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Mademoiselle at the Well

Mademoiselle went to the well, / Combed her hair and brushed it well…

ActionsLong rope

Mademoiselle went to the well,
Combed her hair and brushed it well.
She jumped up high and touched the sky
And twirled around until she dropped.
My left hand, My right hand,
Touch my knee,
Touch my heel,
Touch my toe,
And under I go!

How to play

Do the actions as they are sung. On "under I go" the skipper exits the rope.

Where this rhyme comes from

Earliest record
by 1916
Sung in
UK (London)

Douglas recorded a 'Mademoiselle' song among London girls' games in 1916. He noted that the children had forgotten the French and now called it 'Adam and Ell'. He doesn't say it was used for skipping, and the touch-knee, touch-toe action ending here is probably later.

Sources: Norman Douglas, London Street Games (1916), pp.95–96.

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