The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 90

Girls will sleep in the pig-sty.

Where will the pigs sleep?

Pigs will sleep in the was.h.i.+ng-pan.

-Cowes, Isle of Wight (Miss E. Smith)

XIV. Mother, may I buy some male-scales, mother, mother?

Mother, may I buy some male-scales, gentle mother of mine?

Where will the money come from, daughter, daughter?

Sell my father's feather bed, mother, mother.

Where will your father lie, daughter, daughter?

Lie in the boys' bed, mother, mother.

Where will the boys lie, daughter, daughter?

Lie in the servants' bed, mother, mother.

Where will the servants lie, daughter, daughter?

Lie in the pig-sty, mother, mother.

Where will the pigs lie, daughter, daughter?

Lie in the was.h.i.+ng-tub, mother, mother.

Where will we wash our clothes, daughter, daughter?

Wash them at the sea-side, mother, mother.

Suppose the clothes should float away, daughter, daughter?

Take a boat and bring them in, mother, mother.

Suppose the boat would go too slow, daughter, daughter?

Take a steamboat and bring them in, mother, mother.

Suppose the steamboat would go too fast, daughter, daughter?

Then take a rope and hang yourself, mother, mother.

-South s.h.i.+elds (Miss Blair, aged 9).

(_b_) One child stands apart and personates the Mother. The other children form a line, holding hands and facing the Mother. They advance and retire singing the first, third, and alternate verses, while the Mother, in response, sings the second and alternate verses. While the last verse is being sung the children all run off; the Mother runs after them, catches them, and beats them. Either the first or last caught becomes Mother in next game. In the Shrops.h.i.+re game the Mother should carry a stick. In the Norfolk version the Mother sits on a form or bank, the other children advancing and retiring as they sing. After the last verse is sung the children try to seat themselves on the form or bank where the Mother has been sitting. If they can thus get home without the Mother catching them they are safe. The Kentish game is played with two lines of children advancing and retiring. This was also the way in which the London version (A. B. Gomme) was played. In the version sent by Mr.

H. S. May a ring is formed by the children joining hands. One child stands in the centre-she represents the Mother. The ring of children say the first, third, and every alternate verse. The child in the centre says the second, fourth, and alternate verses, and the game is played as above, except that when the Mother has said the last verse the children call out, "Good job, too," and run off, the Mother chasing them as above. The game does not appear to be sung.

(_c_) This game is somewhat of a c.u.mulative story, having for its finish the making angry and tormenting of a mother. All the versions point to this. One interesting point, that of milk-pails, is, it will be seen, gradually losing ground in the rhymes. Milk-pails were pails of wood suspended from a yoke worn on the milkmaid's shoulders, and these have been giving place to present-day milk-cans. Consequently we find in the rhymes only four versions in which milk-pails are used. In two versions even the sense of milking-can has been lost, and the South s.h.i.+elds version, sent me by little Miss Blair, has degenerated into "male-scales," a thoroughly meaningless phrase. The Cowes version (Miss Smith) has arrived at "wash-pan." The "burden" of the Chirbury version is "a rea, a ria, a roses," and the Sheffield version is also remarkable: the "I, O, OM" refers, probably, to something now forgotten, or it may be the "Hi, Ho, Ham!" familiar in many nursery rhymes. The game seems to point to a period some time back, when milking was an important phase of the daily life, or perhaps to the time when it was customary for the maids and women of a village to go to the hilly districts with the cows (summer shealings) for a certain period of time.

The references to domestic life are interesting. The scarcity of beds, the best or feather bed, and the children's bed, seeming to be all those available. The feather bed is still a valued piece of household furniture, and is considered somewhat of the nature of a heirloom, feather beds often descending from mother to daughter for some generations. I have been told instances of this. Gregor, in _Folk-lore of East of Scotland_, p. 52, describes the Scottish box-bed. The "truckle bed" and "footman's bed" probably refers to the small bed under a large one, which was only pulled out at night for use, and pushed under during the day. Ill.u.s.trations of these beds and the children's bed are given in old tales. The proximity of the pig-sty to the house is manifest. The mention of was.h.i.+ng-tubs calls to mind the large wooden tubs formerly always used for the family wash. Before the era of laundresses was.h.i.+ng-tubs must have const.i.tuted an important part of the family plenis.h.i.+ng. Was.h.i.+ng in the rivers and streams was also a thing of frequent occurrence, hot water for the purpose of cleansing clothes not being considered necessary, or in many cases desirable. Chambers gives a version of the game (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 36) and also Newell (_Games_, p. 166). Another version from Buckingham is given by Thomas Baker in the _Midland Garner_, 1st ser., ii. 32, in which the mother desires the daughter to "milk in the was.h.i.+ng-tub," and the words also appear very curiously tacked on to the "Three Dukes a-riding" game from Berks.h.i.+re (_Antiquary_, xxvii. 195), where they are very much out of place.

Mineral, Animal, and Vegetable

A ball is thrown by one player to any one of the others. The thrower calls out at the same time either "mineral," "animal," or "vegetable,"

and counts from one to ten rather quickly. If the player who is touched by the ball does not name something belonging to that kingdom called before the number ten is reached, a forfeit has to be paid.-London (A.

B. Gomme).

This is more usually called "Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral." See "Air, Fire, and Water."

Minister's Cat

The first player begins by saying, "The minister's cat is an ambitious cat," the next player "an artful cat," and so on, until they have all named an adjective beginning with A. The next time of going round the adjectives must begin with B, the next time C, and so on, until the whole of the alphabet has been gone through.-Forest of Dean, Gloucesters.h.i.+re (Miss Matthews); Anderby, Lincolns.h.i.+re (Miss Peac.o.c.k).

This is apparently the same game as the well-known "I love my love with an A because she is amiable." In this game every player has to repeat the same sentence, but using a different adjective, which adjective must begin with the letter A. Various sentences follow. At the next round the adjectives all begin with B; the next C, until a small story has been built up. Forfeits were exacted for every failure or mistake. The formula usually was-

I love my love with an A because she is ( ). I hate her with an A because she is ( ). I took her to the sign of the ( ), and treated her to ( ). The result was ( ).

Mollish's Land

Cornish name for "Tom Tiddler's Ground."-_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 57.

Monday, Tuesday

A game played with a ball. There are seven players, who each take a name from one of the days of the week. One (Sunday) begins by throwing the ball against a wall, calling out at the same time the name of one of the days, who has to run and catch it before it falls. If this one fails to catch the ball, the first player picks up the ball and tries to hit one of the six with it, who all endeavour to escape being hit. If the player succeeds, he again throws the ball against the wall, calling out another day of the week to catch it. If a player gets. .h.i.t three times, he is out. The winner is he who has either not been hit at all or the fewest times, or who has been able to stay in the longest. The same game is played with twelve children, who are named after the twelve months of the year.-London and Barnes (A. B. Gomme); _Strand Magazine_, ii. 519 (F. H. Low).

This game belongs apparently to the ball games used for purposes of divination. Mr. Newell (_Games_, p. 181) describes a similar game to this, in which the player whose name is called drops the ball; he must pick it up as quickly as possible while the rest scatter. He then calls "Stand!" upon which the players halt, and he flings it at whom he pleases. If he misses his aim, he must place himself in a bent position with his hands against a wall until every player has taken a shot at him. The idea of naming children after the days of the week occurs also in the games of "Gipsy," "Witch," and "Mother, Mother, the Pot boils over."

See "Ball," "Burly Whush," "Keppy Ball."

Moolie Pudding

The game of "Deadelie;" one has to run with the hands locked and "taen"

the others.-Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopaedia_.

See "Chickidy Hand," "Deadelie," "Hunt the Staigie," "Whiddy."

More Sacks to the Mill

A very rough game, mentioned in Dean Miles' MS., p. 180 (Halliwell's _Dictionary_). Lowsley (_Berks.h.i.+re Glossary_) says this is "a favourite game with children at Christmas-time, when wis.h.i.+ng for one of a romping character," but he does not describe it further. Northall (_English Folk Rhymes_, p. 354) says that in Warwicks.h.i.+re and Staffords.h.i.+re boys torture an unfortunate victim by throwing him on the ground and falling atop of him, yelling out the formula, "Bags to [on] the mill." This summons calls up other lads, and they add their weight.

Mother, may I go out to Play?

I. Mother, may I go out to play?

No, my child, it's such a wet day.

Look how the sun s.h.i.+nes, mother.

Well, make three round curtseys and be off away.

[Child goes, returns, knocks at door. Mother says, "Come in."]

What have you been doing all this time?

Brus.h.i.+ng Jenny's hair and combing Jenny's hair.

What did her mother give you for your trouble?

A silver penny.

Where's my share of it?

Cat ran away with it.

Where's the cat?

In the wood.

Where's the wood?

Fire burnt it.

Where's the fire?

Moo-cow drank it.