One of our family's saying is "'Hey ho', said Rowley". So many times have people asked where the saying came from I have decided to depart from the usual 'diary' aspect of this blog and repeat the nursery rhyme from which the saying originates.
A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Whether his mother would let him or no.
With a rowley, powley, gammon and spinich,
Hey ho, says Anthony Rowley.
So of he set with his opera hat,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
So of he set with his opera hat,
And on the road he met with a rat
With a rowley, etc.
Pray Mr Rat, will you go with me?
Hey ho, says Rowley,
Pray, Mr Rat, will you go with me,
With a rowley, etc.
They came to the door of Mousey’s hall,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call.
With a rowley, etc.
Pray Mrs Mouse, are you within?
Hey ho, says Rowley,
Oh yes, kind sirs, I’m sitting to spin.
With a rowley, etc.
Pray, Mrs Mouse, will you give us some beer?
Hey ho, says Rowley,
For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer.
With a rowley, etc.
Pray, Mr Frog, will you give us a song?
Hey ho, says Rowley,
Let it be something that’s not very long.
With a rowley, etc.
Indeed, Mrs Mouse, replied Mr Frog,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
A cold has made me as hoarse as a dog.
With a rowley, etc.
Since you have a cold, Mr Frog, Mousey said,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
I’ll sing you a song that I have just made.
With a rowley, etc.
But while they were all a-merry-making
Hey ho, says Rowley,
A cat and her kittens came tumbling in.
With a rowley, etc.
The cat she seized the rat by the crown,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
The kittens they pulled the little mouse down.
With a rowley, etc.
This put Mr Frog in a terrible fright,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
He took up his hat and wished them goodnight.
With a rowley, etc.
But as Froggy was crossing over a brook,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
A lily-white duck came and gobbled him up.
With a rowley, etc.
So there was the end of one, two, three,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
The rat, the mouse, and the little frog-ee.
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Whether his mother would let him or no.
With a rowley, powley, gammon and spinich,
Hey ho, says Anthony Rowley.
So of he set with his opera hat,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
So of he set with his opera hat,
And on the road he met with a rat
With a rowley, etc.
Pray Mr Rat, will you go with me?
Hey ho, says Rowley,
Pray, Mr Rat, will you go with me,
With a rowley, etc.
They came to the door of Mousey’s hall,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call.
With a rowley, etc.
Pray Mrs Mouse, are you within?
Hey ho, says Rowley,
Oh yes, kind sirs, I’m sitting to spin.
With a rowley, etc.
Pray, Mrs Mouse, will you give us some beer?
Hey ho, says Rowley,
For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer.
With a rowley, etc.
Pray, Mr Frog, will you give us a song?
Hey ho, says Rowley,
Let it be something that’s not very long.
With a rowley, etc.
Indeed, Mrs Mouse, replied Mr Frog,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
A cold has made me as hoarse as a dog.
With a rowley, etc.
Since you have a cold, Mr Frog, Mousey said,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
I’ll sing you a song that I have just made.
With a rowley, etc.
But while they were all a-merry-making
Hey ho, says Rowley,
A cat and her kittens came tumbling in.
With a rowley, etc.
The cat she seized the rat by the crown,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
The kittens they pulled the little mouse down.
With a rowley, etc.
This put Mr Frog in a terrible fright,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
He took up his hat and wished them goodnight.
With a rowley, etc.
But as Froggy was crossing over a brook,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
A lily-white duck came and gobbled him up.
With a rowley, etc.
So there was the end of one, two, three,
Hey ho, says Rowley,
The rat, the mouse, and the little frog-ee.
With a rowley, etc.
People complain about tv violence etc. How dare Tom and Jerry hit each other on children's tv... And then you are reminded of the old nursery rhymes - not a lot changes, does it?
ReplyDelete