When I was a gentleman, a gentleman, a gentleman, When I was a gentleman, this a-way went I.
When I was a washerwoman, &c.
When I was a schoolgirl, &c.
When I had a baby, &c.
When I was a cobbler, &c.
When I was a s...o...b..ack, &c.
When my husband beat me, &c.
When my baby died, &c.
When my husband died, &c.
When I was a parson, &c.
-Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss Edith Hollis).
V. When I was a lady, a lady, a lady, When I was a lady, a lady was I.
"Twas this way and that way, and this way and that.
When I was a gentleman, a gentleman, a gentleman, When I was a gentleman, a gentleman was I.
"Twas this way and that way, and this way and that.
When I was a schoolgirl, a schoolgirl, a schoolgirl, When I was a schoolgirl, a schoolgirl was I, &c.
When I was a schoolboy, a schoolboy, a schoolboy, &c.
When I was a schoolmaster, a schoolmaster, a schoolmaster, &c.
When I was a schoolmistress, a schoolmistress, a schoolmistress, &c.
When I was a donkey, a donkey, a donkey, &c.
When I was a s...o...b..ack, a s...o...b..ack, a s...o...b..ack, &c.
-Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).
VI. When I was a naughty girl, a naughty girl, a naughty girl, When I was a naughty girl, a-this a-way went I!
And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way, And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way, And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way, And a-this a-way went I!
When I was a good girl, &c., a-this a-way went I! &c.
When I was a naughty girl, &c.
When I went courting, &c.
When I got married, &c.
When I had a baby, &c.
When the baby cried, &c.
When the baby died, &c.
-Berrington (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 514).
VII. When I was a naughty girl, &c. [as above]
When I went to school, &c.
When I went a-courting, &c.
When I got married, &c.
When I had a baby, &c.
When the baby fell sick, &c.
When my baby did die, &c.
When my husband fell sick, &c.
When my husband did die, &c.
When I was a widow, &c.
Then I took in washing, &c.
Then my age was a hundred and four, &c.
-Market Drayton (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 515).
VIII. First I was a school-maid, a school-maid, how happy was I!
And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way went I!
And then I got married, how happy was I! &c.
And then I had a baby, how happy was I! &c.
And then my husband died, how sorry was I! &c.
And then I married a cobbler, how happy was I! &c.
And then the baby died, how sorry was I! &c.