One on each side of a squatting child, they tried it by swinging by the arms, the child’s hands still being clasped under its buttocks. If the hands gave way, the honeypot was cast away as broken; if they held, it was adjudged a good pot.

A homely game was The Old Woman from Cumberland. For this a row of girls stood hand in hand with a bigger one in the middle to represent the old woman from Cumberland. Another bigger girl stood alone a few paces in front. She was known as the mistress. Then the row of girls tripped forward, singing:

Here comes an old woman from Cumberland

With all her children in her hand.

And please do you want a servant today?

“What can they do?” demanded the mistress as they drew up before her. Then the old woman of Cumberland detached herself and walked down the row, placing a hand on the heads of one after another of her children as she said:

This can brew, and this can bake,

This can make a wedding cake,

This can wear a gay gold ring,

This can sit in the barn and sing,

This can go to bed with a king,

And this one can do everything.

“Oh! I will have that one,” said the mistress, pointing to the one who could do everything, who then went over to her. The proceedings were repeated until half the girls had gone over, when the two sides had a tug-of-war.

The Old Woman from Cumberland was a brisk, business-like game; but most of the rhymes of the others were long-drawn-out and sad, and saddest of all was Poor Mary is A-weeping, which went:

Poor Mary is a-weeping, a-weeping, a-weeping,

Poor Mary is a-weeping on a bright summer’s day.

And what’s poor Mary a-weeping for, a-weeping for, aweeping for?

Oh, what’s poor Mary a-weeping for on a bright summer’s day?

She’s weeping for her own true love on a bright summer’s own true love.

She’s weeping for her own true love on a bright summer’s day.

Then let her choose another love, another love, another love.

Then let her choose another love on a bright summer’s day.

Waly, Waly, Wallflower ran Poor Mary close in gentle melancholy; but the original verse in this seems to have broken down after the fourth line. The Lark Rise version ran:

Waly, waly, wallflower, growing up so high.

We’re all maidens, we must all die,

Excepting So-and-So [naming one of the players]

And she’s the youngest maid.

Then, the tune changing to a livelier air:

She can hop and she can skip,

She can play the candlestick,

Fie! Fie! Fie!

Turn your face to the wall again.

All clasping hands and jumping up and down:

All the boys in this town

Lead a happy life,

Excepting So-and-So [naming some hamlet boy, not necessarily present]

And he wants a wife.