THE GAME

City children and country children alike have played the game of London Bridge for how many centuries? Perhaps for nearly a thousand years, for it is said that the song, "London Bridge is Falling Down," dates from the time the Norsemen tore the bridge down after a battle with King Ethelred of England in the eleventh century.

THE SONG

The verses of the song to sing while the game is played have increased and changed over the years, but the refrain remains—

London Bridge is falling down,
falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
my fair lady.

(whereupon the arms of the bridge keepers descend over the player between them)

Off to prison he must go, he
must go, he must go,
Off to prison he must go, my
fair lady.

(and the player is hustled off to choose his side for the tug of the war at the end.)

THIS BOOK

contains a variety of verses you can use in the game, and an equal variety of beautiful bridges to build after the first handsome one has fallen down, all drawn in color by that imaginative artist, Ed Emberley.

From the dust jacket