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Our Childhood Games

The Guild Children’s First Circle Game

told by The family

The passage identifies Ring-Around-the-Rosy as the first game Mom taught the Guild children. Players join hands in a circle, sing the traditional rhyme, and fall down on the last line. An accompanying note claims that the lyrics originally referred to plague sores, flowers used to mask the smell of bodies, and victims becoming ashen or their bodies being burned.

In the family's own words

For little kids

The first game Mom taught the Guild children. The players stand in a circle and join hands. They sing this traditional rhyme and fall to the ground as they sing the last line: Ring around the rosy, Pocket full of posies, Ashes, ashes, we all fall down. A note: Lyrics originally referred to The Plague Ring around the rose—Plague sores started with a red ring Pocket full of posies—Kept flowers in pockets to mask the stench of bodies about Ashes ashes, we all fall down—Victims became ashen before dying, also their bodies were burned

Referenced in

Our Childhood Games, told by The family

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Notes sent in by the family and approved on review. They sit alongside the original record — the book's wording is never changed.

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