ID: 58 Date: 1950s - 2006 Title: Bluebells, cockleshells Gender: Female Classification: Skipping Rhyme: Blue bells, cockle shells, Eevy, ivy, over. H E L and P H E L and P Spells H E L and P. (Christchurch, 2006) -- Bluebells, cockle shells, Eeney iney over, Bluebells, cockle shells, Eeney iney over. 1,2,3,4,5.. (Auckland,1960s; Christchurch, 1990s; Whakatane, 2002 x 2) -- Bluebells, cockleshells, eevy ivy over. Now, now [child's name] Don't tell a lie, I saw you kissing a boy last night, How many kisses did you get? 1,2,3,4 (Auckland, 1990s; Kerikeri, 2000; Hamilton, 2004 x3) -- Blue bells cockle shells, eevie, ivy, over. Now, now [X], don't tell me lies. I saw you kissing [Y], How many kisses did you have? 1, 2, 3.. (NZ, 1996) -- Bluebells, cockleshells, eevy, ivy over, I saw you kissing in the loo, I'm going to tell your mother, How many kisses did you have? 1,2,3.. (Rotorua, 2002; Lower Hutt, 2005) -- Blue bells, cockle shells, Evie, ivy over. I'm going to tell my mama, That you've been kissing my brother. How many kisses did he get? 1,2,3.. (Rotorua, 2002) -- Bluebells, cockle shells, Eevy ivy over, Do you like coffee? Do you like tea? Do you like sitting on your boyfriend's knee? Yes, no, yes, no.. (Whangarei, 1960s; Christchurch, 1996) -- Blue bells, cockle shells, Evy, ivy, over, Jam, jam, apple tart, Tell me the name of your sweet heart. A, B, C.. (Auckland, 1990s) -- Blue bells, cockle shells, Ennie, meenie, over, Mamma's in the kitchen baking scones, Dadda's in the toilet dropping bombs. How many bombs did he drop? 1,2,3.. (Awanui, 1990s) -- Sea shells, cockle shells, Incy bincy over, How many boys did you kiss last night? 1, 2, 3.. (Christchurch, 2004) -- Sea shells, cockle shells, Eevy, ivy, over, I saw you kissing in the parlour, With A, B, C.. (Porirua, 2003) -- Sea shells, cockle shells, Eevy, ivy over. Mother's in the kitchen, Doing a bit of knitting, How many stitches did she do? 10, 20, 30.. (Auckland, 1970s) -- Blue bells, cockle shells, Eavy, ivy over. The boys are in the clover, Mother's in the kitchen, Doing all the stitchin', How many can she do? 1, 2, 3.. (Christchurch, 2002) -- Bluebells, cockle shells, eevie, ivy, over. I'm going to tell my mother, That you've been kissing my brother, How many kisses did he get? 1,2,3,4.. (Auckland, 2002) -- Background Info: Rope is swung back and forwards until 'over' when rope is turned over. Often used as a starter to a skipping game. == Recorded as early as 1916, Abrahams, 1969:18-19: Blue bells, cockle shells, Erie, ivy over, The kettle is boiling over. == Ritchie, 1964:24 variation: Blue bells, dummie, dummie shells, Evy, ivy over. (Related to WWI) == Opie, 1997:180-183 records many versions of this rhyme along with discussion. Bluebells, cockle shells, Evy, ivy, over, Mother does the washing, Father does the work, How many hours does the baby sleep? == Keywords: divination, sex roles Location: Various NZ Group size: 8 Incidence: 23