A Rhyme for Keeping Time

[PattyD]

Did you know that the little poem "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" is about bobbin lacing?

Back in the days when children were put into lace schools and were supposed to be taught to read and write and then make lace, but mostly it was the other way around, the children were not allowed to talk while making lace, lest they slow down. But they did recite rhymes and songs to keep up a steady rhythm.

The children in the lace schools had a plate with pins on it that had been counted out. If the child did not have an empty plate at the end of the day, they had to stay behind and do 600 more pins. Boys were well noted to have no patience for this foolishness and stories abound of boys chucking their pillows into the nearest pond.

One, Two, buckle my shoe (make a stitch)
Three, Four, shut the door (close a pin)
Five, Six, pick up sticks (pick up the new pair)
Seven, Eight, lay them straight (place the new pair)
Nine, Ten, the big fat hen (maybe a spider?)
Eleven, Twelve, dig and delve (you know how we dig for the place to put the pin)
Thirteen, Fourteen, maids a courting (twists!)
Fifteen, Sixteen, maids a kissing (cross)
Seventeen, Eighteen, maids a waiting (ready for the next stitch)
Nineteen, Twenty, my plate's empty! (done all the pins on plate! no staying after)

[Judy]

What a revelation! We used to jump rope to this tune and we all tried to figure out what it meant. Particularly good for three girls, two with the rope, one jumping where the jumper is free to do tricks, like picking up stuff.

[carolivy]

Interesting to find out what the old Nursery Rhymes actually mean!

[creadozo]

Interesting! I think we used this rhyme when we played a game with two or tree balls (size tennis ball). I think in Dutch we called it "kaatsenballen". But that is some years ago (35?). When I use Google-translator it says "bouncing balls". Don't know if that is what I mean LOL.

[Lynn]

Fascinating. But at the same time, sad to think that the beautiful lace today's bobbin lace makers so enjoy making was a punishment for children.

[PattyD]

By 1880 the lace schools had come to an end because Great Britain enacted an education law that put an end to the lace schools. The industrial revolution caused a lot of dislocation and monetizing products made life very difficult for the lower classes who had previously been more dependent on trades in kind. Add to that the continuing reduction in wages during the period. Families had to eat and children's labor was more valuable in a lace school than at home, sorry to say. The story is not much different even today, in many third world countries.

[Lynn]

Too true, Patty. It can hit even closer to home and quite recently. My own mother had to give up school to work in the textile factory to help the family survive WWII. And that was in Georgia, USA, where they had a cow and a "victory garden".

[Judith Connors]

Rhymes for working by are called 'tells'.
'Higgledy Piggledy, my black hen' is another lace tell.

[PattyD]

Thanks Judith, the word "tells" always slips my mind. Another tell is:

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,
Jack jump over the candlestick.

This one is about the annual lacemaker's holiday when there were treats and time off and celebrating. Light was provided by placing a lit candle in the middle of a stool that had galss globes with water in them to act as lenses. The whole contraption allowed more lacemakers to have better light from a single candle. At holiday time, one game was to see who could jump OVER the candlestick.

[StarrBeth]

That's really neat. I love learning little bits of history like this.

[Judy]

Anyone have the details of "ring around o'rosie"? I heard is was related to some disease.... and the ashes ashes all fall down is actually dying.

[PattyD]

I found a site that tells about Ring A Round o' Rosies (http://www.rhymes.org.uk/ring_around_the_rosy.htm). It's actually about the plague in London in 1665. The signs of the disease was a rash that was a ring of red spots (ring a round o' rosies), on the theory that disease was spread by bad smells, people would hold a bag full of good smelling things to protect themselves (pocket full of posies). Ashes refer to huge number of people who died of the plague, which was not halted until the Great Fire of London got the rats who were spreading the plague. Seems an odd thing for innocent children to sing, doesn't it?