Why is it, one wonders, that some singing games die out and yet others continue to be incredibly popular? In fact, this game is so well known that folk song collectors do not bother to note it, and yet it is probably played in every junior school playground in the UK and other English-speaking countries. Curiously, the game may not be as old as many think and has only been noted from the 19th century onwards.
Notes by Gwilym Davies 6 May 2015