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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222
SUN SHINES—SWINGING
to pick out one, taking her by the hands and standing face to face with her, sings the other verse. Then the two separate their hands, and standing side by side sing the first verse over again, taking another girl from the row, and so on again.
" Monday night," or " Pimlico," is the name of a singing game mentioned by the Rev. S. D. Headlam, in The Church Reformer, as played by children in the schools at Hoxton, which he says was accompanied b)r a kind of chaunt of a very fascinating kind.
Sun Shines
The sun shines above and the sun shines below,
And a' the lasses in this school is dying in love I know,
Especially (girl's name) she's beautiful and fair;
She's awa wi' (a boy's name) for the curl o's hair.
In comes (girl's name) mother with the glass in her han',
Says—My dearest daughter, I'm glad you're gettin a man,
I'm glad you're gettin a man and a cooper to trade,
And let a' the world say he is a rovin' blade.
—Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).
All sing to " especially," boy chooses girl, and then the two whirl round, and all sing to the end.
Sweer Tree
Two persons sit down feet to feet and catch a stick with their hands; then whoever lifteth the other is the strongest. —Mactaggart's Gallovidian Encyclopedia.
Compare " Honey pots."
Swinging
Rhymes were said or sung by children and young people when swinging. They were of the same character, and in many instances the same as those given in " See-saw " and " Shuttle-feather," and were used formerly for purposes of divination. The following extract, from the Pall Mall Gazette of Sept. 19th, 1895, seems to indicate an early notion connected with swinging. It is taken from one of the articles in that paper upon Jabez Balfour's diary during his residence in the Argen­tine Republic :—" On the 2nd November he (Balfour) mentions