wee folks" are the really
delightsome ones. Such is "~The Widow of Babylon~," the ritual of which,
less elaborate, resembles that of "Merry-Ma-Tanzie," though the rhymes
are different. Girls only play here. One is chosen for the centre. The
others, with hands joined, form a ring about her, and move round
briskly, singing:--

Here's a poor widow from Babylon,
With six poor children all alone;
One can bake, and one can brew,
One can shape, and one can sew.
One can sit at the fire and spin,
One can bake a cake for the king;
Come choose you east, come choose you west,
Come choose the one that you love best.

The girl in the middle chooses one from the ring, naming her, and
sings:--

I choose the fairest that I do see,
[Jeanie Anderson] come to me.

The girl chosen enters the ring, communicating the name of her
sweetheart, when those in the ring resume their lightsome motion, and
sing:--

Now they are married, I wish them joy,
Every year a girl or boy;
Loving each other like sister and brother,
I pray this couple may kiss together.

The girls within the ring kiss. The one who first occupied the circle
then joins the ring, while the last to come in enacts the part of
mistress; and so on the game goes until all have had their turn.

* * * * *

"~London Bridge~" is a well-known and widely played game, though here
and there with slightly differing rhymes. Two children--the tallest and
strongest, as a rule--standing face to face, hold up their hands, making
the form of an arch. The others form a long line by holding on to each
other's dresses, and run under. Those running sing the first verse,
while the ones forming the arch sing the second, and alternate verses,
of the following rhyme:--

London bridge is fallen down,
Fallen down, fallen down;
London bridge is fallen down,
My fair lady.

_Question._--What will it take to build it up?
(With repeats.)

_Answer._--Needles and preens will build it up.

_Question._--Needles and preens will rust and bend.

_Answer._--Silver and gold will build it up.

_Question._--Silver and gold will be stolen away.

_Answer._--Build it up with penny loaves.

_Question._--Penny loaves will tumble down.

_Answer._--Bricks and mortar will build it up.

_Question._--Bricks and mortar will wash away.

_Answer._--We will set a dog to bark.

_Question._--Here's a prisoner we have