O have you seen the Shah, O have you seen the Shah? He lights his pipe on a star-light night, O have you seen the Shah? For a-hunting we will go, A-hunting we will go; We ll catch a fox and put him in a box, A-hunting we will go. --Epworth, Doncaster (C. C. Bell). (_b_) The players march two by two, all singing. The first pair let go hands, separate, and skip widely apart, still singing. Gradually, in this manner, two separate lines are formed, until, following each other and singing, the pairs come together again, join hands, and march and sing in couplets linked. 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.
If you have no Pedro, count on him for one, and if you have King and Queen, you can risk his having a guard to it, and bid as if you were sure of getting his Pedro home. If you have none of the points for High, Low, Jack, or Game, or only one of them, count on him for one at least, and bid accordingly. It is very difficult to give exact rules for bidding, the state of the score having much to do with it; but as a general rule it is much better to bid on _=catching cards=_ than on the points themselves. For instance: A K Q of trumps should certainly be good for eight points; some players habitually bid twelve on them, reckoning to catch both Pedroes and one of the minor points. This is risky unless there are one or two small trumps with the A K Q. On the other hand, two Pedroes, with Jack and Low, are not worth bidding more than five on; because it is very unlikely that you will save more than one of the Pedroes, if that. The very fact that you bid five diminishes your chances, for you betray the fact that your only hope is to save a well-guarded Pedro. Long experience with players who bid their hands correctly will give a player a very good idea of what the bidder has in his hand. To the partner this is a great point, for it enables him to judge when to give up points himself, and when to play for his partner to throw them to him. The number of cards asked for by each player should be very carefully noted; for it will frequently happen that the entire trump suit can be located by this means.
=_ Boston is played with two packs of fifty-two cards each, which rank as at Whist, both for cutting and playing. _=MARKERS=_ are not used in Boston, every hand being immediately settled for in counters. These are usually of three colours; white, red, and blue; representing cents, dimes, and dollars respectively. At the beginning of the game each player should be provided with an equal number, the general proportion being 20 white, 18 red, and 8 blue for each. Some one player should be selected to act as the banker, selling and redeeming all counters. _=STAKES.=_ The stakes in Boston depend upon the value of the counters. One cent for a white counter is considered a pretty stiff game; because it is quite possible for a single player to win or lose a thousand white counters on one hand, and the payments very seldom fall short of fifty. _=THE POOL.=_ In addition to the counters won and lost on each hand, it is usual for the players to make up a pool at the beginning of the game by each of them depositing one red counter in a small tray provided for the purpose.
Hick, Step, and Jump. Hide and Seek (1). Hide and Seek (2). Hinch-Pinch. Hinmost o Three. Hirtschin Hairy. Hiry-hag. Hiss and Clap. Hitch, Jamie, Stride and Loup. Hitchapagy.
George Eliot in _Adam Bede_ has, Gathering the large unripe nuts to play at Cob-nut with (p. 30). Britton s _Beauties of Wiltshire_ gives the Isle of Wight and Hants as other places where the game is known. See Conquerors. Cock One boy is chosen Cock. The players arrange themselves in a line along one side of the playground. The Cock takes his stand in front of the players. When everything is ready, a rush across the playground is made by the players. The Cock tries to catch and croon --_i.e.
The object in Sweepstake Hearts is to take none, and the most successful players will be found to be those who play consistently with the greatest odds in their favour for taking none. Suppose that you hold such a suit as A 10 9 7 4 2. This is a safe suit; because it is very improbable that you can be compelled to take a trick in it. The best lead from such a suit is the 10 or 9. If the suit is led by any other player, the same card should be played, unless you are fourth hand, and have no objection to the lead. This avoids the risk, however slight, of getting a heart on the first round, which would be entailed by playing the ace. In Sweepstake Hearts it is a great mistake to play the high cards of a suit in which you are safe; for no matter how small the risk, it is an unnecessary one. In the case we are considering, when you have six cards of the suit, the odds are 7 to 1 against your getting a heart if you play the ace first round. That is to say, you will probably lose one pool out of every eight if you play it. Take the greatest odds in your favour, when you have only four cards of a suit; they are 22 to 1 against your getting a heart the first round, so that you would lose by it only once in 23 times.
] In the seven point game, the score is continued by placing one counter above, and to the right or left of the other three, to indicate five points; and above and between them to indicate six. [Illustration: Five. Or this. Six.] When counters are not used, one of the standard forms of whist-marker is employed, the most legible and convenient being the “Foster Whist Marker,” in which the counting keys are always level with the surface and can be seen equally well from any position at the table. [Illustration: The Foster Whist Marker.] The four large keys on one side are used to count single points, the single large key on the opposite side being reckoned as five. The three small keys are used for counting rubber points, or games. In ten point games, the scoring to four points is the same; but beyond four, a single counter placed _=below=_ two or more others, is reckoned as three; and _=above=_ two or more others, as five. [Illustration: Five.
Hooper s Hide Name for Blind Man s Buff. --Nares _Glossary_. Hop-crease The game of Hop-scotch. --Halliwell s _Dictionary_. Hop-frog The players bend as though about to sit on a _very low_ stool, then spring about with their hands resting on their knees.--Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 234). Miss Peacock says that a game called Hop-frog over the Dog is played at Stixwould, Lincolnshire, in the same way as Leap-frog. See Curcuddie, Cutch-a-cutchoo, Harie Hutcheon, Hirtschin Hairy. Hop-score Game of Hop-scotch.
| -- | -- | -- | | 9.| -- | -- |We ll take her by the | | | | |hand. | | 10.| -- | -- | -- | | 11.| -- | -- |She shall go to Derby.| | 12.|You shall have a duck.|You shall have a duck.|She shall have a duck,| | | |(after No. 19) |my dear.
| -- | -- | -- | |17.| -- | -- | -- | |18.|Sweetheart is dead. |True love is dead. |True love is dead. | |19.| -- | -- | -- | |20.| -- | -- | -- | |21.| -- | -- | -- | |22.| -- | -- | -- | |23.
If the King and Ten have been led from K Q J 10, and on the second round one adversary has dropped the Eight, the other the Nine; the suit should be changed, as partner must have the Ace, and neither of the adversaries have any more. To lead such a suit again is called _=forcing both adversaries=_; as it allows one to make a small trump and the other to get rid of a losing card. If the Four has been led from J 8 6 4, and the adversaries have won the first trick with the Nine or Ten, A K Q must be against the leader and his partner, and the suit should be abandoned as hopeless, unless it is feasible to force the partner. If at any time there is a strong indication that the adversaries will have a cross-ruff, it is usually best to stop leading plain suits, and attempt to get out the trumps. _=THE LEADER’S PARTNER=_, or the Third Hand, has several conventional plays to remember; the most important of which are the following: _=When Partner Leads High Cards=_, the Third Hand has usually little to do but to play his lowest of the suit. The exceptions are: If he holds A J alone, on a King led, the Ace should be played. If he holds A Q alone on a Ten led, the Ace should be played. With A Q x, the Ten should be passed. With Ace and small cards, the Ace should be played on the Ten. With Queen and small cards the Ten should be passed.
_=MISÈRE.=_ The great difficulty in Misère is not in playing it; but in judging what hands justify such an undertaking. _=Calling.=_ As a general proposition it may be stated that misère should not be called with a long suit not containing the deuce. But the longer the suit the less the danger there is for a player who is determined to risk it; because the deuce is more likely to be found alone in some adversary’s hand. Short suits may be risked, even with no card smaller than a 5 or 6, and it is of course a great advantage to have a suit altogether missing. _=Leading.=_ The lead is a disadvantage to the caller, because he must begin with a small card, and the adversaries can play their highest. The only satisfaction to the caller is that he can usually locate the high cards of the suit under such circumstances. For instance: Suppose he originally leads a 4; second hand playing the 9; third hand the Ace; and fourth hand the 10.
--Rev. W. Gregor. Jamieson says, Lothian children, while carrying one of their number in this manner, repeat the following rhyme-- Lend me a pin to stick i my thumb, To carry the lady to London town. He says this method of carrying is often used as a substitute for a chair in conveying adult persons from one place to another, especially when infirm. In other counties it is called Queen s Cushion and Queen s Chair, also Cat s Carriage. Brockett (_North Country Words_) says, King s Cushion, a sort of seat made by two persons crossing their hands, in which to place a third. The thrones on the reverses of the early Royal Seals of England and Scotland consist of swords, spears, snakes, &c., placed in the manner of a King s Cushion. The method used is for both children to grasp the wrist of his left hand with the right, while he lays hold of the right wrist of his companion with his left hand.
, f. 91. Buckey-how For this the boys divide into sides. One stops at home, the other goes off to a certain distance agreed on beforehand and shouts Buckey-how. The boys at home then give chase, and when they succeed in catching an adversary, they bring him home, and there he stays until all on his side are caught, when they in turn become the chasers.--Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 60). Buff 1st player, thumping the floor with a stick: Knock, knock! 2nd ditto: Who s there? 1st: Buff. 2nd: What says Buff? 1st: Buff says Buff to all his men, And I say Buff to you again! 2nd: Methinks Buff smiles? 1st: Buff neither laughs nor smiles, But looks in your face With a comical grace, And delivers the staff to you again (handing it over). --Shropshire (Burne s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p.
On the second round, with the first two combinations, the difference between a suit of five or one of six cards may be indicated by following with the Ace if five were held originally; the King, if more than five. Seven cards may be shown with the first combination, by leading the Queen on the second round. The chief difference these leads make in the play of the Third Hand is that he should not trump any court card led, even if weak in trumps. The misunderstanding as to the meaning of the first lead, especially if it is a Queen, often occasions confusion and loss; but this is claimed to be offset by the value of the information given. Some lead 10 from Q J 10; 4th-best from K J 10. To the adversaries these leads are often of value, as they are frequently enabled to place the cards very accurately from the information given by the lead itself, regardless of the fall of the cards from the other hands. For instance: Second Hand holds A J of a suit in which King is led; Third Hand plays the Four; Fourth Hand plays the Nine. The leader remains with Q 3 2; Third Hand still has 8 7 6 5; and if he has also the 10, Fourth Hand has no more. Again: The leader shows a suit of six; Second Hand holding two only. If the suit is led a third time it is a doubtful trick, and with four trumps the Second Hand should pass.
Success in business. If followed by ♢ 9, the note will not be paid when it is due; if followed by the ♠ 9 you will lose the entire account. Nine. Success in love. Eight. Great anticipations. Seven. Trifling love affairs. _=R.=_ They will get you into trouble.
Woodley grunted. Underhill glanced at him oddly. Didn t Woodley ever do anything but grunt? Father Moontree looked at the other three. You might as well get your Partners now. I ll let the Scanner know we re ready to go into the Up-and-Out. THE DEAL Underhill spun the combination lock on the Lady May s cage. He woke her gently and took her into his arms. She humped her back luxuriously, stretched her claws, started to purr, thought better of it, and licked him on the wrist instead. He did not have the pin-set on, so their minds were closed to each other, but in the angle of her mustache and in the movement of her ears, he caught some sense of gratification she experienced in finding him as her Partner. He talked to her in human speech, even though speech meant nothing to a cat when the pin-set was not on.
_=Nine=_, Neun. _=Eight=_, Acht. _=Seven=_, Sieben. The most common terms are; Bube, As, Zehn, König, Dame, etc. The words Unter and Ober for the Jack and Queen, refer to the manner of marking the suits on the German cards. In the Queens, the mark of the suit is always above the figure, which has a single head; in the Jacks the suit mark is always under the figure. This distinction is necessary, because in the German cards the Queen is a male figure. The King has two suit marks, one on each side of the head. When the French or American double-head cards are used, with suit-marks in both corners, the words “ober” and “unter” have no meaning; Dame and Bube being used instead. _=Rank of the Suits.
--Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 230). See Trades. Dump A boys amusement in Yorkshire, in vogue about half a century ago, but now believed to be nearly obsolete. It is played in this manner. The lads crowd round and place their fists endways, the one on the other, till they form a high pile of hands. Then a boy, who has one hand free, knocks the piled fists off one by one, saying to every boy as he strikes his fist away, What s there, Dump? He continues this process till he comes to the last fist, when he exclaims:-- What s there? Cheese and bread, and a mouldy halfpenny! Where s my share? I put it on the shelf, and the cat got it. Where s the cat? She s run nine miles through the wood. Where s the wood? T fire burnt it. Where s the fire? T waters sleekt (extinguished) it.
The odd child is Mother Mop. She busies herself with a pretended mop, peel, &c., after the manner of old-fashioned bakers, making much ado in the valley between the rows of children. The oven soon gets demolished, and the last child vanquished becomes Mother Mop the next time.--Bitterne, Hants (Mrs. Byford). It seems probable that the inner rows of children should kneel or stoop down in order that Mother Mop should have as much trouble as possible with her oven. The game may have lost some of its details in other directions, as there is no apparent reason why the oven is demolished or broken down. See Jack, Jack, the Bread s a-burning. Mother, Mother, the Pot Boils over A number of girls choose one of their number to represent a witch, and another to be a mother.
33. The revoke can be claimed at any time before the cards have been presented and cut for the following deal, but not thereafter. MISCELLANEOUS. 34. Any one, during the play of a trick and before the cards have been touched for the purpose of gathering them together, may demand that the players draw their cards. 35. If any one, prior to his partner playing, calls attention in any manner to the trick or to the score, the adversary last to play to the trick may require the offender’s partner to play his highest or lowest of the suit led or, if he has none, to trump or not to trump the trick. 36. If any player says “I can win the rest,” “The rest are ours,” “We have the game,” or words to that effect, his partner’s cards must be laid upon the table and are liable to be called. 37.