The Traditional Children's Games of England Scotland
& Ireland In Dictionary Form - Volume 1

With Tunes(sheet music), Singing-rhymes(lyrics), Methods Of Playing with diagrams and illustrations.

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	ALL THE BOYS IN OUR TOWN
	She daren't stick a knife in Till George came home at neet [night]. Taste [George], taste, and don't say Nay! Perhaps to-morrow morning '11 be our wedding day. [The bells shall ring, and we shall sing, And all clap hands together.] * —Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy). (b) A full description of this game could not be obtained in each case. The Earls Heaton game is played by forming a ring, one child standing in the centre. After the first verse is sung, a child from the ring goes to the one in the centre. Then the rest of the verses are sung. The action to suit the words of the verses does not seem to have been kept up. In the Hampshire version, after the line " As a bird upon a tree," the two children named pair off like sweethearts while the rest of the verse is being sung. (c) The analysis of the game rhymes is as follows :—
	Hants. Deptford (Kent). Belfast. Earls Heaton (Yorks.). I. Village life. Village life. Hunting life. Roving life. 2. All the boys happy. All the boys happy. All lusty bachelors. — 3- Except ], who Except [ ], who Except [ ],who — wants a wife. wants a wife. courts [ ]. 4- He shall court [ ]. He shall court [ ]. He courted [ ]. Seeks for a bride. 5- Huddles and cuddles, Kisses and cuddles, Huggled and gug- — and sits on his knee. and sits on his knee. gled, and took on his knee. 6. — — Catch the bride. 7- Mutual expressions of love. Mutual expressions of love. — —— 8. — — Asking to marry. — 9- Wife makes a pud- Girl makes a pud- Girl makes a pud- Girl makes a ding. ding. ding. pudding. IO. Husband cuts a slice. Boy cuts a slice. Asks boy to taste. Asks boy to taste. ii. Fixing of wedding Fixing of wedding Fixing of wedding Fixing of wed- day. day. day. ding day. 12. Wife in carriage, hus- Wife with domestic Bride with rings -— band in cart. utensils. on fingers and bells on toes. 13- — Grief if wife should die. — — 14. — — Bride with a baby. — i5- — Doctor, cat, and devil. - 16. —■ — Applause for the Applause for the bride. bride.
	* Mr. Hardy says, " This was sung to me by a girl at Earls Heaton or Soothill Nether. Another version commences with the last verse, continues with the first, and concludes with the second. The last two lines inserted here belong to that version."