Volume I Part 95 (1/2)

Namers and Guessers

Any number of players can play this game. Two are chosen, the one to be Namer, and the other Guesser or Witch. The rest of the players range themselves in a row. The Guesser retires out of sight or to a distance.

The Namer then gives each player a secret name. When names have been given to all the players, the Namer calls on the Guesser to come, by saying-

Witchie, witchie, yer bannocks are burnin', An' ready for turnin'.

Whereupon he approaches, and the Namer says-

Come, chois me out, come, chois me in, to --

(naming one by the a.s.sumed name). The players all shout, ”Tack me, tack me,” repeatedly. The Witch points to one. If the guess is correct the player goes to the Witch's side, but if it is incorrect he goes to the Namer's side. This goes on till all the players are ranged on the one side or the other. The two parties then come to a tug, with the Namer and Guesser as leaders. The gaining party then ranges itself in two lines with a s.p.a.ce between the lines, each boy holding in his hand his cap or his handkerchief tightly plaited. The boys of the conquered side have then to run between the two lines, and are pelted by the victors.

This is called, ”Throuw the Muir o' Hecklepin.”-Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).

This game is practically the same as ”Fool, Fool, come to School,” but the secret naming may indicate that this belongs to an earlier form.

See ”Fool, Fool,” ”Hecklebirnie.”

Neighbour

There is a game called ”Neighbour, I torment thee,” played in Staffords.h.i.+re, ”with two hands, and two feet, and a bob, and a nod as I do.”-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

Neiveie-nick-nack

A fireside game. A person puts a little trifle, such as a b.u.t.ton, into one hand, shuts it close, the other hand is also shut; then they are both whirled round and round one another as fast as they can, before the nose of the one who intends to guess what hand the prize is in; and if the guesser be so fortunate as to guess the hand the prize is in, it becomes his property; the whirling of the fists is attended with the following rhyme-

Neiveie, neiveie, nick nack, What ane will ye tak, The right or the wrang?

Guess or it be lang, Plot awa' and plan, I'll cheat ye gif I can.

-Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopaedia_.

The Rev. W. Gregor says at Keith this game is played at Christmas, and by two. The stakes are commonly pins. One player conceals a pin, or more if agreed on, in one of his (her) hands. He then closes both hands and twirls them over each other, in front of the other player, and repeats the words-

Nivvie, nivvie-neek-nack, Filk (which) (or filk han') 'ill ye tack?

Tack the richt, tack the left, An' a'll deceave ye gehn (if) I can.

The other player chooses. If he chooses the hand having the stake, he gains it. If he does not, he forfeits the stake. Another form of words is-

Nivvie, nivvie-neek-nack Filk (which) will ye tick-tack?

Tack ane, tack twa, Tack the best amo' them a'.

And-

Nivvie, nivvie-nick-nack, Which han' will ye tack?

Tack ane, tack twa, Tack the best amo' them a'.

d.i.c.kinson's _c.u.mberland Glossary_ describes this as a boyish mode of casting lots. The boy says-