This game is mentioned in the _Church Reformer_, by the Rev. S. D.
Headlam, as one being played at Hoxton, but no account of how the game is played is given.
Sally Water
[Music]
-Yorkshire (Mr. H. Hardy).
[Music]
-Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
[Music]
-Enborne (Miss Kimber).
[Music]
-Welford (Mrs. Stephen Batson).
[Music]
-Liverpool (Mr. C. C. Bell).
[Music]
-Beddgelert, Wales (Mrs. Williams).
[Music]
-Nottingham (Miss Youngman).
I. Sally, Sally Water, Sprinkle in the pan; Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, And choose a young man.
Choose [or bow] to the east, Choose [or bow] to the west, And choose [or bow to] the pretty girl [or young man]
That you love best.
[Another version has:
Choose for the best one, Choose for the worst one, Choose for the pretty girl That you love best.]
And now you"re married I wish you joy; First a girl and then a boy; Seven years after son and daughter; And now, young people, jump over the water.
-Symondsbury, Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 207).
II. Sally, Sally Walker, sprinkle water in the pan; Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, and seek your young man; Turn to the east and turn to the west, And choose the one that you love best.
Now you"re married we wish you joy, First a girl and then a boy, Seven years after a son and a daughter, So young lovers kiss together.
-Chudleigh Knighton, Devon (Henderson"s _Folk-lore of the Northern Counties_, p. 27).
III. Sally, Sally Water, Sprinkle in the pan; Hi! Sally; Ho! Sally, Choose a young man; Choose for the best, Choose for the worst, Choose for the very one you love best.
Now you"re married we wish you joy, First a girl and then a boy, Seven years after sister and brother; Kiss each other and come out of the water.
-Somersetshire, _Notes and Queries_, 8th series, i. 249 (Miss R. H.
Busk).
IV. Sally Waters, Sally Waters, come sprinkle in the pan; Rise, Sally; rise, Sally, for a young man!
Choose for the best, choose for the worst, Choose for the very one you love the best.
Now you are married, we wish you joy; First a girl and then a boy, Seven years afterwards son and daughter; Pray, young couple, kiss together.
-London version (Miss Dendy).
V. Sally, Sally Walker, Sprinkling in a pan; Rise, Sally; rise, Sally, For a young man.
Come, choose from the east, Come, choose from the west, Come, choose out the very one That you love best.
Now there"s a couple Married in joy; First a girl, And then a boy.
Now you"re married; You must obey Every word Your husband says.
Take a kiss And walk away, And remember the promise You"ve made to-day.
-Fochabers (Rev. W. M"Gregor).
VI. Sally, Sally Waters, Sprinkled in the pan; Rise, Sally, rise, Sally, For a young man, Choose the best and choose the worst, And choose the prettiest you love best.
-Welford, Berks (Mrs. Stephen Batson).
VII. Sally, Sally Wallflower, Sprinkled in the pan, &c., Now you"re married, &c., On the carpet you shall kneel, &c.
-_Notes and Queries_, 5th series, iii.
VIII. Sallie, Sallie Waters, Sprinkled in a pan; Rise, Sallie, rise, Sallie, Choose a young man.
Choose the best, and Choose the worst, and Choose the one that you love best.
Now that you are married, I"m sure we wish you joy, First a girl, then a boy; Seven years after, Son and daughter, Pray, young couple, come kiss together.
-Enborne, Berks; Marlborough, Wilts; Lewes, Suss.e.x (Miss Kimber).
IX. Sally, Sally Waters, Sprinkle in a pan; Cry, Sally, cry, Sally, For a young man.
Come choose the worst, Come choose the best, Come choose the young man That you like the best.
And now you"re married I wish yer good joy, Every year a girl and a boy.
Come love one another Like sister and brother, And kiss together for joy.
Clash the bells, Clash the bells.