Volume I Part 58 (1/2)

Pa.s.s on, pa.s.s on, pa.s.sy on the slipper; The best fun we ever had was pa.s.sing on the slipper.

Holloway (_Dict. of Provincialisms_) says this game was well known in Somerset, Hants, Suss.e.x, but now is almost out of fas.h.i.+on. He describes it as being played without words. The child who has to find the shoe stands in the centre of the circle. The chief amus.e.m.e.nt arises from the one in the circle who has the slipper striking the one who stands up (the searcher) while he or she is steadily looking for it in an opposite direction. Strutt (_Sports_, p. 387) also describes this game.

Hunt the Staigie

A boys' game. One is chosen to be the Staigie (little stallion). The other players scatter themselves over the playground. The Staigie locks his fingers into each other. He then repeats the words-

Hunt the Staigie, Huntie, untie, staige, Ailleman, ailleman, aigie,

and rushes off with his hands locked, and tries to touch one of the players. He must not unlock his hands till he has caught one. When he has captured one, the two join hands and hunt for another. When another is caught, he joins the two. This goes on till all are hunted down.-Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).

[Ill.u.s.tration]

See ”Chickidy Hand,” ”Whiddy.”

Hunting

[Music]

-Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy).

[Music]

-Epworth (C. C. Bell).

I. Oh, a-hunting we will go, a-hunting we will go; We'll catch a little fox and put him in a box, And never let him go.

-Bath (Miss Large).

II. Hunting we will go, brave boys, Hunting we will go; We'll catch an old fox And put him in a box, For a-hunting we will go.

Halt! shoulder arms! fire!

-Horncastle, North Kelsey, Lincoln (Miss Peac.o.c.k).

III. 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. 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 manuvre, singing the verses alternately.