The Traditional Children's Games of England Scotland
& Ireland In Dictionary Form - Volume 2

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

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	no	RING A RING O' ROSES
	X. Ringey, ringey rosies, A pocketful of posies— Hach-ho, hach-ho, all fall down. Another version— Hash-ho ! Tzhu-ho ! all fall down. —Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews). XI. Windy, windy weather, Cold and frosty weather, When the wind blows We all blow together. I saw Peter! When did you meet him ? Merrily, cherrily [so pronounced] All fall down. A ring, a ring of roses, A pocketful of posies— Ashem, ashem, all fall down. —Sheffield (S. O. Addy). (b)  A ring is formed by the children joining hands. They all dance round, singing the lines. At the word " Hasher " or " Atcha" they all raise their hands [still clasped] up and down, and at " all fall down " they sit suddenly down on the ground. In Lancashire (Morton) they pause and curtsey deeply. The imitation of sneezing is common to all. Miss Peacock says, in Nottinghamshire they say " Hashem! Hashem !" and shake their heads. In the Sheffield version the children sing the first eight lines going round, and all fall down when the eighth is sang. They then form a ring by holding hands, and move round singing the next three lines, and then they all fall either on their knees or flat on their faces. (c)  Versions of this game, identical with the Winterton one, have been sent me by Miss Winfield, Nottingham; others, almost identical with the second Norfolk version, from Monton, Lan­cashire (Miss Dendy), North Staffs. Potteries, Norbury, Staffs., (Miss A. Keary), Earls Heaton, Yorks. (H. Hardy). Addy, Sheffield Glossary gives a version almost identical with the last Sporle version.