In the Norfolk version the Mother sits on a form or bank, the other children advancing and retiring as they sing. After the last verse is sung the children try to seat themselves on the form or bank where the Mother has been sitting. If they can thus get home without the Mother catching them they are safe. The Kentish game is played with two lines of children advancing and retiring. This was also the way in which the London version (A. B. Gomme) was played. In the version sent by Mr. H. S.
(_b_) In the parish church of Bawdrip is a monument to Edward Lovell, his wife Eleanor (_née_ Bradford), and their two daughters Maria and Eleanor. The inscription touching the latter is:-- Eleanora . . . obiit Jun. 14, 1681. Hanc, subito et immaturo (ipsos pene inter hymenæos) fato correptam, m[oe]stissimus luxit maritus, et in gratam piamq. parentum sororis et dilectissimæ conjugis memoriam, monumentum hoc erigi voluit. Tradition connects this sudden death-- ipsos pene inter hymenæos --with the story of the bride playing at Hide and Seek. It is curious that, in Haynes Bayly s song, the bridegroom s name should be Lovell.
| +---+-.-+---+-.-+---+-.-+---+-.-+ ] In order to ascertain if you have the move when it is your turn to play, add together all the men, both black and white, in one of the systems, taking no notice of those in the other system, and if the number is _=odd=_, you have the move. In Diagram No. 10, for instance, if you have the black men, and it is your turn to play, you will find three men on your own system, and therefore you have the move, and must win by playing 10-15. When White moves, there will again be an odd number of men on your system, and you will still have the move, and he must sacrifice both his men. [Illustration: No. 10.
If the single player, or a caller and his partner have all four honours dealt them, they score as for four over-tricks; if three, as for two over-tricks. Honours do not count for the adversaries under any circumstances. In bidding on a hand, it must be remembered that although honours will count as over-tricks in payments, they cannot be bid on. If a player has nine tricks and two by honours in his hand, he cannot bid eleven. If he bids nine and fails to make so many, he cannot count the honours at all. It is growing less and less the custom to count honours in America. A player making a bid can be compelled to play it; but it is usual to allow him to pay instead of playing, if he proposes to do so, either because he has overbid his hand or for any other reason. _=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ No matter who is the successful bidder, the eldest hand always leads for the first trick, and the others must follow suit if they can, the play proceeding exactly as in Whist. Tricks should be carefully stacked, there being the same penalties as in Boston for calling attention to the score.
If the ember or lighted stick goes out whilst any one is twirling it round, and whilst the lines are being said, he has to lie on the floor, when stones, chairs, or other articles of furniture are piled upon him.--S. O. Addy. Mactaggart calls it Preest Cat, and says that it is an ingleside game. A piece of stick is made red in the fire; one hands it to another, saying-- About wi that, about wi that, Keep alive the preest cat. Then round is handed the stick, and whomsoever s hand it goes out in, that one is in a wad, and must kiss the crook, the cleps, and what not, ere he gets out of it. Lilly cuckoo, lilly cuckoo, Sticks and stanes lie at thy weary banes If thou fa , for a I blaw, Lilly cuckoo, lilly cuckoo. This rhyme is common in the Preest Cat sport toward the border. Anciently, when the priest s cat departed this life, wailing began in the country side, as it was thought it became some supernatural being--a witch, perhaps, of hideous form--so to keep it alive was a great matter.
If the stone emerges only once it is a duck, and increasing in the following order:-- 2. A duck and a drake, 3. And a halfpenny cake, 4. And a penny to pay the old baker, 5. A hop and a scotch is another notch, 6. Slitherum, slatherum, take her. --Halliwell s _Dictionary_. Hen-pen, Duck and mallard, Amen. --Somersetshire (Holloway s _Dict. of Provincialisms_).
Emslie). [Illustration] Cob-nut The children in Yorkshire have a game which is probably an ancient English pastime. Numerous hazel-nuts are strung like the beads of a rosary. The game is played by two persons, each of whom has one of these strings, and consists in each party striking alternately, with one of the nuts on his own string, a nut of his adversary s. The field of combat is usually the crown of a hat. The object of each party is to crush the nuts of his opponent. A nut which has broken many of those of the adversary is a Cob-nut.--Brand, ii. 411; Hunter s _Hallamshire Glossary_. (_b_) This game is played in London with chestnuts, and is called Conquers.
] | | | |29.| -- | -- |Poor widow left alone,| | | | |and choose the fairest| | | | |daughter. | |30.| -- | -- | -- | |31.| -- | -- | -- | |32.| -- | -- | -- | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ +---+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.| Forest of Dean. | Wakefield. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.| -- | -- | | 2.
.. It was a game crying aloud for improvement. Improvement came almost simultaneously in several directions. First there was the development of the Country. The soldiers did not stand well on an ordinary carpet, the Encyclopedia made clumsy cliff-like cover , and more particularly the room in which the game had its beginnings was subject to the invasion of callers, alien souls, trampling skirt-swishers, chatterers, creatures unfavourably impressed by the spectacle of two middle-aged men playing with toy soldiers on the floor, and very heated and excited about it. Overhead was the day nursery, with a wide extent of smooth cork carpet (the natural terrain of toy soldiers), a large box of bricks--such as I have described in Floor Games--and certain large inch-thick boards. It was an easy task for the head of the household to evict his offspring, annex these advantages, and set about planning a more realistic country. (I forget what became of the children.) The thick boards were piled up one upon another to form hills; holes were bored in them, into which twigs of various shrubs were stuck to represent trees; houses and sheds (solid and compact piles of from three to six or seven inches high, and broad in proportion) and walls were made with the bricks; ponds and swamps and rivers, with fords and so forth indicated, were chalked out on the floor, garden stones were brought in to represent great rocks, and the Country at least of our perfected war game was in existence.
This is repeated until all the children have turned their backs to the inside of the ring. Here the game ends in many cases, but another verse is sung in the Lincoln, Winterton, and Wakefield versions from Miss Peacock, and this was sung also in the London version. The second verse thus terminates the game, with the players one by one reversing their position and facing the centre of ring as at first. In the Forest of Dean and Wakefield versions the action of the game is somewhat different. A child stands in the centre of the ring of children, without apparently taking much part in the game, except to name the children in turn. In the Wakefield version, however (Miss Fowler, No. xvii.), a little boy stands in the middle of a circle of girls who sing the first verse. At We ll all cou don together, all crouch down, as if in profound respect, then rising slowly, sing the next verse. After My pitcher and my can, each child mentions her own name.
_=CARDS.=_ Loo is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, which rank, A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2; the ace being the highest. _=COUNTERS.=_ Loo being a pool game, counters are necessary. They should be of two colours, white and red, one red banker, to sell and redeem all counters. Each player should begin with 18 red and 6 white, which is equal to 20 reds. _=PLAYERS.=_ Any number of persons from three to seventeen may play, but eight is the usual limit, and five or six makes the best game. The players take their seats at random. _=CUTTING.
Any pins knocked down through the dead wood remaining on the alley cannot be placed to the credit of the players. TEN PINS--HEAD PIN OUT. ALSO KNOWN AS AMERICAN NINE PINS. [Illustration: O O O O O O O O O ] The pins are set as in the diagram. Ten innings constitute a game. Three balls (not exceeding 6 inches in size) are bowled. One pin of the frame must be left standing, or the inning goes for nothing. There are no penalties. The dead wood must be removed. Any pins knocked down through the dead wood remaining on the alley cannot be placed to the credit of the player.
The game is five points, and the best method of scoring is to use the 4 and 3 of any suit. 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.
A. Keary). (_b_) In Dorsetshire a ring is formed by all the players joining hands except one. The odd player, carrying a handkerchief, commences to walk slowly round the outside of the ring, repeating the words; then, touching each one with her handkerchief as she passes, she says, Not you, not you, not you, &c., &c., till the favoured individual is reached, when it is changed to But you! and his or her shoulder lightly touched at the same time. The first player then runs round the ring as fast as he can, pursued by the other, who, if a capture is effected (as is nearly always the case), is entitled to lead the first player back into the centre of the ring and claim a kiss. The first player then takes the other s place in the ring, and in turn walks round the outside repeating the same formula.--_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 212; Penzance (Mrs.
By the time the E and W pairs have made the circuit of all the tables and got home again, the game is ended, the victors being the fort that has captured the greatest number of flags. RAILROAD EUCHRE. Railroad Euchre is the name given to any form of the four-handed game in which every expedient is used to make points rapidly. _=Cards.=_ A pack of twenty-five cards is used, all below the 9 being deleted, and the Joker added. The Joker is always the best trump. _=Players.=_ There are four players, two being partners against the other two. Partners, deal, and seats are cut for as in the ordinary game. _=Dealing.
| -- | -- | -- | | 43.| -- | -- | -- | | 44.| -- | -- | -- | | 45.| -- | -- | -- | | 46.| -- | -- | -- | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | No.| Yorkshire. | Roxton. | Shropshire. | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.|Dissy, dissy, green |Dossy, dossy, green | -- | | |grass.
Gravel crunched dimly under another foot. Somebody had stepped invisibly onto the roof. It scared the daylights out of me, more so because I was flat on my back. Cautiously I turned my head toward the door I had come through. I could see the fuzzy redness of a cigarette in the dark. It brightened as the smoker took a drag. Then I heard the sniffle, and knew who it was. She stood there, apparently leaning against the wall behind her, silently, invisible but for the glow of her cigarette, and not moving her feet. Hello, I said at last. Wasn t sure you wanted to talk, she said out of the dark.
_=Discarding.=_ An adversary should get rid of some one suit, if possible; for when that suit is afterwards led he will have free choice of his discards in the other suits. Short suits should be discarded in preference to high cards in long suits, unless the cards in the short suit are very low. Discards give great information to the adversaries if the rule is followed to discard the highest of a suit; because all cards higher than those discarded must be between the two other adversaries and the caller, and each adversary is thus furnished with a guide. It is useless to discard a suit of which the caller is void; and it is best to keep discarding from one suit until it is exhausted, or only the deuce remains. The trump signal is frequently used in discarding to indicate that the signaller wishes to get into the lead. _=Returning Suits.=_ Whether or not to return a partner’s lead may often be decided by inferences from the fall of the cards. It is frequently an easy matter to locate the cards in the various suits, if it is borne in mind that adversaries who play after the caller get rid of their highest cards. For instance: Right leads the 9; caller plays the 5; left the 10; and the last player finds he holds K Q J 6 of the suit.
One 1 to 1 Two 3 to 1 Three 7 to 1 Four 15 to 1 Five 31 to 1 Six 63 to 1 Seven 127 to 1 Eight 255 to 1 Nine 511 to 1 Ten 1023 to 1 If Smith and his adversary had started with an agreement to play ten games, the odds against either of them winning any number in succession would be found by taking the first game as an even chance, expressed by unity, or 1. The odds against the same player winning the second game also would be twice 1 plus 1, or 3 to 1; and the odds against his winning three games in succession would be twice 3 plus 1, or 7 to 1, and so on, according to the figures shown in the margin. GAMES. 1st 2nd 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 That this is so may easily be demonstrated by putting down on a sheet of paper the total number of events that may happen if any agreed number of games are played, expressing wins by a stroke, and losses by a cipher. Take the case of two games only. There are four different events which may happen to Smith, as shown in the margin. He may win both games or lose both; or he may win one and lose the other, either first. Only one of these four equally probable events being favourable to his winning both games, and three being unfavourable, the odds are 3 to 1 that he does not win both; but these are the odds _=before he begins to play=_. Having won the first game, there are only two events possible, those which begin with a win, and he has an equal chance to win again. GAMES.