Collectanea. 203
what is Mary weeping for
Is another of the dancing circle class. They sing —
" O what is Mary weeping for, weeping for, weeping for? O what is Mary weeping for, in the cold and frosty morning? Because she wants to see her lad, to see her lad, to see her lad, Because she wants to see her lad, in the cold and frosty morning."
Mary who stands in the centre sings —
" Father and mother, may I go, may I go, may I go? Father and mother may I go in the cold and frosty morning ? "
Ring. "Yes my daughter you may go, you may go, you may go.
Yes my daughter you may go in the cold and frosty morning."
Mary. " Buckle up my tails and away I go, away I go, away I go.
Buckle up my tails and away I go, in a cold and frosty morning."
Ring. "Who do you think I met coming home, I met coming home, I met coming home ? Who do you think I met coming home, in a cold and frosty morning ? "
Mary. " I met my sweetheart on the way coming home, on the way coming home, on the way coming home, I met my sweetheart on the way coming home, in the cold and frosty morning."
Ring. "What do you think he gave to me, he gave to me, he gave to me ? What do you think he gave to me, in a cold and frosty morning."
Mary. "He gave me a kiss and a guinea-gold ring, a guinea-gold ring, a guinea-gold ring, He gave me a kiss and a guinea-gold ring, in a cold and frosty morning."
The whole company then dance very fast, Mary having joined the ring, singing—
" Ruffles up and ruffles down And ruffles all Matanzie, As I went up to Mistress Brown To seek the loan of her frying-pan. Wha was there but the guid, guid wife Kissing the guid, guid man."
The above is a variant of " Bonnie Bunch o' Roses," p. 61.
Both in Lochaber and the Outer Hebrides the above game is played with a slight variation. Two are chosen to be out and represent ' Maggie ' and a companion, the others stand in a row,
