Up and Down the City Wall

Up and down the city wall, / Ha'penny loaf to feed us all…

Pepper (fast)Long rope

Up and down the city wall,
Ha'penny loaf to feed us all;
I buy milk, you buy flour,
You shall have pepper in half an hour.

How to play

At pepper turn swiftly.

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 1916Up the Ladder, Down the WallUp the ladder, down the wall,
Ha’penny loaf to feed us all…Fortune tellingPrinted 1898Up and Down the Ladder WallUp and down the ladder wall,
Ha'penny loaf to feed us all…ChantsPrinted 1898Up and Down the City Wall (The Eagle)Up and down the city wall,
In and out "The Eagle,"…

More rhymes like this

Pepper (fast)Printed 1916Mabel, Mabel, Lay the TableMabel, Mabel,
Lay the table…Pepper (fast)Printed 1898Knife and Fork, Lay the ClothKnife and fork,
Lay the cloth…Pepper (fast)Printed 1898Pepper, Salt, Mustard, Cider, VinegarPepper, salt, mustard, cider, vinegar…