collected from around Britain and Ireland, and speculated on the origin of the game. Since nuts are green in the spring, what is supposed to be gathered is particularly questionable, or a paradoxical joke. Gomme’s preference for the original wording is "knots (flower posies) of may-[blossoms]", in which she follows Northall's suggestions, and refers the game to former May Day ceremonies – which took place early in the morning. The alternative lines "On a fine summer’s morning" and "So early in the morning", as well as Newell’s "On a May morning early", all in place of "On a cold and frosty morning", seem to suggest this. R. Herrick’s poem “Corinna’s going a’ Maying”, with its references to gathering white-thorn blossoms, and choosing a marriage partner, describes 17th century rural customs that might lie at the base of what eventually has become a childhood game. Gomme also pointed out that the pairing that went on then was often less than innocent, a connection hinted at in the more recent drinking song: I took to gathering nuts in May, nuts in May, nuts in May, down by the old mill stream. But instead of gathering nuts in May, I put her in a family way, down by the old mill stream. See also The bibliography at the Traditional Ballad Index References Singing games Year of song unknown