When I was a gentleman, a gentleman, a gentleman, When I was a gentleman, this a-way went I.

When I was a washerwoman, &c.

When I was a schoolgirl, &c.

When I had a baby, &c.

When I was a cobbler, &c.

When I was a s...o...b..ack, &c.

When my husband beat me, &c.

When my baby died, &c.

When my husband died, &c.

When I was a parson, &c.

-Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss Edith Hollis).

V. When I was a lady, a lady, a lady, When I was a lady, a lady was I.

'Twas this way and that way, and this way and that.

When I was a gentleman, a gentleman, a gentleman, When I was a gentleman, a gentleman was I.

'Twas this way and that way, and this way and that.

When I was a schoolgirl, a schoolgirl, a schoolgirl, When I was a schoolgirl, a schoolgirl was I, &c.

When I was a schoolboy, a schoolboy, a schoolboy, &c.

When I was a schoolmaster, a schoolmaster, a schoolmaster, &c.

When I was a schoolmistress, a schoolmistress, a schoolmistress, &c.

When I was a donkey, a donkey, a donkey, &c.

When I was a s...o...b..ack, a s...o...b..ack, a s...o...b..ack, &c.

-Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).

VI. When I was a naughty girl, a naughty girl, a naughty girl, When I was a naughty girl, a-this a-way went I!

And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way, And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way, And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way, And a-this a-way went I!

When I was a good girl, &c., a-this a-way went I! &c.

When I was a naughty girl, &c.

When I went courting, &c.

When I got married, &c.

When I had a baby, &c.

When the baby cried, &c.

When the baby died, &c.

-Berrington (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 514).

VII. When I was a naughty girl, &c. [as above]

When I went to school, &c.

When I went a-courting, &c.

When I got married, &c.

When I had a baby, &c.

When the baby fell sick, &c.

When my baby did die, &c.

When my husband fell sick, &c.

When my husband did die, &c.

When I was a widow, &c.

Then I took in washing, &c.

Then my age was a hundred and four, &c.

-Market Drayton (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 515).

VIII. First I was a school-maid, a school-maid, how happy was I!

And a-this a-way, and a-that a-way went I!

And then I got married, how happy was I! &c.

And then I had a baby, how happy was I! &c.

And then my husband died, how sorry was I! &c.

And then I married a cobbler, how happy was I! &c.

And then the baby died, how sorry was I! &c.