Volume Ii Part 62 (1/2)

All tee-totums or whirligigs seem to have some reference to tops, except that the tee-totum is used princ.i.p.ally for gambling.

Some have numbers on their sides like dice instead of letters, and some are of octagonal shape.

See ”Lang Larence,” ”Scop-peril,” ”Tops.”

Touch

One player is chosen ”he.” He then runs amidst the other players and tries to touch one, who then becomes ”Tig” or ”Touch” in turn.

See ”Ticky Touchwood,” ”Tig.”

Tower of London

The Tower is formed by a circle of children, two of whom const.i.tute the gate. These two join hands, and raise or lower their arm to open or shut the gate. The Tower is summoned to open its gates to admit ”King George and all his merry men,” how represented I can't remember; but I know that at one point there is a chase, and the prisoner is caught and brought before the king, when there ensues a sc.r.a.p of dialogue in song (Mrs. Harley).

See ”How many miles to Babylon,” ”King of the Barbarie.”

Town Lovers

There is a girl of our town, She often wears a flowered gown; Tommy loves her night and day, And Richard when he may, And Johnny when he can; I think Sam will be the man!

-Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, pp. 217-218.

A girl is placed in the middle of a ring and says the lines, the names being altered to suit the players. She points to each one named, and at the last line the one selected immediately runs away; if the girl catches him he pays a forfeit, or the game is commenced again, the boy being placed in the middle.

Trades

Sides are chosen. These stand apart from each other, inside the line of their den. One side chooses amongst themselves a trade, and then walk over to the other side, imitating the actions pertaining to different parts of that trade, and giving the initial letter. If the trade is guessed by the opposite side, that side chooses the next trade, and performs the actions. If the trade is not guessed, the side is at liberty to choose another, and continue until one is guessed.-Forest of Dean, Gloucesters.h.i.+re (Miss Matthews).

The players that are to act the dumb tradesmen agree among themselves what trades are to be imitated. When this point is settled they present themselves before those that are to guess the trade, and proclaim three poor tradesmen wanting a trade-dumb. They then begin the work of imitation. The onlooker that first discovers the trade calls it out, and he becomes the dumb tradesman during the next round.-Fraserburgh (Rev.

W. Gregor).

Some of the players form a line, while three others come up and say-

”Here are three men from Botany Bay, Got any work to give us to-day.”

The others ask, ”What can you do?” To which they reply, ”Anything.” And the others retort, ”Set to work, then.”

The three then do some imaginary work, while those in the line have to guess what it is.-Ogbourne, Wilts (H. S. May).

”Two broken tradesmen newly come over, The one from France and Scotland, the other from Dover.”

”What's your trade?”

Two boys privately arrange that the pa.s.s-word shall be some implement of a particular trade. The trade is announced after the above dialogue, and carpenters, nailors, sailors, smiths, tinkers, or any other is answered; and on guessing the instrument, ”Plane him,” ”Hammer him,” ”Rasp him,”

or ”Solder him,” is called out; then the fun is that the unfortunate wight who guesses the ”tool” is beaten with the caps of his fellows till he reaches a fixed goal, after which he goes out in turn.-Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, cccxvi. In his _Dictionary_ it is called ”Trades, and Dumb Motions.”