When I Was Young and Able

When I was young and able, / I sat upon the table…

ChantsLong rope

When I was young and able,
I sat upon the table;
The table broke,
And gave me a poke,
When I was young and able.

How to play

The children add "Pass the baker, cook the tater". "Pass the baker" means changing from the left to the right side, crossing a second skipper.

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).

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That the rope must go…