The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 87

To make a fire, to make some tea, to pour over your wee chickens.

Auld grannie rushes at them, and pretends to throw the water over them.

When she has caught some players, and the sides are about equal in strength, the game ends in a tug of war.-Dalry, Galloway (J. G. Carter.)

Another, called "Grannie's Needle," has a slightly different parley.

What are you looking for, granny?

My granny's needle.

What are you going to do with the needle, granny?

To make a bag.

And what are you going to do with the bag, granny?

To gather sand.

What are you going to do with the sand, granny?

To sharpen knives.

And what are you going to do with the knives, granny?

To cut off your chickens' heads.

-Belfast (W. H. Patterson).

Ball. [Pots, vol. ii. p. 64.]

1. Throw the ball up against a wall three times and catch it.

2. Throw it up and clap hands three times before catching it.

3. Throw it up and put your hands round in a circle.

4. Throw it up and clap your hands before and behind.

5. Throw it up and clap and touch your shoulder.

6. Throw it up and clap and touch your other shoulder.

7. Throw it up three times with your right hand and catch it with your right.

8. Throw it up with your left and catch it with your left.

9. Throw it up with your right and catch it with your right, dog snack fashion (_i.e._ as a dog snacks, knuckles up).

10. Throw it up with your left and catch it with your left (dog snack).

11. Throw it up and clap and touch your knee.

12. Throw it up and clap and touch your other knee.

13. Throw it up and turn round.

These actions should each be performed three times.-Laurieston School, Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).

This is a more complete version of "Pots."

Another game is-

One girl takes a ball, strikes it on the ground, and keeps pushing it down with her hand. While she is doing this, the other players stand beside her, and keeping unison with the ball, repeat-

Game, game, ba' ba', Twenty la.s.ses in a raw, Nae a lad amon them a'

Bits game, game, ba', ba'.

If the girl keeps the ball dancing up and down-"stottin'" during the time the words are being repeated, it counts one game gained. She goes on "stottin'" the ball, and the others go on repeating the words till she allows the ball to escape from her control.-Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr.

Gregor); Dalry, Galloway (J. G. Carter).

Another rhyme for a ball game is-

Little wee laddie, foo's yer daidie?

New come oot o' a basket shadie.

A basket shadie's ower full, New come oot o' a roarin' bull.

A roarin bull's ower fat, New come oot o' a gentleman's hat.

A gentleman's hat's ower fine, New come oot o' a bottle o' wine.

A bottle o' wine is ower reid, New come oot o' a crust o' breid.

A crust o' breid is ower broon, New come oot o' a half-a-croon.

A half-a-croon is ower little, New come oot o' a weaver's shuttle.

A weaver's shuttle's ower holey, New come oot o' a paint pottie, Game, game, game, game, game!

-Rev. Dr. Gregor.

Bannockburn. [See Fool, Fool, come to school, vol. i. p. 132.]

Played as "Fool" with these differences. The namer cries to the fool in the same formula as the Suss.e.x version (vol. i. p. 133). The fool, called here "Bannockburn," says, "Are ye it?" to each player pointing to them in turn. When she points at the correct one that player runs off.

Bannockburn runs after and tries to catch her. If the first runner can get back into the row untouched she gets renamed, if caught she has to take Bannockburn's place.

During the naming, Bannockburn tries to overhear the names given. But when noticed coming near, those being named, cry "Bannockburn away dune the sea."-Dalry, Galloway (J. G. Carter).

Black Doggie.

[see Drop Handkerchief, vol. i. 109-112.]