Wexford Wanderings

by Hugh E. Conway

Games 4

Here are two more circle games with song and verse that were played and enjoyed by the children and teachers at many of the rural Wexford Schools. These games were often played by the younger children included “All around the mulberry bush” and “Pop goes the weasel.”

All around the mulberry bush. This game was designed to help teach children cleanliness and good manners.

The game begins with children holding hands and dancing around in a circle singing the chorus.

Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush
So early in the morning. (Chorus)

When the children reach the action verse; each child stands and perform the appropriate action.

This is the way we wash our face,
Wash our face,
Wash our face.
This is the way we wash our face
So early in the morning.

Then, the children join hands again and dance around in the circle singing the chorus.

When the children reach the next action verse; each child stands and perform the appropriate action.

This is the way we brush our teeth,
Brush our teeth,
Brush our teeth.
This is the way we brush our teeth
So early in the morning.

Then, the children join hands again and dance around in the circle singing the chorus.

When the children reach the next action verse; each child stands and perform the appropriate action.

This is the way we comb our hair,
Comb our hair,
Comb our hair.
This is the way we comb our hair
So early in the morning.

Then, the children join hands again and dance around in the circle singing the chorus.

When the children reach the next action verse; each child stands and perform the appropriate action.

This is the way we put on our clothes,
Put on our clothes,
Put on our clothes.
This is the way we put on our clothes
So early in the morning.

The children join hands again and dance around in the circle singing the final chorus.

Pop goes the weasel: There are two versions of this game with the original coming from London near the clothing factories in the mid to late 1800’s. In Britain, pop is slang for pawn and weasel is slang for coat. Traditionally, even the poor people owned a suit to attend Sunday service in their “Sunday Best”.

When money was short and times hard, the poor and lower middle class workers would pawn their Sunday suit in the beginning of the week and claim it back on the end of the week after pay day but before Sunday. The rice and treacle often was a week’s worth of food. The rice cost tupenny (two pence) per pound and often required the poor to pawn their suit coat. The Eagle was a well-known drinking establishment or tavern in London. Too much drinking would cause depression and poverty which would again result in pawning fathers Sunday suit coat. Additionally, many people worked on spinning wheels in early factories in and near London and the weasel measured the amount of thread or yarn. Forty revolution of the spinning wheel produced a skein or 80 yards of yarn. At forty revolutions, the spinning wheel makes a popping noise telling the spinner she had completed the skein.

The “Pop goes the weasel” game is played by placing rings inside of a dance circle with one less ring than there are people. Each verse is sung while dancing around the circle. When the “Pop! goes the weasel” line is reached, children rush to stand inside a new ring. The one that fails is eliminated as the fallen weasel. The number of rings is reduced by one and the next verse is sung and danced to until “Pop! goes the weasel” line is reached and the children must again rush to stand inside a different ring. Each verse removes one weasel and if needed the verses can be repeated until only the winning child is left standing inside the last circle.

All around the mulberry bush,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey stopped to pull up his sock
Pop! goes the weasel. (This is the chorus)
Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of treacle.
Mix it up and make it nice,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

Every night, when I go out
The weasel’s on the table
Take a stick and knock it off
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

Up and down the city road
In and out of the Eagle
That’s the way the money goes
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

My mother taught me how to sew,
And how to thread the needle,
Every time my finger slips,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

You may try to sew and sew,
And never make something regal,
So roll it up and let it go,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

I went a-hunting in the woods,
It wasn’t very legal,
The dog and I were caught with the goods,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

I said I didn’t hunt or sport,
The warden looked at my beagle,
He said to tell it to the court,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

In the American version of “Pop! goes the Weasel”, this phrase refers to a weasel-skin purse that makes a popping noise when opened and closed as when money is spent. The American version of the game used chairs instead of circles. The music is played and verse song as children circle a row of chairs with one fewer chair than children. When the music stops, the children vie for the available chairs. The child left standing is out of the game. One chair is removed before the music and the next verse are song as children circle the chairs. When the music stops, the children vie for the available chairs. The child left standing is out of the game. Each verse removes one child and if needed the verses can be repeated until only the winning child is sitting on the last chair.

All around the mulberry bush (often the carpenter’s “or” cobbler’s bench instead)

The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey though t’was all in fun,
Pop! goes the weasel. (Chorus)
Put some pepper on its nose,
And you’ll make it sneeze,
Catch it fast before it snaps,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of treacle.
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

A penny for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle—
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

The monkey and the weasel fought,
The weasel’s really feeble,
The monkey punched him in the face,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

Every time when I come home,
The monkey’s on the table,
Cracking nuts and eating spice
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

A painter would his lover to paint,
He stood before the easel,
The monkey jumped all over the paint,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

When his sweetheart she did laugh,
His temper got so lethal,
He tore the painting up in half,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

I climbed up and down the coast,
To find a golden eagle,
I climbed the rocks and thought I was close,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

But, alas, I lost my way,
Saw nothing but a seagull,
I tore my pants and killed the day,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

I went to the grocery store,
I thought a little cheese’ll,
Be good to catch a mouse on the floor,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

 But the mouse was very bright,
He wasn’t a mouse to wheedle,
He took the cheese and said “Good night,”
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

My son and I went to the fair,
We saw a lot of people,
We spent a lot of money there,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

I got sick from all the sun,
My sonny boy got the measles,
Still we had a lot of fun,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

Jimmy’s got the whooping cough
And Timmy’s got the measles.
That’s the way the story goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
(Chorus)

I’ve no time to plead and pine,
No patience to wait ‘til by and by
Kiss me quick, and then I’m gone!
Pop! Goes the weasel