Volume Ii Part 62 (2/2)

Northall (_English Folk-Rhymes_) records this game as being played in Warwicks.h.i.+re. The method is practically the same as the Forest of Dean, except that the ”tradesmen” are beaten if their trade is easily guessed by the others. They may also be beaten if they show their teeth during the operations.

Trap, Bat, and Ball

A game played with a trap, a ball, and a small bat. The trap is of wood made like a slipper, with a hollow at the heel end for the ball, and a kind of wooden spoon moving on a pivot, in the bowl of which the ball is placed. Two sides play-one side bats, the other fields. One of the batsmen strikes the end or handle of the spoon, the ball then rises into the air, and the art of the game is for the batsman to strike it as far as possible with the bat before it reaches the ground. The other side who are ”fielding,” try either to catch the ball before it falls to the ground, or to bowl it from where it falls to hit the trap. If they succeed in catching the ball all the ”ins” are out, and their side goes in to strike the ball, and the previous batsmen to field; if the trap is. .h.i.t the batsman is out and another player of his side takes his place.

The batsman is also out if he allows the ball to touch the trap when in the act of hitting it.-(A. B. Gomme.)

Halliwell (_Dictionary_) says, ”Nurspell” in Lincolns.h.i.+re is somewhat similar to ”Trap Ball.” It is played with a kibble, a nur and a spell.

By striking the end of the spell with the kibble the nur rises into the air, and the game is to strike it with the kibble before it reaches the ground. He who drives it the greatest distance is the winner. Miss Burne (_Shrops.h.i.+re Folk-lore_, p. 527) says, ”Trib and Knurr,” otherwise ”Dog Stick,” are local names for ”Knur and Spell,” a superior form of ”Trap Ball.” The ”knurr” is a hard wooden ball, the ”trib” is the trap or receptacle, the ”Dog Stick” the sort of club with which it is struck.

The game is played as described by Halliwell. She adds it was formerly the favourite pastime of young men on Shrove Tuesday.

At Bury St. Edmonds, on Shrove Tuesday, Easter Monday, and Whitsuntide festivals, twelve old women side off for a game at ”Trap and Ball,”

which is kept up with the greatest spirit and vigour until sunset.-_Suffolk County Folk-lore_, p. 56. See also Chambers's _Book of Days_, i. p. 428, for a similar custom among women at Chester.

See ”Nur and Spel,” ”Tribet,” ”Trippit and Coit.”

Tray-Trip

Grose says this was an ancient game, like Scotch-hop, played on a pavement marked out with chalk into different compartments. According to Halliwell (_Dictionary_), it was a game at dice.

See ”Hop-scotch,” ”Scotch Hop.”

Tres-acre

A game in which generally six are engaged-one taking a station before two about 12 yards behind him, three 12 yards behind these two. One is the catch-pole. Never more than two can remain; the supernumerary one must always s.h.i.+ft and seek a new station. If the catch-pole can get in before the person who changes his station, he has the right to take his place, and the other becomes pursuer.-Jamieson.

This is not very descriptive, but the game is evidently the same as ”Round Tag” and ”Twos and Threes,” played with a small number.

Tribet

A common children's game played in Lancas.h.i.+re; which, perhaps, may be the primitive form of ”Trap.” It is played with a ”pum,” a piece of wood about a foot long and two inches in diameter, and a ”tribet,” a small piece of hard wood.-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

See ”Trap, Bat, and Ball.”

Trippit and Coit

A game formerly known under the appellation of ”Trippets,” Newcastle.

It is the same as ”Trip-cat” in some southern counties. The trippet is a small piece of wood obtusely pointed-something like a shoe-hollow at one end, and having a tail a little elevated at the other, which is struck with a buckstick. It is also called ”Buckstick, Spell-and-Ore.”-Brockett's _North Country Words_. See also d.i.c.kinson's _c.u.mberland Glossary_. Halliwell's _Dictionary_ says-The game is almost peculiar to the North of England. There is a poem called ”The Trip Match” in _Mather's Songs_.

See ”Nur and Spel,” ”Trap, Bat, and Ball.”

Trip and Go

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