Down She Comes, as White as Milk Lyrics
A visitor knocks, a girl is fetched down from the attic, she shows her ring, and the ring of children sings that the wedding is tomorrow.
Down She Comes, as White as Milk
He knocks at the door, and picks up a pin,
And asks if Miss (name) is in.
She neither is in, she neither is out,
She's in the garret a-walking about.
Down she comes as white as milk,
A rose in her bosom, as soft as silk.
She takes off her gloves, and shows me a ring;
To-morrow, to-morrow, the wedding begins.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/down-she-comes-as-white-as-milk/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Sung ring game
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| He knocks at the door | Knock on a pretend door. |
| She's in the garret a-walking about | Tiptoe in a small circle, as if upstairs. |
| Down she comes as white as milk | Walk slowly down pretend stairs. |
| She takes off her gloves, and shows me a ring | Pull off pretend gloves and hold up your hand. |
What Does Down She Comes, as White as Milk Mean?
Where the line says (name), the singers put in the name of the girl standing in the ring. A garret is an attic room at the very top of a house. Picking up a pin was an old sign of good luck. White as milk and soft as silk are old ways of saying she looks lovely.
History and Origin
William Wells Newell prints this version in Games and Songs of American Children (1883), from Concord, Massachusetts, dating it to before 1800. He explains that it was sung after Little Sally Waters or Uncle John had chosen a couple, and that the round then went on about the pair standing in the ring. He also notes that the song shows many marks of great age.
Learning Activities
- Ring game: one child stands in the middle and acts out the lines.
- Lucky pin: talk about other old good-luck sayings, like a four-leaf clover.
- Up the stairs: act out going up to the garret and coming down again.