Part 18
IV. See-saw, sacradown, Which is the way to London town? One boot up, and the other down, And that is the way to London town.
--Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, No. cccxxx.
V. The poor man was digging, To and fro, to and fro; And his spade on his shoulder, To and fro, to and fro.
The poor man was digging, To and fro, to and fro; And he caught the black cross, To and fro, to and fro.
--Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
A common game, children sitting on either end of a plank supported on its centre, and made to rock up and down. While enjoying this recreation, they sing the verse. Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_, gives Ranty or Rantypole, a plank or pole balanced evenly, upon which children rock up and down in see-saw fashion. Jamieson, _Etymological Dictionary_, gives Coup-the-Ladle as the name for See-saw in Aberdeen. Moor, _Suffolk Words and Phrases_, describes this game, and gives the same words to be sung while playing as Halliwell's above. Grose gives "Weigh," to play at See-saw. Holloway, _Dictionary of Provincialisms_, says, in Norfolk See-saw is called Titti cum Totter; and in Gainford, Durham, Ewiggy Shog. Halliwell gives versions of Nos. II. and III. in his _Nursery Rhymes_, and also other verses with the opening words "See-saw," namely, "See-saw, Jack-a-Daw," "See-saw, Sack-a-day;" but these are not connected with the game by Halliwell, and there is nothing in the words to indicate such a connection. Mactaggart, _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_, calls the game "Coggle-te-Carry," but gives no verses, and Strutt calls it "Titter Totter."--_Sports_, p. 303. He does not give any rhymes, except to quote Gay's poem, but it is possible that the rhyme to his game may be No. I. Brogden gives "Hightte" as the game of See-saw. The Manx version has not before been published, and Mr. Moore says is now quite forgotten in the Isle. The game is called "Shuggy-shoo" in Irish, and also "Copple-thurrish," evidently "Horse and Pig," as if the two animals were balancing against each other, and alternately becoming elevated and depressed.--_Ulster Journ. Arch._, vi. 102. The child who stands on the plank in the centre and balances it, is frequently called the "canstick" or "candlestick."
See-Sim
A children's game. If one of the party is blindfolded, it is "Blind-Sim."--Spurden's _East Anglian Glossary_.
Shame Reel, or Shamit Dance
In several counties of Scotland this was the name of the first dance after the celebration of marriages. It was performed by the bride and best man and the bridegroom and best maid. The bride's partner asked what was to be the "sham spring," and she commonly answered, "Through the world will I gang wi' the lad that lo'es me," which, on being communicated to the fiddlers, was struck up, and the dance went on somewhat punctiliously, while the guests looked on in silence, and greeted the close with applause. This dance was common in Forfarshire twenty years ago.--Jamieson's _Dictionary_.
See "Cushion Dance," "Salmon Fishers."
She Said, and She Said
This game requires two confederates; one leaves the room, and the other in the secret asks a player in the room to whisper to him whom she (or he) loved; he then calls in his companion, and the following dialogue is carried on:--
"She said, and she said! And what did she say?" "She said that she loved." "And whom did she love? Suppose she said she loved ----?" "No! she never said that, whatever she said."
An indefinite number of names are mentioned before the right one. When that came, to the surprise of the whisperer, the answer is--
"Yes! she said that."
The secret was very simple; the name of a widow or widower known to both players was always given before that whispered.--Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 50).
Shepherd and Sheep
Children choose, by "counting out," or otherwise, a Shepherd and a Wolf (or Mother Sheep, and Wolf). The Wolf goes away, and the rest of the players are the Sheep (or Lambs) and stand in a row. The Shepherd counts them--Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, &c. Then--
_Shepherd_--"What shall I bring home for you for dinner, Sunday, I'm going to market?"
Sunday chooses something--roast veal, apple tart, or anything else that she likes. Then Monday, Tuesday, and the rest choose also. Shepherd goes away, saying--
"Mind you are all good children."
The Wolf comes directly the Shepherd goes out of sight, and takes away one of the Sheep. Shepherd comes back and begins to distribute the different things--
"Sunday, Monday,----why, where's Tuesday?" (or Wednesday, as the case may be.)
The Children cry in chorus--
"Old Wolf came down the chimney and took him (or her) away."
This formula is repeated till all the children (sheep) are stolen.
The Shepherd now goes to the Wolf's house to look for his sheep--
_Shepherd_--"Good morning, have you seen my sheep?"
_Wolf_--"Yes, they went down Red Lane."
[Shepherd looks down Red Lane.]
_Shepherd_--"I've been down Red Lane, and they're not there."
_Wolf_--"I've just seen them pass, they're gone down Green Lane," &c. These questions and answers continue as long as the children's fancy holds out; then the Shepherd comes back.
_Shepherd_--"I've looked everywhere, and can't find them. I b'lieve you've got them? I smell meat; may I go up and taste your soup?"
_Wolf_--"You can't go upstairs, your shoes are too dirty."
_Shepherd_--"I'll take off my shoes" (pretends to take them off).
_Wolf_--"Your stockings are too dirty."
_Shepherd_--"I'll take off my stockings" (suits the action).
_Wolf_--"Your feet are too dirty."
_Shepherd_--"I'll cut my feet off" (pretends to cut them off).
(Milder version, "I'll wash my feet.")
_Wolf_--"Then the blood'll run about."
(Milder version, "Then they'll wet my carpet.")
_Shepherd_--"I'll tie up my feet."
(Or, "I'll wipe my feet")
_Wolf_---"Well, now you may go up."
_Shepherd_--"I smell my sheep."
The Shepherd then goes to one child, pretends to taste--using fingers of both hands as though holding a spoon and fork--on the top of the child's head, saying, "That's my sheep," "That's Tuesday," &c., till he comes to the end of the row, then they all shout out and rush home to the fold, the Wolf with them. A fresh Shepherd and Wolf are chosen, and the game starts once more.--Cornwall (Miss I. Barclay).
One player is chosen to be the Shepherd, another the Thief, and the rest the sheep, who are arranged in a long row. The Shepherd pretends to be asleep; the Thief takes away one of the sheep and hides it; he then says--
_Thief_--"Shepherdy, shepherdy, count your sheep!"
_Shepherd_--"I can't come now, I'm fast asleep."
_Thief_--"If you don't come now, they'll all be gone, So shepherdy, shepherdy, come along!"
The Shepherd counts the sheep, and missing one, asks where it is gone. The Thief says, "It is gone to get fat!" The Shepherd goes to sleep again, and the same performance is repeated till all the sheep are hidden; the Shepherd goes in search of them, and when found they join him in the pursuit of the Thief.--Oswestry (Burne's _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 520).
Mr. Northall (_Folk Rhymes_, p. 391) gives a version from Warwickshire, and says he believes the Shepherd's dog to be the true thief who hides his propensity in the dialogue--
Bow, wow, wow, What's the matter now? A leg of a louse came over my house, And stole one of my fat sheep away.
The game is played as in Shropshire. The dialogue in the Cornish game is similar to that of "Witch." See "Wolf."
Shepherds
One child stands alone, facing the others in a line opposite. The single child shouts, "Shepherds, shepherds, give warning." The others reply, "Warn away! warn away!" Then she asks, "How many sheep have you got?" They answer, "More than you can carry away." She runs and catches one--they two join hands and chase the rest; each one, as caught, joining hands with the chasers until all are caught.--Liverpool (Mr. C. C. Bell.) See "Stag," "Warney."
Shinney, or Shinty, or Shinnops
A writer in _Blackwood's Magazine_, August 1821, p. 36, says: The boys attempt to drive with curved sticks a ball, or what is more common, part of the vertebral bone of a sheep, in opposite directions. When the object driven along reaches the appointed place in either termination, the cry of hail! stops the play till it is knocked off anew by the boy who was so fortunate as to drive it past the gog. In the Sheffield district it is played as described by Halliwell. During the game the boys call out, "Hun you, shin you." It is called Shinny in Derbyshire.--Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_. Halliwell's description does not materially differ from the account given above except that when the knur is down over the line it is called a "bye."--(_Dictionary_). In _Notes and Queries_, 8th series, viii. 446; ix. 115 _et seq._, the game is described as played in Lincolnshire under the name of "Cabsow," which perhaps accounts for the Barnes game of Crab-sowl.
In Perthshire it is described as a game in which bats somewhat resembling a golf club are used. At every fair or meeting of the country people there were contests at racing, wrestling, putting the stone, &c., and on holidays all the males of a district, young and old, met to play at football, but oftener at shinty.--_Perthshire Statistical Account_, v. 72; Jamieson's description is the same.
Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_ says: A game described by Scotch writers by the name of Shintie; the shins, or under parts of the legs, are in danger during the game of being struck, hence the name from shin.--Dickinson, _Cumberland Glossary_, mentions Shinny as a boyish game, also called Scabskew, catty; it is also the name of the crook-ended stick used in the game. Patterson, _Antrim and Down Glossary_, under name Shinney, says, This game is played with shinneys, _i.e._, hooked sticks, and a ball or small block of wood called the "Golley," or "Nag."
In London this game is called Hockey. It seems to be the same which is designed _Not_ in Gloucestershire; the name being borrowed from the ball, which is made of a knotty piece of wood.--Grose's _Glossary_.
It has been said that Shinty and Hockey differ in this respect, that in the latter two goals are erected, each being formed by a piece of stick with both ends stuck in the ground. The players divide into two parties; to each of these the care of one of the goals belongs. The game consists in endeavouring to drive the ball through the goal of the opposite party.--_Book of Sports_ (1810), pp. 11-13. But in Shinty there are also two goals, called hails; the object of each party being to drive the ball beyond their own hail, but there is no hole through which it must be driven. The ball, or knot of wood, is called Shintie.
See "Bandy," "Camp," "Chinnup," "Crab-sowl," "Doddart," "Hockey," "Scrush."
Ship
A boy's game. It is played in two ways--(1) Of a single character. One boy bends down against a wall (sometimes another stands pillow for his head), then an opponent jumps on his back, crying "Ships" simply, or "Ships a-sailing, coming on." If he slips off, he has to bend as the other; but if not, he can remain as long as he pleases, provided he does not laugh or speak. If he forgets to cry "Ships," he has to bend down. (2) Sometimes sides are chosen; then the whole side go down heads and tails, and all the boys on the other side have to jump on their backs. The game in each case is much the same. The "naming" was formerly "Ships and sailors coming on."--Easther's _Almondbury Glossary_. Mr. H. Hardy sends an account from Earls Heaton, which is practically the same as these.
Ship Sail
A game usually played with marbles. One boy puts his hand into his trousers pocket and takes out as many marbles as he feels inclined; he closes his fingers over them, and holds out his hand with the palm down to the opposite player, saying, "Ship sail, sail fast. How many men on board?" A guess is made by his opponent; if less he has to give as many marbles as will make up the true number; if more, as many as he said over. But should the guess be correct he takes them, and then in his turn says, "Ship sail," &c.--Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 59).
See "Handy Dandy," "Neivvie-nick-nack."
Shiver the Goose
A boys' game. Two persons are trussed somewhat like fowls; they then hop about on their "hunkers," each trying to upset the other.--Patterson's _Antrim and Down Glossary_.
See "Curcuddie."
Shoeing the Auld Mare
A dangerous kind of sport. A beam of wood is slung between two ropes, a person gets on to this and contrives to steady himself until he goes through a number of antics; if he can do this he shoes the auld mare, if he cannot do it he generally tumbles to the ground and gets hurt with the fall.--Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_.
Shue-Gled-Wylie
A game in which the strongest acts as the Gled or Kite, and the next in strength as the mother of a brood of birds; for those under her protection, perhaps to the number of a dozen, keep all in a string behind her, each holding by the tail of one another. The Gled still tries to catch the last of them, while the mother cries "Shue! Shue!" spreading out her arms to keep him off. If he catch all the birds he wins the game.--Fife, Teviotdale (Jamieson).
See "Fox and Geese," "Gled-Wylie," "Hen and Chickens."
Shuttlefeather
This game is generally known as "Battledore and Shuttlecock." The battledore is a small hand bat, formerly made of wood, then of a skin stretched over a frame, and since of catgut strings stretched over a frame. The shuttlecock consists of a small cork into which feathers of equal size are fixed at even distances. The game may be played by one, two, or more persons. If by one person, it merely consists of batting up the shuttlecock into the air for as long a time as possible; if by two persons, it consists of batting the shuttlecock from one to the other; if by more than two, sides are chosen, and a game has been invented, and known as "Badminton." This latter game is not a traditional game, and does not therefore concern us now.
Strutt (_Sports and Pastimes_, p. 303) says this is a sport of long standing, and he gives an illustration, said to be of the fourteenth century, from a MS. in the possession of Mr. F. Douce. This would probably be the earliest mention of the game. It appears to have been a fashionable pastime among grown persons in the reign of James I. In the _Two Maids of Moreclacke_, 1609, it is said, "To play at Shuttlecock methinkes is the game now," and among the anecdotes related of Prince Henry, son to James I., is the following: "His Highness playing at shittle-cocke with one farr taller than himself, and hittyng him by chance with the shittle-cock upon the forehead" (_Harl. MS._, 6391). Among the accounts of money paid for the Earl of Northumberland while he was prisoner in the Tower for supposed complicity in the Gunpowder Plot, is an item for the purchase of shuttlecocks (_Hist. MSS. Com._, v. p. 354).
But the popular nature of the game is not indicated by these facts. For this we have to turn to the doings of the people. In the villages of the West Riding the streets may be seen on the second Sunday in May full of grown-up men and women playing "Battledore and Shuttlefeathers" (Henderson's _Folk-lore of the Northern Counties_, p. 80). In Leicester the approach of Shrove Tuesday (known amongst the youngsters as "Shuttlecock Day") is signalised by the appearance in the streets of a number of children playing at the game of "Battledore and Shuttlecock." On the day itself the streets literally swarm with juveniles, and even grown men and women engage in the pastime. Passing through a by-street the other day I heard a little girl singing--
Shuttlecock, shuttlecock, tell me true How many years have I to go through? One, two, three, four, &c.
--_Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, iii. 87.
The occurrence of this rhyme suggests that there is some sort of divination in the oldest form of the game, and it appears to me that the origin of the game must be sought for among the ancient practices of divination. An example is found among the customs of the children of Glamorganshire during the cowslip season. The cowslip heads are strung on a piece of thread and tied into a "posty," and the play is to throw it up a tolerable height, catching it on the distended palm with a blow that sends it up again, while the player sings:--
Pisty, posty, four and forty, How many years shall I live? One, two, three, four, &c.
Of course, if it falls to the ground uncaught, or even if caught in the clenched hand, there is an end of the player's "life." There is a good deal of emulation amongst the children as to who shall live the longest (_Notes and Queries_, 3rd ser., iii. 172). Miss Burne (_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 530) mentions the same custom, giving the rhyme as--
Toss-a-ball, toss-a-ball, tell me true How many years I've got to go through,
and she says the cowslip is thence called a "tissy-ball." In this custom we have no artificial aids to form a game, but we have a significant form of divination from natural flowers, accompanied by a rhyming formula exactly parallel to the rhymes used in the Leicestershire game of "Shuttlecock," and I conclude therefore that we have here the true origin of the game. This conclusion is confirmed when it is found that divinatory verses generally accompany the popular form of the game.
At Wakefield the children playing "Battledore and Shuttlecock" take it in turn, and say the following sentences, one clause to each bat, and repeated until the shuttlecock falls:--
1st. This year, next year, long time, never.
2nd. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
3rd. Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar-man, thief.
4th. Silk, satin, cotton, rags.
5th. Coach, carriage, wheelbarrow, donkey-cart.--Miss Fowler
At Deptford the rhymes were--
Grandmother, grandmother, Tell me the truth, How many years have I been to school? One, two, three, &c.
Grandmother, grandmother, Tell me no lie, How many children Before I die? One, two, three, &c.
In the same way the following questions are put and answered:--
How old am I? How long am I going to live? How many children shall I have?
Black currant, Red currant, Raspberry tart, Tell me the name Of my sweetheart. A, B, C, D, &c.
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, potter's boy, flour boy, thief.
Silk, satin, cotton, muslin, rags.
Coach, carriage, wheelbarrow, dungcart.
On their buttons they say: "Bought, given, stolen," to show how acquired.--Miss Chase.
In London the rhymes were--
One, two, buckle my shoe, Three, four, knock at the door, Five, six, pick up sticks, Seven, eight, lay them straight, Nine, ten, a good fat hen, Eleven, twelve, ring the bell, Thirteen, fourteen, maids a courting, Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen, Seventeen, eighteen, mistress waiting, Nineteen, twenty, my plate's empty.
One, two, three, four, Mary at the cottage door, Eating cherries off a plate, Five, six, seven, eight.
Up the ladder, down the wall, A twopenny loaf to serve us all; You buy milk and I'll buy flour, And we'll have pudding in half an hour. One, two, three, four, five, six, &c.
This year, next year, some time, never, repeated.
A, B, C, D, E, &c., repeated for the initial letter of the future husband's name.
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, apothecary, ploughboy, thief, for future husband's vocation.
Monday, Tuesday, &c., for the wedding day.
Silk, satin, cotton, rags, for the material of the wedding gown.
Coach, carriage, wheelbarrow, dungcart, for conveyance on wedding day.
Big house, little house, pigsty, barn, for future home.--(A. B. Gomme.)
It will be seen that many of these divination formulæ are used in other connections than that of "Shuttlecock," but this rather emphasises the divinatory character of the game in its original form.--See "Ball," "Teesty-tosty."
Shuvvy-Hawle
A boys' game at marbles. A small hole is made in the ground, and marbles are pushed in turn with the side of the first finger; these are won by the player pushing them into the shuvvy-hawle.--Lowsley's _Berkshire Glossary_.
Silly Old Man
[Music]
--Leicester (Miss Ellis).
[Music]
--Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
I. Silly old man, he's all alone, He wants a wife and can't get one; Round and round and choose a good one, Or else choose none.
This young couple are married together, Their fathers and mothers they must obey; Love one another like sister and brother, And down on their knees and kiss one another.
--Leicester (Miss Ellis).
II. Silly old man, he walks alone, He walks alone, he walks alone; Silly old man, he walks alone, He wants a wife and can't get one.
All go round and choose your own, Choose your own, choose your own; All go round and choose your own, And choose a good one or else choose none.
Now young couple you're married together, Married together, married together; Now young couple you're married together, Your father and mother you must obey. So love one another like sister and brother, And now young couple pray kiss together.
--Lancashire (_Notes and Queries_, 5th series, iv. 157).
III. Silly old maid (_or_ man), she walks alone, She walks alone, she walks alone; Silly old maid, she walks alone, She wants a man (_or_ wife) and she can't get one.
Go around and choose your own, Choose your own, choose your own; Go around and choose your own, And take whoever you like in.
Now these two are married together, Married together, married together; Now these two are married together, I pray love, kiss again.
--Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
IV. Here's a silly ould man that lies all alone, That lies all alone, that lies all alone; Here's a silly ould man that lies all alone, He wants a wife and he can get none.
Now young couple you're married together, You're married together, you're married together; You must obey your father and mother, And love one another like sister and brother. I pray, young couple, you'll kiss together.
--Carleton's _Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry_, p. 107.
V. Silly old man, he walks alone, Walks alone, walks alone; Silly old man, he walks alone, Wants a wife and he canna get one.
All go round and choose your own, Choose your own, choose your own; All go round and choose your own, Choose a good one or let it alone.
Now he's got married and tied to a peg, Tied to a peg, tied to a peg; Now he's got married and tied to a peg, Married a wife with a wooden leg.
--Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
VI. Silly old maid, she lives alone, She lives alone, she lives alone; [Silly old maid, she lives alone,] Wants a husband but can't get one.
So now go round and choose your own, Choose your own, choose your own; Now go round and choose your own, Choose the very one you love best.
Now young couple, you're married for ever, Your father and mother you must obey; Love another like sister and brother, And now young couple, pray kiss together.
--Dublin (Mrs. Lincoln).