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Up the Ladder, Down the Wall

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

Pepper (fast)Long rope

Up the ladder, down the wall,
Ha’penny loaf to feed us all,
I’ll buy milk and you buy flour,
There’ll be pepper in half an hour.

How to play

On "pepper" the turners turn as fast as they can.

Where this rhyme comes from

Printed
1916
Where
London

We have copied these words exactly as they were printed in 1916, spelling and all. It is one of the London girls' chants Douglas lists alongside their skipping, clapping and ring games.

Source: Norman Douglas, London Street Games (London: The St. Catherine Press, 1916) (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…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 1916What O She BumpsWhat O she bumps,
She skips and she jumps…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…