The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 83

-- says she'll die For the want of the golden eye.]

-Fochabers (Rev. W. Gregor).

VI. The wind blows high, and the wind blows low, The snow comes scattering down below.

Is not -- very very pretty?

She is the flower of one, two, three.

Please to tell me who is he.

-- says he loves her, All the boys are fighting for her.

Let the boys say what they will, -- loves her still.

-Perth (Rev. W. Gregor).

A ring is formed by the children joining hands, one player standing in the centre. When asked, "Please tell me who they be," the girl in the middle gives the name or initials of a boy in the ring (or _vice versa_). The ring then sings the rest of the words, and the boy who was named goes into the centre. This is the Forest of Dean way of playing.

In the Shrops.h.i.+re game, at the end of the first verse the girl in the centre beckons one from the ring, or one volunteers to go into the centre; the ring continues singing, and at the end the two children kiss; the first one joins the ring, and the other chooses in his turn.

The other versions are played in the same way.

Northall (_English Folk-Rhymes_, p. 380) gives a version from Warwicks.h.i.+re very similar.

Wink-egg

Elworthy (_West Somerset Words_) says-When a nest is found boys shout, "Let's play 'Wink-egg.'" An egg is placed on the ground, and a boy goes back three paces from it, holding a stick in his hand; he then shuts his eyes, and takes two paces towards the egg and strikes a blow on the ground with the stick-the object being to break the egg. If he misses, another tries, and so on until all the eggs are smashed. In Cornwall it is called "Winky-eye," and is played in the spring. An egg taken from a bird's nest is placed on the ground, at some distance off-the number of paces having been previously fixed. Blindfolded, one after the other, the players attempt with a stick to hit and break it.-_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 61.

See "Blind Man's Stan."

Witch, The

This game is played by nine children. One is chosen as Mother, seven are chosen for her children, and the other is a Witch. The Mother and Witch stand opposite the seven children. The _Mother_ advances and names the children by the days of the week, saying-

Sunday, take care of Monday, Monday, take care of Tuesday, Tuesday, take care of Wednesday, Wednesday, take care of Thursday, Thursday, take care of Friday, Friday, take care of Sat.u.r.day.

Take care the Old Witch does not catch you, and I'll bring you something nice.

The Mother then goes away, and the Witch advances saying-

Sunday, your mother sent me for your best bonnet, she wants to get one like it for Monday. It is up in the top long drawer, fetch it quick.

Sunday goes away, and the Witch then seizes Sat.u.r.day and runs off with her.

The Mother re-enters, and names the children again, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, misses Sat.u.r.day, and says-

Where's Sat.u.r.day?

The children all cry and say-

The Old Witch has got her.

This part is then repeated until the Witch has taken all the children and put them in a corner one by one, and stands in front to guard them.

The Mother sets out to find the children, she sees the Old Witch, and says to her-

Have you seen my children?

_Witch._ Yes, I saw them walking down High Street.

_Mother_ then goes away, does not find them, and comes back asking-

Have you seen my children?

_W._ Yes, I saw them going to school.

_Mother_ then goes away, does not find them, and comes back asking-

Have you seen my children?

_W._ Yes, they are gone to church.

_Mother_ again goes away, does not find them, and comes back asking-

Have you seen my children?

_W._ They are having dinner-you can't see them.

_Mother_ again goes away, does not find them, and comes back asking-

Have you seen my children?

_W._ They are in bed.

_M._ Can't I go up and see them?

_W._ Your shoes are too dirty.

_M._ Can't I take them off?

_W._ Your stockings are too dirty.

_M._ Can't I take them off?

_W._ Your feet are too dirty.

_M._ Can't I cut them off?

_W._ The blood would run on the floor.

_M._ Can't I wrap them up in a blanket?

_W._ The fleas would hop out.