ly, dang!
It's nayther for thy part, nor my part,
That I ride the stang.
But it's for Jack Solomon,
His wife he did bang.
He bang'd her, he bang'd her,
He bang'd her indeed,
He bang'd t' poor woman
Tho' shoo stood him no need.
He nayther took stick, stain, wire, nor stower,(2)
But he up wi' a besom an' knock'd her ower.
So all ye good neighbours who live i' this raw,
I pray ye tak warnin', for this is our law.
An' all ye cross husbands
Who do your wives bang,
We'll blow for ye t' horn ,
An' ride for ye t' stang.
Hip, hip, hip, hurrah!

1 From B. J. Harker's Rambles in Upper Wharfedale. Other
versions, more or less similar to the above, are to be found in R.
Blakeborough's Wit, Folklore, and Customs of the North Riding, and
J. Nicholson's Folk Speech of the East Riding. In the Yorkshire
Dialect Society's Transactions, vol. iii., part xvi., will be found a
racy account, in the Beverley dialect, of the custom of "ridin' t'
stang."

2. Pole.

Elphi Bandy-legs(1)

Traditional

Elphi bandy-legs,
Bent, an' wide apart,
Nea yan i' this deale
Awns a kinder heart.
Elphi, great-heead,
Greatest iver seen,
Nea yan i' this deale
Awns a breeter een.
Elphi, little chap,
Thof he war so small,
War big wi' deeds o' kindness,
Drink tiv him yan an' all.
Him at fails to drain dry,
Be it mug or glass,
Binnot woth a pescod,
Nor a buss(3) frae onny lass.

1. Written in an old cook-book and signed "J. L. 1699";
from Gordon Home's 'The Evolution of an English Town, p208.

2. Is not worth. 3. Kiss

Singing Games

Traditional

I

Stepping up the green grass
Thus and thus and thus;
Will you let one of your fair maids
Come and play with us.

We will give you pots and pans,
We will give you brass;
We will give you anything
For a pretty lass.

We won't take your pots and pans,
We won't take your brass,
We won't take your "anything
For a pretty lass."

We will give you gold and silver,
We will give you pearl;
We will give you anything
For a pretty girl.

Come, my