Knife and Fork, Lay the Cloth

Knife and fork, / Lay the cloth…

Pepper (fast)Long rope

Knife and fork,
Lay the cloth,
Don't forget the salt,
Mustard, vinegar,
Pepper!

How to play

In Marylebone they add "Bring me up a leg of pork." On "Pepper!" turn as fast as you can.

Where this rhyme comes from

Printed: 1898
Where: Deptford, London

We have copied these words exactly as they were printed in 1898, spelling and all. The book marks it as a skipping rhyme.

Source: Alice Bertha Gomme, The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland, vol. II (London: David Nutt, 1898), 'Skipping', pp. 200–204. Rhymes collected by Miss Chase (public domain).

Older and newer versions

The same rhyme, changed by children over the years.

Pepper (fast)Printed 1898Pepper, Salt, Mustard, Cider, VinegarPepper, salt, mustard, cider, vinegar…Pepper (fast)Printed 1916Mabel, Mabel, Lay the TableMabel, Mabel,
Lay the table…Pepper (fast)Chantsby 1881Salt, Mustard, Vinegar, PepperSalt, mustard, vinegar, pepper,
French almond rock…

More rhymes like this

Pepper (fast)Printed 1898Up and Down the City WallUp and down the city wall,
Ha'penny loaf to feed us all…Pepper (fast)Printed 1916Up the Ladder, Down the WallUp the ladder, down the wall,
Ha’penny loaf to feed us all…Pepper (fast)Printed 1916What O She BumpsWhat O she bumps,
She skips and she jumps…