Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 55

[Ill.u.s.tration music: DUCK DANCE (THE)

1. I saw a s.h.i.+p a-sail-ing, A-sail-ing on the sea; And oh, it was la-den With pret-ty things for me.

2. There were com-fits in the cab-in, And ap-ples in the hold; The sails were made of silk, And the masts were made of gold.

3. Four and twen-ty sail-ors That sat up-on the decks Were four and twen-ty white mice With chains a-bout their necks.

4. The cap-tain was a duck With a pack-et on his back, And when the s.h.i.+p be-gan to move The cap-tain cried "Quack! quack!"

I saw a s.h.i.+p a-sailing, a-sailing on the sea; And oh, it was laden with pretty things for me.

There were comfits in the cabin, and apples in the hold; The sails were made of silk, and the masts were made of gold.

Four and twenty sailors that sat upon the deck Were four and twenty white mice with chains about their necks.

The captain was a duck with a packet on his back, And when the s.h.i.+p began to move the captain cried quack! quack!

The players hold hands and circle rapidly while singing. After the last verse one of the players breaks the circle and with his next neighbor raises his hand high to form an arch, calling "Bid, bid, bid!" which is the call for ducks. The player on the opposite side of the break in the circle proceeds to pa.s.s under this arch, the entire circle following, all holding hands and answering "Quack! quack!

quack!"

When all have pa.s.sed through, the two players at the opposite end of the line raise their hands and cry, "Bid, bid, bid!" while the two who first made the arch pa.s.s through, drawing the line after them, and calling "Quack! quack! quack!" This pa.s.sing of the ducks under the gateway is continued during one or two repet.i.tions of the music. The players should repeat "Bid, bid, bid!" and "Quack, quack, quack!" in rhythm during all of this latter part of the play.

FARMER IN THE DELL

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

The farmer in the dell, The farmer in the dell, Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!

The farmer in the dell.

The farmer takes a wife, The farmer takes a wife, Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!

The farmer takes a wife.

The wife takes a child, The wife takes a child, Heigh-o! the cherry-oh, The wife takes a child.

The succeeding verses vary only in the choice in each, and follow in this order:--

The child takes a nurse, etc.

The nurse takes a cat, etc.

The cat takes a rat, etc., The rat takes the cheese, etc.

[Ill.u.s.tration music:

The far-mer in the dell, The far-mer in the dell, Heigh-o the cher-ry-oh, The far-mer in the dell.

The players stand in a circle with one of their number in the center, who represents the farmer in the dell. At the singing of the second verse, where the farmer takes a wife, the center player beckons to another, who goes in and stands by her. The circle keeps moving while each verse is sung, and each time the player last called in beckons to another; that is, the wife beckons one into the circle as the child, the child beckons one for the nurse, etc., until six are standing in the circle. But when the lines, "The rat takes the cheese," are sung, the players inside the circle and those forming it jump up and down and clap their hands in a grand confusion, and the game breaks up.

HUNTING

_10 to 60 or more players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

This game is especially enjoyed by little boys, for whom there is a comparatively small number of appropriate singing games.

The players all stand in two lines facing each other. They clap their hands in time with the song, and sing the first verse:--

[Ill.u.s.tration music:

Oh, have you seen the Shah? Oh, have you seen the Shah? He lights his pipe on a star-light night, Oh, have you seen the Shah?

For a-hunt-ing we will go, A- hunt-ing we will go. We'll catch a fox and put him in a box. A-hunt-ing we will go.

Oh, have you seen the Shah?

Oh, have you seen the Shah?

He lights his pipe on a starlight night.

Oh, have you seen the Shah?

For a-hunting we will go, A-hunting we will go.

We'll catch a fox and put him in a box.

A-hunting we will go.

While the last verse is being sung, the two players at the top of the lines run forward, join hands, and run down between the lines to the foot, turn around, join the other hands, and return between the lines.

When they have reached the head again, they unclasp hands and run down the outside of the lines, each on his own side, and take their places at the foot of the lines. By this time the verse should be finished, and it is then sung again, the two players who are now standing at the head running down through the middle, etc. This is repeated until all the players have run, when the two lines join hands in a ring and all dance around, repeating the verse for the last time.

For a large number of players several may run instead of two. The first two then represent foxes, the next four, prancing or galloping horses (all in time to the music), and four others for riders or hunters.

ITISKIT, ITASKET

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

This is a form of Drop the Handkerchief, differing somewhat in play, and also in that a verse is sung with the game.

All of the players but one stand in a circle with clasped hands; the odd player, carrying a handkerchief, runs around on the outside of the circle, singing the following verse:--

Itiskit, Itasket, A green and yellow basket; I wrote a letter to my love And on the way I dropped it.