,A bunch of roses she shall wear;Gold and silver by your side,Choose the one to be your bride.Take her by her lily-white hand,Lead her to the altar;Give her a kiss by one, two, three,Mrs. —— daughter.

—Cowes, I. of Wight (Miss E. Smith).

VIII.

Roses up, and roses down,Roses in the garden;I wadna gie ye a bunch o’ flowersFor tenpence halfpenny farden.Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her across the water;Gie her a kiss, and one, two, three,For she’s a lady’s daughter.

Roses up, and roses down,Roses in the garden;I wadna gie ye a bunch o’ flowersFor tenpence halfpenny farden.Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her across the water;Gie her a kiss, and one, two, three,For she’s a lady’s daughter.

—Berwickshire (A. M. Bell)Antiquary, xxx. 16.

IX.

Maggie Littlejohn, fresh and fair,A bunch of roses in her hair;Gold and silver by her side,I know who is her bride.Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her over the water;Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For she’s a lady’s daughter.Roses up, and roses down,And roses in the garden;I widna give a bunch of rosesFor twopence ha’penny farthing.

Maggie Littlejohn, fresh and fair,A bunch of roses in her hair;Gold and silver by her side,I know who is her bride.Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her over the water;Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For she’s a lady’s daughter.Roses up, and roses down,And roses in the garden;I widna give a bunch of rosesFor twopence ha’penny farthing.

—Rev. W. Gregor.

X.

Roses up, and roses down,And roses in the garden;I widna gie a bunch o’ rosesFor tippence ha’penny farden.So and so, fresh and fair,A bunch o’ roses she shall wear;Gold and silver by her side,Crying out, “Cheese and bride” (bread).Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her on the water;Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For she’s her mother’s daughter.

Roses up, and roses down,And roses in the garden;I widna gie a bunch o’ rosesFor tippence ha’penny farden.So and so, fresh and fair,A bunch o’ roses she shall wear;Gold and silver by her side,Crying out, “Cheese and bride” (bread).Take her by the lily-white hand,Lead her on the water;Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For she’s her mother’s daughter.

—Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).

XI.

Roses up, and roses down,And roses in the garden;I wadna gie a bunch o’ rosesFor twopence ha’penny farthin’.——, fresh and fair,A bunch of roses she shall wear;Gold and silver by her side,I know who’s her bride.Take her by the lily-white hand,And lead her o’er the water;And give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For she’s the princess’ daughter.

Roses up, and roses down,And roses in the garden;I wadna gie a bunch o’ rosesFor twopence ha’penny farthin’.——, fresh and fair,A bunch of roses she shall wear;Gold and silver by her side,I know who’s her bride.Take her by the lily-white hand,And lead her o’er the water;And give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For she’s the princess’ daughter.

—Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).

XII.

Maggie Black, fresh and fair,A bunch of roses she shall wear;I know who I’ll take.Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For she’s a lady’s daughter.Roses in, and roses out,Roses in a garden;I would not give a bunch of rosesFor twopence halfpenny “farden.”

Maggie Black, fresh and fair,A bunch of roses she shall wear;I know who I’ll take.Give her kisses,—one, two, three,—For she’s a lady’s daughter.Roses in, and roses out,Roses in a garden;I would not give a bunch of rosesFor twopence halfpenny “farden.”

—Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).

(c) The players form a ring, one child stands in the centre, who chooses a sweetheart from the ring when the fifth line is sung; the two kiss, the first child takes her place in the ring, the second child remains in the centre, and the game begins again. This is the method adopted in most of the versions. TheSymondsbury gameis slightly different; the first part is the same, but when the last line is sung the child who was first in the middle must run away and take a place in the ring as soon as she can. The second one remains inthe centre. TheMaxey (Northants.) versionis altogether different. All the children but one stand in a row. The one stands in front of them and sings the lines by herself; at the last line she selects one from the line by naming her. These two then sing the lines, “swinging round,” so described by Mr. Sweeting’s informant. They then select a third when singing the last line, and the three then swing round. This is repeated till all the children from the line come into the ring.

In theScotch versionsthe players all stand in a line, with one in front, and sing. At the end of the fourth line the one in front chooses one from the line, and all again sing, mentioning the name of the one chosen (Fraserburgh). AtCullen, one child stands out of the line and goes backwards and forwards singing, then chooses her partner, and the two go round the line singing.

(d) A version which I collected in Barnes is not so perfect as those given here, only the four first lines being sung. A Kentish version sent me by Miss Broadwood is almost identical with theDeptford game. Miss Broadwood’s version commences—

Rosy apple, miller, miller, pear.

Rosy apple, miller, miller, pear.

An Ipswich version is almost identical with that ofHersham, Surrey (Lady C. Gurdon’sSuffolk County Folk-lore, p. 64), except that it begins “Golden apple” and ends with the marriage formula—

Now you’re married, I wish you joy,Father and mother you must obey;Love one another like sister and brother,And now’s the time to kiss away.

Now you’re married, I wish you joy,Father and mother you must obey;Love one another like sister and brother,And now’s the time to kiss away.

(e) This game is probably derived from the mode of dressing the bride in the marriage ceremony, and is not very ancient. The line “Lead her to the altar” probably indicates the earliest version, corrupted later into “Lead her across the water,” and this would prove a comparatively modern origin. If, however, the “altar” version is a corruption of the “water” version, the game may go back to the pre-Christian marriage ceremony, but of this there is little evidence.

This is danced by two only, one of each sex; after leading off into the middle of an imaginary circle, and dancing a short time opposite to each other, the one strives by celerity of steps in the circumference of the circle to overtake and chase the other round it; the other in the meantime endeavouring to maintain an opposite situation by equal celerity in receding.—Roberts’Cambrian Popular Antiquities, p. 46.

Halliwell gives Round, a kind of dance. “The round dance, or the dancing of the rounds.”—Nomenclator, 1585, p. 299. There was a sort of song or ballad also so called.—Dict. Provincialisms.

[Play]

Tune Round and Round the Village Barnes—Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).

—Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).

[Play]

Tune Round and Round the Village Hanbury—Hanbury, Staff. (Edith Hollis).

—Hanbury, Staff. (Edith Hollis).

I.

Round and round the village,Round and round the village;Round and round the village,As we have done before.In and out the windows,In and out the windows;In and out the windows,As we have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As we have done before.Follow her to London,Follow her to London;Follow her to London,As we have done before.Kiss her before you leave her,Kiss her before you leave her;Kiss her before you leave her,As we have done before.

Round and round the village,Round and round the village;Round and round the village,As we have done before.

In and out the windows,In and out the windows;In and out the windows,As we have done before.

Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As we have done before.

Follow her to London,Follow her to London;Follow her to London,As we have done before.

Kiss her before you leave her,Kiss her before you leave her;Kiss her before you leave her,As we have done before.

—Barnes, Surrey (taken down from children of village school—A. B. Gomme).

II.

Round and round the village,Round and round the village;Round and round the village,As you have done before.In and out the window,In and out the window;In and out the window,As you have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.

Round and round the village,Round and round the village;Round and round the village,As you have done before.

In and out the window,In and out the window;In and out the window,As you have done before.

Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.

—Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).

III.

Round and round the village,In and out of the window;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Oh, stand and face your lover,As you have done before.Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Oh, follow me to London,As you have done before.

Round and round the village,In and out of the window;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.

Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Oh, stand and face your lover,As you have done before.

Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Oh, follow me to London,As you have done before.

—Wakefield, Yorks. (Miss Fowler).

IV.

Round and round the village,In and out of the window;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before;Oh, stand and face your lover,As you have done before, O.Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As you have done before.

Round and round the village,In and out of the window;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before;Oh, stand and face your lover,As you have done before, O.

Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As you have done before.

—Winterton and Bottesford, Lincolnshire (Miss M. Peacock).

V.

Round and round the village,Round and round the village;Round and round the village,As you have done before.In and out the windows,In and out the windows;In and out the windows,As you have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.Shake hands with your lover,Shake hands with your lover;Shake hands with your lover,As you have done before.

Round and round the village,Round and round the village;Round and round the village,As you have done before.

In and out the windows,In and out the windows;In and out the windows,As you have done before.

Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.

Shake hands with your lover,Shake hands with your lover;Shake hands with your lover,As you have done before.

—From girls of Clapham High School (Miss F. D. Richardson).

VI.

Out and in the villages,Out and in the villages;Out and in the villages,As you have done before.Out and in the windows,Out and in the windows;Out and in the windows,As you have done before.Stand before your lover,Stand before your lover;Stand before your lover,As you have done before.

Out and in the villages,Out and in the villages;Out and in the villages,As you have done before.Out and in the windows,Out and in the windows;Out and in the windows,As you have done before.Stand before your lover,Stand before your lover;Stand before your lover,As you have done before.

—Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).

VII.

Go round and round the village,Go round and round the village,As we have done before.Go in and out the window,Go in and out the window,As we have done before.Come in and face your lover,Come in and face your lover,As we have done before.I measure my love to show you,I measure my love to show you,As we have done before.I kneel because I love you,I kneel because I love you,As we have done before.Follow me to London,Follow me to London,As we have done before.Back again to Westerham,Back again to Westerham,As we have done before.

Go round and round the village,Go round and round the village,As we have done before.

Go in and out the window,Go in and out the window,As we have done before.

Come in and face your lover,Come in and face your lover,As we have done before.

I measure my love to show you,I measure my love to show you,As we have done before.

I kneel because I love you,I kneel because I love you,As we have done before.

Follow me to London,Follow me to London,As we have done before.

Back again to Westerham,Back again to Westerham,As we have done before.

—Crockham Hill, Kent (Miss Chase).

VIII.

Walking round the village,Walking round the village;Walking round the village,As we have done before.In and out the windows,In and out the windows;In and out the windows,As you have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.Now they go off courting,Now they go off courting;Now they go off courting,As they have done before.Chase her back to Scotland,Chase her back to Scotland;Chase her back to Scotland,As you have done before.

Walking round the village,Walking round the village;Walking round the village,As we have done before.

In and out the windows,In and out the windows;In and out the windows,As you have done before.

Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.

Now they go off courting,Now they go off courting;Now they go off courting,As they have done before.

Chase her back to Scotland,Chase her back to Scotland;Chase her back to Scotland,As you have done before.

—Penzance, Cornwall (Mrs. Mabbott).

IX.

Round about the village,Round about the village;Round about the village,As you have done before.In and out of the windows,In and out of the windows;In and out of the windows,As you have done before.I stand before my lover,I stand before my lover;I stand before my lover,As I have done before.Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As you have done before.Dance away to Fairyland,Dance away to Fairyland;Dance away to Fairyland,As we have done before.

Round about the village,Round about the village;Round about the village,As you have done before.

In and out of the windows,In and out of the windows;In and out of the windows,As you have done before.

I stand before my lover,I stand before my lover;I stand before my lover,As I have done before.

Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As you have done before.

Dance away to Fairyland,Dance away to Fairyland;Dance away to Fairyland,As we have done before.

—Stevenage, Herts. (Mrs. Lloyd, taught to a friend’s children by a nurse from Stevenage).

X.

All round the village,All round the village;All round the village,As we have done before.In and out of the window,In and out of the window;In and out of the window,As we have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As we have done before.Kiss her if you love her,Kiss her if you love her;Kiss her if you love her,As we have done before.Take her off to London,Take her off to London;Take her off to London,As we have done before.

All round the village,All round the village;All round the village,As we have done before.

In and out of the window,In and out of the window;In and out of the window,As we have done before.

Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As we have done before.

Kiss her if you love her,Kiss her if you love her;Kiss her if you love her,As we have done before.

Take her off to London,Take her off to London;Take her off to London,As we have done before.

—Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).

XI.

All round the village,All round the village;All round the village,As you have done before.In and out the windows,In and out the windows;In and out the windows,As you have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.Follow her to London,Follow her to London;Follow her to London,As you have done before.

All round the village,All round the village;All round the village,As you have done before.

In and out the windows,In and out the windows;In and out the windows,As you have done before.

Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.

Follow her to London,Follow her to London;Follow her to London,As you have done before.

—Tean, North Staffs, (from a Monitor in the School).

XII.

Round and round the village, &c.,As you have done before.In and out the windows, as you have done before.Stand and face your lover, &c.Follow me to London, &c.

Round and round the village, &c.,As you have done before.

In and out the windows, as you have done before.

Stand and face your lover, &c.

Follow me to London, &c.

—Roxton, St. Neots (Miss E. Lumley).

XIII.

Out and in the windows,Out and in the windows;Out and in the windows,As you have done before.Stand before your lover,Stand before your lover;Stand before your lover,As you have done before.Follow her to London,Follow her to London;Follow her to London,Before the break of day.

Out and in the windows,Out and in the windows;Out and in the windows,As you have done before.

Stand before your lover,Stand before your lover;Stand before your lover,As you have done before.

Follow her to London,Follow her to London;Follow her to London,Before the break of day.

—Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).

XIV.

In and out of the window,In and out of the window;In and out of the window,As you have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.Give me a kiss, my darling,Give me a kiss, my darling;Give me a kiss, my darling,As you have done before.Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As you have done before.

In and out of the window,In and out of the window;In and out of the window,As you have done before.

Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.

Give me a kiss, my darling,Give me a kiss, my darling;Give me a kiss, my darling,As you have done before.

Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As you have done before.

—Hanbury, Staffordshire (Miss E. Hollis).

XV.

Marching round the ladies,Marching round the ladies, as you have done before.In and out the windows,In and out the windows, as you have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover, as you have done before.Follow me to London,Follow me to London, as you have done before.Bring me back to Belfast,Bring me back to Belfast, as you have done before.

Marching round the ladies,Marching round the ladies, as you have done before.In and out the windows,In and out the windows, as you have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover, as you have done before.Follow me to London,Follow me to London, as you have done before.Bring me back to Belfast,Bring me back to Belfast, as you have done before.

—Belfast, Ireland (W. R. Patterson).

XVI.

Come gather again on the old village green,Come young and come old, who once children have been.Such frolics and games as ne’er before were seen,We join in riots and play [? riotous].Take her off to London,Take her off to London,Take her off to London.In and out the windows,In and out the windows;In and out the windows,As you have gone before.Round about the village,Round about the village;Round about the village,As you have gone before.Soon we will get married,Soon we will get married;Soon we will get married,And never more depart.

Come gather again on the old village green,Come young and come old, who once children have been.Such frolics and games as ne’er before were seen,We join in riots and play [? riotous].Take her off to London,Take her off to London,Take her off to London.

In and out the windows,In and out the windows;In and out the windows,As you have gone before.

Round about the village,Round about the village;Round about the village,As you have gone before.

Soon we will get married,Soon we will get married;Soon we will get married,And never more depart.

—Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).

XVII.

Three jolly sailor boysLately come ashore,Spend their time in drinking lager wine,As they have done before.We go round, and round, and round,As we have done before;And this is a girl, and a very pretty girl,A kiss for kneeling there.Go in and out the window,Go in and out the window;Go in and out the window,As we have done before.Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As we have done before.Go back and face your lover,Go back and face your lover;Go back and face your lover,As we have done before.

Three jolly sailor boysLately come ashore,Spend their time in drinking lager wine,As they have done before.

We go round, and round, and round,As we have done before;And this is a girl, and a very pretty girl,A kiss for kneeling there.

Go in and out the window,Go in and out the window;Go in and out the window,As we have done before.

Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As we have done before.

Go back and face your lover,Go back and face your lover;Go back and face your lover,As we have done before.

—Brigg (from a Lincolnshire friend of Miss J. Barker).

XVIII.

Up and down the valley,Up and down the valley;Up and down the valley,As I have done before.In and out the window,In and out the window;In and out the window,As I have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As I have done before.Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As I have done before.

Up and down the valley,Up and down the valley;Up and down the valley,As I have done before.

In and out the window,In and out the window;In and out the window,As I have done before.

Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As I have done before.

Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As I have done before.

—Settle, Yorks. (Rev. W. S. Sykes).

XIX.

XIX. In and out the willows,In and out the willows;In and out the willows,As you have done before.Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As you have done before.

XIX. In and out the willows,In and out the willows;In and out the willows,As you have done before.

Stand and face your lover,Stand and face your lover;Stand and face your lover,As you have done before.

Follow me to London,Follow me to London;Follow me to London,As you have done before.

—West Grinstead, Sussex (Notes and Queries, 8th Series, i. 249, Miss Busk).

Playing Round and Round the Village

(c) The children join hands and form a ring with one child standing outside. The ring stands perfectly still throughout this game and sings the verses, the action being confined to at first one child, and then to two together. During the singing ofthe first verse the outside child dances round the ring on the outside. When the ring commences to sing the second verse the children hold up their arms to form arches, and the child who has been running round outside runs into the ring under one pair of joined hands, and out again under the next pair of arms, continuing this “in and out” movement until the third verse is commenced. The child should try and run in and out under all the joined hands. At the third verse the child stops in the ring and stands facing one, whom she chooses for her lover, until the end of the verse; the chosen child then leaves the ring, followed by the first child, and they walk round the ring, or they walk away a little distance, returning at the commencement of next verse. In the first three versions the second child is chased back and caught by the first child. In theClapham versionthe two shake hands in the last verse.TheBarnes versionhas kissing for its finale. TheHanburyalso has kissing, but it precedes the following to London. In theBrigg, Lincolnshire (Miss Barker), a child stands in the middle and points with her finger to each one she passes; finally selects one, who leaves the ring and kneels in front of the girl in the middle. At the end of the second verse the kneeling child gets up and the first child goes in and out under the arms of the players, followed by the other. At the fourth they reverse and go back under the arms in the opposite direction, finally stopping in the middle of the ring, when another child is chosen and the first one in goes out. In theWinterton and Bottesford versions(Miss Peacock), at the words “Stand and face your lover,” the child who has been going “in and out” stands before the one she chooses, beckons to her, and sings the next verse. Then the chosen one chases her until she can catch her. In theCrockham Hill version(Miss Chase) the love is measured out with a handkerchief three times, and after kneeling in the road, the chosen partner follows round the ring and reverses for the return.

(d) The analysis of the game-rhymes is onpp. 134-39. This shows that we are dealing with a game which represents a village, and also the houses in it. The village only disappears in six out of the twenty versions. In three of these (Hanbury,Fraserburgh, andWest Grinstead) the line has gone altogether. In the fourth (Lincolnshire) it becomes “Round and round and round,” no mention being made of the village. In the fifth (Belfast) the line has become “Marching round the ladies.” In the sixth (Settle) it has become “Up and down the valley,” which also occurs in another imperfect version, of which a note was sent me by Miss Matthews from the Forest of Dean, where the line has become “Round and round the valley.” The substitution of “ladies” for “village” is very significant as evidence that the game, like all its compeers, is in a declining stage, and is, therefore, not the invention of modern times. The idea of a circle of children representing a village would necessarily be the first to die out if the game was no longer supported by the influence of any custom it might represent. The line of decadence becomes in this way an important argument for the discovery of the original form.

[134-139]

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