"Vesey, vasey, vum,
Buck-a-boo has come!
Find if you can and take it home,
Vesey, vasey, vum!"
A search is then made for the hidden object: when found the finder
in his turn is blindfolded.
After this digression I will give all the other forgotten games before
describing those still played.
"FRISKEE, FRISKEE, I WAS, AND I WAS."
Known elsewhere as "Now we dance looby, looby, looby." To play it
the children formed a ring and danced around, singing--
"Friskee, friskee, I was, and I was
A drinking of small beer."
They then stopped suddenly and said, "Right arms in!" (all were
extended towards the centre of the circle); "Right arms out!" (all
wheeled round with arms outstretched in the contrary direction);
"Shake yourselves a little and little and turn yourselves about." The
circle was reformed, "Friskee," etc., was repeated, and the game went
on until all the different parts of the body had been named.
"FOOL, FOOL, COME TO SCHOOL."
All the children in this game, except one who left the room, called
themselves by the name of some bird, beast or fish. The child outside
was brought in, and one chosen as schoolmaster said--
"Fool! fool! come to school,
And find me out the ----:"
giving the assumed name of one of the players. If the fool fixed on
the right person, he stayed in and the other went out, which of course
involved re-naming; but if he made a mistake they all cried out--
"Fool! fool! go back to school,
And learn your letters better."
He retired, pretended to knock his head against the door, and returned,
when he was again asked in the same words to name some other player.
Some of the games were much rougher, such as "Pig in the middle and
can't get out," and "Solomon had a great dog."
For the first, one of the children stood in the centre, whilst the
others danced around him in a circle, saying, "Pig in the middle and
can't get out." He replied, "I've lost my key but I will get out,"
and threw the whole weight of his body suddenly on the clasped hands
of a couple to try and unlock them. When he had succeeded he changed
the words to, "I've broken your locks, and I have got out."
One of the pair whose hands he had opened took his place, and he
joined the ring.
For the second, the players knelt in a line; the one at the head,
in a very solemn tone, chanted, "Solomon had a great dog;" the others
answered in the same way, "Just so" (this was always the refrain). Then
the first speaker made two or three more ridiculous speeches, ending
with, "And at last this great dog died, and fell down," giving at
the same time a violent lurch against his next neighbour, who, not
expecting it, fell against his, and so on to the end of the line.
"SCAT" (Cornish for "slap").
A paper-knife, or thin slip of wood, was placed by one player on
his open palm. Another took it up quickly, and tried to "scat" his
opponent's hand before he could draw it away. Sometimes a feint of
taking the paper-knife was made three or four times before it was
really done. When the "scat" was given, the "scatter" in his turn
rested the knife on his palm.