The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 24

One boy is chosen c.o.c.k. The players arrange themselves in a line along one side of the playground. The c.o.c.k takes his stand in front of the players. When everything is ready, a rush across the playground is made by the players. The c.o.c.k tries to catch and "croon"-_i.e._, put his hand upon the head of-as many of the players as he can when running from one side of the playground to the other. Those caught help the c.o.c.k in the rush back. The rush from side to side goes on till all are captured. To "croon" was the essential point in capturing. When a boy was being pursued to be taken prisoner, his great object was, when he came to close quarters with his pursuers, to save his head from being touched on the crown by one of them.-Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).

At Duthil, Strathspey, this game goes by the name of "Rexa-boxa-King."

When the players have ranged themselves on one side of the playground, and the King has taken his stand in front of them, he calls out "Rexa-boxa-King," or simply "Rexa," when all the players rush to the other side. The rush from side to side goes on till all are captured.

The one last captured becomes King in the next game.-Rev. W. Gregor.

See "Click."

c.o.c.k-battler

Children, under the t.i.tle of "c.o.c.k-battler," often in country walks play with the h.o.a.ry plantain, which they hold by the tough stem about two inches from the head; each in turn tries to knock off the head of his opponent's flower.-Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 61).

In the North, and in Suffolk, it is called "c.o.c.ks," "a puerile game with the tough tufted stems of the ribwort plantain" (Brockett's _North Country Words_). Moor (_Suffolk Words_) alludes to the game, and Holloway (_Dictionary of Provincialisms_) says in West Suss.e.x boys play with the heads of rib gra.s.s a similar game. Whichever loses the head first is conquered. It is called "Fighting-c.o.c.ks."

c.o.c.k-fight

This is a boys' game. Two boys fold their arms, and then, hopping on one leg, b.u.t.t each other with their shoulders till one lets down his leg.

Any number of couples can join in this game.-Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor).

c.o.c.k-haw

See "Cob-nut."

c.o.c.k-stride

One boy is chosen as c.o.c.k. He is blindfolded, and stands alone, with his legs as far apart as possible. The other boys then throw their caps as far as they are able between the extended legs of the c.o.c.k (fig. 1).

After the boys have thrown their caps, and each boy has taken his stand beside his cap, the c.o.c.k, still blindfolded, stoops down and crawls in search of the caps (fig. 2). The boy whose cap he first finds has to run about twenty yards under the buffeting of the other boys, the blows being directed chiefly to the head. He becomes c.o.c.k at the next turn of the game.-Rosehearty, Pitsligo (Rev. W. Gregor).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 1.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 2.]

c.o.c.kertie-hooie

This game consists simply of one boy mounting on the neck of another, putting a leg over each shoulder and down his breast. The boy that carries takes firm hold of the legs of the one on his neck, and sets off at a trot, and runs. .h.i.ther and thither till he becomes tired of his burden. The bigger the one is who carries, the more is in the enjoyment to the one carried.-Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).

See "c.o.c.k's-headling."

c.o.c.kle-bread

Young wenches have a wanton sport, which they call moulding of c.o.c.klebread; viz. they gett upon a Table-board, and then gather-up their knees and their coates with their hands as high as they can, and then they wabble to and fro with their b.u.t.tocks as if the[y] were kneading of Dowgh, and say these words, viz.:-

My Dame is sick and gonne to bed, And I'le go mowld my c.o.c.kle-bread.

In Oxfordshire the maids, when they have put themselves into the fit posture, say thus:-

My granny is sick, and now is dead, And wee'l goe mould some c.o.c.kle-bread.

Up with my heels, and down with my head, And this is the way to mould c.o.c.klebread.

-Aubrey's _Remains_, pp. 43, 44.

To make "Barley bread" (in other districts, "c.o.c.kley bread") this rhyme is used in West Cornwall:-

Mother has called, mother has said, Make haste home, and make barley bread.

Up with your heels, down with your head, That is the way to make barley bread.

-_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 58.

The Westmoreland version is given by Ellis in his edition of Brand as follows:-

My grandy's seeke, And like to dee, And I'll make her Some c.o.c.kelty bread, c.o.c.kelty bread, And I'll make her Some c.o.c.kelty bread.

The term "c.o.c.kelty" is still heard among our children at play. One of them squats on its haunches with the hands joined beneath the thighs, and being lifted by a couple of others who have hold by the bowed arms, it is swung backwards and forwards and b.u.mped on the ground or against the wall, while continuing the words, "This is the way we make c.o.c.kelty bread."-Robinson's _Whitby Glossary_, p. 40.

The moulding of "c.o.c.klety-bread" is a sport amongst hoydenish girls not quite extinct. It consists in sitting on the ground, raising the knees and clasping them with the hand, and then using an undulatory motion, as if they were kneading dough.

My granny is sick and now is dead, And we'll go mould some c.o.c.klety bread; Up with the heels and down with the head, And that is the way to make c.o.c.klety bread.

-Hunter's MSS.; Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_.

(_b_) The _Times_ of 1847 contains a curious notice of this game. A witness, whose conduct was impugned as light and unbecoming, is desired to inform the court, in which an action for breach of promise was tried, the meaning of "mounting c.o.c.keldy-bread;" and she explains it as "a play among children," in which one lies down on the floor on her back, rolling backwards and forwards, and repeating the following lines:-

c.o.c.keldy bread, mistley cake, When you do that for our sake.

While one of the party so laid down, the rest sat around; and they laid down and rolled in this manner by turns.

These lines are still retained in the modern nursery-rhyme books, but their connection with the game of "c.o.c.keldy-bread" is by no means generally understood. There was formerly some kind of bread called "c.o.c.kle-bread," and _cocille-mele_ is mentioned in a very early MS.

quoted in Halliwell's _Dictionary_. In Peele's play of the _Old Wives'

Tale_, a voice thus speaks from the bottom of a well:-

Gently dip, but not too deep, For fear you make the golden beard to weep.

Fair maiden, white and red, Stroke me smooth and comb my head, And thou shalt have some _c.o.c.kell-bread_.

c.o.c.kly-jock

A game among boys. Stones are loosely placed one upon another, at which other stones are thrown to knock the pile down.-d.i.c.kinson's _c.u.mberland Glossary_.

See "Castles."

c.o.c.k's-headling