Classic Poem

“M Y T HEERY AND MY T HORIE ,” with a political significance, is a game widely played. In one place it is known as “Cam a teerie arrie my torry;” in another, “Come a theory, oary mathorie;” in yet another, “Come a theerie, Come a thorie;” or it may be, as in Perthshire, “My theerie and my thorie.” And even as the refrain varies, so do the rhymes. But the action is generally the same. The players divide into two sides of about equal number, in lines facing each other. Moving forwards and backwards, the sides sing verse about of the following rhyme:—
Question. —Have you any bread and wine,
Bread and wine, bread and wine,
Have you any bread and wine,
My theerie and my thorie?

Answer. —Yes; we have some bread and wine,
Bread and wine, bread and wine,
Yes, we have some bread and wine,
 My theerie and my thorie.

Question. —We shall have one glass of it, etc.
Answer. —One glass of it you shall not get, etc.
Question. —We are all King George's men, etc.
Answer. —What care we for King George's men, etc.
Question. —How many miles to Glasgow Lee? etc.
Answer. —Sixty, seventy, eighty-three, etc.
Question. —Will I be there gin candle-licht? etc.
Answer. —Just if your feet be clean and slicht, etc.
Question. —Open your gates and let me through, etc.
Answer. —Not without a beck and a boo.
Reply. —There's a beck and there's a boo,
 Open your gates and let me through. A struggle ensues to break through each other's lines, and reach a fixed goal on either side—the first to arrive being the victors.