=_ If the player inquire as to which is his ball, or if it be his turn to play, the marker or the players must give him the information sought. _=11.=_ If the striker, while taking aim, inquire which is the ball he ought to play at, and should be misinformed by the marker or by any of the company, he does not lose a life. His ball must in this case be replaced and the stroke played again. _=12.=_ When a ball or balls touch the striker’s ball, or are in line between it and the ball he has to play at, so that it will prevent him hitting _any part of the object-ball_, such ball or balls must be taken up until the stroke be played, and, after the balls have ceased running, they must be replaced. _=13.=_ If a ball or balls are in the way of a striker’s cue, so that he cannot play at his ball, he can have them taken up. _=14.=_ When the striker _takes_ a life, he continues to play on as long as he can pocket a ball, or until the balls are all off the table, in which latter case he places his own ball on the spot as at the commencement.
I sent a letter to my love, I thought I put it in my glove, But by the way I dropped it. I had a little dog said Bow, wow, wow! I had a little cat said Mew, mew, mew! It shan t bite you, It _shall_ bite _you_. --Bexley Heath (Miss Morris). XII. I sent a letter to my love, And by the way I droppt it; I dee, I dee, I dee, I droppt it, And by the way I droppt it. --Keith (Rev. W. Gregor). XIII. I had a little dog, it shan t bite you, Shan t bite you, shan t bite you, Nor you, nor you, nor you.
It might almost be called universal. This is shown by the fact that there are few counties where it is not known, and also that important variants, either in the words or in the method of playing, are rarely met with. In all the versions which have been sent there are only the following variations in the words, and these are principally in the refrain, or last line of each verse: On a cold and frosty morning ends by far the greater number of versions; On a fine summer s morning, So early in the morning, All on a summer s morning, Five o clock in the morning, On a cold and sunny morning, coming next in number. The Belfast version ends, May! May! May! and a Newbury and Marlborough fourth line is simply a repetition of the second, Nuts in May, nuts in May. In the first line of the verse the only important variant seems to be the Symondsbury Gathering nuts away and Gathering nuts to-day. Gathering nuts away also occurs in one version from Newbury (Berks), Nuts and May appearing in the larger number after the more usual Nuts in May. In only one version is a specific place mentioned for the gathering. This is in the Bocking version, where Galloway Hill is named, in reply to the unusual question, Where do you gather your nuts in May? A player is usually gathered for Nuts in May. In three or four cases only is this altered to gathering a player s nuts away, which is obviously an alteration to try and make the action coincide exactly with the words. The game is always played in lines, and the principal incidents running throughout all the versions are the same, _i.
, are the same as in Bézique, but the declarations and their values are quite different. _=Brisques.=_ There are twelve brisque cards, the Seven of each suit being added to the usual Aces and Tens. The brisques are not scored as taken in, except in the last six tricks. At the end of the hand all the brisques are counted, whether already scored in the last six tricks or not, and the player having more than six counts ten points for each above six. If each has six, neither scores. By this method, a player may make and score several brisques in the last six tricks, all of which he will reckon over again in the total count at the end. _=Declarations.=_ The winner of any trick, previous to the exhaustion of the stock, may announce and lay upon the table any one of ten different combinations, which are divided into three classes. These are as follows, with the number of points he is entitled to score for each: CLASS A.
Some players habitually propose on strong hands, and it is best to give to such pretty freely. _=DISCARDING.=_ The general principle of discarding is to keep trumps and Kings, and let everything else go. If you hold the trump King you may discard freely in order to strengthen your hand for a possible vole. If you have proposed once, and hold the King, and feel pretty sure of the point, you may propose again on the chance of getting strength enough to make the vole. When only two cards can be discarded, it is a safe rule to stand on the hand; either to play without proposing, or to refuse cards; unless you hold the King. There are no authoritative laws for Écarté, and the various French and English codes do not agree. The code adopted by the English clubs is not in accord with the best usage, and fails to provide for many contingencies. All that is essential in the laws will be found embodied in the foregoing description of the game. _=TEXT BOOKS.
Two are chosen, the one to be Namer, and the other Guesser or Witch. The rest of the players range themselves in a row. The Guesser retires out of sight or to a distance. The Namer then gives each player a secret name. When names have been given to all the players, the Namer calls on the Guesser to come, by saying-- Witchie, witchie, yer bannocks are burnin , An ready for turnin . Whereupon he approaches, and the Namer says-- Come, chois me out, come, chois me in, to ---- (naming one by the assumed name). The players all shout, Tack me, tack me, repeatedly. The Witch points to one. If the guess is correct the player goes to the Witch s side, but if it is incorrect he goes to the Namer s side. This goes on till all the players are ranged on the one side or the other.
There stands a lady on a mountain, Who she is I do not know; All she wants is gold and silver, All she wants is a nice young man. Now she s married I wish her joy, First a girl and then a boy; Seven years after son and daughter, Pray young couple kiss together. Kiss her once, kiss her twice, Kiss her three times three. --Wrotham, Kent (Miss D. Kimball). VI. There stands a lady on the ocean [mountain], Who she is I do not know her; All she wants is gold or silver, All she wants is a nice young man. Choose once, choose twice, Choose three times over. Now you re married I wish you joy, First a girl and then a boy; Seven years old a son and daughter, Play and cuddle and kiss together. Kiss her once, kiss her twice, Kiss her three times over.
A MISDEAL. 43. A misdeal loses the deal. 44. It is a misdeal-- I. Unless the cards are dealt into four packets, one at a time in regular rotation, beginning with the player to the dealer’s left. II. Should the dealer place the last (_i.e._, the trump) card, face downwards, on his own, or any other pack.
” The partnership thus formed plays against the combined forces of the other players, but without changing seats. The maker of the trump leads first, any card he pleases. For instance: A B C D E are playing. C bids 8 and names clubs. After the draw he finds he holds A J 10 5 2 of trumps. He calls for the club King as his partner, and leads his Pedro at once for the King to take it in. He is then certain to catch the other Pedro, or to save three of the four points for High, Low, Jack, and the Game. Those who have played Seven-handed Euchre will at once recognize the similarity of the two games. Both are excellent round games for the family circle. _=Progressive Cinch=_ is played by dealing one round at each table; that is, four deals, each player having the deal once only.
This is the way we go to school, We go to school, we go to school, This is the way we go to school, On a cold and frosty morning. Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, Here we go round the mulberry bush, On a cold and frosty morning. --Liphook, Hants (Miss Fowler). (_b_) The children form a ring, all joining hands and dancing round while singing the first verse. When singing the last line they unclasp their hands, and each one turns rapidly round. They then sing the next verse, suiting their actions to the words they sing, again turning round singly at the last line. This is done with every alternate verse, the first verse being always sung as a chorus or dance in between the different action-verses. The verses may be varied or added to at pleasure. The actions generally consist of washing and dressing oneself, combing hair, washing clothes, baking bread, sweeping the floor, going to and returning from school, learning to read, cleaning boots, and lacing stays. When going to school, the children walk two by two in an orderly manner; when coming home from school, jumping and running is the style adopted; lacing stays, the hands are put behind and moved first one and then the other, as if lacing; this is the way the ladies walk, holding up skirts and walking primly; gentlemen walk, walking with long strides and sticks.
No complaint respecting an adversary’s time can be considered, unless this rule be strictly complied with. But nothing herein is intended to affect the penalty for exceeding the time limit as registered. _=Abandoning the Game.=_ If either player abandon the game by quitting the table in anger, or in any otherwise offensive manner; or by momentarily resigning the game; or refuses to abide by the decision of the Umpire, the game must be scored against him. If a player absent himself from the table, or manifestly ceases to consider his game, when it is his turn to move, the time so consumed shall, in every case, be registered against him. _=Disturbance.=_ Any player wilfully disturbing his adversary shall be admonished; and if such disturbance be repeated, the game shall be declared lost by the player so offending, provided the player disturbed then appeals to the Umpire. _=The Umpire.=_ It is the duty of the Umpire to determine all questions submitted to him according to these laws, when they apply, and according to his best judgment when they do not apply. No deviation from these laws can be permitted by an Umpire, even by mutual or general consent of the players, after a match or tournament shall have been commenced.
The only text-book on this game introduces a great many technical terms which have no meaning to the ordinary card-player, and which have therefore been omitted from this description. _=Suggestions for Good Play=_ will be found in Binocle. RUBICON BÉZIQUE. Rubicon Bézique bears the same relation to the ordinary game that Railroad Euchre does to Euchre proper. In fact the game might well be called Railroad Bézique, for its chief peculiarity is the rapid accumulation of large scores. The game seems to have originated in France, but is now very popular wherever Bézique is played. _=CARDS.=_ Rubicon Bézique is played with four piquet packs of thirty-two cards each; all below the Sevens being deleted from an ordinary pack. The four packs, which should be of the same pattern and colour, are shuffled together and used as one. The cards rank: A 10 K Q J 9 8 7, the ace being the highest, both in cutting and in play.
--Berkshire (Miss Thoyts, _Antiquary_; xxvii. 254). (_b_) A ring is formed, one child in the centre. The ring sing the first verse, and then the centre child chooses one from the ring. The chosen pair kiss when the ring has sung the second. The first child then joins the ring, and the game begins again. In the Barnes version the centre child calls one to her from the ring by singing the second verse and naming the child she chooses. (_c_) A version from Lady C. Gurdon s _Suffolk County Folk-lore_ (p. 62) is the same as previous versions, except that it ends-- Now you re married you must be good Make your husband chop the wood; Chop it fine and bring it in, Give three kisses in the ring.
See Nur and Spell. Mag A game among boys, in which the players throw at a stone set up on edge.--Barnes (_Dorset Glossary_). Magic Whistle All the players but three sit on chairs, or stand in two long rows facing each other. One player sits at one end of the two rows as president; another player is then introduced into the room by the third player, who leads him up between the two rows. He is then told to kneel before the one sitting at the end of the row of players. When he kneels any ridiculous words or formula can be said by the presiding boy, and then he and those players who are nearest to the kneeling boy rub his back with their hands for two or three minutes. While they are doing this the boy who led the victim up to the president fastens a string, to which is attached a small whistle, to the victim s coat or jacket. It must be fastened in such a way that the whistle hangs loosely, and will not knock against his back. The whistle is then blown by the player who attached it, and the kneeling boy is told to rise and search for the Magic Whistle.
1821, p. 36). This was a general school game in West London in 1860-1866 (G. L. Gomme). Dab-an-thricker A game in which the _dab_ (a wooden ball) is caused to spring upwards by a blow on the _thricker_ (trigger), and is struck by a flat, bottle-shaped mallet fixed to the end of a flexible wand, the distance it goes counting so many for the striker.--Ross and Stead s _Holderness Glossary_. This is the same as Knur and Spell. Dab-at-the-hole A game at marbles (undescribed).--Patterson s _Antrim and Down Glossary_.
It is usual to show the cards to the board, in order to satisfy each player that no revoke has occurred. When Little Misère is called, each player discards one card, which must not be shown, and the hand is then played out with the remaining twelve cards. When Spreads are called, the caller’s cards must be placed face upwards on the table before a card is played. If it is a Little Spread, the discard of each player must remain unknown. The adversaries have no control of the manner of playing the exposed cards, which cannot be called, and may be played in any manner suited to the judgment of the single player, provided he follows suit when able. _=REVOKES.=_ If a player opposed to the caller revokes, but discovers his mistake in time to save himself, he may be called upon by the single player for his highest or lowest of the suit led; or the card played in error may be claimed as an exposed card. If the highest or lowest of the suit is called, the card played in error is taken up. If the caller revokes, and discovers his mistake in time, he is not liable to any penalty, unless an adversary has played to the next trick. In that case the revoking card must be left on the table, and is liable to be called.
=_ In the end game there are several variations which are made possible by the fact that the cards on your right are exposed. With A J x, Dummy having Q x x, the small card should be led. With Q x, and an odd card, Dummy having K x x of the first suit; it is better to play the odd card; but if for any reason this should not be done, lead the Q, hoping to find A 10 with your partner. The state of the score must be a constant guide in all end games. For instance: You hold Q 10 x, Dummy having J 9 x. If you want only one trick, play the Queen; but if you want two, play the small card. _=SECOND HAND PLAY.=_ The easiest position to play as second hand, is, of course, with the Dummy on your left, because Dummy’s cards will show what is best to be done. If a small card is led, you having King, put it on if Dummy has not the Ace; unless you want partner to get the lead. If Dummy has only two cards of the suit, neither of them the Ace, always play your King.
Black is accepted as the correct colour in all versions except five, where white is declared to be the colour which the dead wear. The method of question and answer is adopted for all the rhyme-movements. The tune of the game, with but slight variation, in all the versions is the same as that given from Platt, near Wrotham, except the two which are printed from Northants and Belfast. Jenny Mac Jenny Mac, Jenny Mac, Jenny Macghie, Turn your back about to me; And if you find an ill baubee, Lift it up and gie t to me. Two girls cross their arms behind their backs, and thus taking hold of each other s hands, parade along together, by daylight or moonlight, occasionally turning upon their arms, as indicated in the rhyme. Another rhyme for this amusement is-- A basket, a basket, a bonny penny basket, A penny to you, and a penny to me, Turn about the basket. --Chambers s _Popular Rhymes_; p. 123. See Basket. Jib-Job-Jeremiah An undescribed Suffolk game.
Byford). See Wolf. Giddy Giddy, giddy, gander, Who stands yonder? Little Bessy Baker, Pick her up and shake her; Give her a bit of bread and cheese, And throw her over the water. --Warwickshire. _(b)_ A girl being blindfolded, her companions join hands and form a ring round her. At the word Yonder the blindfolded girl points in any direction she pleases, and at line three names one of the girls. If the one pointed at and the one named be the same, she is the next to be blinded; but, curiously enough, if they be not the same, the one named is the one. Meanwhile, at line four, she is not picked up, but is shaken by the shoulders by the still blindfolded girl; and at line five she is given by the same bread and cheese, _i.e._, the buds or young leaves of what later is called May (_Cratægus oxyacantha_); and at line six she is taken up under the blinded girl s arm and swung round.
3. As the last, but at the first throw one check, called the Horse, is taken up, and at the second the remaining three checks at once, called the Cart. 4. As before, but all the checks taken up together. 5. Called Ups and Downs. The checks are taken up at one throw, and set down outside the ring at the next. This is done first with one, then with two, and so on. 6. Each check is touched in turn as the ball is thrown.
Partners are chosen, and the two walk round outside the ring. The first two walk together till there is a third, then the three walk together till there is a fourth, then they go in couples. In the Northants version, from Raunds, four boys stand in the centre of the ring. When the verses are sung they choose four girls, and then take their places in the ring. The four girls then choose four lads, and so on. At Earls Heaton the children stand against a wall in a line. Another child walks up and down singing the verses, and chooses a partner. He spreads a handkerchief on the ground, and they kneel and kiss. (_c_) The Shipley version is a Kiss in the Ring game. A version sent by the Rev.