Volume I Part 18 (1/2)

A boy stoops so that his arms rest on a table; another boy sits on him as he would on a horse. He then holds up (say) three fingers, and says-

Buck, buck, how many horns do I hold up?

The stooping boy guesses, and if he says a wrong number the other says-

[Two] you say and three there be; Buck, buck, how many horns do I hold up?

When the stooping boy guesses rightly the other says-

[Four] you say and [four] there be; Buck, buck, rise up.

The boy then gets off and stoops for the other one to mount, and the game is played again.-London (J. P. Emslie).

Similar action accompanies the following rhyme:-

Ink.u.m, jink.u.m, Jeremy buck, Yamdy horns do au c.o.c.k up?

Two tha ses, and three there is, Au'll lea'n thee to la'ke at Ink.u.m.

-Almondbury (Easther's _Glossary_).

A different action occurs in other places. It is played by three boys in the following way:-One stands with his back to a wall; the second stoops down with his head against the stomach of the first boy, ”forming a back;” the third jumps on it, and holds up his hand with the fingers distended, saying-

Buck shee, buck shee buck, How many fingers do I hold up?

Should the stooper guess correctly, they all change places, and the jumper forms the back. Another and not such a rough way of playing this game is for the guesser to stand with his face towards a wall, keeping his eyes shut.-Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 59).

In Nairn, Scotland, the game is called Post and Rider. One boy, the Post, takes his stand beside a wall. Another boy stoops down with his head touching the Post's breast. Several other boys stoop down in the same way behind the first boy, all in line. The Rider then leaps on the back of the boy at the end of the row of stooping boys, and from his back to that of the one in front, and so on from back to back till he reaches the boy next the Post. He then holds up so many fingers, and says-

Buck, buck, how many fingers do I hold up?

The boy makes a guess. If the number guessed is wrong, the Rider gives the number guessed as well as the correct number, and again holds up so many, saying-

[Four] you say, but [two] it is; Buck, buck, how many fingers do I hold up?

This goes on till the correct number is guessed, when the guesser becomes the Rider. The game was called ”Buck, Buck” at Keith. Three players only took part in the game-the Post, the Buck, and the Rider.

The words used by the Rider were-

Buck, buck, how many horns do I hold up?

If the guess was wrong, the Rider gave the Buck as many blows or kicks with the heel as the difference between the correct number and the number guessed. This process went on till the correct number was guessed, when the Rider and the Buck changed places.-Rev. W. Gregor.

(_b_) Dr. Tylor says: ”It is interesting to notice the wide distribution and long permanence of these trifles in history when we read the following pa.s.sage from Petronius Arbiter, written in the time of Nero:-'Trimalchio, not to seem moved by the loss, kissed the boy, and bade him get up on his back. Without delay the boy climbed on horseback on him, and slapped him on the shoulders with his hand, laughing and calling out, ”Bucca, bucca, quot sunt hic?”'-_Petron. Arbitri Satirae_, by Buchler, p. 84 (other readings are _buccae_ or _bucco_).”-_Primitive Culture_, i. 67.

Buck i' t' Neucks

A rude game amongst boys.-d.i.c.kinson's _c.u.mberland Glossary_.

Buckerels

”A kind of play used by boys in London streets in Henry VIII.'s time, now disused, and I think forgot” (Blount's _Glossographia_, p. 95). Hall mentions this game, temp. Henry VIII., f. 91.