Or—
Another rhyme for “Carry my Lady to London,” and played in the same way.—Galloway, N. B. (J. G. Carter).
[Vol. i. p. 63; “Tip-cat,” vol. ii. p. 294.]
Two versions of this, differing somewhat from those given previously.
(1.) Played by two players. A hole is dug in the ground, and one player with a “catch-brod” stands in a stooping attitude in front of it, about a foot and a-half away, placing one end of the “catch-brod” on the ground. The other player goes to a distance of some yards, to a fixed point called “the stance.” From here he throws a ball, intending to land it in the hole. The other player’s object is to prevent this by hitting it away with his “catch-brod.” If the bowler succeeds they change places.
(2.) This also is played by two players, and in the same way, except that a stone is substituted for the hole, and the bowler’s object is to strike the stone with the ball. Sometimes it is played with three players, then running is allowed. When the ball is hit the batter tries to run to the “stance” and back, the bowler or the third player then tries to hit the “stance” with the ball while the batter is away making the run. If the third player can catch the ball before it touches the ground he tries to hit the stone with it, thus sending the batter out.—Keith (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Two boys take each the end of a piece of rope, and give chase to a third till they contrive to get the rope round him. They then pull him hither and thither in all directions.
—Banchory (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Evidently an imitation of net-fishing.
[See “Fox and Goose,” “Hen and Chicken,” vol. i. pp. 139-141, 201; vol. ii. p. 404.]
The children, boys and girls, squat down and take hold of hands, going round, and saying—
At these words one lad, who has been hiding behind a tree, runs in to catch one of the chickens. As the rhyme is finished, they all run, and the fox tries to catch one, another player, the old hen, trying to stop him, the chickens all taking hold of her by the tail.
The fox has to keep on his hands and feet, and the old hen has to keep “clocking” on her “hunkers.”
Some of the children substitute these words for the latter part of the above:—
—Kiltubbrid, Co. Leitrim (L. L. Duncan).
Mr. Duncan says this game has almost died out, and the people were rather hazy about the words they used to say.
[See “Tops,” vol. ii. pp. 299-303.]
A game with peg tops played by two or more boys. A large button, from which the shank has been removed, or a round piece of lead about the size of a penny, is placed on the ground between two agreed goals. The players divide into sides, each side tries to send the button to different goals, the tops are spun in the usual way, and then taken up on the hand while spinning, and allowed to revolve once round the palm of the hand, and then thrown on the ground on the button in such a way that the button is projected some distance along the ground. Then a boy on the opposite side spins his top and tries to hit the button in the opposite direction. This is continued alternately until one or other side succeeds in getting the button to the goal.—London Streets (A. B. Gomme).
[Vol. i. p. 69; also “Five-stones,” pp. 122-129, “Huckle-bones,” pp. 239-240.]
A rhyme repeated while playing at “Chucks” with five small stones, lifting one each time.
—Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
This game used to be played on the shore, just as the tide went out, when the feet sank easily into the sand. The children turned half-way round as they repeated the words.—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
[“Tip it,” vol. ii. p. 294.]
A game resembling “Tip it,” and a better form of the game. The parties are decided by a toss up. The object is passed from hand to hand under the table, until the leader of the opposite side calls out “up” or “rise.” When all the closed hands are on the table, the leader orders any hands off which he thinks do not contain the object. If the last hand left on the table contains the object the sides change places, if not the same sides repeat, twelve successful guesses making “game,” each failure counting one to the opposite side. The game is called “Up Jenkins” in the North of Scotland. The words have to be called out when the hands are called to show. Another name is “Cudlums;” this word was called out when the leader pointed to the hand which he believed held the object.—Bedford (Mrs. A. C. Haddon).
[“Monday,” vol. i. p. 389.]
The same game as “Monday,” with this difference. The player who first throws the ball against the wall calls out the name of the child he wishes to catch it, saying “A—— B——, no rakes, no better ball.” If the ball goes on the ground the one called has to snatch the ball up and throw it at one of the retreating children.—Hemsby, Norfolk (Mrs. A. C. Haddon).
Also sent me from Isle of Man (A. W. Moore), where it is called “Hommer-the-let.”
[“Jack’s Alive,” vol. i. p. 257.]
A little slip of wood or straw is lit and blown out, and while it is red it is passed round from one to another, each man repeating as fast as he can—
The man in whose hand the spark dies has to go down on his knees. A chair, or some other article, is held over him, and he has to guess what it is, the others crying out—
If he is wrong it is left on him and another article brought, and so on.—Kiltubbrid, Co. Leitrim (L. L. Duncan).
[15] “Trum” is for the Irish “trom,” = heavy.
[“Ghost at the Well,” vol. i. p. 149.]
One player acts as mother, and sends off one of the other players (her daughters) to take a message. She comes back, pretends to be frightened, and says she can’t go, as there’s something “chap, chap, chappin’.” The mother sends another daughter with her this time, telling them “It’s only your father’s breeks, drap, drap, drappin’.” These two return in the same way, saying again “There’s something chap, chap, chappin’.” Another daughter is now sent with the other two, the mother saying “Its only the ducks, quack, quack, quackin’.” They all come back again more frightened saying the same thing. Then the mother and all the others go together to see what the matter is. They come upon another player who has been sitting apart making a noise with a stone. They all cry out “The deil’s amo’ the dishes,” and there is a great chase.—Aberdeen (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
—Laurieston School, Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
Another version is—
—Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Compare with this “Keys of Heaven,” p. 437, and “Paper of Pins,” p. 450.
[See “Here’s a Soldier,” vol. i. p. 206, and “Three Dukes,” vol. ii. pp. 233-255].
A ring is formed, one child standing in the middle, all sing the words—
The child in the centre says—
The first verse is repeated, and the child in the centre points to one in the ring and says—
The centre child takes the one selected by the hand, and they stand together in the centre, while the ring dances round and sings—
The children then unclasp hands, and the two children walk out. Another child goes in the centre and the game is begun again, and continued until the ring is too small for dancing round. Sometimes, instead of this, the two children return to the ring singing, “Open the gates and let the bride in,” and then they take places in the circle, while another goes in the centre.—(Dr. A. C. Haddon.)
An extraordinary game, which was played by Manx children sixty years ago. A rude wooden representation of the human form was fastened on a cross, and sticks were thrown at it, just after the fashion of the modern “Aunt Sally.” But it is quite possible that this game, taken in connection with the following very curious words which the children repeated when throwing the sticks, is a survival of a more serious function—
Mr. Moore writes that Kelly, who gives these words in his Dictionary, says that Doagan was a play, and that it refers to the head of Dagon being broken off. Does he mean the Philistine god of that name? As he is capable of seeing a reference to the god, Baal, in the Manx word for May-day, Boaldyv, it is quite possible that his imagination may lead him so far!—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
[16] Manx Society, vol. xiii. p. 63.
[Vol. i. p. 99; ii. p. 323; “All the Boys,” i. 2-6.]
—Laurieston School, Kirkcudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
—Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
The above are played in the same way as previously described.
Another version, from Perth, says, after the line, “She sang, and she sang” (as above).
—Howth, Dublin (Miss H. G. Harvey).
—Girton village, Cambridgeshire (Dr. A. C. Haddon).
[Vol. i. pp. 109-112; “Black Doggie,” vol. ii. p. 407.]
As played at Fochabers the game varies slightly in the way it is played from those previously described. The words are—
The players forming the ring are forbidden to look round. The one having the handkerchief endeavours to drop it at some one’s back without his or her knowledge, and then to get three times round the ring without being struck by the handkerchief. If the player does not manage this she has to sit in the centre of the ring as “old maid;” the object in this version evidently is not to let the player upon whom the handkerchief is dropped be aware of it.—Fochabers, N.E. Scotland (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
[See “Hiss and Clap,” vol. i. p. 215.]
The players divide into two sides: one side goes outside the room, the other remains in the room, and decides on some verb to be guessed and acted by the other. The outside party is told that the chosen verb “rhymes with ——.” The outside party decide on some verb, and come in and act this word in dumb show, whilst the inside party sit and look on, hissing if the guess is wrong, and clapping if the acting shows the right word is chosen. No word must pass on either side.—Bedford, and generally known (Mrs. A. C. Haddon).
A version of this game played by three children. The three sit close together, close their hands and place them over each other, the first one on the knee of one of them. One then asks, “Faht’s that cockin’ up there?” “Cock a pistol; cock it aff,” replies another. The same process is gone through till only one hand is left on the knee. Then the one whose hand was uppermost at the beginning of the game says—
He who speaks first, or laughs first, or lats (lets) their teeth be seen, gets nine nips, nine nobs, an’ nine double douncornes, an’ a gueed blow on the back o’ the head.—Corgarff (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
—N. Scotland, locality forgotten (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
One girl dances forward from a line of children singing the words. Another from a line opposite responds, and they dance together. They look first to the east and then to the west by turning their heads in those directions alternately.
All players but one form a ring, this one stands in the centre. The ring dances round singing the words—
The child in centre then chooses one from the circle, who goes in the middle, and the ring dances round again singing—
And choosing another child from the ring, then—
Then all the players join in singing—
While singing this all the players pat the one who was chosen as “dog” on his or her back.—Auchencairn, N.B. (Mary Haddon).
[See “Round Tag,” vol. ii. pp. 144-145.]
The players arrange themselves into a double circle with a space between each pair. The one at the back stands and the inside players kneel. Another player stands in the centre and cries out, “Fire on the mountain; run, boys, run!” Those players who are standing in the outer circle begin to run round, those kneeling remaining in that position. They continue running until the centre player cries “Stop!” They all then (including the centre player) make a rush to get a stand behind one of the kneeling players, the one who is left out going into the centre.—Auchterarder, N.B. (Miss E. S. Haldane).
This game may possibly suggest an origin for “Round tag,” although the incident of “catching” or “touching” a runner does not appear, and the inner circle of players apparently are always stationary.
Played in the usual way with the following difference in the formula. The leader says, “Fool, foolie, come to your schoolie.” When the fool comes, the leader says, “What have you been doing to-day?” Fool says, “Cursin’ and swearin’.” Fool is then chased off, recalled, and again questioned. Fool answers, “Suppin’ my porridge and readin’ my Bible.” She is then welcome, and asked in the usual way to point out one from the school.—Aberdeen (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Another formula sent me by Mr. C. C. Bell is to say, when the fool is sent back, “Fool, fool, go back to school, and learn more wit.”
name for “Round Tag” and “Two and Threes,” in Tyrie (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Girls sing this resting one knee on the ground, striking the other knee with their right hand as they say each word. The length of the song depends upon the ingenuity of the players in finding new colours for the petticoats each time.—Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
The game is not known now.
[See “Round and Round the Gallant Ship,” vol. ii. p. 143.]
The players form a ring and dance round, getting quicker as they sing “Three times round,” &c. When the last line is sung they let go hands and sink to the ground. The player who sinks down first is taken away by the others and asked whom he or she loves best. The ring is then reformed, and the child who has given her sweetheart’s name is placed in the centre. The ring then dances round singing out the name of the sweetheart.
—Galloway (J. G. Carter).
[See “Merry-ma-tansa,” vol. i. pp. 369-376; ii. p. 443.]
—Laurieston School, Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
A version of “Merry-ma-tansa,” incomplete. [See vol. i. p. 375.]
Another is—