The Mother answers, Where was you? Up stairs. The Mother says, What doing? Making t beds. Why didn t you come down? Because I had no shoes. Why didn t you borrow a pair? Because nobody would lend me a pair. Why didn t you steal a pair? Do you want me to get hung? Then the Mother runs after her, and if she can catch her thrashes her for letting Sunday go. Then the Mother pretends to go out washing again, and the Witch fetches the other days of the week one by one, when the same dialogue is rehearsed.--Dronfield, Derbyshire (S. O. Addy). This game was also played in London.
3.=_ This example of the _=Short-suit Game=_ is from Val Starnes’ Short-Suit Whist. This is sometimes called the Gambit opening. The leader, having no reason to lead trumps, even with five, and not having three honours in his long suit, prefers the gambit opening of the singly guarded queen. Y holds what is called a potential or imperfect fourchette, and covers, in order to make A-B play two honours to get one trick. B also makes a gambit opening by returning a supporting spade. Three tricks are gained by the two leads of the supporting cards, and five would have been made but for Y’s covering on the first trick. _=No. 4.=_ This is an example of _=Playing to the Score=_.
ccclvii. of his _Nursery Rhymes_, but without any description of the game beyond the words, A game of the fox. It is probably the same game as Fox and Goose. Fox and Goose (1) In Dorsetshire one of the party, called the Fox, takes one end of the room or corner of a field (for the game was equally played indoors or out); all the rest of the children arrange themselves in a line or string, according to size, one behind the other, the smallest last, behind the tallest one, called Mother Goose, with their arms securely round the waist of the one in front of them, or sometimes by grasping the dress. The game commences by a parley between the Fox and Goose to this effect, the Goose beginning. What are you after this fine morning? Taking a walk. With what object? To get an appetite for a meal. What does [will] your meal consist of? A nice fat goose for my breakfast. Where will you get it? Oh, I shall get a nice morsel somewhere; and as they are so handy, I shall satisfy myself with one of yours. Catch one if you can.
2). As long as the child can keep her hands clasped, so long is the swinging kept up; and as many times as they count, so many is the number of pounds she weighs. The seller sometimes said, when each one was bought-- Take her and bake her, And into pies make her, And bring her back When she is done. They were not brought back, and the owner had to catch and bring back each one. When sold, the honey pot is taken to the other side, or home of the purchaser. The game goes on till all the honey pots are sold.--London (A. B. Gomme). In Sporle, a girl clasps her hands under her legs to form a seat, and two others swing her by the arms, saying-- Honey pot, honey pot, over the river; When the old cat dies you shall have the liver.
Suppose the winner to be A, with 320; B having 80 and C 64. A wins 240 from B and 256 from C; while B wins 16 from C. _=BRIDGE FOR TWO.=_ Sometimes called “_=Chinese Bridge=_.” The dealer gives his adversary four cards face down, and then deals four to himself, also face down. He then distributes the remainder of the pack by dealing to his adversary and himself alternately, one card at a time, keeping them separate from the first four. Without lifting or looking at any of these twenty-two cards, each player places eleven of them in two rows, face down, and then the other eleven on the top of the first, but face up. This gives each player eleven cards face up on the table, covering eleven face down under them, and a separate hand of four cards. The dealer looks at his four cards, without showing them to his adversary, and after due consideration of what he sees on the table, declares. His adversary can double if he likes, or he can simply play a card.
See Fox and Goose, Gled-wylie. Here comes a Lusty Wooer [Music] --Rimbault s _Nursery Rhymes_. Here comes a lusty wooer, My a dildin, my a daldin; Here comes a lusty wooer, Lily bright and shine a . Pray who do you woo? My a dildin, my a daldin; Pray who do you woo? Lily bright and shine a . For your fairest daughter, My a dildin, my a daldin; For your fairest daughter, Lily bright and shine a . Then there she is for you, My a dildin, my a daldin; Then there she is for you, Lily bright and shine a . --Ritson (_Gammer Gurton s Garland_, 1783). Northall says this game is played after the manner of the Three Dukes (_Folk Rhymes_, p. 383). Halliwell (_Nursery Rhymes_, p.
2.] The second method of playing is best described by the Rev. Walter Gregor, from the Nairn game, which is known as The Gates of Babylon. Mr. Gregor writes as follows:-- This game may be played either by boys or girls. Two of the players join hands, and stand face to face, with their hands in front as if forming a gate. Each of these has a secret name. The other players form themselves into a line by clasping each other round the waist from behind. They go up to the two that form the gate, and the leader asks the first question, as in version No. 2.
But if Dummy leads the 9, cover with the 10; if it loses, you lie tenace over the declarer. With A J x, play the Jack on a 9 led. This prevents the finesse of the 9, and retains command of the suit. If Dummy has both K and Q, play your Ace. It is useless to play the Bath coup, for the declarer knows your cards, and your partner only is deceived. With K x x, if Dummy has not the Ace, do not play the King, no matter what is led. With Q x x, unless Dummy has both A and K, do not play the Queen. If your partner has the Jack guarded, one of you must make a trick. If Dummy has A J, and leads J, put on the Queen; it may make the 9 or 10 good in your partner’s hand. With A x x, Dummy leading Jack, play the Ace.
He then throws the ball.--Dublin (Mrs. Lincoln). Ball of Primrose [Music] We ll wear yellow ribbons, yellow ribbons, yellow ribbons, We ll wear yellow ribbons at the Ball of Primrose; We ll all go a-waltzing, a-waltzing, a-waltzing, We ll all go a-waltzing at the Ball of Primrose. --Epworth, Doncaster; and Lossiemouth, Yorkshire (Charles C. Bell). (_b_) The children form a ring, joining hands, and dance round singing the two first lines. Then loosing hands, they waltz in couples, singing as a refrain the last line. The game is continued, different coloured ribbons being named each time. (_c_) This game was played in 1869, so cannot have arisen from the political movement.
The hands once fixed in the mind, some time should be given to a careful consideration of the best course to pursue; after which the play should proceed pretty rapidly until the last few tricks, when another problem may present itself. There is nothing in the game beyond the skilful use of the tenace position, discarding, and establishing cross-ruffs. Analysis is the mental power chiefly engaged. There are no such things as inferences, false cards, finesse, underplay, speculative trump leads, or judgment of human nature. The practice of the game is totally different from any other form of whist, and much more closely resembles chess. The laws of Dummy will be found at the end of the English Whist Laws. HUMBUG WHIST. This is a variation on double dummy, in which two players sit opposite each other. The deal and seats are cut for in the usual manner; four hands of thirteen cards each are dealt, and the last card is turned for trump. Each player examines the hand dealt to him, without touching those to his right or left.
If you have A K x, the dealer must have J 10 and several others. If you have K x x, the declarer probably holds Ace, or a long suit headed by J 10. When Dummy leads strengthening cards, they must be to give the declarer a finesse. If he leads a small card from small cards, some high-card combination must be in the declarer’s hand. In such cases it is useless for you to finesse. If you have any sequence superior to the card led, cover with the lowest. There should be no false-carding in this, because your partner is the only one that can be deceived. With A K and others, play the King, whatever Dummy leads. With A Q and others, Dummy having nothing higher than the 9, play the Ace. With K Q 10, play the Queen on a small card led, unless Dummy has the Jack.
The player holding the highest and longest sequence in any suit takes the pool for sequence; but the sequence must be at least three cards. Pools not won remain until the next deal. After the pools round the edge are all decided, the players bet for the centre pool, or pochen. Any player with a pair, or three of a kind, wishing to bet on them, puts as many counters as he pleases into the centre pool, and any player willing to bet against him must put in a like amount. There is no raising these bets, and the players in order to the left of the dealer have the first say as to betting, or passing. The higher pair wins. Threes beat pairs, and four of a kind is the best hand possible. This pool settled, the play of the cards follows. Eldest hand leads any card he pleases and each in turn to the left must follow in sequence and suit, playing the 10 on the 9, the J on the 10, etc., until the K is reached.