The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 39

1, 2, 3, 4. There goes "Polly."

Girl named running out, and another girl running in directly.-Marylebone.

Up and down the ladder wall, Ha'penny loaf to feed us all; A bit for you, and a bit for me, And a bit for Punch and Judy.

-Paddington Green.

As they run thus, each calls in turn, "Red, yellow, blue, white." Where you are tripped, the colour stopped on marks that of your wedding gown.-Deptford.

Each of the two girls turning the rope takes a colour, and as the line of children run through, they guess by shouting, "Red?" "Green?" When wrong nothing happens; they take the place of turner, however, if they hit upon her colour. Another way is to call it "Sweet stuff shop," or "green grocers," and guess various candies and fruits until they choose right.-Deptford.

When several girls start running in to skip, they say,

"All in, a bottle of gin,"

and as they leave at a dash, they cry-

"All out, a bottle of stout."

While "in" jumping, the turners time the skippers' movements by a sing song.

Up and down the city wall, Ha'penny loaf to feed us all; I buy milk, you buy flour, You shall have _pepper_ in half an hour.

-Deptford.

At pepper turn swiftly.

Up and down the ladder wall, Penny loaf to feed us all; A bit for you, and a bit for me, And a bit for all the familee.

-Marylebone.

Up and down the city wall, In and out "The Eagle,"

That's the way the money goes, Pop goes the weazel.

-From "A London Maid."

Dancing Dolly had no sense, For to fiddle for eighteenpence; All the tunes that she could play, Were "Sally get out of the donkey's way."

-Deptford.

My mother said That the rope must go Over my head.

-Deptford.

Andy Pandy, Sugardy candy, French almond Rock.

-Deptford.

B-L-E-S-S-I-N-G.

Roses red, roses white, Roses in my garden; I would not part With my sweetheart For tuppence hapenny farthing.

A, B, C, &c., to X, Y, Z.-Deptford.

Knife and fork, Lay the cloth,[9]

Don't forget the salt, Mustard, vinegar, Pepper!

-Deptford.

They sometimes make a girl skip back and forth the long way of the rope, using this dialogue-

Girl skipping.-"Father, give me the key."

Father.-"Go to your mother."

Girl jumping in opposite direction.-"Mother, give me the key."

Mother.-"Go to your father."

Lady, lady, drop your handkerchief, Lady, lady, pick it up.

Suiting action to the words, still skipping.

Rhyme to time the jumps-

Cups and saucers, Plates and dishes, My old man wears Calico breeches.

[8] To change from left to right side, crossing a second skipper, is called "Pa.s.s the Baker."

[9] In Marylebone add here, "Bring me up a leg of pork."

Skyte the Bob

This game might be played by two, three, or more. A small stone of a squarish form, called the "bob," was placed on a level piece of ground.

On this stone each player placed an old b.u.t.ton, for b.u.t.tons were the stakes. A point was fixed several yards from the stone, and a line was drawn. Along this line, "the stance," the players took their stand, each holding in his hand a small flat stone named "the pitcher." This stone was thrown so as to strike "the bob" and make the b.u.t.tons fall on "the pitcher," or nearer it than "the bob." The b.u.t.ton or b.u.t.tons that lay nearer "the pitcher" than "the bob" fell to the lot of the player. The second player did the same, but he had to guard against driving any of the b.u.t.tons nearer the first player's stone. If a b.u.t.ton was nearer his stone than "the bob," or the first player's stone, he claimed it. The third player followed the same course if all the b.u.t.tons had not been won by the two players. If the b.u.t.tons were not all won at the first throw, the first player had a second chance, and so on till all the b.u.t.tons were won. If two played, if each won a b.u.t.ton, they alternately began, but if one gained the two b.u.t.tons, the other began. When three played, if one had two for his share he played last in the following game, and the one that had nothing played first. If the players, when three played, were experts, the one whose lot it was to play second, who was called the "poust," lost heavily, and to be "pousted" was always looked upon as a misfortune, for the reason that the first player often by the first throw gained the whole stake, and then in the following game the last player became the first, and the gainer in the foregoing game became the last. If this player carried off the whole stake, he in the next game took the last place, and the last took the first, and so between the two good players the "poust" had no chance.-Aberdeens.h.i.+re (Rev. W. Gregor).-See "b.u.t.tons."

Smuggle the Gig

Mr. Ballantyne describes the game as played in his young days at Biggar as follows:-Two boys would each select his own side. "First pick" was decided by lot. A third boy took two straws, one shorter than the other, and held them between his finger and thumb in such a way that only equal lengths were visible. Each leader drew a straw. The one who drew the longest had "first pick" of all the intended players, the other leader had the next; alternate choice was then made by them until both sides were complete, and were ranged by their leaders. Then lots were again drawn as to which side should go out first. The side going out had to show the Gig; anything easily carried in the hand sufficed. The "outs" went out from the den twenty or thirty yards, sometimes round the end of a house, to "smuggle the Gig"-that is, to give one of their number the Gig to carry, care being taken that the "ins" did not know who had it. During this time the leader of the ins called "out" in a loud voice-

Zimerie, twaerie, hickeri seeven, Aucherie, daucherie, ten and eleven; Twall ran musha dan Tweedledum, twadledum, twenty-one. Time's up!

Outs had all to appear by "Ready" when the chase began. Boundary limits were fixed, beyond which outs could not run and ins could not stand, within a fixed distance of the den. This den was a place marked by a mark or rut in the ground, about four feet by six feet. The outs endeavoured (particularly the one carrying the Gig) to get into the den before any one could catch and "crown" him. The pursued, when caught, was held by the pursuer, his cap taken off, and the palm of the hand was placed on the crown of his head. As he did so the pursuer would say, "Deliver up the Gig." If he had it not, the pursuer went off after another player. If he had the Gig, and succeeded in getting into the den without being "crowned," outs won the game; but if the Gig was caught and "crowned," ins won.

At Fraserburgh the players are divided equally. A spot is marked off, called the Nestie. Any small object known to all is chosen as the Gig.

One half of the players receive the Gig and retire, so as not to be seen distinctly by the other half that remains in and near the Nestie. The Gig is concealed on the person of one of the players that retire. When everything is ready those having the Gig move towards the Nestie, and those in the Nestie come to meet them. The aim is to catch the player who has the Gig before reaching the Nestie. If this is done the same players again hide the Gig, but if the Gig is discovered, the players discovering it now hide it.

At Old Aberdeen sides are chosen, then a small article (such as a knife) is made the _gig_. Then one side, determined by a toss, goes out and smuggles the gig and cries out, "Smuggle the gig." Then the other side rushes in and tries to catch the one that has the "gig." If the one that has the gig is free, the same side goes out again.-Rev. W. Gregor.