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Games and Songs of American Children

by William Wells Newell

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  1. 1Editor’s Note
  2. 2Introductory
  3. 3II — The Dance, the Ballad, and the Game
  4. 4III — May Games
  5. 5IV — The Inventiveness of Children
  6. 6V — The Conservatism of Children
  7. 7I — Love-Games — No. 1 — Knights of Spain
  8. 8No. 2 — Three Kings
  9. 9No. 3 — Here Comes a Duke
  10. 10No. 4 — Tread, Tread the Green Grass
  11. 11No. 5 — I’ll Give to You a Paper of Pins
  12. 12No. 6 — There She Stands, a Lovely Creature
  13. 13No. 7 — Green Grow the Rushes, o!
  14. 14No. 8 — The Widow With Daughters to Marry
  15. 15No. 9 — Philander’s March
  16. 16No. 10 — Marriage
  17. 17II — Histories
  18. 18No. 11 — Miss Jennia Jones
  19. 19No. 12 — Down She Comes as White as Milk
  20. 20No. 13 — Little Sally Waters
  21. 21No. 14 — Here Sits the Queen of England
  22. 22No. 15 — Green Gravel
  23. 23No. 16 — Uncle John
  24. 24No. 17 — King Arthur Was King William’s Son
  25. 25No. 18 — Little Harry Hughes and the Duke’s Daughter
  26. 26No. 19 — Barbara Allen
  27. 27III — Playing at Work — No. 20 — Virginia Reel
  28. 28No. 21 — Oats, Pease, Beans, and Barley Grows
  29. 29No. 22 — Who’ll Be the Binder?
  30. 30No. 23 — As We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
  31. 31No. 24 — Do, Do, Pity My Case
  32. 32No. 25 — When I Was a Shoemaker
  33. 33No. 26 — Here We Come Gathering Nuts of May
  34. 34No. 27 — Here I Brew, and Here I Bake
  35. 35No. 28 — Draw a Bucket of Water
  36. 36No. 29 — Threading the Needle
  37. 37IV — Humor and Satire — No. 30 — Soldier, Soldier, Will You Marry Me?
  38. 38No. 31 — Quaker Courtship
  39. 39No. 32 — Lazy Mary
  40. 40No. 33 — Whistle, Daughter, Whistle
  41. 41No. 34 — There Were Three Jolly Welshmen
  42. 42No. 35 — A Hallowe’en Rhyme
  43. 43No. 36 — The Doctor’s Prescription
  44. 44No. 37 — Old Grimes
  45. 45No. 38 — The Baptist Game
  46. 46No. 39 — Trials, Troubles, and Tribulations
  47. 47No. 40 — Happy Is the Miller
  48. 48No. 41 — The Miller of Gosport
  49. 49V — Flower Oracles, etc.
  50. 50No. 42 — Flower Oracles
  51. 51No. 43 — Use of Flowers in Games
  52. 52No. 44 — Counting Apple-seeds
  53. 53No. 45 — Rose in the Garden
  54. 54No. 46 — There Was a Tree Stood in the Ground
  55. 55No. 47 — Green!
  56. 56VI — Bird and Beast — No. 48 — My Household
  57. 57No. 49 — Frog-pond
  58. 58No. 50 — Bloody Tom
  59. 59No. 51 — Blue-birds and Yellow-birds
  60. 60No. 52 — Ducks Fly
  61. 61VII — Human Life — No. 53 — King and Queen
  62. 62No. 54 — Follow Your Leader
  63. 63No. 55 — Truth
  64. 64No. 56 — Initiation
  65. 65No. 57 — Judge and Jury
  66. 66No. 58 — Three Jolly Sailors
  67. 67No. 59 — Marching to Quebec
  68. 68No. 60 — Sudden Departure
  69. 69No. 61 — Scorn
  70. 70VIII — The Pleasures of Motion
  71. 71No. 62 — Ring Around the Rosie
  72. 72No. 63 — Go Round and Round the Valley
  73. 73No. 64 — The Farmer in the Dell
  74. 74No. 65 — The Game of Rivers
  75. 75No. 66 — Quaker, How Is Thee?
  76. 76No. 67 — Darby Jig
  77. 77No. 68 — Right Elbow in
  78. 78No. 69 — My Master Sent Me
  79. 79No. 70 — Humpty Dumpty
  80. 80No. 71 — Pease Porridge Hot
  81. 81No. 72 — Rhymes for a Race
  82. 82No. 73 — Twine the Garland
  83. 83No. 74 — Hopping-dance
  84. 84IX — Mirth and Jest — No. 75 — Club Fist
  85. 85No. 76 — Robin’s Alive
  86. 86No. 77 — Laughter Games
  87. 87No. 78 — Bachelor’s Kitchen
  88. 88No. 79 — The Church and the Steeple
  89. 89No. 80 — What Color?
  90. 90No. 81 — Beetle and Wedge
  91. 91No. 82 — Present and Advise
  92. 92No. 83 — Genteel Lady
  93. 93No. 84 — Beast, Bird, or Fish
  94. 94No. 85 — Wheel of Fortune
  95. 95No. 86 — Catches
  96. 96No. 87 — Intery Mintery
  97. 97No. 88 — Redeeming Forfeits
  98. 98No. 89 — Old Mother Tipsy-toe
  99. 99No. 90 — Who Stole the Cardinal’s Hat?
  100. 100X — Guessing-Games
  101. 101No. 91 — Odd or Even
  102. 102No. 92 — Hul Gul
  103. 103No. 93 — How Many Fingers?
  104. 104No. 94 — Right or Left
  105. 105No. 95 — Under Which Finger?
  106. 106No. 96 — Comes, It Comes
  107. 107No. 97 — Hold Fast My Gold Ring
  108. 108No. 98 — My Lady Queen Anne
  109. 109No. 99 — The Wandering Dollar
  110. 110No. 100 — Thimble in Sight
  111. 111XI — Games of Chase
  112. 112No. 101 — How Many Miles to Babylon?
  113. 113No. 102 — Hawk and Chickens
  114. 114No. 103 — Tag
  115. 115No. 104 — Den
  116. 116No. 105 — I Spy
  117. 117No. 106 — Sheep and Wolf
  118. 118No. 107 — Blank and Ladder
  119. 119No. 108 — Blind-man’s Buff
  120. 120No. 109 — Witch in the Jar
  121. 121No. 110 — Prisoner’s Base
  122. 122No. 111 — Defence of the Castle
  123. 123No. 112 — Lil Lil
  124. 124No. 113 — Charley Barley
  125. 125No. 114 — Milking-pails
  126. 126No. 115 — Stealing Grapes
  127. 127No. 116 — Stealing Sticks
  128. 128No. 117 — Hunt the Squirrel
  129. 129XII — Certain Games of Very Little Girls — No. 118 — Sail the Ship
  130. 130No. 119 — Three Around · No. 120 — Iron Gates — No. 121 — Charley O…
  131. 131No. 122 — Frog in the Sea — No. 123 — Defiance
  132. 132No. 124 — My Lady’s Wardrobe
  133. 133No. 125 — Housekeeping
  134. 134No. 126 — A March — No. 127 — Rhymes for Tickling
  135. 135XIII — Ball, and Similar Sports
  136. 136No. 128 — The “Times” of Sports
  137. 137No. 129 — Camping the Ball
  138. 138No. 130 — Hand-ball
  139. 139No. 131 — Stool-Ball
  140. 140No. 132 — Call-Ball
  141. 141No. 133 — Haley-Over
  142. 142No. 134 — School-Ball
  143. 143No. 135 — Wicket
  144. 144No. 136 — Hockey
  145. 145No. 137 — Roll-Ball
  146. 146No. 138 — Hat-Ball
  147. 147No. 139 — Corner-Ball
  148. 148No. 140 — Base-ball
  149. 149No. 141 — Marbles
  150. 150No. 142 — Cat
  151. 151No. 143 — Cherry-pits
  152. 152No. 144 — Buttons
  153. 153No. 145 — Hop-Scotch
  154. 154No. 146 — Duck on a Rock
  155. 155No. 147 — Mumblety-peg
  156. 156No. 148 — Five-stones
  157. 157XIV — Rhymes for Counting Out
  158. 158No. 149 — Counting Rhymes
  159. 159XV — Mythology — No. 150 — London Bridge
  160. 160No. 151 — Open the Gates
  161. 161No. 152 — Weighing
  162. 162No. 153 — Colors
  163. 163No. 154 — Old Witch
  164. 164No. 155 — The Ogree’s Coop
  165. 165No. 156 — Tom Tidler’s Ground
  166. 166No. 157 — Dixie’s Land
  167. 167No. 158 — Ghost in the Cellar
  168. 168No. 159 — The Enchanted Princess
  169. 169No. 160 — The Sleeping Beauty
  170. 170Appendix
  171. 171Comparisons and References
  172. 172Notes to Introduction

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