J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular rhymes of Scotland

178
POPULAR RHYMES OF SCOTLAND,
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i wi' you. Owre mo-ny o' you, lit - tie for to
Slow.
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gie you; hee O, wee O, what would I do wi' you?
RHYMES ACCOMPANYING EXERCISES FOR THE AMUSEMENT OF
YOUNG CHILDREN.
The old-fasliioned Scottish nurses were rich in expedients
for amusing- infants. No sooner had the first faint dawn
of the understanding appeared, than the faithful attendant
was ready to engage it with some practical drollery, so as
to keep it in good-humour, and exercise the tender facul-
ties. One of the first whimsicalities practised was to take
the two feet of the infant and make them go quickly up
and down and over each other, saying the following appro-
priate verses : —
This is Willie Walker, and that's Tain Sim,
He ca'd liim to a feast, and he ca'd him ;
And he sticket him wi' the spit, and he sticket him.
And he owre him, and he owi-e him,
And he owre him, and he owre him, &c.
Till day brak.
Or the following : —
' Feetikin, feetikin,
When will ye gang ?'
' When the nichts turn short,
And the days turn lang,
I'll toddle and gang, toddle and gang,' &c.
Arms as well as legs were sometimes taken into these
little jocularities ; and then the following verses were used : —
The doggies gaed to the mill,
This way and that way ;
They took a lick out o' this wife's poke,
And a lick out o' that wife's poke.
And a loup in the lead,* and a dip in the dam,
And gaed hame walloping, walloping, walloping, &c.
* The mill-course.