Signor Pitré s solar explanation of its origin appeared improbable to him, for not only was the evidence in its favour extremely weak, but it would require the original number of divisions in the figure to have been twelve instead of seven, which was the number indicated by a considerable body of evidence. It would seem more probable that the game at one time represented the progress of the soul from earth to heaven through various intermediate states, the name given to the last court being most frequently paradise or an equivalent, such as crown or glory, while the names of the other courts corresponded with the eschatological ideas prevalent in the early days of Christianity. Some such game existed before Christianity, and Mr. Crombie considered that it had been derived from several ancient games. Possibly the strange myths of the labyrinths might have had something to do with Hop-scotch, and a variety of the game played in England, under the name of Round Hop-scotch, was almost identical with a game described by Pliny as being played by the boys of his day. Mr. Crombie also said he believed that the early Christians adopted the general idea of the ancient game, but they not only converted it into an allegory of heaven, with Christian beliefs and Christian names; they Christianised the figure also; they abandoned the heathen labyrinth and replaced it by the form of the Basilicon, the early Christian church, dividing it into seven parts, as they believed heaven to be divided, and placing paradise, the inner sanctum of heaven, in the position of the altar, the inner sanctum of their earthly church. See Hap the Beds. Hop, Step, and Jump See Half-Hammer. Hornie A game among children in which one of the company runs after the rest having his hands clasped and his thumbs pushed out before him in resemblance of horns.
One of the boys lays his button on the ground, near a wall. The other boys snap their buttons in turn against the wall. If the button drops within one span or hand-reach of the button laid down, it counts two (fig. 2); if within two spans, it counts one. When it hits the button and bounces within one span, it counts four (fig. 1); within two spans, three; and above three spans, one. Each player snaps in turn for an agreed number; the first to score this number wins the game.--Deptford, Kent, and generally in London streets (Miss Chase). [Illustration: Fig. 1.
The couple standing at the end of the line run through the arch just beyond the last couple standing at the top, when they stand still and hold their handkerchief as high as possible, which is the beginning of the second arch; this is repeated by every last couple in succession, so that as many arches as are wanted can be formed.--East Kirkby, Lincolnshire (Miss K. Maughan). Miss Baker (_Northamptonshire Glossary_) says the game is played in that county. Formerly in the northern part of the county even married women on May Day played at it under the May garland, which was extended from chimney to chimney across the village street. Duck at the Table A boys game, played with round stones and a table-shaped block of stone.--Patterson s _Antrim and Down Glossary_. Probably the same as Duckstone. Duck Dance [Music] --London (A. B.
If a revoke be claimed, and the accused player or his partner mix the cards before they have been sufficiently examined by the adversaries, the revoke is established. The mixing of the cards only renders the proof of a revoke difficult; but does not prevent the claim and possible establishment of the penalty. 78. A revoke cannot be claimed after the cards have been cut for the following deal. 79. The revoking player and his partner may, under all circumstances, require the hand in which the revoke has been detected to be played out. 80. If a revoke occur, be claimed and proved, bets on the odd trick or on amount of score, must be decided by the actual state of the latter, after the penalty is paid. 81. Should the players on both sides subject themselves to the penalty of one or more revokes, neither can win the game; each is punished at the discretion of his adversary.
He may employ any man[oe]uvre in order to deceive his pursuers, but must keep up the continuity of his paper track-signs. The Hounds follow him and try to catch him before he gets home, which is a place agreed upon beforehand.--London (G. L. Gomme). In Cornwall the leader, when at fault, says-- Uppa, uppa, holye! If you don t speak My dogs shan t folly. --Courtney (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 73). Other versions of this holloa are-- Whoop, whoop, and hollow! Good dogs won t follow Without the hare cries, Peewit. --Halliwell s _Nursery Rhymes_, p.
I remember once witnessing a game in which a ball was passed from player to player, and in which the dialogue was similar. When one player was told that the ball was in his possession, the answer was, What, me, sir? Yes, you, sir. Not I, sir. Who then, sir? White Cap, sir; the questions and answers were again repeated for Red Cap, and Blue Cap. When it was Black Cap s turn, I think the ball was thrown by this player to some one else; whoever was hit by the ball had to chase and capture one, who became questioner; but my recollection of the game is too slight for me to be certain either of the dialogue or the way the game terminated (A. B. Gomme). A game described in _Suffolk County Folk-lore_, p. 62, is apparently a version of this. It is there described as a forfeit game.
=_ If the first card played by the pone should be a 6, and the dealer had a 6 also, the latter would probably play it, announcing: “Twelve, with a pair,” and pegging two holes. If the pone held a third six he would immediately play it, announcing: “Eighteen, with a pair royal,” and would peg six holes for the three pairs which can be formed with the three Sixes, although he did not hold all of them. If the dealer was fortunate enough to hold the fourth Six he might rejoin with: “Twenty-four, with a double-pair-royal.” This would entitle him to peg twelve more holes, although he had already pegged the single pair. _=Sequences.=_ Suppose the first card played by the pone was a 4. The dealer plays a 2, announcing: “Six.” The pone plays a 3, announcing: “Nine, with a run of three,” and pegging three holes for the sequence formed in play. The dealer plays an Ace; “Ten, with a run of four,” and pegs four holes for the sequence of four cards made in play, all of which are face upward on the table, although he held only two of them. _=Fifteens.
If there is a 6 on the table, the Cassino can be built on it, and “two Eights,” called, although the player has no 8 in his own hand; the 8 already built by his partner is sufficient. If a player has built a 9 which has been taken in by an adversary, he still holding the 9 he built for, his partner may build for the declared 9 in the same way. _=Sweeping.=_ If at any time a player is able to win everything on the table with one card, it is a sweep, and counts a point. For instance: He holds an 8, and there are upon the table four cards only:--5 3 6 and 2. By combining the 6 and 2, and the 5 and 3, two Eights will be formed, and the sweep is made. Sweeps are usually marked by leaving the cards with which they are made face upward at the bottom of the tricks taken in by the player. Sweeps made by opposite sides are sometimes turned down to cancel one another. _=Trailing.=_ When a player cannot pair, combine, or build anything, he must play a card.
Tender hands could not stand it a moment: one dash of a rustic loof would make the blood spurt from the tip of every finger. It is a piece of pastime to country lads of the same nature as Hard Knuckles (Mactaggart s _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_). This is a well-known game for small children in London. After each child s hands have been withdrawn and replaced on top as many times as possible without deranging the order, a general scramble and knocking of hands together ends the game (A. B. Gomme). Jamieson (_Etymological Dict._) gives this as a sport of children. [Illustration: Fig. 1.
When the 3 is face up, but covered by the 4 face down, it counts _=one=_. When the 4 is face up, covered by the 3 face down, it counts _=two=_. When the 4 is face down, covered by the 3 face up, it counts _=three=_. When the 3 is face down, covered by the 4 face up, it counts _=four=_. [Illustration: [🃓 covered by [🃔 covered by [🃓 covering a [🃔 covering a facedown card] facedown card] facedown card] facedown card] ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR. ] The number of pips exposed on the card which is face up is immaterial; the relative position of the two cards will always determine the score. Rubber or game scores must be kept on a whist marker, or on a sheet of paper.
The second Dorsetshire game somewhat differs. One child takes seven or eight others whom she pretends are her children. Another child, presumably a mistress in want of servants, stands at a distance. The first child advances, holding the hand of her children, saying the first verse. The dialogue is concluded, and as the woman and her children are supposed to be out of hearing, the last couplet is said or sung. This process is gone through again until the mistress has engaged all the children as her servants, when she is supposed to let them all out to play with the mustard pots, which are represented by sticks or stones, in their hands. The other versions are played as follows:--The children form a line, the one in the middle being the mother, or widow; they advance and retire, the mother alone singing the first verse. One child, who is standing alone on the opposite side, who has been addressed by the widow, then asks [not sings] the question. The mother, or widow, sings the reply, and points to one child when singing the last line, who thereupon crosses over to the other side, joining the one who is standing alone. This is continued till all have been selected.
Whether the ten follows the Jack or not, does not matter. With any two high cards in sequence, the lead is a high card when playing against a declared trump. The _=Jack=_ is never led except as a supporting card. It is always the top of the suit, and the suit is usually short. The object of making such an opening is to avoid leading suits headed by two honours which are not in sequence. These are good Jack leads: [Illustration: 🂻 🂺 🂹 🂴 🂫 🂧 ] The _=Ten=_ is led from one combination only:-- [Illustration: 🃎 🃋 🃊 🃆 ] The _=Ace=_ should not be led if it can be avoided; but it is better to lead it from suits of more than four cards, so as to make it at once. If the Ace is accompanied by the King, the King is the card to lead, not the Ace. If the Ace is accompanied by other honours, such as the Queen or Jack, it is better to avoid opening the suit, unless you have five or more cards of it. But if you do lead a suit headed by the Ace, _=without the King=_, be sure that you lead the Ace, when playing against a trump declaration, or you may never make it. All such combinations as the following should be avoided, if possible, as more can be made out of them by letting them alone:-- [Illustration: 🃑 🃝 🃚 🃔 | 🃞 🃛 🃘 🃔 🂱 🂻 🂺 🂴 | 🂽 🂻 🂶 🂴 🂮 🂨 🂧 🂤 | 🂫 🂪 🂩 🂤 🃍 🃆 🃅 🃄 | 🃊 🃉 🃈 🃄 ] But with three honours, A Q J, the Ace should be led.
The first-made form is not unlike a manger. Moor (_Suffolk Words_) gives the names as cat s cradle, barn-doors, bowling-green, hour-glass, pound, net, diamonds, fish-pond, fiddle. A supposed resemblance originated them. Britton (_Beauties of Wiltshire_, Glossary) says the game in London schools is called Scratch-scratch or Scratch-cradle. [Illustration: Cat s Cradle Taking off Soldier s Bed Taking off Candles Taking off Cat s Cradle (upside down) Cat s Eyes Fish.] The game is known to savage peoples. Professor Haddon noted it among the Torres Straits people, who start the game in the same manner as we do, but continue it differently (_Journ. Anthrop. Inst._, vol.
DOUBLING AND REDOUBLING. 53. Doubling and redoubling doubles and quadruples the value of each trick over six, but it does not alter the value of a declaration; _e.g._, a declaration of “three clubs” is higher than “two royal spades” doubled or redoubled. 54. Any declaration may be doubled and redoubled once, but not more; a player may not double his partner’s declaration nor redouble his partner’s double, but he may redouble a declaration of his partner which has been doubled by an adversary. The penalty for redoubling more than once is 100 points in the adverse honour score or a new deal; for doubling a partner’s declaration, or redoubling a partner’s double it is 50 points in the adverse honour score. Either adversary may demand any penalty enforceable under this law. 55.