"O that will not do, says Melder to Milder, O that will not do, says the younger to the elder; O what will do then? says Festel to Fose; With hatchets and cleavers, said John the Red Nose, With hatchets and cleavers, said John the Red Nose,
"What will you boil her in? says Milder to Melder, What will you boil her in? says the younger to the elder; O I cannot tell thee, says Festel to Fose; In pots and in kettles, said John the Red Nose, In pots and in kettles, said John the Red Nose."
For more on this interesting subject see "Manners and Customs of the People of Tenby" in "The Cambrian Journal," Vol. IV., page 177.
I may add that I heard the above ditty sung in Welsh in several parts of South Wales, especially when I was a boy.
Another such custom was called "tooling," and its purpose was beer. It consisted in calling at the farm-houses and pretending to look for one's tools behind the beer cask. "I've left my saw behind your beer cask," a carpenter would say; "my whip," a carter; and received the tool by proxy, in the shape of a cup of ale. It was also customary for the women to practice what was called sowling, viz., asking for "sowl," that is cheese, fish or meat.
It was also customary in parts of the counties of Pembroke and Carmarthen for poor people to proceed round the neighbourhood from house to house with their "Wassail bowls," and singing outside each door something as follows--
"Taste our jolly wassail bowl, Made of cake, apple, ale, and spice; Good master give command, You shall taste once or twice Of our jolly wassail bowl."
People who partook of the contents of the bowl were of course expected to pay, so that the invitation to "taste our jolly wassail bowl," was not always accepted. In such cases the bearer of the bowl sung the following rhyme in disappointment:--
"Are there any maidens here, As I suppose there's none Or they wouldn't leave us here, With our jolly wassail bowl."
"The huge bowl was on the table, brimful of ale. William held a saucepan, into which Pally and Rachel poured the ale, and which he subsequently placed upon the fire. Leaving it to boil, the party seated round the fire began to roast some of the apples that Pally had just put upon the table. This they effected by tying long pieces of twine to their stems, and suspending them from the different "pot-hooks and hangers" with which the chimney corner abounded, twisting the cord from time to time to prevent their burning.... By the time they had all completed their trials the ale was boiling and the apples were roasted. The tempting beverage went smoking hot into the bowl, and was joined by the contents of a small, suspicious-looking, tightly-corked bottle, which I strongly suspect, contained what the French call the "water of life," and a very strong water it undoubtedly is. Next there was a hissing and splutting greeting between the ale and the roasted apples, which was succeeded by the introduction of some of the "nices," with which Pally's table was covered. Different masculines of the party added to the treat by producing packets of buns, raisins, or biscuits, which they dropped singly into the bowl until it was full to overflowing. With a sufficient proportion of spices and sugar, the wassail bowl was finally prepared, and, as if by instinct, just as it was completed, in popped three or four of Pally's ancient cronies, all dying to partake of it. The cups and glasses were speedily filled, when William proposed Pally's health, which was cordially drunk by the whole party." (The Vale of Towey, pages 83-87).