The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 18

II. Beeswax and turpentine make the best of plaster, The more you try to pull it off, it's sure to stick the faster.

I'll buy a horse and hire a gig, And all the world shall have a jig; And you and I'll do all we can To push the business on, To push the business on; And we'll do all that ever we can To push the business on.

-Brigg, Lincolnshire (Miss Barker, from a Lincolnshire friend).

III. I'll buy a horse and steal a gig, And all the world shall have a jig; And I'll do all that ever I can To pa.s.s the business on.

To pa.s.s the business on, To pa.s.s the business on; And I'll do all that ever I can To pa.s.s the business on.

-Wolstanton, North Staffs. (Miss Bush, Schoolmistress)

IV. We'll borrow a horse and steal a gig, And round the world we'll have a jig; And I'll do all that ever I can To push the business on.

-Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy).

V. I'll hire a horse and steal a gig, And all the world shall have a jig; And I'll do all that ever I can To push the business on, To push the business on, to push the business on, And I'll do all that ever I can to push the business on.

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

(_b_) The players stand in a circle, boy and girl alternately, and sing the lines. At the fourth line they all clap their hands, keeping time with the song. When singing the seventh line each boy takes the girl on his left hand,-dances round with her and places her on his right hand.

This is done till each girl has been all round the circle, and has been turned or danced with by each boy. In the Wolstanton version (Miss Bush), after singing the first four lines, the children fall behind one another, march round, clapping their hands and singing; at the seventh line they all join in couples and gallop round very quickly to the end.

When they finish, the girls stand at the side of the boys in couples, and change places every time they go round until each girl has partnered each boy. At Hexham there is rather more of the regular dance about the game at the beginning. At the fourth line they set to partners and swing round, the girls changing places at the end, and continuing until they have been all round each time with a different partner.

(_c_) This game seems of kin to the old-fashioned country dances. Miss Bush writes that this game was introduced into the school playground from Derbyshire a few years ago, and is sung to a simple tune.

Puss in the Corner

The children stand at fixed points: one stands in the middle and chants, "Poor puss wants a corner." The others beckon with the fore-finger, and calling, "Puss, puss," run from point to point. Puss runs also to one of the vacant s.p.a.ces. The one left out becomes puss.-Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The players place themselves each in some "coign of vantage," as the play place allows; one player in the middle is "out." Those in the corners change places with each other at choice, calling, "Puss, puss, puss," to attract each other's attention. The one who is out watches his opportunity to slip into a vacant corner, and oblige some one else to be "out." A favourite game _in the streets_ of Market Drayton.-Burne's _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 523.

When we played this game, the child who was to be "Puss" was invariably decided upon by a counting-out rhyme. He or she being the last of the five players "not he." The words we used when wishful to change corners were, "Puss, puss, give me a drop of milk." The players in the corners beckoned with the finger to an opposite player in another corner (A. B.

Gomme).

The game in Scotland is called "Moosie in the Corner," and is played by boys or girls, or by both together, either outside or in a room. Each player takes a corner, and one stands in the middle. On a given signal, usually by calling out the word "Change," a rush is made from the corners. The aim of the one standing in the middle is to reach a vacant corner. If the game is played in a room, as many chairs, or other seats, are placed as there are players, less one. Each takes a seat, and one is left standing. On the word "Change" being called out, each jumps from the seat and makes for another. The one standing strives to get a seat in the course of the change.-Nairn and Macduff (Rev. W. Gregor).

p.u.s.s.y's Ground

Name for Tom Tiddler's Ground in Norfolk.

See "Tom Tiddler's Ground."

Pyramid

A circle of about two feet in diameter is made on the ground, in the centre of which a pyramid is formed by several marbles. Nine are placed as the base, then six, then four, and then one on the top. The keeper of the pyramid then desires the other players to shoot. Each player gives the keeper one marble for leave to shoot at the pyramid, and all that the players can strike out of the circle belong to them.-London streets (A. B. Gomme), and _Book of Sports_.

See "Castles."

Quaker

Men and women stand alternately in a circle, and one man begins by placing his left hand on his left knee, and saying, "There was an old Quaker and he went so." This is repeated all round the circle; the first man then says the same thing again, but this time he places his _right_ hand on his _right_ knee. Then he places his hand on the girl's shoulder, then round her neck, and on her far shoulder, then looks into her face, and, lastly, kisses her.-Sharleston, Yorks (Miss Fowler).

Quaker's Wedding

Hast thou ever been to a Quaker's wedding?

Nay, friend, nay.

Do as I do; twiddle thy thumbs and follow me.

The leader walks round chanting these lines, with her eyes fixed on the ground. Each new comer goes behind till a long train is formed, then they kneel side by side as close together as possible. The leader then gives a vigorous push to the one at the end of the line [next herself, and that one to the next], and the whole line tumble over.-Berkshire (Miss Thoyts in the _Antiquary_, xxvii. 194).

See "Obadiah," "Solomon."

Queen Anne

I. Lady Queen Ann she sits in her stand, And a pair of green gloves upon her hand, As white as a lily, as fair as a swan, The fairest lady in a' the land; Come smell my lily, come smell my rose, Which of my maidens do you choose?

I choose you one, and I choose you all, And I pray, Miss ( ), yield up the ball.

The ball is mine, and none of yours, Go to the woods and gather flowers.

Cats and kittens bide within, But we young ladies walk out and in.

-Chambers' _Pop. Rhymes_, p. 136.

II. Queen Anne, Queen Anne, who sits on her throne, As fair as a lily, as white as a swan; The king sends you three letters, And begs you'll read one.

I cannot read one unless I read all, So pray ( ) deliver the ball.

The ball is mine and none of thine, So you, proud Queen, may sit on your throne, While we, your messengers, go and come.

(Or sometimes)-

The ball is mine, and none of thine, You are the fair lady to sit on; And we're the black gipsies to go and come.

-Halliwell's _Pop. Rhymes_, p. 230.

III. Queen Anne, Queen Anne, you sit in the sun, As fair as a lily, as white as a wand, I send you three letters, and pray read one.

You must read one, if you can't read all, So pray, Miss or Master, throw up the ball.

-Halliwell's _Pop. Rhymes_, p. 64.

IV. Here we come a-piping, First in spring and then in May.

The Queen she sits upon the sand, Fair as a lily, white as a wand: King John has sent you letters three, And begs you'll read them unto me.

We can't read one without them all, So pray, Miss Bridget, deliver the ball.

-Halliwell's _Pop. Rhymes_, p. 73.