Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/82

 -j journal of American Folk-Lore.

Vou must be kind, you must he good, And help your wife to chop the wood!

This rhyme had scarce been recorded in Great Britain ; but Mrs. Gomme is able to give eighteen versions. Besides these, she furnishes another game, which is in fact no more than a variant, apparently more original, though without the love-making at the end : —

Would vou know how doth the peasant ? {thrice)

Sow his harlcy and wheat ?

And it 's so, so, doth the peasant

Sow his barley and wheat !

The words proceed to recite how the peasant reaps his barley and wheat, how he threshes, how he does when the seed-time is o'er, and when his labor is o'er. This is a ring dance, in which the action is suited to the words, the hands being unclasped at the end of each verse. Imitation of sleeping and marching conclude the performance. This version brings the game exactly into line with the similar French, Italian, and Spanish games, which also describe a series of actions, beginning with sowing the seed. The conclusion of Mrs. Gomme concerning the source of the rhyme is identical with that adopted by the present writer, namely, that it represents a song danced in sowing-time, with the intent of bringing a blessing on the labors of the year. But it is apparent that the game cannot have been of English village origin. If an origin is to be sought, this might be in ancient Roman usage.

There is a rude American song, still used by children, in " Games and Songs," printed under the name of "Old Grimes," as an "unintelligible round." The English round recites that an apple-tree grows over the head of Sir Roger; that a woman picks up the ripe apples, and (the ghost of) Sir Roger rises and maims her, making her go " hipperty hop." The story is acted out, one child personating Sir Roger, a second the apple-tree, a third the thief. The game is weird enough. But what is the meaning of the sport ? We seem to see a survival of the belief that a sacred tree might absorb the soul of the person over whose grave it grew ; but we are left in the dark as to the history. Some local tale must have been drama- tized, and extended over England, and been transported to America.

In such love-rounds as " Poor Mary sits a-weeping," waiting for her sweetheart, and is bidden to choose her lover, it seems to us doubtful if we have anything more than a relatively modern courtship formula. Mrs. Gomme remarks that Christian ideas do not enter into marriage games, hence they must be very ancient. But wedding-bells are mentioned : "The bells will ring, and the birds will sing," occurs in a rhyme given by Cham- bers. However, in general, the idea of the purchase of the bride, or the stealing of the bride, constitute the chief feature of courtship games. But here again we are in the presence not merely of English but of European custom; as already noted, the origin is to be sought, according to our in remote usage, but not English usage : this, however, is not to say that ancient English customs may not have been identical.

A pretty example of the permanence of New England tradition is fur-

�� �