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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	I
	6 ALL THE FISHES, &c—ALL THE SOLDIERS, &c.
	It appears by the analysis that all the incidents of the Hants version of this game occur in one or other of the versions, and these incidents therefore may probably be typical of the game. This view would exclude the important incidents of bride capture in the Earls Heaton version; the bride having a baby in the Belfast version, and the two minor incidents in the Deptford version (Nos. 13 and 15 in the analysis), which are obviously supplemental. Chambers, in his Popular Rhymes of Scotland, pp. 119, 137, gives two versions of a courtship dance which are not unlike the words of this game, though they do not contain the principal incidents. Northall, in his English Folk Rhymes, p. 363, has some verses of a similar import, but not those of the game. W. Allingham seems to have used this rhyme as the commencement of one of his ballads, " Up the airy mountain." (d) The game is clearly a marriage game. It introduces two important details in the betrothal ceremony, inasmuch as the "huddling and cuddling" is typical of the rude customs at marriage ceremonies once prevalent in Yorkshire, the northern counties, and Wales, while the making of the pudding by the bride and the subsequent eating together, are clearly analogies to the bridal-cake ceremony. In Wales, the custom known as " bundling" allowed the betrothing parties to go to bed in their clothes (Brand, ii. 98). In Yorkshire, the bridal cake was always made by the bride. The rudeness of the dialogue seems to be remarkably noticeable in this game. See "Mary mixed a Pudding up," "Oliver, Oliver, follow the King." All the Fishes in the Sea A Suffolk game, not described.—Moor's Suffolk Glossary. See "Fool, fool, come to School," "Little Dog, I call you." All the Soldiers in the Town
	All the soldiers in the town, They all bop down. —Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).