Esperance Morris Book vol 1 - online book

A Manual Of Morris Dances Folk-songs And Singing Games With Sheet Music And Instructions

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	WIGAMY, WIGAMY, WATERHEN. From Alice E. Gillington's "Old Surrey Singing Games"by permission. Taking Captives. One of the elder children is chosen to be Mother, and collects all the others one by one behind her. Another represents the old woman and sits on the ground with her pinafore over her head pretend­ing to pick up sticks. Th'- rest, holding on to the Mothers skirts and to each other's frocks, go round and round, singing.--
	"Wigamy, Wigamy, Waterhen! I've sold my buttermilk all again! When I get more, I'll sell it by score, And that's the way the buttermilk goes!" They stop in front of the old woman. Mother.- "What are you picking up sticks for?" Old Woman :- "To light my fire!" Mother:- "What are you lighting your fire for?" Old Worn an.■- "To boil my kettle!" Mother.- "What do you want to boil your kettle for?" Old Woman :- "To boil my knives and forks!" Mother:- (gathering the children closer behind her) "What are you boiling your knives and forks for?" Old Woman.■- "To cut off your little boys' and girls' heads!" Makes a dart after the hindmost child, and if she succeeds in catching one, takes it off with her, and begins to pick up sticks as before. Mother goes round with the children singing the same as before, and the same questions and answers are asked and answered, till the next child is caught; and so on to the last.