The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 41

Splints

A game at marbles, in which they are dropped from the hand in heaps.-Easther's _Almondbury Glossary_.

Spurn point

An old game (undescribed) mentioned in the play _Apollo Shroving_, London, 1627, p. 49.

Spy-arm

A game of Hide-and-Seek, with this difference, that when those are found who are hid the finder cries Spy-arm; and if the one discovered can catch the discoverer, he has a ride upon his back to the dools.-Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopaedia_.

See "Hide and Seek" (1).

Stacks

A stack in the centre of the stackyard was selected, and round a part of one side a rut was marked in the earth usually by the toe-bit of the ploughman's boot. This enclosure, not over four feet wide at the broadest part, was called the den. One of the players, selected to be the catcher, stood within this den, and when all the players were ready turned his face to the stack, and counted out loud the numerals from one to twenty, the last with a great shout. During the count the players ran round the stacks out of sight, but no hiding nor leaving the stackyard, this was "not fair." When twenty was heard one would shout back "Ready!"

Then out came the catcher. He was not permitted to stand in or near the den, but went out among the stacks and caught as many players as he could before they reached the den. The great aim of those "out" was to get into the den unseen and untouched. If all the players got in, then the catcher had to try again; but when all were caught (which was seldom or never), the last one caught was catcher for the next game. When one player was touched by the catcher he or she had to remain in the den till the rest were all in.-Biggar (Wm. Ballantyne).

Mr. Ballantyne says, "This game usually ended in a promiscuous 'catching' and 'touching' game, each lad trying to catch the la.s.s he liked best, and some lads, for the fun of the thing, would try and get a particular girl first, her wishes and will not being considered in the matter; and it seemed to be an unwritten law among them for the la.s.s to 'gang wi' the lad that catched her first,' yet I have known la.s.sies take this opportunity to favour the lad they preferred. It was the correct thing for the people to visit each other's farms in rotation to play 'the stacks.'" This game was played when all the crops of grain were in the stackyard under thack and rape (?nape). Then it was customary for the servant lads and la.s.ses of neighbours' "ferm toons" to gather together and play at this game. Mr. Ballantyne considers it was the third of three festivals formerly held at the ingathering of the crops.

See "Barley Break."

Stag

A boys' game. One boy issues forth and tries to "tig" another, previously saying this nominy, or the first two lines-

Stag, stag arony, Ma' dog's bony, Them 'at Aw catch 'Ill ha' to go wi' me.

When one boy is tigged (or "tug") the two issue forth hand in hand, and when more, all hand in hand. The other players have the privilege of breaking the chain, and if they succeed the parties forming it are liable to be ridden back to the den. At Lepton, where the game was publicly played, the boundaries were "Billy tour end, Penny Haas end, and I' Horsin step." So played in 1810, and is still.-Easther's _Almondbury Glossary_.

In the Sheffield district it is called "Rag Stag," and is usually played in the playground, or yard, attached to a school. Any number can play. A place is chalked out in a corner or angle formed by the walls or hedges surrounding the playground. This is called the den, and a boy stands within the den. Sometimes the den is formed by chalking an area out upon a footpath, as in the game of "Bedlams." The boy in the den walks or runs out, crying, "Rag-stag, jinny I over, catching," and having said this he attempts to catch one of the boys in the playground who have agreed to play the game. Having caught him he takes him back into the den. When they have got into the den they run out hand-in-hand, one of them crying, "Rag-stag, jinny I over, touching," whilst the other immediately afterwards calls out, "Rag-stag, jinny I over, catching."

They must keep hold of each other's hands, and whilst doing so the one who cried out "Touching" attempts to touch one of the boys in the playground, whilst the one who cried "Catching" attempts to catch one of such boys. If a boy is caught or touched, the two boys who came out of the den, together with their prisoner, run back as quickly as possible into the den, with their hands separated. If whilst they are running back into the den any boy in the playground can catch any one of the three who are running back, he jumps on his back and rides as far as the den, but he must take care not to ride too far, for when the boys who are already caught enter the den they can seize their riders, and pull them into the den. In this case the riders too are caught. The process is repeated until all are caught.-Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_.

Another name for the game is "Stag-out." One player is Stag, and has a place marked out for his bounds. He stands inside, and then rushes out with his hands clasped together, and endeavours to touch one of the other players, which being accomplished, he has the privilege of riding on the boy's back to his bounds again.-_Book of Sports._ In a London version the hands were held above the head, and joined by interlacing the thumbs, the fingers being outspread, the boy had to touch another while in this position.

In Shropshire it is called "Stag-warning." One boy is chosen Stag; he runs about the playground with his clasped hands held palms together in front of him, trying to tick (= touch) others. Each whom he touches joins hands with him, and they run together in an ever-lengthening chain, sweeping the playground from end to end, the boys at each end of the chain "ticking" others with their disengaged hands, till all are caught but one, who becomes the next "Stag." The Stag gives notice of his start by exclaiming-

Stag-warning, stag-warning, Come out to-morrow morning!

-Shrewsbury.

Stag a-rag a-rorning Very frosty morning!

What I cannot catch to-night I'll catch to-morrow morning!

-Chirbury (Burne's _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 523).

The game is mentioned by Mr. Patterson in his _Antrim and Down Glossary_. Northall's _English Folk Rhymes_, p. 392, gives a Warwickshire and Staffordshire version, in which the first player "ticked" or "tagged" becomes Stag when the first game is concluded, all having been caught. The words used are-

Stag aloney, My long poney, Kick the bucket over.

Halliwell (_Dictionary_) also describes the game, and indicates its origin. The boy chosen for the game clasps his hands together, and, holding them out, threatens his companions as though pursuing them with horns, and a chase ensues in which the Stag endeavours to strike one of them, who then becomes Stag in his turn. Unfortunately, Halliwell does not, in this instance, give his authority, but if it is taken from the players themselves, it is a sufficient account of the origin of the game, apart from the evidence of the name. All this group of games is evidently to be traced to one original, though in different places the detail of the game has developed somewhat differently. It evidently comes down from the time when stags were hunted not so much for sport as for food.

See "Chickidy Hand," "Hornie," "Hunt the Stagie," "Shepherds,"

"Warney."

Stagging

A man's game. Two men have their ankles tied together and their wrists tied behind their backs. They then try to knock each other down.-Patterson's _Antrim Glossary_.

See "Hirtschin Hairy."

Steal the Pigs

The game represents the stealing of a woman's children and the recovery of them. The mother, before beginning to wash, disposes of her children in a safe place. She proceeds to do her washing. While she is busy a child-s.n.a.t.c.her comes and takes away one. The others begin to cry. The mother hears them crying. She goes and asks the reason of their crying, and is told that a woman came and took away one of them. She scolds and beats them all; tells them to be more careful for the time to come, and returns to her washing. Again the children cry, and the mother goes to see what is the matter with them, and is told the same thing. She repeats her admonition and bodily correction, and returns to her work.

This process is repeated till all the children are stolen. After finishing her washing, she goes to her children and finds the last one gone. She sets out in search of them, and meets a woman whom she questions if she had seen her children. She denies all knowledge of them. The mother persists, and at last discovers all her stolen children. She demands them back. The stealer refuses, and puts them behind her and stands on her defence. A tussel takes place. The mother in the long run rescues her children.-Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).

See "Mother, Mother, Pot boils over," "Witch."

Stealy Clothes

See "Scots and English."

Steik and Hide

The game of Hide and Seek.-Aberdeen (Jamieson).

Sticky-stack

A game among young people in running up the face or cut part of a hay-stack to try who can put in a stick the highest.-Brockett's _North Country Words_.

Sticky Toffey

Name of a game (undescribed) recorded by the Rev. S. D. Headlam, as played by Hoxton School children at Hoxton.-_Church Reformer_, 1894.

Stiff Police