ID: 1584
Date: 1870s -1962
Title: Oranges and lemons
Gender: Male and Female 
Classification: Chain game 
Rhyme: 

Oranges and lemons 
The bells of St. Clements,
I owe you five farthings,
And when will you pay me,
Tomorrow or the next day?
Here is a light to light you to bed.
Here is a chopper to chop off your head.
Chip, chop, chip, chop.

(Christchurch, 1876)

--

Oranges and lemons 
Said the bells of St. Clements,
I'd give you five farthings,
Said the bells of St. Martins.
Then I'll be rich,
Said the bells of Shoreditch.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.

(Dunedin, 1890; Ashburton, 1962)

--
 
Background Info: Reported by Sutton-Smith as one of the most popular chain games of early 1900s, usually played by girls.
Sutton-Smith, 1959:21 quotes: "Two girls stood facing each other with their hands joined and their arms held upwards in an arch. All the rest filed through underneath their extended arms while singing."

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The verse concludes with a selected player being chopped and then choosing to join either the 'orange' or the 'lemon' team represented by one of the two arch-formers. The game concludes with a tug of war contest between the two teams. (Opie, 1992:337-339)

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Keywords: traditional game 
Location: Various NZ 
Group size: 8 
Incidence: 3