VI. Rosy apples, mellow pears, Bunch of roses she shall wear; Gold and silver by her side, Tell me who shall be her bride. Take her by her lily-white hand, Lead her across the ocean; Give her a kiss, and one, two, three, Mrs. ---- daughter.
VII. A rosy apple, lemon, and a pear, A bunch of roses she shall wear; Gold and silver by your side, Choose the one to be your bride. Take her by her lily-white hand, Lead her to the altar; Give her a kiss by one, two, three, Mrs. ---- daughter.
VIII. Roses up, and roses down, Roses in the garden; I wadna gie ye a bunch o' flowers For tenpence halfpenny farden. Take her by the lily-white hand, Lead her across the water; Gie her a kiss, and one, two, three, For she's a lady's daughter.
--Berwickshire (A. M. Bell) _Antiquary_, xxx. 16.
IX. Maggie Littlejohn, fresh and fair, A bunch of roses in her hair; Gold and silver by her side, I know who is her bride. Take her by the lily-white hand, Lead her over the water; Give her kisses,--one, two, three,-- For she's a lady's daughter. Roses up, and roses down, And roses in the garden; I widna give a bunch of roses For twopence ha'penny farthing.
X. Roses up, and roses down, And roses in the garden; I widna gie a bunch o' roses For tippence ha'penny farden. So and so, fresh and fair, A bunch o' roses she shall wear; Gold and silver by her side, Crying out, "Cheese and bride" (bread). Take her by the lily-white hand, Lead her on the water; Give her kisses,--one, two, three,-- For she's her mother's daughter.
XI. Roses up, and roses down, And roses in the garden; I wadna gie a bunch o' roses For twopence ha'penny farthin'. ----, fresh and fair, A bunch of roses she shall wear; Gold and silver by her side, I know who's her bride. Take her by the lily-white hand, And lead her o'er the water; And give her kisses,--one, two, three,-- For she's the princess' daughter.
XII. Maggie Black, fresh and fair, A bunch of roses she shall wear; I know who I'll take. Give her kisses,--one, two, three,-- For she's a lady's daughter. Roses in, and roses out, Roses in a garden; I would not give a bunch of roses For twopence halfpenny "farden."
(_c_) The players form a ring, one child stands in the centre, who chooses a sweetheart from the ring when the fifth line is sung; the two kiss, the first child takes her place in the ring, the second child remains in the centre, and the game begins again. This is the method adopted in most of the versions. The Symondsbury game is slightly different; the first part is the same, but when the last line is sung the child who was first in the middle must run away and take a place in the ring as soon as she can. The second one remains in the centre. The Maxey (Northants.) version is altogether different. All the children but one stand in a row. The one stands in front of them and sings the lines by herself; at the last line she selects one from the line by naming her. These two then sing the lines, "swinging round," so described by Mr. Sweeting's informant. They then select a third when singing the last line, and the three then swing round. This is repeated till all the children from the line come into the ring.