Happy is the Miller
Happy is the Miller
Circle Game
Happy is the miller
Who lives by himself,
All the bread and cheese
He piles upon the shelf,
One hand in the hopper*
And the other in the bag,
The wheel turns around
And he cries out, "Grab!"
Notes
A hopper is a container used for pouring material (such as grain) into a machine.
Game Instructions
An odd number of players, of whom the one not paired stands in the center of the ring. The others march in couples, each consisting of a girl and a boy, till the sudden end of the song, when each boy grasps the girl in front of him.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Thanks to Barbara Huet for pointing out this rhyme!
This song can be found in "Games and Songs of American Children", collected and compared by W.W. Newell (1883).