The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 100

Onery, twoery, d.i.c.kery dary, Wispy, spindey, spoke of the lindey, Old Johanny Hairy c.r.a.p in![17]

Each word is repeated to a man; and when the leader comes to "c.r.a.p in,"

the man specified draws in his foot. When all have drawn in their feet but one, this one must then kneel down, and his eyes being blindfolded, the master of the game puts his elbow on his back and strikes him with his elbow or fist, saying-

Hurley, burley, trump the trace, The cow ran through the market-place.

Simon Alley hunt the buck, How many horns stand up?

At the same time holding up several fingers. The man kneeling down has to guess the number. If he guesses correctly, the master of the game takes his place. If he fails to guess he is kept down, and another man goes and strikes his back, and so on.-Kiltubbrid, Co. Leitrim (L. L.

Duncan.)

A version of "Hot c.o.c.kles," with interesting variations.

Mr. Duncan, when sending me the games he collected, said-"It is very possible that the people may have brought some of the games from England when returning from harvesting. This, however, does not apply to 'Old Johanny Hairy, c.r.a.p in,' as it is now called in English. c.r.a.p isteach is the Irish for 'draw in,' as in Mr. O'Faharty's 'Sports of the Winter'

there is a Gaelic version. This, I should imagine, makes it certain that, although well known elsewhere, the game also obtained in the West of Ireland."

[17] c.r.a.p-draw.

Paper of Pins.

Paper of pins to you I bring; Say is my love worth anything?

Gold and silver to you I bring; Say is my love worth anything?

No, I'll not have anything;

or,

Yes, I will have what you bring.

A ring is formed, and one player walks round outside saying the first four lines, stopping at any child she chooses who answers "Yes" or "No."

If "Yes," the two go into the ring and kiss.-Marylebone, London (A. B.

Gomme).

This is interesting, as a possible fragment of the old Keys of Canterbury [Halliwell's "Nursery Rhymes," No. cccclxvi.] and of the Paper of Pins, described so fully by Mr. Newell in "Games and Songs of American Children," pp. 51-55.

See "Keys of Heaven," _ante_, p. 437.

Pickie. A form of Hopscotch.

[See "Hopscotch," vol. i. pp. 223-227.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

One player commences first by winning the toss. The pick (a small flat stone) is pitched into No. 1 bed. It is then moved out of this first place, backward across the front line, and not otherwise by touching or forcing it with one foot, the other foot being kept up; that is, the player must hop and use the foot on the ground to strike "pick." No line must be touched. If this happens, or if the pick, when being driven towards the pitching line, gets away otherwise than across the front line, the player is "out," and the next boy goes in. All the beds are done likewise, and all must be then done in a reverse way, beginning with No. 10. The first player who completes the game wins.-Waterville, Co. Kerry (Mrs. B. B. Green).

Poor Widow.

[Vol. ii. pp. 62, 63.]

Here's a poor widow from Babylon, All her sons and daughters are gone.

Come choose to the east, come choose to the west, Come choose you the very one that you like best.

Now they are married I wish them joy, Every year a girl and boy.

Loving each other like sister and brother, A happy new couple may kiss together.

-Laurieston School, Kircudbrightshire (J. Lawson).

A circle is formed, two children in the centre, one of whom kneels, the other walks round singing-

I am a poor widow go walking around, Go walking around, go walking around, my own.

And all of my children are married but one, Are married but one, are married but one, my own.

I put on a nightcap to keep her head warm, To keep her head warm, to keep her head warm, my own.

Then rise up my daughter and choose whom you please, And choose whom you please, and choose whom you please, my own.

The mother then joins the circle, and the daughter becomes poor widow.

On the mention of the nightcap a white handkerchief is spread over the head, the circle walking around slowly, and chanting the words slowly and dismally.

-Penzance (Miss Courtney).

See "Widow," _ante_, p. 381.

Rashes.

A game played by children with rushes in Derbyshire, which is a relic of the old custom of rush-bearing. In the warm days of May and June the village children proceed in parties to the sedges and banks of d.y.k.e and brook, there to gather the finest and best rushes. These are brought with childish ceremony to some favourite spot, and then woven into various articles, such as baskets, parasols, and umbrellas. Small arbours are made of green bushes and strewn with rushes, inside which the children sit and sing and play at "keeping house" with much lordly ceremony. At these times they play at a game which consists in joining hands in a circle, and going round a heap of rushes singing or saying-

Mary Green and Bessy Bell, They were two bonny la.s.ses; They built a house in yonder hill, And covered it with rashes.

Rashes, rashes, rashes!

At each repet.i.tion of the word "rashes" (rushes) they loosen hands, and each picking up a lot of rushes, throw them into the air, so that they may fall on every one in the descent. Many of the articles made with rushes are hung over the chimney-piece in houses, and in children's bedrooms, as ornaments or samples of skill, and there remain until the next season, or until the general cleaning at Christmas.-Thomas.

Radcliffe, in "Long Ago," vol. i. p. 49 (1873).

Queen Anne.

[Vol. ii. pp. 90-102.]

Lady Queen Anne, she sits in her pan, As fair as a lilly, as white as a lamb; Come t.i.ttle, come tattle, come tell me this tale, Which of these ladies doth carry the ball?

My father sent me three letters, please deliver the ball.

If a correct guess is made by the opposite side, the queen and the child who had the ball say-

The ball is mine, it is not yours, You may go to the garden and pick more flowers.

-Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).