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Loving each other like sister and brother, A happy new couple may kiss together.
—Laurieston School, Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
A circle is formed, two children in the centre, one of whom kneels, the other walks round singing—
I am a poor widow go walking around,
Go walking around, go walking around, my own.
And all of my children are married but one,
Are married but one, are married but one, my own.
I put on a nightcap to keep her head warm, To keep her head warm, to keep her head warm, my own. Then rise up my daughter and choose whom you please, And choose whom you please, and choose whom you please, my own.
The mother then joins the circle, and the daughter becomes poor widow. On the mention of the nightcap a white handkerchief is spread over the head, the circle walking around slowly, and chanting the words slowly and dismally.
—Penzance (Miss Courtney).
See " Widow," ante, p. 381.
Rashes.
A game played by children with rushes in Derbyshire, which is a relic of the old custom of rush-bearing. In the warm days of May and June the village children proceed in parties to the sedges and banks of dyke and brook, there to gather the finest and best rushes. These are brought with childish ceremony to some favourite spot, and then woven into various articles, such as baskets, parasols, and umbrellas. Small arbours are made of green bushes and strewn with rushes, inside which the children sit and sing and play at "keeping house" with much lordly ceremony. At these times they play a,t a game which consists in joining hands in a circle, and going round a heap of rushes singing or saying—
Mary Green and Bessy Bell, They were two bonny lasses; |
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