The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 94

Hen and Chickens.

[See "Auld Grannie," p. 404.]

High Windows.

[See "Drop Handkerchief," vol. i. pp. 109-112; "Black Doggie," vol. ii.

pp. 407-408.]

Boys hold hands and go round in ring form.

One player stands in the middle and strikes one of those in the ring with a bit of gra.s.s; both players then run out of the ring, and the boy who was in the midst must catch the other before he goes round three times. At the third time the boys all cry "High Windows," raising their hands at the same time to let the two inside the circle.-Kiltubbrid, Co.

Leitrim (L. L. Duncan).

Hot c.o.c.kles.

[Vol. i. p. 229.]

A version of this game, in which a dell or goal is appointed. The players stand together, one player places his head between the knees of another, who bends down, and slaps him on the back, keeping time to the following rhyme, saying-

Skip, skip, sko, Where shall this young man go?

To the east, or the west?

Or the young crow's nest?

The kneeling boy shouts out the name of the dell, and the other players all rush off shouting out its name. The one who gets there first wins the game.-Meiklefolla, Aberdeenshire (Rev. Dr. Gregor).

Hulla-balloo-ballee.

[See "Lubin," vol. i. pp. 352-361.]

One version of Lubin Loo, from Forfar, Linlithgow, and Argyllshire, is the same as those given in vol. i. A Nairnshire version is called "Hullabaloo-ballee."

Hulla-balloo, ballee, Hulla-balloo, ballight; Hulla-balloo, ballee, All on a winter's night, Put your right foot in, &c.

Turn round about.

At "turn round about," they reverse the direction, and dance round the other way, and so on.-Rev. Dr. Gregor; and Mrs Jamieson.

Another version is-

Old Simon, the king, young Simon, the squire, Old Simon, the king, sat round a nice warm fire; Keep your right hand in, shove your right hand out, Shake it a little, a little, and turn yourself about!

Keep your right foot in, shove your left foot out, Shake it a little, a little, and turn yourself about.

Hally gallee, gallee, gallee; Hally gallo, gallo, gallo; Hally gallee, gallee, gallee, Upon a Sat.u.r.day night.

Keep your right hand in, &c.

-Galloway (J. G. Carter).

Several versions of this game are given by Mr. E. W. B. Nicholson in his interesting little book "Goldspie," pp. 176-184. He considers "Hilli-ballu," "Hulla-baloo," and similar words to be the original of the English forms "Here we dance Looby Loo," or Lubin, and all of these to be derived from hunting cries, such as ha, la bas! loup! uttered by huntsmen to definite musical notes, possibly introduced into songs and afterwards adapted as lullabies because of their resemblance to the lulling-cries ba (= bye) and lulli.

Isabella.

[Vol. i. pp. 247-256.]

Two or three versions which vary slightly in method of playing may be given. The first is played in the usual way until the last line is said, when the player turns her back to the circle facing outwards as in Wall-flowers.

Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, farewell; There is my hand, love, there is my hand, love, farewell!

Over the mountains, over the mountains, over the mountains, farewell!

Her love's dead and gone, dead and gone, dead and gone!

Her love's dead and gone, turn your back behind her.

-Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).

Another version is-

Isabella, fare ye wella; Isabella, fare ye wella; Isabella, farewell!

One player then leaves the ring singing-

"I'm off to the Indies," &c.

The ring all sing-

"Over the mountains" (as above) six times, ending with-

"Isabella, Isabella, farewell" (as above).

The player who had previously left the ring returns singing, "I'm come back from the Indies," &c.

A ring is formed, one player kneels in the centre, the players in the ring fix their eyes steadily on the kneeling girl all the time.-Fochabers, N.E. Scotland (Rev. Dr. Gregor).

In the next version the words of each verse are:-

Isabella, farewella, &c.

Back from London, &c.

Go to London, &c.

Pull the brooch off my bosom, &c.

Pull the ring off my finger, &c.

-Laurieston School, Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).

Jenny Jones.

[Vol. i. pp. 260-283.]