| | | | [Illustration] means that there is an illustration present in the | | text; [Music] means a transcription in musical notation. | | | | [Greek: text] represents a transcription of Greek text. [=a] and | | [=e] represent a-macron and e-macron, respectively. The oe- | | ligature is transcribed as [oe]. | | | | More Transcriber s Notes may be found at the end of this text. | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ A DICTIONARY OF BRITISH FOLK-LORE EDITED BY G. LAURENCE GOMME, ESQ., F.S.A.
At Clun the players form a ring, moving round. They sing the first and alternate verses, and chorus, London Bridge is broken down. Two players outside the ring run round it, singing the second and alternate verses. When singing Penny loaves ll get stole away, one of the two outside children goes into the ring, the other remains and continues her part, singing the next verse. When the last verse is sung the prisoner is released. The Berkshire game (Miss Kimber) is played by the children forming two long lines, each line advancing and retiring alternately while singing their parts. When the last verse is begun the children form a ring and gallop around, all singing this last verse together. In the Cork version (Mrs. Green) the children form a circle by joining hands. They march round and round, singing the verses to a sing-song tune.
101), and there is apparently no other record of this game. It is probably ancient, and formerly of some significance. It refers to days of bows and arrows, and the allusion to the killing of the wren may have reference to the Manx and Irish custom of hunting that bird. All in the Well A juvenile game in Newcastle and the neighbourhood. A circle is made, about eight inches in diameter, termed the well, in the centre of which is placed a wooden peg four inches long, with a button balanced on the top. Those desirous of playing give buttons, marbles, or anything else, according to agreement, for the privilege of throwing a short stick, with which they are furnished, at the peg. Should the button fly out of the ring, the player is entitled to double the stipulated value of what he gives for the stick. The game is also practised at the Newcastle Races and other places of amusement in the North with three pegs, which are put into three circular holes made in the ground about two feet apart, and forming a triangle. In this case each hole contains a peg about nine inches long, upon which are deposited either a small knife or some copper. The person playing gives so much for each stick, and gets all the articles that are thrown off so as to fall on the outside of the holes.
Now for the successive events. Your man wins the first game, and they proceed to play another. What are the odds on Smith’s winning the second game? It is evident that they are exactly the same as if the first game had never been played, because there are still only two possible events, and one of them will be favourable to him. Suppose he wins that game, and the next, and the next, and so on until he has won nine games in succession, what are the odds against his winning the tenth also? Still exactly an even thing. But, says a spectator, Smith’s luck must change; because it is very improbable that he will win ten games in succession. The odds against such a thing are 1023 to 1, and the more he wins the more probable it is that he will lose the next game. This is what gamblers call the _=maturity of the chances=_, and it is one of the greatest fallacies ever entertained by intelligent men. Curiously enough, the men who believe that luck must change in some circumstances, also believe in betting on it to continue in others. When they are _=in the vein=_ they will “follow their luck” in perfect confidence that it will continue. The same men will not bet on another man’s luck, even if he is “in the vein,” because “the maturity of the chances” tells them that it cannot last! GAMES.
Now she s married I wish her joy, First a girl and then a boy; Seven years after son and daughter, Pray young couple kiss together. Kiss her once, kiss her twice, Kiss her three times three. --Wrotham, Kent (Miss D. Kimball). VI. There stands a lady on the ocean [mountain], Who she is I do not know her; All she wants is gold or silver, All she wants is a nice young man. Choose once, choose twice, Choose three times over. Now you re married I wish you joy, First a girl and then a boy; Seven years old a son and daughter, Play and cuddle and kiss together. Kiss her once, kiss her twice, Kiss her three times over. --Deptford (Miss Chase).
, at auction, is to shuffle the cards thoroughly, and “spread” them face downwards on the table; each candidate drawing a card, and turning it face upwards in front of him. The four cutting the lowest cards playing the first game, or rubber. [Illustration: SPREADING THE PACK.] The four having been selected, the cards are again shuffled and spread, and partners are cut for; the two lowest pairing against the two highest; the lowest of the four is the dealer, and has the choice of cards and seats. _=TIES.=_ As between cards of equal value in cutting, the heart is the lowest, diamonds next, then clubs and then spades. _=POSITION OF THE PLAYERS.=_ The four players at the bridge table are indicated by letters; A and B are partners against Y and Z; Z always represents the dealer, who always makes the first bid, A being the second bidder, Y the third and B the fourth. [Illustration: +-----+ | Y | |A B| | Z | +-----+ ] _=DEALING.=_ The cards having been properly shuffled the dealer, Z, presents them to the pone, B, to be cut.
The cards are distributed one at a time, the full pack of fifty-two cards being used. The following table will show the number of cards to be given to each player, and that left in the stock to form stops. 3 Players, 15 cards each 7 in the stock. 4 ” 12 ” 4 ” 5 ” 9 ” 7 ” 6 ” 8 ” 4 ” 7 ” 7 ” 3 ” 8 ” 6 ” 4 ” Before the deal, the dealer must dress the layout, by putting one counter upon the Ten, two upon the Jack, three upon the Queen, four upon the King, and five on the Pope, which is the Seven (or the Nine) of diamonds. The eldest hand begins by leading any card he pleases, and if he has those in sequence and suit with it and above it, he continues to play until he fails. He then says “No six,” or whatever the card may be that he stops on. The next player on his left then continues the sequence if he can, or if he cannot, he says, “No six,” also, and it passes to the next player. If no one can continue, the card must be in the stock, which remains on the table face down and unseen. When one sequence _is_ stopped in this manner, the last player has the right to begin another with any card he pleases. The object of the game is twofold; to get rid of all the cards before any other player does so, and to get rid of the cards which appear on the layout.
Somewhere in this outer space, a gruesome death awaited, death and horror of a kind which Man had never encountered until he reached out for inter-stellar space itself. Apparently the light of the suns kept the Dragons away. * * * * * Dragons. That was what people called them. To ordinary people, there was nothing, nothing except the shiver of planoforming and the hammer blow of sudden death or the dark spastic note of lunacy descending into their minds. But to the telepaths, they were Dragons. In the fraction of a second between the telepaths awareness of a hostile something out in the black, hollow nothingness of space and the impact of a ferocious, ruinous psychic blow against all living things within the ship, the telepaths had sensed entities something like the Dragons of ancient human lore, beasts more clever than beasts, demons more tangible than demons, hungry vortices of aliveness and hate compounded by unknown means out of the thin tenuous matter between the stars. It took a surviving ship to bring back the news--a ship in which, by sheer chance, a telepath had a light beam ready, turning it out at the innocent dust so that, within the panorama of his mind, the Dragon dissolved into nothing at all and the other passengers, themselves non-telepathic, went about their way not realizing that their own immediate deaths had been averted. From then on, it was easy--almost. * * * * * Planoforming ships always carried telepaths.
The handkerchief was called hewley puley, and the questions are asked by the child who holds it. If one answers wrongly, a box on the ear with the handkerchief was the consequence; but if they all replied correctly, the one who broke silence first had that punishment. For similar rhymes see Dump, Mother, may I go out? Hey Wullie Wine I. Hey Wully wine, and How Wully wine, I hope for hame ye ll no incline; Ye ll better light, and stay a night, And I ll gie thee a lady fine. Wha will ye gie, if I wi ye bide, To be my bonny blooming bride, And lie down lovely by my side? I ll gie thee Kate o Dinglebell, A bonny body like yersell. I ll stick her up in the pear-tree Sweet and meek, and sae is she: I lo ed her ance, but she s no for me, Yet I thank ye for your courtesy. I ll gie thee Rozie o the Cleugh, I m sure she ll please thee weel eneugh. Up wi her on the bane dyke, She ll be rotten or I ll be ripe: She s made for some ither, and no me, Yet I thank ye for your courtesy. Then I ll gie ye Nell o sweet Sprinkell, Owre Galloway she bears the bell. I ll set her up in my bed-head, And feed her wi milk and bread; She s for nae ither, but jist for me, Sae I thank ye for your courtesy.
Contre-carrer, to over-straddle. Carrom, see cannon. Cartes, F., playing cards. Carte Blanche, a hand which does not contain K, Q or J. Carte Roi, F., the best card remaining of a suit. Cases, when three cards of one denomination have been withdrawn from the box at Faro, the fourth is a case. Case-keeper, a board for recording the cards as they are withdrawn from the box at Faro. The word is sometimes applied to the person who keeps cases.
Platt Miss Burne. Wrotham Miss D. Kimball. { Nodal and Milner s _Glossary_, LANCASHIRE { Harland and Wilkinson s _Folk-lore_, { ed. 1882, Mrs. Harley. Monton Miss Dendy. LEICESTERSHIRE Evan s _Glossary_. Leicester Miss Ellis. LINCOLNSHIRE { Peacock s, Cole s, and Brogden s { _Glossaries_, Rev.
49. A player can neither shuffle, cut, nor deal for his partner, without the permission of his opponents. 50. If the adversaries interrupt a dealer whilst dealing, either by questioning the score or asserting that it is not his deal, and fail to establish such claim, should a misdeal occur, he may deal again. 51. Should a player take his partner’s deal and misdeal, the latter is liable to the usual penalty, and the adversary next in rotation to the player who ought to have dealt then deals. THE TRUMP CARD. 52. The dealer, when it is his turn to play to the first trick, should take the trump card into his hand; if left on the table after the first trick be turned and quitted, it is liable to be called; his partner may at any time remind him of the liability. 53.
The rate of cutting is regulated by a throw of the knife, and the person who throws is obliged to cut as deep as the knife goes. He who is last in getting his bed cut up is bound to carry the whole of the clods, crawling on his hands and feet, to a certain distance measured by the one next to him, who throws the knife through his legs. If the bearer of the clods let any of them fall, the rest have a right to pelt him with them. They frequently lay them very loosely on, that they may have the pleasure of pelting.--Jamieson. Cat s Cradle One child holds a piece of string joined at the ends on his upheld palms, a single turn being taken over each, and by inserting the middle finger of each hand under the opposite turn, crosses the string from finger to finger in a peculiar form. Another child then takes off the string on his fingers in a rather different way, and it then assumes a second form. A repetition of this man[oe]uvre produces a third form, and so on. Each of these forms has a particular name, from a fancied resemblance to the object--barn-doors, bowling-green, hour-glass, pound, net, fiddle, fish-pond, diamonds, and others.--_Notes and Queries_, vol.
=_ No person can be subjected to two penalties for one offence. If a player leads out of turn, and a suit is called, the card played in error cannot be also claimed as exposed and liable to be called. If a player revokes, and his adversary wins ten tricks, the revoke penalty adds three tricks to the ten already won; but these thirteen tricks will not entitle the player to score any points for a slam, because that would be exacting a double penalty; the tricks for the revoke, and the points for the slam. _=Intentional Error.=_ In all games it must be assumed that the player’s intentions are honest, and that any errors that arise are committed through inadvertence. Some of our law-makers have attempted so to adjust their codes as to provide against the manœuvres of the blackleg. This is simply impossible. Laws are made for gentlemen, and when it is obvious that a player does not belong to that class the remedy is not to appeal to the laws of the game for protection, but to decline to play with him. _=Etiquette.=_ It should be quite unnecessary to legislate against acts which annoy or do injustice to individuals, but there should be some provision in the laws of every game which will secure to each individual equal rights with others in the enjoyment of the game.
When the eldest hand has proposed, and his partner sits opposite him, trumps should be led at once, and all combinations played as at Whist. The foregoing principles equally apply when the eldest hand has accepted a proposal, if the player can be depended on to have proposed on general strength. When partners sit opposite each other, the general principles of leading, establishing, defending, and bringing in suits, are the same as at Whist, and the usual trump signals and echoes are made use of. The game is practically Whist, with the additional knowledge that both proposer and acceptor have strong hands. When partners sit next each other, there are many opportunities for leading strengthening cards through the adversaries, especially in the partner’s known or inferred strong suit. _=Finesse.=_ If neither proposer nor acceptor is the eldest hand, they should make no finesses; but get into the lead as soon as possible, and exhaust the trumps. The greatest danger of defeat for a proposal and acceptance is that the adversaries, with the original lead, may establish a cross-ruff, or get six tricks with their winning cards before the calling players get a lead. It is a common artifice for the proposer and acceptor, after they have exhausted the adversaries’ trumps, each to show a strong suit by leading it once, and then to lead the highest card of a weaker suit; thus offering each other chances for successful finesse. If a partner sitting on the right leads a suit, there should be no finesse; and in general, finessing should be avoided until the declaration is assured.