New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-01


still when they listen. In Rimski-Korsakows
opera. "Maijskaja Notsch" ('May night). the
game forms the first scene. According to Rais-
tim 1.-THE Songs OF the Russian People, these
are the words The numbers designate the
chor):
l. We have sown. We have sown Nllie|
OF Did-Lado. We have sown.
q But will trample it,
OF Did-Lado will trample 1t. -.
l. But with what will you trampe itf
q Horses will we turn into 1t.
l. But we will catch the horses
Q What will you catch them wlthf
l. With siken rein.
Q But we will ransom the horses.
!. What will you ransom them withf
@ We will give hundred rubles
l. A thousand rubles is not what we want
2 What is II then ye want!
l. What we want is a maiden
At the end Of the song one Of the girls OF the
second choir goes over TO the first; and so the
game goes on until all the madens or the secohu
choir have joined the first. Here, obviously as
in the Icelandc form Of the game referred TO-
the ancient custom which has been preserved
In the game song Is marriage by purchase Du'
there are other Savonic songs In which mar
rage by theft still more primitive iorin' Is
suggested by the song Thus In Servlan game
the winning side sings: III you Will not give
us a maiden we will take one by force! AN
amusing instance Of poetical corruption is lounu
In the form which the Three Dukes mas as
sumed in some of the Western States. young
lady from beyond the Mississippi sang II thus 10
the writer few months ago:
Here come three ducks a-roving.
A-roving a-roving.
Here come three ducks a-roving,
With ransy tansy. tea
Mr.. Newell has noted a similar variant as COM
mon through the Middle States. Miss CONNIE IN
her notes on the game. mentions version COL
lected by her in which one OF the girls Is cap
tured by the Dukes and forcibly taken to Inc
other side; yet IT does not seem TO have occurred
to her that this was a survival of marriage by
capture or theft.
The first game In this book, when was
vounc GIRL" there are a number of versions
in America, Of which we recall AS we go
round the mulberry (barberry in New-Ens-
land bush" DO. do pity my case u~ouisiaha''
when was a shoemaker" and one Of the
daintiest Of ALL
Sur lie pont dAvignon
Tout le monde passe.
Les Messieurs comm 81,
Les DANES fout comm ca,
which crossed the ocean many generations ago
and took up a habtation in Canada. the TWO
others familiar here are Miss Jenny tJehh'D
ZONES, and Green Gravel" The latter song
Miss CONNIE gives as sung in her own Barnes.
1t contains lines unknown In America ana 10
therefore reproduced here:
Green gravel green gravel.
Your grass is So green.
The fairest young damsel
That ever seen.
I'll wash you in new milk
And dress you in silk
And write down your name
With a gold pen and INK
Oh (Mary), Oh (Mary)
Your true love is dead;
He's sent you letter
To turn round your head.
tn. English melody differs greatly from the
American. and looks, indeed, Ike corruption
OF Oranges and Lemons" having the same
transition 10 the key Of the subdominant. The
song as sung in Ohio and some other portions
OF this country runs thus
Green gravel. green gravel
The grass Is so green.
And all the free-masons
Are 'shamed 10 be seen
o (Nary) dear Mary
Your true love IS dead.
He sent you a letter
To turn back your head.
Frequently the second line. in defiance Of rhyme,
is sung How green the grass grows. Free
Masons'' IS obviously a corruption Of fair maid
ems" as the words so generally where they are
sung in the East II would be a curious study
inexpilcable change is due 10 the anti-Ma-
sonic excitement Of half century ago Green
Gravel" IS an old song and fun OF mysteries
Miss CONNIE tries to clear away some Of them
in her note which says
Green gravel Is probably green grave, ana
the incidents OF washing and dressing the corpse
and writing inscription. important funcu'n'
as these In earlier times, are all lndlcatr1
as well as the belief Of communion with the
dead In many versions love ana marriage /
verses occur. These may or may not be later IN |
Temptations An old funeral ceremony. known |
as "Dish-a-lo loot" illustrates the action OF the !
PLAYERS in turning back their heads. During
this ceremony watchers at a funeral went out
of the room (where the corpse was iyihs anu
returned into 1t backward.
All this seems far-fetched. at least so far as
the American form Of the game is concerned. |
The turning Of the head (as matter OF fact |
the player turns completely about and faces
outwardly) is surely intended simply as sign
OF mourning