| -- | -- | -- | |16.| -- | -- | -- | |17.| -- | -- | -- | |18.|Sweetheart is dead. |True love is dead. | -- | |19.| -- | -- |Except ---- she s not | | | | |to be seen. | |20.| -- | -- | -- | |21.| -- | -- | -- | |22.
The two children now standing at the top proceed in the same way: this is continued until all the children have done the same. A ring is then formed, when the children again clap and sing. Any number can play at this game. In the Epworth version the children range themselves in double rank at one end of the room or playground, and march down to the other end hand in hand. At the bottom they loose hands and divide, the first rank turning right, the second left, and march back in two single files to the other end again, where they re-form as at first, and repeat their man[oe]uvre, singing the verses alternately. The Lincolnshire game is played by the children walking two and two in a circle round one of their companions, singing. The players then stand facing the child in the centre, and place their hands on their partners shoulders. After the lines are sung the centre child cries out, Halt! Shoulder arms! Fire! at which words each child kisses his partner. If the commander sees any one hesitate, or avoid kissing, he runs forward and takes the defaulter s place, leaving him to fill the middle position. Similar versions are played at Earls Heaton (Mr.
W. Slater Sykes from Settle, Yorkshire, is almost identical with the Earls Heaton version. Northall (_Folk Rhymes_, p. 369) says to kiss on the floor --_i.e._, not in secret. He gives the words of a sort of musical catch, sung in the Midlands, similar in character to this game, which may once have been used in some courting game. Mr. Newell (_Games_, p. 124) gives a version sung in the streets of New York, and considers it to be a relic of antiquity, a similar round being given in _Deuteromelia_, 1609.
If he says Hold fast! every one must immediately let go the corner of the handkerchief he holds. They should all fall to the ground at once. When he says Let go! every one should retain their hold of the handkerchief. Forfeits are demanded for every mistake. This game, called Hawld Hard, is commonly played about Christmas-time, where a number hold a piece of a handkerchief. One then moves his hand round the handkerchief, saying, Here we go round by the rule of Contrairy; when I say Hawld hard, let go, and when I say Let go, hawld hard. Forfeits are paid by those not complying with the order.--Lowsley s _Berkshire Glossary_. Cop-halfpenny The game of Chuck-farthing. --Norfolk and Suffolk (Holloway s _Dict.
| | 16.|..... pearl. | | 17.|..
44. This rhyme is repeated when it is decided to begin any game, as a general call to the players. The above writer says it occurs in a very ancient MS., but does not give any reference to it. Halliwell quotes the four first lines, the first line reading Boys and girls, instead of Boys, boys, from a curious ballad written about the year 1720, formerly in the possession of Mr. Crofton Croker (_Nursery Rhymes_). Chambers also gives this rhyme (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 152). Branks A game formerly common at fairs, called also Hit my Legs and miss my Pegs. --Dickinson s _Cumberland Glossary_.
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. The Witch stands near the corner of a wall, so that she can peep round. Then the Mother counts the children by the seven days of the week, Monday, Tuesday, &c., and appoints another girl to act as guardian over them. She then pretends to go out washing, removing to a short distance so as to be within ear-shot of the other children. As soon as the Mother has gone, the old Witch comes and says, Please, can I light my pipe? Then the children say, Yes, if you won t spit on t hearth. She pretends to light her pipe, but spits on the hearth, and runs away with the girl called Sunday. Then the Guardian, among the confusion, pretends to rush down stairs, and, failing to find Sunday, calls out, Mother, mother, t pot boils over. The Mother replies, Put your head in; the Guardian says, It s all over hairs; the Mother says, Put the dish-clout in; the Guardian says, It s greasy; the Mother says, Get a fork; the Guardian says, It s rusty; the Mother says, I ll come mysen.
Suppose A-B have been set back 18 points on two failures, Y-Z having made 16 points on those two deals, and 23 on their own bids. The score will stand: A-B 64 to go; Y-Z, 12 to go. Even if we suppose that A-B make 11 on each of the next four deals, they will still have 20 to go, while Y-Z will be out. Again: A-B want 15, Y-Z want 2. Even if A-B can bid 12 and make it, Y-Z will sweat out. With the system of scoring here recommended, this sweating out is impossible, and it is not uncommon for a side that wants one to go, to be beaten by an adversary that wants forty-nine. The side first pegging out on a cribbage-board, or getting rid of its fifty-one counters, wins the game. When the game is counted on a pull-up cribbage marker, it is usual to start with ten up, and peg out to the game-hole, or 61. _=VARIATIONS.=_ There are quite a number of minor differences in the manner of playing Cinch.