A bottle of wine she gave me too;
See what this little girl can do.
On the carpet she shall kneel
(Here the child must kneel.)
As the grass grows on the fiel’;
Stand upright on your feet;
(Here the girl rises up.)
Here the girl must select her favourite from the ring and lead her to the centre, whilst the others, moving round, continue their song:
“Now you are married I wish you joy;
First a girl and then a boy;
Seven years after, son and daughter;
Pray, young couple, kiss together.”
Here the two must kiss and separate; the first girl going to form part of the ring, whilst her companion takes her place in the centre, and the game goes on as before. Boys and girls often play this together, and then the words are changed to suit the circumstances. (Symondsbury.)
The following somewhat peculiar variant of this last was contributed by Miss M. G. A. Summers, of Hazelbury Bryan, to the Dorset County Chronicle, in April last:
“I had a bonnet trimmed wi’ blue.
Why dosn’t weäre it? Zo, I do;
I’d weäre it where I con,
To teäke a walk wi’ my young mon.
My young mon is a-gone to sea,
When he’d come back he’ll marry me.
Zee what a purty zister is mine,
Doan’t ’e think she’s ter’ble fine,
She’s a most ter’ble cunnèn too,
Just zee what my zister can do.
On the carpet she can kneel,
As the grass grow in the fiel’.”
The sister kneels in the centre of the circle, and they all dance round her, saying:
“Stand upright upon thy feet
And choose the prettiest you like, sweet.”
