Up and Down the Ladder Wall

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

Fortune tellingLong rope

Up and down the ladder wall,
Ha'penny loaf to feed us all;
A bit for you, and a bit for me,
And a bit for Punch and Judy.

How to play

As they run through, each calls in turn "Red, yellow, blue, white." Where you are tripped, the colour stopped on marks that of your wedding gown.

Where this rhyme comes from

Printed: 1898
Where: Paddington Green, 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 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…ChantsPrinted 1898Up and Down the City Wall (The Eagle)Up and down the city wall,
In and out "The Eagle,"…

More rhymes like this

Fortune tellingPrinted 1916Lady, Lady on the Sea-shoreLady, lady on the sea-shore,
She has children one to four…Fortune tellingPrinted 1888Silk, Satin, Velvet, Calico, RagsSilk, satin, velvet, calico, rags…Fortune tellingCountingby 1695Tinker, TailorTinker, tailor, soldier, sailor,
Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief…