Acting and Dramatic Games Farmer In The Dell
( Acting and Dramatic, Choreographed, Singing and Song )
The farmer in the dell
The farmer in the dell
Heigh-o the cherry-oh
The farmer in the dell.The farmer takes a wife
The farmer takes a wife
Heigh-o the cherry-oh
The farmer takes a wife.The wife takes a child
The wife takes a child
Heigh-o the cherry-oh
The wife takes a child.
The succeeding verses vary only in the choice in each and follow in this order —
The child takes a nurse etc.
The nurse takes a cat etc.
The cat takes a rat etc.
The rat takes the cheese etc.
The players stand in a circle with one of their number in the center who represents the farmer in the dell. At the singing of the second verse where the farmer takes a wife the center player beckons to another who goes in and stands by her. The circle keeps moving while each verse is sung and each time the player last called in beckons to another that is the wife beckons one into the circle as the child the child beckons one for the nurse etc. until six are standing in the circle. But when the lines “The rat takes the cheese ” are sung the players inside the circle and those forming it jump up and down and clap their hands in a grand confusion and the game breaks up.