Games and Songs of American Children (1884)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Sun, 6 Mar 2005 20:54:02 EST, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:

>GAMES AND SONGS OF AMERICAN CHILDREN
>by William Wells Newell
>New York: Harper & Brothers
>1884
> ...
>There's a lot here. DARE should have cited it for "potsie" (NYC game).
>Church/Steeple is here, as is Little Sally Waters.
[...]
>Pg. 138: _The Church and the Steeple._
>Here is the church,
>Here is the steeple,
>Here is the parson,
>And all the people.
>(The text says the Italian version is "This is the Inferno, and this the
>Paradiso"--ed.)

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_Atlanta Constitution_, Feb 15, 1880, p. 2

Baby Dimple's House

Block upon block, block upon block;
Wait, baby, wait till the time to knock;
Hush, Baby Dimple, still as a mouse!
This is the way to build a house.

What shall it be -- a church so high
With a steeple up to the very sky?
First we will build a good thick wall--
Still, baby, still! or you'll spoil it all;
Block upon block, till all is complete;
That is the way to build, my sweet!

Here is the door, and here is the steeple,
Within are the preacher and all the people.
Now, baby, now for the final shock!
Ah that was only a tiny knock;
Once again, Dimple--one, two, three!
Over it goes, in your merry glee!

And that is the end of the church and the steeple;
But where are the preacher and all the people?

--Mabel C. Dowd in The Nursery
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--Ben Zimmer