Part 37

Sally, Sally, Walker, sprinkling in a pan, Rye, Sally; rye, Sally, for a young man, Come, choose to the east, come, choose to the west, And come choose to the very one that you love best.

The choice is made here, and the two stand in the centre as usual.

Now there's a couple married in joy, First a girl and then a boy. ---- made a pudding nice and sweet, ---- took a knife and tasted it. Taste, love; taste, love, don't say no, Next Monday morning is our marriage day. Seven years after, seven years to come, This young man shall be kissed and be done.

--Fochabers, N. E. Scotland (Rev. Dr. Gregor).

Sally, Sally, Water, sprinkled in a pan, Rise, Sally; rise, Sally, for a young man. Choose the best, leave the worst, Choose the prettiest you can.

Now you're married we wish you joy, First a girl and then a boy, Seven years after son and daughter, Kiss before you go over the water.

--London (Dr. A. C. Haddon, from Miss E. A. Passmore).

Played in usual way.

Shuffle the Brogue.

[See "Hunt the Slipper," vol. i. pp. 241, 242.]

The boys sat on their haunches in a circle. One of the players takes a small object, and hands it from one to another under the legs from behind. The players as they pass the brogue repeat the words--

Shuffle the brogue once, Shuffle the brogue twice, Shuffle the brogue thrice.

The object has always to be passed along in the same direction. One player who is blindfolded has to catch it as it is passing along. The one in whose hand it is found becomes the catcher. --Crossmichael, Kirkcudbrightshire (Rev. Dr. Gregor).

Soldiers, Soldiers.

Soldiers, soldiers, march away, Monday morning's here again; The drums shall rattle, the pipes shall play "Over the hills and far away." Now you're married I wish you joy, First a girl and then a boy; If one don't kiss, the other must, So kiss, kiss, kiss.

--Girton Village, Cambridgeshire (Dr. A. C. Haddon).

A circle is formed, and the children sing the first four lines. One chooses a partner, and they dance round in the ring.

Three Dukes.

[Vol. ii. pp. 233-255.]

In a version of the Three Dukes, collected by Dr. A. C. Haddon, the first lines are--

Here comes one duke a riding by, a riding by, A riding by (repeat). Rasima, Tasima, Tisima tay; Pray what is your will, sir? My will is to get married. Will any of my fair daughters do? They're all as stiff as pokers. We can bend as well as you, sir.

The duke goes round, chooses one, and sings--

I go to the kitchen, I go to the hall, I pick the fairest one of all (as previous versions).

--Girton Village, Cambridgeshire (Dr. A. C. Haddon).

Three Knights from Spain. [Vol. ii. pp. 257-279.]

A version of this game called "Gipsies," varies slightly from those previously printed.

Here comes one gipsy come from Spain, To call upon your daughter Jane;

Our daughter Jane is far too young, To be controlled by flattering tongue.

Oh, very well, I must away; I'll call again some other day.

Come back, come back, Your tails are flag, And choose the fairest one you see.

The gipsy then chooses a girl from the line of players, and asks her to come. The girl asked replies, "No." Then the gipsy turns round and dances, saying, "Naughty girl, she won't come out (repeat), to help me in my dancing." Again the gipsy asks the girl, when she replies, "Yes," and goes to the gipsy, who says, "Now we have got the flower of May, the flower of May, &c., to help us with our dancing."--Auchencairn, N. B. (Mary Haddon).

Tug-of-War Game.

Apples and oranges, two for a penny, Come all ye good scholars, buy ever so many. Come choose the east, come choose the west, Come choose the one you love the best.

Played like "Oranges and Lemons." One child is "Apple," and another "Orange."--Ross-shire (Rev. Dr. Gregor).

Played in the same way is--

Pancakes and flitters is the wax of cantailers,[18] I owe you two farthings, I'll pay you to-morrow; Here comes a candle to light you to bed, Here comes a hatchet to chop off your head.

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

[18] Mr. Moore says he does not know the meaning of this word.

We are the Rovers.

[Vol. ii. pp. 343-360].

In a version sent me by Dr. Haddon, there is a slight variation. The first lines of each verse are--

Have you any bread and wine? We are the Romans. Have you, &c.

Yes, we have some bread and wine, We are the English. Yes, we have, &c.

Will you give us some of it, &c. No; we'll give you none of it, &c. We will tell our magistrates, &c. We don't care for your magistrates, &c. We will tell our new-born prince, &c. We don't care for your new-born prince, &c. Are you ready for a fight? Yes, we're ready for a fight. Tuck up sleeves and have a fight.

General scrimmage follows.--Girton Village, Cambridgeshire (Dr. A. C. Haddon).

When I was a Young Girl.

[Vol. ii. pp. 362-374.]

The first lines are--

When I was a naughty girl, &c., and this way went I (shrugging shoulders), When I was a good girl, &c. (folding arms, walking soberly), When I was a teacher (beating time or whacking, optional), When I went a-courting (walking arm in arm), When I had a baby (nursing apron as baby), When my baby died (crying), When my father beat me (hitting one another), When my father died, How I did laugh! (laughing).

--Girton Village, Cambridgeshire (Dr. A. C. Haddon).

MEMOIR ON THE STUDY OF CHILDREN'S GAMES

Children's games have not hitherto been studied in the same way as customs and superstitions and folk-tales have been studied, namely, as a definite branch of folk-lore. It is well however, to bear in mind that they form a branch by themselves, and that, as such, they contribute to the results which folk-lore is daily producing towards elucidating many unrecorded facts in the early history of civilised man.

Although games have been used by Dr. Tylor and others as anthropological evidence, these authorities have mostly confined themselves to those games of skill or chance which happen to have parallels in savage life; and the particular point of their conclusions rests rather upon the parallels, than upon the substantive evidence of the games themselves.

I will first point out the nature of the material for the study. It will be seen that the greater number of games printed in these two volumes have been collected by myself and many kind correspondents, from children in the present day--games that these children have learned from other children or from their parents, and in no case, so far as I am aware, have they been learned from a printed source. To this collection I have added all printed versions of the traditional game, that is, versions of games written down by the collector of folk-lore and dialect--in some cases unconscious collectors of folk custom--from any available source. A distinctive feature of the collection is, therefore, that I have printed all versions of each game known to me which show differences of words or methods of play. The importance of having all the principal variants from different parts of the country will be obvious when definite conclusions as to the origin and significance of traditional games are being considered.

Strutt mentions many games played by boys in his day, but his remarks are confined principally to games of skill with marbles, tops, &c., and games like "Prisoner's Base," "Scots and English," "Hot Cockles," &c. He records none of those interesting dialogue games which we know now as singing games. It may be that these games were in his day, as now, the property more of girls than of boys, and he may not have looked for or thought of recording them, for it can hardly be imagined that he was unaware of their existence. He records swinging and ball and shuttlecock playing as girls' amusements, but very little else, and it cannot even be suggested that the singing game and dialogue game have arisen since his time. Indeed, an examination of the games will, I hope, prove for them a very remote origin, showing traces of early beliefs and customs which children could not have invented, and would not have made the subjects of their play unless those beliefs and customs were as familiar to them as cabs, omnibuses, motor cars, and railways, are to the children of to-day, who use these things as factors in games which they make up.

I do not pretend to have made a complete collection of all versions of games to be found in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It will be seen from my list that some counties are entirely unrepresented; but I think examples enough have been brought together from a sufficient number of different places to show that, even could I obtain the games of every county, I could not reasonably hope to obtain any that would be completely different from those appearing here. Versions differing, more or less, in words from these would, doubtless, appear, but I do not think an entirely different game, or any variants that would materially alter my conclusions, will now be found. All those sent me during the progress of the volumes through the press--and these are a considerable number--show no appreciable differences.

A detailed examination of each game has led me to draw certain conclusions as to the origin of many of the games. These conclusions differ materially from those advanced by Halliwell, Strutt, or the earlier writers, when they have attempted to suggest the origin of a game. I also differ from Mr. Newell in many of the conclusions advanced in his admirable collection of American children's games, although I fully recognise the importance of his method of research. I believe, too, that hitherto no attention has been paid to the manner or method in which the game is played. It is to the "method" or "form" of play, when taken together with the words, that I wish to draw particular attention, believing it to be most important to the history of the games.

I do not, of course, claim that all the games recorded in these two volumes are traditional in their present form, or have had independent origins; many of these now known under different names have a common origin. There is, probably, not one game in the same condition, especially as regards words, as it was fifty or a hundred years ago; but I consider the "form" or "method" would remain practically the same even if the words get materially altered.

All games seem primarily to fall into one of two sections: the first, dramatic games; the second, games of skill and chance. Now the game proper, according to the general idea, must contain the element of winning or losing. Thus, the games of skill and chance are played either for the express purpose of winning property of some sort from a less fortunate or skilful player, or to attain individual distinction. Games of this kind are usually called boys' games, and are played principally by them; but beyond these generally recognised games is the important section of dramatic games, which are regarded as the property of the girls, and played principally by them.

These two sections are generally considered as the peculiar

and particular property of each sex. Although this idea is borne out by a study of the traditional game, it will be found that the boys have dramatic games of their own, and the girls have special games of skill and chance. It has so happened, however, that the development in the case of the boys' dramatic games has been in the direction of increasing the rules or laws of a game, introducing thereby so much variety that it is difficult to recognise them as descendants of the dramatic originals. This has probably been the result of their use in school playgrounds, while the girls' dramatic games, not being utilised as a means of exercise, have been left alone, and are dying a natural death.

It will be convenient if, at this point, the games are classified as I shall use them in discussing the question of origin. The first necessary classification will relate to the incidents which show the customs and rites from which the games have descended; the second classification will relate to the dramatic force of the games, as it is from this that I hope to construct the ladder by which the game can be shown to have descended from a long past stage of culture.

The classification, according to incident, is as follows, the name of each game referring to the title-name in the dictionary:--

MARRIAGE GAMES.

All the Boys. Babbity Bowster. Cushion Dance. Down in the Valley. Galley, Galley, Ship. Glasgow Ships. Hear all! let me at her. Here comes a Virgin. Here's a Soldier left alone. Here stands a Young Man. Isabella. Jolly Miller. King William. Kiss in the Ring. Mary mixed a Pudding. Merry-ma-tanza. Nuts in May. Oats and Beans. Oliver, Oliver, follow the King. Pretty little Girl of Mine. Queen Anne. Rosy Apple. Round and round the Village. Sally Water. Silly Old Man, he walks alone. Three Dukes. Three Knights. Three Sailors. Widow.

COURTSHIP AND LOVEMAKING GAMES.

Curly Locks. Dig for Silver. Gallant Ship. Here comes a Lusty Wooer. Here I sit on a Cold Green Bank. Hey Wullie Wine. Jolly Hooper. Jolly Sailors. Knocked at the Rapper. Lady on the Mountain. Paper of Pins. Pray, pretty Miss. Queen Mary. Ring me Rary. Salmon Fishers. Shame Reel. Soldier. Sun Shines. Three Old Bachelors. Wind, The.

FORTRESS GAMES.

Barbarie, King of the. Canlie (Addenda). How many Miles to Babylon. King of the Castle. London Bridge. Tower of London. Willie Wastell.

FUNERAL GAMES.

Booman. Green Grass. Green Gravel. Jenny Jones. Old Roger. Wallflowers.

HARVEST GAMES.

Oats and Beans and Barley. Would you know how doth the Peasant?

TRADE GAMES.

Dumb Motions. Trades.

GHOST GAMES.

Deil amo' the Dishes. Ghost at the Well. Mouse and Cobbler.

WELL WORSHIP GAME.

Draw a Pail of Water.

RUSH-BEARING GAME.

Rashes.

TREE WORSHIP GAME.

Eller Tree.

WINDING UP GAMES.

Bulliheisle. Port the Helm. Snail Creep. Tuilzie Wap. Wind up the Bush Faggot.

TABU GAME.

Old Soldier.

DIVINATION GAMES.

Dan'l my Man. Hot Cockles. Jack's Alive. Keppy Ball. 'Ot millo. Priest Cat. Ragman. Ringie Red Belt. Shuttlefeather. Swinging.

VICTIMISING OR PENALTY GAMES.

(_Forms of Torture._)

Block, Hammer, and Nail. Bonnety. Carrying the Queen a Letter. Cat Beds. Cobbin Match. Cry Notchil. Dump. Ezzeka. Father's Fiddle. Heap the Cairn. Hecklebirnie. Hewley Puley. Hickety Bickety. Hiry Hag. Hot Cockles. Jack's Alive. Magic Whistle. More Sacks to the Mill. Namers and Guessers. Priest of the Parish. Pun o' mair Weight. Ronin the Bee. Sacks. Salt Eel. Shoe the Auld Mare. Wild Birds.

CHARM GAMES.

Cockeldy Bread. Thun'er Spell.

EFFIGY GAME.

Drawing Dun out of the Mire.

IMITATION OF SPORT GAMES.

All a Row. Cock-fight. Hare and Hounds. Hunting. Knights. Puff in the Dart.

IMITATION OF SPORTS (WITH ANIMAL) GAMES.

Badger the Bear. Bull in the Park. Call the Guse. Cockertie-hooie. Cock-fight. Cock's-heading. Doncaster Cherries. Fox. Fox in the Fold. Fox in the Hole. Frog in the Middle. Garden Gate. Hare and Hounds. Shue-Gled-Wylie. Wolf.

WEIGHING GAMES.

Bag o' Malt. Honey Pots. Rockety Row. Way Zaltin'. Weigh the Butter.

WITCH OR CHILD STEALING GAMES.

Gipsy. Keeling the Pot. Mother, Mother, the Pot boils over. Old Cranny Crow. Steal the Pigs. Three Jolly Welshmen. Witch.

ANIMAL CONTEST GAMES.

Chickens, come clock. Fox and Geese. Gled-Wylie. Hen and Chickens. Letting the Buck out. Old Dame. Shepherds and Sheep. Who goes round my Stone Wall? Wolf. Wolf and Lamb.

FISHING GAME.

Catch the Salmond.

CHURNING GAME.

Churning.

CONUNDRUM GAMES.

Cross Questions. Thing done. Three Flowers.

GUESSING GAMES.

All the Birds in the Air. Bannockburn. Bird Apprentice. Birds, Beasts, and Fishes. Brother Ebenezer. Buck, Buck. Buff. Dumb Crambo. Fool, Fool, come to School. Handy Croopen. Handy Dandy. Hiss and Clap. Hot Cockles. King Plaster Palacey. Little Dog I call you. Namers and Guessers. Old Johnny Hairy. Priest-Cat (2). Religious Church. Thimble Ring. Trades.

CONTEST GAMES.

_To take Prisoners._

Bedlams. Blackthorn. Buckey-how. Canlie. Chickidy Hand. Click. Cock. Flowers. Hornie. Hunt the Staigie. Johnny Rover. King Cæsar. King Come-a-lay. King of Cantland. Lamploo. Over Clover. Prisoner's Base. Range the Bus. Rax. Relievo. Rin-im-over. Save all. Shepherds. Stacks. Stag. Stag Warning. Warney.

_Prisoners and Possession of Ground._

Barley Break. French and English. How many Miles to Babylon (2). Pi-cow. Prisoner's Base. Range the Bus. Rigs. Scots and English.

_Catching and Touching for "he" or "it."_

Black Doggie. Blackman's Tig. Boggle about the Stacks. Canlie. Cross Tig. Cutters and Trucklers. Drop Handkerchief. Fire on the Mountains. Hand in and Hand out. High Windows. Jinkie. King o' the Castle. Letting the Buck out. Long Terrace. Mannie on the Pavement. One Catch all. Push in the Wash Tub. Puss in the Corner. Rakes and Roans. Round Tag. Ticky Touchwood. Tig. Time. Tom Tiddler's Ground. Touch. Tres-acre. Twos and Threes.

_Tug of War._

A' the Birdies. Namers and Guessers. Oranges and Lemons. Sun and Moon. Three Day's Holidays. Through the Needle 'ee.

DANCE GAMES.

(_With words and singing._)

All the Soldiers in the Town. Alligoshee. Auntie loomie. As I was walking. Ball of Primrose. Basket. Bell-Horses. Betsy Bungay. Bingo. Bold Jolly Lads. Boys and Girls. Carry my Lady to London. Chicamy. Click, Clock, Cluck. Contrary, Rules of. Dinah. Duck Dance. Duck under the Water. Farmer's Den. Frincy-francy. Galloping. Green Grass (Addenda). Green grow the Leaves (2). Green grow the Leaves. Here we go Around. Jenny Mac. Jingo Ring. Leap Candle. Leaves are Green. Long Duck. Lubin. My delight's in Tansies. Ph[oe]be. Pop goes the Weasel. Pray, pretty Miss. Pretty Miss Pink. Push the Business on. Queen Mary. Ring by Ring. Ring o' Roses. Round and Round went the Gallant Ship. Sailor Lad. Sally go round. Sunday Night. Three Little Ships. Town Lovers. Trip and Go. Turn Cheeses. Turn the Ship. Turvey Turvey. Uncle John. Up the Streets. Weary. Weave the Diaper.

DANCE AND SEE-SAW GAMES.

Cobble. Cobbler's Hornpipe. Curcuddie. Cutch-a-Cutchoo. Harie Hutcheon. Hirtschin Hairy. Huckie Buckie down the Brae. See-saw. Skiver the Guse.

HIDE AND SEEK GAMES.

(1.) PERSONS--

Bicky. Cuckoo. Gilty Galty. Hide and Seek (1). Howly. Kick the Block. King by your Leave. Mount the Tin. Salt Eel. Spy Arm. Strike-a-licht.

(2). OBJECTS--

Codham. Find the Ring. Gigg. Hide and Seek (2). Kittlie-cout. Odd-man. Peesie Weet. Priest Cat (2). Shuffle the Brogue. Smuggle the Gig. Thimble Ring. Tip it.

LEAP-FROG AND HOPPING GAMES.

Accroshay. Bung the Bucket. Cat Gallows. Foot and Over. Half Hammer. Hop Frog. Hopscotch. Leap-frog. Loup the Bullocks. Saddle the Nag. Ships. Skin the Goatie.

CARRYING GAMES.

Betsy Bungay. Carry my Lady to London. King's Chair. Knapsack. Knights.

BLINDFOLD GAMES.

Blind Bell. Blindman's Buff. Blindman's Stan. Buff. Cock Stride. Dinah. French Blindman's Buff. Giddy. Hot Cockles. Kick the Block. Muffin Man. Old Johnny Hairy, Crap in! 'Ot millo. Pillie Winkie. Pointing out a Point. Queen of Sheba.

FOLLOW MY LEADER GAMES.

Follow my Gable. Follow my Leader. Jock and Jock's Man. Quaker. Quaker's Wedding. Religious Church. Solomon. The Drummer Man.

FORFEIT GAMES.

American Post. Button. Cross Questions. Diamond Ring. Fire, Air, Water. Follow my Gable. Forfeits. Genteel Lady. Jack's Alive. Malaga Raisins. Mineral, Animal, Vegetable. Minister's Cat. Mr. Barnes. Old Soldier. Turn the Trencher. Twelve Days of Christmas. Wads and the Wears.

BALL, HAND.

Ball. Ball in the Decker. Balloon. Balls and Bonnets. Burly Whush. Caiche. Colley Ball. Cuck-ball. Cuckoo. Han'-and-Hail. Hats in Holes. Keppy Ball. Monday, Tuesday. Pat-Ball. Pize Ball. Pots. Stones. Teesty-Tosty. Trip-Trout. Tut-ball.

BALL, FOOT.

Camp. Football. Hood.

BALL GAMES.

(_With bats and sticks played by rival parties._)

Bad. Baddin. Bandy-ball. Bandy-cad. Bandy-hoshoe. Bandy-wicket. Bittle-battle. Buzz and Bandy. Cat and Dog. Cat and Dog Hole. Catchers. Cat i' the Hole. Chinnup. Chow. Church and Mice. Codlings. Common. Crab-sowl. Crooky. Cuck-ball. Cudgel. Dab-an-Thricker. Doddart. Hawkey. Hockey. Hornie Holes. Hummie. Hurling. Jowls. Kibel and Nerspel. Kirk the Gussie. Kit-Cat. Lobber. Munshets. Nur and Spel. Peg and Stick. Rounders. Scrush. Shinney. Sow-in-the-Kirk. Stones. Stool-ball. Tip-cat. Trap-bat and ball. Tribet. Trippet and coit. Troap. Trounce hole. Trunket. Waggles.

GAMES OF SKILL AND CHANCE.

AIM--_Throwing sticks or stones to hit particular object._

All in the Well. Cockly Jock. Cogs. Doagan. Duck at the Table. Duckstone. Loggats. Mag. Nacks. Paip. Pay Swad. Peg-fiched. Penny Cast. Penny Prick. Roly Poly.

BUTTONS.

Banger. Buttons. Cots and Twisses. Hard Buttons. Pitch and Toss. Skyte the Bob.

CHANCE, or GAMBLING.

Chuck Farthing. Cross and Pile. Dab. Davie Drap. Hairry my Bossie. Headicks and Pinticks. Heads and Tails. Hustle Cap. Jingle-the-Bonnet. Lang Larence. Neivie-nick-nack. Odd-man. Odd or Even. Pednameny. Pick and Hotch. Pinch.

CHERRY STONES.

Cherry Odds. Cherry-pit. Paip.

EGGS.

Blindman's Stan. Cogger. Jauping Paste-eggs. Pillie Winkie. Wink-egg.

MARBLES.

Boss-out. Bridgeboard. Bun-hole. Capie-hole. Castles. Chock or Chock-hole. Cob. Crates. Dumps. Ho-go. Hoilakes. Holy Bang. Hundreds. Hynny-pynny. Lab. Lag. Long-Tawl. Marbles. Nine holes. Pig-ring. Pit-Counter. Pits. Plum pudding. Pyramids. Ring-taw. Ship-sail. Shuvvy-Hawle. Span-counter. Spangle. Spannims. Splints. Stroke. Three Holes.

NUTS ON STRING.

Cob-nut. Cock-battler. Cogger. Conkers. Conquerors. Jud. Peggy nut.

ON DIAGRAM OR PLAN.

Corsicrown. Fipenny Morell. Fox and Geese (2). Hap-the-beds. Hickety-Hackety. Hopscotch. Kit-cat-cannio. London. Nine Men's Morris. Noughts and Crosses. Pickie. Tip-tap-toe. Tit-tat-toe. Tods-and-lambs. Tray Trip. Troy Town.

PENCE.

Chuck Farthing. Chuck Hole.

PINS.

Hattie. Pinny-Show. Pins. Pop-the-Bonnet. Push-pin.

SHUTTLECOCK.

Shuttlefeather.

STONES AND DICE.

Chance Bone. Checkstones. Chucks. Dalies. Dibbs. Ducks and Drakes. Gobs. Huckle-Bones. Jackysteauns.

TOPS.

Chippings. Gully. Hoatie. Hoges. Peg-in-the-Ring. Peg Top. Scop-peril. Scurran-Meggy. Tops. Totum. Whigmeleerie.

WITH FINGERS AND STRING.

Cat's-Cradle.

This leaves over a few games which do not come under either of these chief heads, and appear now to be only forms of pure amusement. These are:--