The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 19

Bull in the Park

One child places himself in the centre of a circle of others. He then asks each of the circle in turn, "Where's the key of the park?" and is answered by every one, except the last, "Ask the next-door neighbour."

The last one answers, "Get out the way you came in." The centre one then makes a dash at the hands of some of the circle, and continues to do so until he breaks through, when all the others chase him. Whoever catches him is then Bull.-Liphook, Hants (Miss Fowler).

"The Bull in the Barn" is apparently the same game. The players form a ring; one player in the middle called the Bull, one outside called the King.

Bull: "Where is the key of the barn-door?"

Chorus: "Go to the next-door neighbour."

King: "She left the key in the church-door."

Bull: "Steel or iron?"

He then forces his way out of the ring, and whoever catches him becomes Bull.-Berrington (Burne's _Shrops.h.i.+re Folk-lore_, pp. 519, 520).

Another version is that the child in the centre, whilst the others danced around him in a circle, saying, "Pig in the middle and can't get out," replies, "I've lost my key but I will get out," and throws the whole weight of his body suddenly on the clasped hands of a couple, to try and unlock them. When he had succeeded he changed the words to, "I've broken your locks, and I have got out." One of the pair whose hands he had opened took his place, and he joined the ring.-Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 50).

(_b_) Mr. S. O. Addy says the following lines are said or sung in a game called "T' Bull's i' t' Barn," but he does not know how it is played:-

As I was going o'er misty moor I spied three cats at a mill-door; One was white and one was black, And one was like my granny's cat.

I hopped o'er t' style and broke my heel, I flew to Ireland very weel, Spied an old woman sat by t' fire, Sowing silk, jinking keys; Cat's i' t' cream-pot up to t' knees, Hen's i' t' hurdle crowing for day, c.o.c.k's i' t' barn thres.h.i.+ng corn, I ne'er saw the like sin' I was born.

Bulliheisle

A play amongst boys, in which, all having joined hands in a line, a boy at one of the ends stands still, and the rest all wind round him. The sport especially consists in an attempt to heeze or throw the whole ma.s.s on the ground.-Jamieson.

See "Eller Tree," "Wind up Jack," "Wind up the Bush f.a.ggot."

b.u.mmers

A play of children. "b.u.mmers-a thin piece of wood swung round by a cord"

(_Blackwood's Magazine_, Aug. 1821, p. 35). Jamieson says the word is evidently denominated from the booming sound produced.

Bun-hole

A hole is scooped out in the ground with the heel in the shape of a small dish, and the game consists in throwing a marble as near to this hole as possible. Sometimes, when several holes are made, the game is called "Holy."-Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_; _Notes and Queries_, xii.

344.

Bunch of Ivy

Played by children in pairs (one kneeling and one standing) in a ring.

The inner child of each pair kneels. The following dialogue begins with the inner circle asking the first question, which is replied to by the outer circle.

"What time does the King come home?"

"One o'clock in the afternoon."

"What has he in his hand?"

"A bunch of ivy."

The rhyme is repeated for every hour up to six, the outer circle running round the inner as many times as the number named. The children then change places and repeat.-Monton, Lancas.h.i.+re (Miss Dendy).

Bung the Bucket

[Music]

-London (J. P. Emslie).

[Ill.u.s.tration]

A number of boys divide themselves into two sides. One side, the Buckets, stoop down, as for "Leap-frog," arranging themselves one in front of the other. The hindmost supports himself against the one in front of him, and the front one supports himself against a wall (fig.).

They thus make an even and solid row of their backs. The other side, the Bungs, leap on to the backs of the Buckets, the first one going as far up the row as possible, the second placing himself close behind the first, and so on. If they all succeed in getting a secure place, they cry out twice the two first lines-

Bung the Bucket, One, two, three.

Off, off, off!

If no breakdown occurs, the Buckets count one in their favour, and the Bungs repeat the process. When a breakdown occurs the Bungs take the place of the Buckets.-Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme).

(_b_) Mr. Emslie, to whom I am indebted for the tune to this game, gives me the words as-

Jump a little nag-tail, One, two, three.

He says, "I once heard this sung three times, followed by 'Ha! ha! he!'

to the tune of the last bar." Mr. W. R. Emslie says the game is known at Beddgelert as "Horses, Wild Horses," he believes, but is not quite certain.

Northall (_Rhymes_, p. 401) describes a game very similar to this under "Buck," in which the rhyme and method of play is the same as in that game. He continues, "This is closely allied to a game called in Warwicks.h.i.+re 'Jack upon the Mopstick.' But in this there is no guessing.

The leaping party must maintain their position whilst their leader says-

Jack upon the mopstick, One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Count 'em off again."

Bunting

Name for "Tip-cat."-Cole's _S. W. Lincolns.h.i.+re_ Glossary.

Burly Whush

A game played at with a ball. The ball is thrown up by one of the players on a house or wall, who cries on the instant it is thrown to another to catch or kep it before it falls to the ground. They all run off but this one to a little distance, and if he fails in kepping it he bawls out "Burly Whush;" then the party are arrested in their flight, and must run away no farther. He singles out one of them then, and throws the ball at him, which often is directed so fair as to strike; then this one at which the ball has been thrown is he who gives "Burly Whush" with the ball to any he chooses. If the corner of a house be at hand, as is mostly the case, and any of the players escape behind it, they must still show one of their hands past its edge to the Burly Whush man, who sometimes. .h.i.ts it such a whack with the ball as leaves it dirling for an hour afterwards.-Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopaedia_.

See "Ball," "Keppy Ball," "Monday."