Читать книгу What Shall We Do Now?: Five Hundred Games and Pastimes - Dorothy Canfield Fisher - Страница 41

"Oranges and lemons,"

Say the bells of St. Clement's.

"You owe me five farthings,"

Say the bells of St. Martin's.

"When will you pay me?"

Say the bells of Old Bailey.

"When I grow rich,"

Say the bells of Shoreditch.

"When will that be?"

Say the bells of Stepney.

"I do not know,"

Says the great bell of Bow.

Here comes a candle to light you to bed,

And here comes a chopper to chop off the last man's head.

With these final words the arch-players lower their arms and catch the head of the last of the procession. In order that the arrival of the end of the procession and the end of the verses shall come together, the last line can be lengthened like this—

And here comes a chopper to chop off the last—last—last—last man's head.

Another shorter verse which is often sung is,

London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down,

London Bridge is falling down. My fair lady.

In this case the two players who make the arch with their arms can choose any eatables they like—"ice cream" and "oysters." The players who are caught are asked which they prefer and their places are back of the one representing their choice. The captured player is then asked in a whisper which he will be, oranges or lemons? and if he says oranges, is placed accordingly behind that one of his capturers who is to have the oranges on his side. The procession and the rhyme begin again, and so on until all are caught and are ranged on their respective sides. Then a handkerchief is placed on the floor between the captains of the oranges and the lemons, and both sides pull, as in the "Tug of War" (page 38), until one side is pulled over the handkerchief.