The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 18

A boy stoops so that his arms rest on a table; another boy sits on him as he would on a horse. He then holds up (say) three fingers, and says-

Buck, buck, how many horns do I hold up?

The stooping boy guesses, and if he says a wrong number the other says-

[Two] you say and three there be; Buck, buck, how many horns do I hold up?

When the stooping boy guesses rightly the other says-

[Four] you say and [four] there be; Buck, buck, rise up.

The boy then gets off and stoops for the other one to mount, and the game is played again.-London (J. P. Emslie).

Similar action accompanies the following rhyme:-

Ink.u.m, jink.u.m, Jeremy buck, Yamdy horns do au c.o.c.k up?

Two tha ses, and three there is, Au'll lea'n thee to la'ke at Ink.u.m.

-Almondbury (Easther's _Glossary_).

A different action occurs in other places. It is played by three boys in the following way:-One stands with his back to a wall; the second stoops down with his head against the stomach of the first boy, "forming a back;" the third jumps on it, and holds up his hand with the fingers distended, saying-

Buck shee, buck shee buck, How many fingers do I hold up?

Should the stooper guess correctly, they all change places, and the jumper forms the back. Another and not such a rough way of playing this game is for the guesser to stand with his face towards a wall, keeping his eyes shut.-Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 59).

In Nairn, Scotland, the game is called Post and Rider. One boy, the Post, takes his stand beside a wall. Another boy stoops down with his head touching the Post's breast. Several other boys stoop down in the same way behind the first boy, all in line. The Rider then leaps on the back of the boy at the end of the row of stooping boys, and from his back to that of the one in front, and so on from back to back till he reaches the boy next the Post. He then holds up so many fingers, and says-

Buck, buck, how many fingers do I hold up?

The boy makes a guess. If the number guessed is wrong, the Rider gives the number guessed as well as the correct number, and again holds up so many, saying-

[Four] you say, but [two] it is; Buck, buck, how many fingers do I hold up?

This goes on till the correct number is guessed, when the guesser becomes the Rider. The game was called "Buck, Buck" at Keith. Three players only took part in the game-the Post, the Buck, and the Rider.

The words used by the Rider were-

Buck, buck, how many horns do I hold up?

If the guess was wrong, the Rider gave the Buck as many blows or kicks with the heel as the difference between the correct number and the number guessed. This process went on till the correct number was guessed, when the Rider and the Buck changed places.-Rev. W. Gregor.

(_b_) Dr. Tylor says: "It is interesting to notice the wide distribution and long permanence of these trifles in history when we read the following pa.s.sage from Petronius Arbiter, written in the time of Nero:-'Trimalchio, not to seem moved by the loss, kissed the boy, and bade him get up on his back. Without delay the boy climbed on horseback on him, and slapped him on the shoulders with his hand, laughing and calling out, "Bucca, bucca, quot sunt hic?"'-_Petron. Arbitri Satirae_, by Buchler, p. 84 (other readings are _buccae_ or _bucco_)."-_Primitive Culture_, i. 67.

Buck i' t' Neucks

A rude game amongst boys.-d.i.c.kinson's _c.u.mberland Glossary_.

Buckerels

"A kind of play used by boys in London streets in Henry VIII.'s time, now disused, and I think forgot" (Blount's _Glossographia_, p. 95). Hall mentions this game, temp. Henry VIII., f. 91.

Buckey-how

For this the boys divide into sides. One "stops at home," the other goes off to a certain distance agreed on beforehand and shouts "Buckey-how."

The boys "at home" then give chase, and when they succeed in catching an adversary, they bring him home, and there he stays until all on his side are caught, when they in turn become the chasers.-Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 60).

Buff

1st player, thumping the floor with a stick: "Knock, knock!"

2nd ditto: "Who's there?"

1st: "Buff."

2nd: "What says Buff?"

1st: "Buff says Buff to all his men, And I say Buff to you again!"

2nd: "Methinks Buff smiles?"

1st: "Buff neither laughs nor smiles, But looks in your face With a comical grace, And delivers the staff to you again" (handing it over).

-Shrops.h.i.+re (Burne's _Shrops.h.i.+re Folk-lore_, p. 526).

Same verses as in Shrops.h.i.+re, except the last, which runs as follows:-

Buff neither laughs nor smiles, But strokes his face With a very good grace, And delivers his staff to you.

-Cheltenham (Miss E. Mendham).

Same verses as in Shrops.h.i.+re, except the last, which runs as follows:-

Buff neither laughs nor smiles, But strokes his face for want of grace, And sticks his staff in the right place.

-London (J. P. Emslie).

(_b_) Five or six children stand in a row. Another child comes up to the first of the row, and strikes smartly on the ground with a stick. The child facing him asks the first question, and the one with the stick answers. At "strokes his face" he suits the action to the words, and then thumps with his stick on the ground at the beginning of the last line. The object of all the players is to make Buff smile while going through this absurdity, and if he does he must pay a forfeit.

Another version is for one child to be blindfolded, and stand in the middle of a ring of children, holding a long wand in his hand. The ring dance round to a tune and sing a chorus [which is not given by the writer]. They then stop. Buff extends his wand, and the person to whom it happens to be pointed must step out of the circle to hold the end in his hand. Buff then interrogates the holder of the wand by grunting three times, and is answered in like manner. Buff then guesses who is the holder of the wand. If he guesses rightly, the holder of the stick becomes Buff, and he joins the ring (_Winter Evening's Amus.e.m.e.nts_, p.

6). When I played at this game the ring of children walked in silence three times only round Buff, then stopped and knelt or stooped down on the ground, strict silence being observed. Buff asked three questions (anything he chose) of the child to whom he pointed the stick, who replied by imitating cries of animals or birds (A. B. Gomme).

(_c_) This is a well-known game. It is also called "Buffy Gruffy," or "Indian Buff." The Dorsets.h.i.+re version in _Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 238, 239, is the same as the Shrops.h.i.+re version. Halliwell (_Nursery Rhymes_, cclx.x.xii.) gives a slight variant. It is also given by Mr. Addy in his _Sheffield Glossary_, the words being the same except the last two lines, which run-

But shows his face with a comely grace, And leaves his staff at the very next place.

Buk-hid

This seems to be an old name for some game, probably "Blindman's Buff,"

Sw. "Blind-bock," q. "bock" and "hufwud head" (having the head resembling a goat). The sense, however, would agree better with "Bo-peep" or "Hide and Seek."-Jamieson.