| -- | -- | -- | |10.| -- | -- | -- | |11.| -- | -- | -- | |12.|One of my rush, two of|One may rush, two may |One in a bush, two in | | |my rush. |rush. |a bush, three in a | | | | |bush, four in a bush. | |13.| -- | -- | -- | |14.|Please, young lady, |Come, my girls, walk | -- | | |come under my bush. |under the bush.
The Bath game is played by the children standing in two rows facing each other, and clapping hands and singing the verse. At the same time the two children facing each other at the top of the lines join hands and trip down and up between the lines. Their hands are unclasped, and the two children run down the outside of the lines, one running on each side, and meet at the bottom of the lines, where they stand. The two children now standing at the top proceed in the same way: this is continued until all the children have done the same. A ring is then formed, when the children again clap and sing. Any number can play at this game. In the Epworth version the children range themselves in double rank at one end of the room or playground, and march down to the other end hand in hand. At the bottom they loose hands and divide, the first rank turning right, the second left, and march back in two single files to the other end again, where they re-form as at first, and repeat their man[oe]uvre, singing the verses alternately. The Lincolnshire game is played by the children walking two and two in a circle round one of their companions, singing. The players then stand facing the child in the centre, and place their hands on their partners shoulders.
The cards are then dealt afresh. This is a very harsh punishment for a very trifling and common error. The second method is the most popular, and probably the fairest, and is now the universal rule. If the false opener does not discover his mistake until he has drawn cards, his action is at least suspicious, and he should be compelled to put up the total amount in the pool, as in case three. In some localities such a player is barred from playing the next two jacks, but compelled to ante his share in each. _=Betting Jacks.=_ When a jack pot has been properly opened, and all have declared whether or not they will stay, and have drawn cards, the players proceed to bet on their hands. As there is no age in jack pots, the rule is for the opener to make the first bet; or, if he has been raised out before the draw, the player next on his left who still holds cards. The opener may decline to bet if he pleases; but if he does so, he must show his openers, and then abandon his hand. If no bet is made, the last player holding cards takes the pool without showing his hand.
In the same way it is advisable to hold up an odd card occasionally, without raising the ante; so that when you do hold triplets, and draw two cards, you will not frighten every one at the table. The chances of improving a pair by drawing three cards, are one in three; and by drawing two cards only, one in four. The difference is worth the moral effect of the variation in the play. _=PROBABILITIES.=_ The endless poker statistics that have been published are of little or no value to the practical player, and there are only a few figures that are worth remembering. It is a general law in all games of chance that you should never do a thing which you would not be willing to repeat under the same circumstances a hundred times. The best example of the application of this law is in drawing to bobtails. If you have a four-card flush to draw to, the odds against getting it are about four to one; and unless you can obtain the privilege of drawing to it by paying not more than one-fifth of the amount in the pool, you will lose by it in the long run. The best players never draw to four-card flushes except when they have the age, and the ante has not been raised. There are some players who pretend to be so guided by probabilities that they never go into a pool unless the chances in favour of their having a good hand after the draw are at least equal to the odds they have to bet by going into the pool.
All the pairs have now been matched but _=a=_ and _=d=_, and they take seats E & W at two tables, the N & S positions being filled up by any of the other players in the match. any any a 1 a d 2 d any any No notice is taken of the scores made by the N & S hands in the last set; as it is simply a match between the a and _d_ pairs. _=Scoring.=_ Each pair against each is considered a match, and the winner of the most matches wins, tricks deciding ties. _=Compass Whist.=_ When we come to handle large numbers, the changes of position become too complicated, and the simplest plan is to arrange them at as many tables as they will fill, and to place on each table an equal number of trays. At the Knickerbocker Whist Club, New York, which is still famous for its compass games, they play a minimum of 24 trays, or get as near that number as possible. If there are 14 tables, they play two deals at each. If there are only 10 tables, they play 30 trays. All the N & S players sit still, and at the end of each round, two or three deals as the case may be, all the E & W players move up one table, 2 going to 1, 3 to 2, etc.
But what if I should fall in? We ll get a rope and pull you out, To me, I, O, OM. --Sheffield (S. O. Addy). V. Mother, come buy me two milking-pails, Two milking-pails, two milking-pails, Mother, come buy me two milking-pails, O sweet mother o mine. [Then verses beginning with the following lines--] Where shall I get my money from, O sweet daughter o mine? Sell my father s feather beds. Where shall your father sleep? Sleep in the servant s bed. Where shall the servant sleep? Sleep in the washing-tub. Where shall I wash the clothes? Wash them in the river.
SEC. 3. If a player, who has renounced in error, lawfully corrects his mistake, the card improperly played by him is liable to be called, and, if he be the second or third hand player and his left hand adversary has played to the trick before attention has been called to the renounce, he may be required by such adversary to play his highest or his lowest card to the trick in which he has renounced, and shall not play to that trick until such adversary has inflicted or waived the penalty. Any player who has played to the trick after the renouncing player, may withdraw his card and substitute another; a card so withdrawn is not liable to be called. SEC. 4. The penalty for a revoke is the transfer of two tricks from the revoking side to their adversaries. If more than one revoke during the play of a deal is made by one side, the penalty for each revoke, after the first, is the transfer of one trick only. The revoking players cannot score more, nor their adversaries less than the average on the deal in which the revoke occurs; except that in no case shall the infliction of the revoke penalty deprive the revoking players of any tricks won by them before their first revoke occurs. In Pair Matches the score shall be recorded as made, independently of the revoke penalty, which shall be separately indicated as plus or minus revoke (“-R” for the revoking side, and “+R” for their adversaries).
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The singing games are arranged so as to give, first, the tunes; secondly, the different versions of the game-rhymes; thirdly, the method of playing; fourthly, an analysis of the game-rhymes on a plan arranged by my husband, and which is an entirely novel feature in discussing the history of games; fifthly, a discussion of the results of the analysis of the rhymes so far as the different versions allow; and sixthly, an attempt to deduce from the evidence thus collected suggestions as to the probable origin of the game, together with such references to early authorities and other facts bearing upon the subject as help to elucidate the views expressed. Where the method of playing the game is involved, or where there are several changes in the forms, diagrams or illustrations, which have been drawn by Mr. J. P. Emslie, are inserted in order to assist the reader to understand the different actions, and in one or two instances I have been able to give a facsimile reproduction of representations of the games from early MSS. in the Bodleian and British Museum Libraries. Although none of the versions of the games now collected together are in their original form, but are more or less fragmentary, it cannot, I think, fail to be noticed how extremely interesting these games are, not only from the point of view of the means of amusement (and under this head there can be no question of their interest), but as a means of obtaining an insight into many of the customs and beliefs of our ancestors. Children do not invent, but they imitate or mimic very largely, and in many of these games we have, there is little doubt, unconscious folk-dramas of events and customs which were at one time being enacted as a part of the serious concerns of life before the eyes of children many generations ago. As to the many points of interest under this and other heads there is no occasion to dwell at length here, because the second volume will contain an appendix giving a complete analysis of the incidents mentioned in the games, and an attempt to tell the story of their origin and development, together with a comparison with the games of children of foreign countries. The intense pleasure which the collection of these games has given me has been considerably enhanced by the many expressions of the same kind of pleasure from correspondents who have helped me, it not being an infrequent case for me to be thanked for reviving some of the keenest pleasures experienced by the collector since childhood; and I cannot help thinking that, if these traditional games have the power of thus imparting pleasure after the lapse of many years, they must contain the power of giving an equal pleasure to those who may now learn them for the first time.
I rove for my pleasure, my pleasure, my pleasure, I rove for my pleasure, my pleasure, my pleasure, Lily white and shining. And what is your pleasure, your pleasure, your pleasure? What is your pleasure? Lily white and shining. My pleasure s for to marry you, to marry you, to marry you, My pleasure s for to marry you, Lily white and shining. So through the kitchen and through the hall, I choose the fairest of them all, The fairest one that I can see Is ----, so come to me. --Derbyshire (Mrs. Harley). (_b_) A long row of children walk to and fro. One child, facing them on the opposite side, represents the Rover. He sings the first, third, and fifth verses. The row of children sing the second and fourth in response.
_=THE POOL.=_ Each successive dealer places three red counters in the pool. The pool is added to from time to time by penalties for infractions of the rules, and by forfeitures from players who have failed in their undertakings. Such payments are always made in red counters, the number being always three or six. When the pool is divided, it sometimes happens that a player is not allowed to withdraw his share. In such cases the red counters representing it should be changed for their value in white ones, so that the forfeited share may be divided in three parts. The difference between _=Limited Loo=_, and _=Unlimited Loo=_, is in the amounts paid into the pool. In Limited Loo the penalty is always three or six red counters. In Unlimited Loo, it is the same for irregularities, and for infraction of the rules; but any player failing in his undertaking must put up for the next pool an amount equal to that in the current pool. When two or more fail on successive deals the pool increases with surprising rapidity.
SEC. 1. Before the cards are dealt they must be shuffled in the presence of an adversary or the umpire. SEC. 2. The pack must not be so shuffled as to expose the face of any card; if a card is so exposed the pack must be reshuffled. LAW II.--CUTTING FOR THE TRUMP. SEC. 1.
A card dropped on the floor or elsewhere below the table, or so held that it is seen by an adversary but not by the partner, is not an exposed card. 70. Two or more cards played simultaneously by either of the declarer’s adversaries give the declarer the right to call any one of such cards to the current trick and to treat the other card or cards as exposed. 70_a_. Should an adversary of the declarer expose his last card before his partner play to the twelfth trick, the two cards in his partner’s hand become exposed, must be laid face upward on the table, and are subject to call. 71. If, without waiting for his partner to play, either of the declarer’s adversaries play or lead a winning card, as against the declarer and dummy and continue (without waiting for his partner to play) to lead several such cards, the declarer may demand that the partner of the player in fault win, if he can, the first or any other of these tricks. The other cards thus improperly played are exposed. 72. If either or both of the declarer’s adversaries throw his or their cards face upward on the table, such cards are exposed and liable to be called; but if either adversary retain his hand, he cannot be forced to abandon it.
If your partner discards a suit in which you have a high card, keep that suit, and discard another. If you have both ace and King of a plain suit, discard the ace, to show partner that you can win a trick in the suit. It is very often important to discard correctly when playing against a lone hand, especially if the lone player leads trumps for the fourth trick. It is a common practice for modern players to signal in the discard if they have a certain trick in a suit. This is done by discarding two cards in another suit, the higher before the lower. For instance: You have two aces, spades and diamonds. The dealer plays alone on hearts, and trumps your spade ace the first time. If you have two clubs, such as King and ten, discard the King first, and then the ten, and your partner will know you can stop the diamond suit. This should advise him to keep his clubs. CUT-THROAT EUCHRE.
The fundamental principle of the short-suit game, as first explained to the world by the New York _Sun_, is to use the original or opening lead to indicate the general character of the hand rather than any details of the individual suit. In the long-suit game the original leader is always assuming that his partner may have something or other, and playing on that supposition. The short-suit player indicates the system of play best adapted to his own hand, without the slightest regard to the possibilities of his partner. It is the duty of the partner to indicate his hand in turn, and to shape the policy of the play on the combined indications of the two. This does not mean that the player shall always lead a short suit, but that he should combine the best features of both systems, without slavish adherence to either. This idea has been brought to perfection in practice by the famous American Whist Club of Boston, and under the able leadership of its captain, Harry H. Ward, it has demonstrated that he can take any kind of a team and beat any of the old style long-suit players, no matter how skilful they may be. The following is a brief outline of the American game, as given by Captain Ward in _Whist_ for May, 1906:-- _=Five-trump Hands.=_ With five trumps, and the suits split, 3, 3, 2, we always open a trump, unless we have a tenace over the turn-up card. From five trumps and a five-card plain suit, we open the suit if it is one that will require some help to establish; otherwise the trump.
--Enbourne, Berks (Miss Kimber). (_b_) In the Lancashire version, one child represents the Miller. The rest of the children stand round in a circle, with the Miller in the centre. All dance round and sing the verses. When it comes to the spelling part of the rhyme, the Miller points at one child, who must call out the right letter. If the child fails to do this she becomes Miller. In the Shropshire version, a ring is formed with one player in the middle. They dance round and sing the verses. When it comes to the spelling part, the girl in the middle cries B, and signals to another, who says I, the next to her N, the third G, the fourth O! his name was Bobby Bingo! Whoever makes a mistake takes the place of the girl in the middle. In the Liphook version, at the fourth line the children stand still and repeat a letter each in turn as quickly as they can, clapping their hands, and at the last line they turn right round, join hands, and begin again.
Shortly after this, later in 1910, there developed a decided rebellion against the dealer’s monopoly of the make, and in order to allow any player at the table who held good cards to get the benefit of them, whether he was the dealer or not, bidding for the privilege of making the trump came into vogue. This was the starting point of auction, its chief difference from the older game being that only the side that made the highest bid for the declaration could score toward game. The full number of tricks bid had to be made, and if they were not made, the adversaries scored in the honour column for penalties, the penalty being always the same, regardless of the trump suit. The great disparity in the values of the suits as then played practically confined the bidding to the hearts and royal spades. This soon brought about another change, which was to raise the values of all the suits except spades and to cut down the no-trumper. This was done in 1912, and made it possible for any suit to go game on the hand. All the well known writers on whist and bridge came out with text-books on auction, and the newspapers took up the subject in weekly articles. Although to many the game now seemed perfect, there were those that felt the helplessness of weak hands to offer any defence in the bidding against a run of no-trumpers or hearts and royals. To remedy this, F.C.
The caller is often trapped into unnecessarily high trumping when suits are led through him a second or third time. _=The Adversaries=_ have little chance to defeat an abundance unless they can over-trump the caller, or ruff his good cards before he can exhaust the trumps. It is best for the Right to lead his longest suit, and for the Left to lead his shortest. A guarded King suit should not be led under any circumstances; nor a short suit Ace high. If an adversary has a single trump of medium size, such as a J or 10, it is often good play to trump a partner’s winning cards, so as to be sure of preventing the caller from making a small trump. If an adversary has trumped or over-trumped, it is very important to lead that suit to him again as soon as possible. The rules for discarding that are given in connection with Whist should be carefully observed; especially in the matter of showing command of suits. _=SPREADS.=_ These should not be called except with hands in which every suit contains the deuce, and all the cards are low enough to insure the player that nothing short of extraordinary circumstances will defeat him. Open sequences, or Dutch straights, as they are sometimes called, in which the cards are all odd or all even, such as 2 4 6 8 10, are quite as safe as ordinary sequences, provided the deuce is among the cards.
Only one declaration can be scored at a time, so that a trick must be won for every announcement made, or the combination cannot be scored. This does not prevent a player from making two or more announcements at the same time, but he can score only one of them. A player cannot make a lower declaration with cards which form part of a higher one already made in the same class. For instance: Marriages and sequences belong to the same class. If the sequence has been declared, a player cannot take from it the King and Queen and score a marriage; neither can he add a new Queen to the King already in the sequence, and announce a marriage; because the higher combination was scored first. But if the marriage is first announced, the A 10 J may be added and the sequence scored, after winning another trick. Cards once used in combination cannot again be used in combinations of equal value of the same class. For instance: Four Kings have been declared, and one of them afterward used in the course of play. The player cannot add a new King to the three remaining, and announce four Kings again. A marriage in spades has been declared, and the King got rid of in play.
There is no trump in Piquet, and all suits are equal in value. Two packs are sometimes used, one by each player in his proper turn to deal. The cards have a certain pip-counting value, the Ace being reckoned for 11, other court cards for 10 each, and the 7 8 9 10 for their face value. _=MARKERS.=_ As the scores are not put down until the end of the hand or play the game is usually kept on a sheet of paper, or it may be marked on a cribbage board. _=PLAYERS.=_ Piquet is played by two persons, who sit opposite each other. They are known as the dealer, and the elder hand or pone. _=CUTTING.=_ They cut for seats and cards, the lower cut having the choice, and dealing the first hand.
Foster’s Bridge Maxims, by R.F. Foster, 1905. The Bridge Blue Book, by P.F. Mottelay, 1906. Good Bridge, by C.S. Street, 1907. Practical Bridge, by J.
In the margin we have this explanation: A kinde of Christmas play, wherein each hunteth the other from his seat. The name seems derived from the French _levez sus_, in English, arise up. Halliwell s _Dictionary_ says that Skelton, ii. 31, spells it _levell suse_. Libbety, Libbety, Libbety-lat A child stands before a hassock, and as if he were going up stairs, he puts on it first his right and then his left foot, gradually quickening his steps, keeping time to the words-- Libbety, libbety, libbety-lat, Who can do this? and who can do that? And who can do anything better than that? --Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 59). Limpy Coley A boy s game undescribed.--Patterson s _Antrim and Down Glossary_. Little Dog I call you A number of girls stand in a line with their backs to a wall. One of their number is sent away to a distance, but remains within call.