The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 47

What have the robbers done to you, You, you, you; you, you, you?

What have the robbers done to you, My fair lady?

Stole my gold watch and chain, Chain, chain, chain; chain, chain, chain; Stole my gold watch and chain, My fair lady.

How many pounds will set us free, Free, free, free; free, free, free?

How many pounds will set us free, My fair lady?

A hundred pounds will set you free, Free, free, free; free, free, free; A hundred pounds will set you free, My fair lady.

We have not a hundred pounds, Pounds, pounds, pounds; pounds, pounds, pounds; We have not a hundred pounds, My fair lady.

Then to prison you must go, Go, go, go; go, go, go; Then to prison you must go, My fair lady.

To prison we will not go, Go, go, go; go, go, go; To prison we will not go, My fair lady.

-s.h.i.+pley, Horsham (_Notes and Queries_, 8th Series, i. 210, Miss Busk).

VI. See the robbers coming through, Coming through, coming through, See the robbers coming through, A nice young lady.

Here's a prisoner we have got, We have got, we have got, Here's a prisoner we have got, A nice young lady.

How many pounds to set her free, Set her free, set her free, How many pounds to set her free, A nice young lady?

A hundred pounds to set her free, Set her free, set her free, A hundred pounds to set her free, A nice young lady.

A hundred pounds we cannot give, We cannot give, we cannot give, A hundred pounds we cannot give, A nice young lady.

Then to prison she must go, She must go, she must go, Then to prison she must go, A nice young lady.

If she goes we'll go too, We'll go too, we'll go too, If she goes we'll go too, A nice young lady.

Round the meadows we will go, We will go, we will go, Round the meadows we will go, A nice young lady.

-Settle, Yorks. (Rev. W. S. Sykes).

VII. O what has this poor prisoner done, Poor prisoner done, poor prisoner done?

O what has this poor prisoner done, So early in the morning?

She stole my watch and lost my key, Lost my key, lost my key, She stole my watch and lost my key, So early in the morning.

How many pounds to set her free, Set her free, set her free?

How many pounds to set her free, So early in the morning?

Five hundred pounds to set her free, Set her free, set her free, Five hundred pounds to set her free, So early in the morning.

Five hundred pounds we have not got, Have not got, have not got, Five hundred pounds we have not got, So early in the morning.

So off to prison she must go, She must go, she must go, So off to prison she must go, So early in the morning.

If she go then I'll go too, I'll go too, I'll go too, If she go then I'll go too, So early in the morning.

So round the meadows we must go, We must go, we must go, So round the meadows we must go, So early in the morning.

-Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).

(_b_) In the Deptford version two girls join hands, holding them up as an arch for the other players to tramp through. The first two verses are sung first by one and then by the other of the two girls. At the finish of these the girl then going through the arch is stopped, and the third, fourth, and fifth verses are sung by the two girls alternately. Then finally both girls sing the last verse, and the child is sent as prisoner behind one or other of the two girls. The verses are then begun again, and repeated afresh for each of the troop marching through the arch until all of them are placed behind one or other of the two girls.

The two sides thus formed then proceed to tug against each other, and the strongest side wins the game.

The Belfast version is practically the same, except that the verses are not sung as a dialogue, but by all the players together, and the prisoner, when caught, has the choice of sides, by being asked, "Which will you have, a golden apple or golden pear?" and according to the answer given is sent behind one of the leaders. The Norfolk and Shrops.h.i.+re games are different. Miss Matthews thus describes the Norfolk game: "Two girls take hold of hands, and another, the prisoner, stands between them. The rest form themselves into a line opposite, and advance and retreat while singing the first verse, the gaolers singing the next verse, and so on alternately. [At the end of the last verse but one] the children break the line, form themselves into a ring, and dance round the prisoner, singing the final verse." Miss Harley describes the Shrops.h.i.+re version as follows: "The first six verses are sung by the alternate parties, who advance and retire, tramping their feet, at first, to imitate the robbers. The last verse is sung altogether going round in a ring." In the s.h.i.+pley version, Miss Busk says: "The children form themselves into two lines, while two or three, representing the robbers, swagger along between them. When the robbers sing the last verse they should have attained the end of the lines [of children], as during the parley they were safe; having p.r.o.nounced the defiance they run away. The children in the lines rush after them, and should catch them and put them in prison."

(_c_) The a.n.a.lysis of this game is easy. The Deptford, Belfast, and Wolstanton versions are clearly enough dramatic representations of the capture of a robber, and probably the game dates from the period of the prevalence of highway robbery. The Wolstanton version shows us that the game is breaking up from its earlier form, while the Norfolk and Shrops.h.i.+re versions show a fresh development into the mere game for children, apart from its original significance. The action of the game confirms this view. The Norfolk action seems to be the most nearly perfect in its dramatic significance, and the Shrops.h.i.+re action comes next. The action of the other games seems to have been grafted on to the superior form of "Oranges and Lemons." It is probable that this fact has preserved the words more completely than in the other cases, where the force of the robber action would become less and less as actual experience of robbers and robbery died out. Altogether, this game supplies a very good example of the change produced in games by changes in the actual life which gave rise to them. It is singular that the verses of this game also enter into the composition of "London Bridge is broken down." It is probable, therefore, that it may be an altered form of the game of "London Bridge." The refrain, "My fair lady," occurs in both games.

See "London Bridge."

Hats in Holes

A boys' game. The players range their hats in a row against the wall, and each boy in turn pitches a ball from a line at some twenty-five feet distance into one of the hats. The boy into whose hat it falls has to seize it and throw it at one or other of the others, who all scamper off when the ball is "packed in." If he fails to hit he is out, and takes his cap up. The boy whose cap is left at the last has to "cork" the others, that is, to throw the ball at their bent backs, each in turn stooping down to take his punishment.-Somerset (Elworthy's _Dialect_).

See "b.a.l.l.s and Bonnets."

Hattie

A game with preens, pins, on the crown of a hat. Two or more may play.

Each lays on a pin, then with the hand they strike the side of the hat time about, and whoever makes the pins by a stroke cross each other, lifts those so crossed.-Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopaedia_.

Hawkey

A game played by several boys on each side with sticks called "hawkey bats," and a ball. A line is drawn across the middle of the ground from one side to the other; one party stands on one side of the line and the opposite party on the other, and neither must overstep this boundary, but are allowed to reach over as far as their bats will permit to strike the ball. The object is to strike the ball to the farther end to touch the fence of the opposing party's side, when the party so striking the ball scores one, and, supposing nine to be the game, the party obtaining that number first of course wins the game.-West Suss.e.x (Holloway's _Dict. of Provincialisms_).

See "Bandy," "Doddart," "Hockey."

Head.i.c.ks and Pinticks

This game was played only at Christmas. The number of players was two.

The stakes were pins. One player laid in the hollow of the hand, or on one of the forefingers, a pin, and then placed the other forefinger over it so as to conceal it. He then held up his hand to his opponent and said, "Head.i.c.ks or pinticks?" His opponent made a guess by pointing with his finger and saying "Head.i.c.ks," or "Pinticks." If the guess was correct he gained the pin, but if it was incorrect he forfeited one. The players played alternately.-Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).

Another version seems to be "Headim and Corsim." Pins are hid with fingers in the palms of the hands; the same number is laid alongside them, and either "Headim" or "Corsim" called out by those who do so.

When the fingers are lifted, if the heads of the pins hid and those beside them be lying one way when the crier cried "Headim," then that player wins; but if "Corsim," the one who hid the pins wins. This is the king of all the games at the preens.-Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopaedia_.

The editors of Jamieson's _Dictionary_ say that the name should be "Headum and Corsum."

Heads and Tails

That plan for deciding matters by the "birl o' a bawbee." The one side cries "Heads" (when the piece is whirling in the air) and the other "Tails," so whichever is uppermost when the piece alights that gains or settles the matter, heads standing for the King's head and tails for the figure who represents Britannia.-Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopaedia_. This is a general form of determining sides or beginning a game all over the country.