Yes, if you won t steal any beans. Please, we ve brought the key back; will you lend us your frying-pan? What to do with? To fry some beans. Where have you got them? Out of your garden. --Earls Heaton (H. Hardy). One child represents an old woman, and the other players carry on the dialogue with her. At the end of the dialogue the children are chased by the old woman. See Mother, Mother, may I go out to Play, Witch. Letting the Buck out This game was played seventy years ago. A ring being formed, the Buck inside has to break out, and reach his home, crying Home! before he can be caught and surrounded.
Put all the [Marys] in, Take all the [Marys] out, Shake all the [Marys] together, And turn yourselves about. Here we dance lubin, lubin, lubin, Here we dance lubin light, Here we dance lubin, lubin, lubin, On a Saturday night. Put all yourselves in, Take all yourselves out, Shake all yourselves together, And turn yourselves about. --Oxford and Wakefield (Miss Fowler). II. Now we dance looby, looby, looby, Now we dance looby, looby, light; Shake your right hand a little, And turn you round about. Now we dance looby, looby, looby; Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, And turn you round about. Now we dance looby, looby, looby; Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, Shake your right foot a little, And turn you round about. Now we dance looby, looby, looby; Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, Shake your right foot a little, Shake your left foot a little, And turn you round about. Now we dance looby, looby, looby; Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, Shake your right foot a little, Shake your left foot a little, Shake your head a little, And turn you round about.
Mother, come buy me a milking-can, Milking-can, milking-can, Mother, come buy me a milking-can, O mother o mine. Where can I have my money from, O daughter o mine? Sell my father s bedsteads. Where must your father sleep? Sleep in the pig-sty. Where must the pig sleep? Sleep in the washing-tub. What must I wash in? Wash in your thimble. What must I sew with? Sew with your finger. What will you say if I prick me? Serve you right, serve you right. --Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy). VII. Mother, will you buy me a pair of milking-cans, Milking-cans, milking-cans, Mother, will you buy me a pair of milking-cans, O gentle mother of mine? But where shall I get the money from? Sell my father s feather bed.
The first person whom he touches with his thumbs becomes his property, joins hands with him, and aids in attempting to catch the rest: and so on until they are all made captives. Those who are at liberty still cry out, Hornie, Hornie. --Lothian (Jamieson). Jamieson says: Whether this play be a vestige of the very ancient custom of assuming the appearance and skins of animals, especially in the sports of Yule, or might be meant to symbolise the exertions made by the devil (often called Hornie ) in making sinful man his prey, and employing fellow-men as his coadjutors in this work, I cannot pretend to determine. See Hunt the Staigie, Whiddy. Hornie Holes A game in which four play, a principal and an assistant on each side. A. stands with his assistant at one hole, and throws what is called a Cat (a piece of stick, and frequently a sheep s horn), with the design of making it alight in another hole at some distance, at which B. and his assistant stand ready to drive it aside. The bat or driver is a rod resembling a walking-stick.
_=R.=_ Family rows. _=COMBINATIONS.=_ 4 aces, death; 3 aces, dissipation; 2 aces, enmity. 4 Kings, honours; 3 Kings, success in business; 2 Kings, good advice. 4 Queens, scandal; 3 Queens, dissipation; 2 Queens, friendship. 4 Jacks, contagious diseases; 3 Jacks, idleness; 2 Jacks, quarrels. 4 Tens, disagreeable events; 3 Tens, change of residence; 2 Tens, loss. 4 Nines, good actions; 3 Nines, imprudence; 2 Nines, money. 4 Eights, reverses in business or love; 3 Eights, marriage; 2 Eights, trouble.
Blind Bell. Blind Bucky Davy. Blind Harie. Blind Hob. Blind Man s Buff. Blind Man s Stan. Blind Nerry Mopsy. Blind Palmie. Blind Sim. Block, Hammer, and Nail.
In some places the game is said in a sing-song manner. Some of the versions differ from the general type in two ways--first, in the method of playing; secondly, in the wording of the verses. The differences in the method of playing direct attention to the connection of the game with ancient custom. The game is always played by the players taking sides; but one method is for one side to consist of only two children (Mother and Jenny Jones), and the other side to consist of all the other players; while the other method is for the players to be divided into two sides of about equal numbers, each side advancing and retiring in line when singing their part. Jenny Jones in some cases walks with the girls in her line until the funeral, when she is carried to the grave, and in others she stands alone behind the line. The way of performing the funeral also differs. Generally two of the players carry Jenny to the grave, the rest following two by two; but in one Hampshire version six or eight children carry Jenny, stretched out and flat, to the grave, and cover her over; in Holywood, co. Down, she is carried sitting on the crossed hands of two players; while in some versions no funeral is apparently performed, the words only being sung. Another significant incident is the Ghost. An additional incident occurs in the Liphook version, which represents her being swung to life again by two of the players.
The players take sides, and each is provided with three markers of different colours, such as red and white poker chips. Only one die is used, and it is thrown from a box. The captains of the teams throw for the first time at the bat, the higher throw winning the choice. Each player in turn of the side at the bat has one throw, and a marker is placed on the base he reaches. Ace, deuce, and trey count for first, second, and third bases respectively; four is a home run. When a five or six is thrown, the result depends on the number of men on bases, but the striker is always out. If there are no men on bases, or if all the bases are full, the player is out if he throws five or six. If there is only one man on the bases and a five is thrown, the striker is _=caught out=_, and the man on the base is also caught. If six is thrown, only the striker is caught out, and the man holds his base. If there are two men on bases, they must be in one of three positions: on first and second; on first and third; or on second and third.