For this traditional singing game, the children stand in a circle.
Children rock in time to the music, either cupping their hands around their faces or pretending to look in a mirror.
Thorn Rosa was a pretty child,Children raise their hands over head and touch fingers together. These are the tall pointed towers of the "castle high."
Pretty child, pretty child,
Thorn Rosa was a pretty child,
Pretty child.
She lived up in a castle high,Children make their hands into scarey claws.
Castle high, castle high
She lived up in a castle high,
Castle high.
One day there came an ugly witch,Children place their hands together and lay their heads upon their hands, pretending to fall alseep.
Ugly witch, ugly witch,
One day there came an ugly witch,
Ugly witch.
Thorn Rosa slept a hundred years,Children spread their hands, with fingers outstretched like thorns, and slowly reach up their hands to mimic a growing "thorny hedge."
A hundred years, a hundred years,
Thorn Rosa slept a hundred years,
A hundred years.
A thorny hedge grew giant high,Children pretend to sit astride imaginary horses. One hand holds the reigns, and the other hand holds an imaginary upright sword.
Giant high, giant high,
A thorny hedge grew giant high,
Giant high.
One day there came a handsome prince,Children hold their imaginary swords and mimic chopping through the "thorny hedge."
Handsome prince, handsome prince,
One day there came a handsome prince,
Handsome prince.
He broke right through the thorny hedge,Children rub eyes, stretch, and yawn as though awaking as Thorn Rosa.
Thorny hedge, thorny hedge,
He broke right through the thorny hedge,
Thorny hedge.
Thorn Rosa wakened at his touch,Children clap in happy rhythm.
At his touch, at his touch,
Thorn Rosa wakened at his touch,
At his touch.
They all lived for a hundred years,This English singing game was adapted from another translation of the Danish singing game, Tornerose. There are several different versions of this singing game in English. In the 1930's, Marguerite Bidstrup--one of the founders of the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina--first collected and translated Tornerose into English.
A hundred years, a hundred years,
They all lived for a hundred years,
A hundred years.
Version recorded by Myth Woodling, December 2014