My age is sixteen,
My father's a farmer in Old Aberdeen;
He has plenty of money to dress me in black--
There's nae [no] bonnie laddie 'ill tack me awa'.
Next mornin' I wakened and looked in the glass,
I said to myself, what a handsome young lass;
Put your hands to your haunches and give a ha, ha,
For there's nae bonnie laddie will tack ye awa'.
--N. E. Scotland (Rev. W. Gregor).
IV. My name is Queen Mary,
My age is sixteen,
My father's a farmer in yonder green;
He's plenty of money to dress in silk [fu' braw'],
For there's nae bonnie laddie can tack me awa'.
One morning I rose and I looked in the glass,
Says I to myself, I'm a handsome young lass;
My hands by my edges, and I give a ha, ha,
For there's nae bonnie laddie t' tack me awa'.
--Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).
(_b_) The Scottish game is played by girls. The players join hands, form
a circle with one in the centre, and dance round singing. At the words
"'ill tack me awa'," the centre player chooses another one, and the two
wheel round. Then the singing proceeds. At the exclamation "ha! ha!" the
players suit the action to the words of the line. In the Cullen game the
girls stand in a row with one in front, who sings the verses and chooses
another player from the line. The two then join hands and go round and
round, singing the remaining verses.
Queen of Sheba
Two rows of people sit on chairs face to face on each side of a door,
leaving just sufficient space between the lines for a player to pass. At
the end of the rows furthest from the door sits the "Queen of Sheba,"
with a veil or shawl over her head. A player, hitherto unacquainted with
the game, is brought to the door, shown the Queen, and told to go up
between the rows, after being blindfolded, to kiss her, taking care,
meanwhile, to avoid treading on the toes of the people on each side the
alley leading to the lady. While his mind is diverted by these
instructions, and by the process of blindfolding, the Queen gives up her
seat to "the King," who has been lurking in the background. He assumes
the veil and receives the kiss, to the amusement of every one but the
uninitiated player.
--Anderby, Lincolnshire, and near the Trent, Nottinghamshire (Miss M.
Peacock).
Ragman
An ancient game, at which persons drew by chance poetical descriptions
of their characters, the amusement consisting--as at modern games of a
similar kind--in the peculiar application or misapplication of the
verses so selected at hazard by the drawers.--Halliwell's _Dictionary_.
Halliwell goes on to say that the meaning of this term was first
developed by Mr. Wright in his _Anecdota Literaria_, 1844, where he has
printed two collections of ancient verses used in the game of "Ragman."
Mr. Wright conjectures that the stanzas were written one after another
on a roll of parchment; that to each stanza a string was attached at the
side, with a seal or piece of metal or wood at the end; and that when
used the parchment was rolled up with all the strings and their seals
hanging together, so that the drawer had no reason for choosing one more
than another, but drew one of the strings by mere chance, and which he
opened to see on what stanza he had fallen. If such were the form of the
game, we can very easily imagine why the name was applied to a charter
with an unusual number of seals attached to it, which, when rolled up,
would present exactly the same appearance. Mr. Wright is borne out in
his opinion by an English poem, termed "Ragmane roelle," printed from
MS., Fairfax, 16:--
"My ladyes and my maistresses echone,
Lyke hit unto your humbyble wommanhede,
Resave in gré of my sympill persone
This rolle, which, withouten any drede,
Kynge Ragman me bad me sowe in brede,
And cristyned yt the merour of your chaunce;
Drawith a strynge, and that shal streight yow leyde
Unto the verry path of your governaunce."
That the verses were generally written in a roll may perhaps be gathered
from a passage in Douglas's Virgil:--
"With that he raucht me ane roll: to rede I begane,
The royetest ane ragment with mony ratt rime."
Halliwell also quotes the following:--
"Venus, whiche stant withoute lawe,
In non certeyne, but as men drawe
Of Ragemon upon the chaunce,
Sche leyeth no peys in the balaunce."
--Gower, MS. _Society of Antiquaries_, 134, 244.
The term rageman is applied to the devil in "Piers Ploughman," 335.
Rag-stag
See "Stag Warning."
Rakes and Roans
A boys' game, in which the younger ones are chased by the larger boys,
and when caught carried home pick-a-back.--Halliwell's _Dictionary_.
Moor (_Suffolk Words and Phrases_) says this game is often called
"Rakes" only, and is the same, probably, that is thus alluded to: "To
play Reaks, to domineer, to show mad pranks." The jest of it is to be
carried home a pig-back, by the less swift wight who you may catch.
Rakkeps
A game among boys [undescribed].--Dickinson's _Cumberland Glossary_.
Range the Bus
Sides are chosen, and a line made across the playground. One of the
sides goes up and the other goes down, and throws their bonnets on the
ground. Then one side tries to get one of the opposite side across the
line and crown him, and one of the opposite side tries to crown him
back. If another boy can catch this player before he gets near him, he
is crowned also. All the time the one side is trying to take the
bonnets.--Old Aberdeen (Rev. W. Gregor).
See "French and English," "Scotch and English."
Rax, or Raxie-boxie, King of Scotland
The players, except one, take their stand at one side, and one stands at
the other side in front of them. When all are ready, the one in front
calls out "Cock," or "Caron," when all rush across to the other side,
and he tries to catch one of them in crossing. The one caught helps to
catch the others as they run back. Each time the players run from the
one side to the other the word "Cock," or "Caron," is called out, and
the change is continued till all are caught--each one as caught becoming
a catcher. In Tyrie the game is called "Dyke King" when played by boys,
and "Queen" when played by girls. The word "King," or "Queen," is
called out before each run, according as the game is played by boys or
girls.--Ballindalloch (Rev. W. Gregor).
This game is called "Red Rover" in Liverpool (Mr. C. C. Bell). "Red
Rover" is shouted out by the catcher when players are ready to rush
across.
See "King Cæsar."
Relievo
This game is played by one child trying to catch the rest. The first
prisoner taken joins hands with the captor and helps in the pursuit, and
so on till all the playmates have been taken.--Anderby, Lincs. (Miss M.
Peacock).
This game is the same as "Chickiddy Hand," "Stag Warning."
Religious Church
The children stand in a line. One child on the opposite side, facing
them, says--
Have you been to a religious church?
Row of children answer--
No!
Have I asked you?
No!
Put your fingers on your lips and follow me.
All the row follow behind her to some other part of the ground, where
she stands with her back to them, and they form a new row. One child out
of the row now steps forward, and standing behind the first girl says--
Guess who stands behind you?
If the first girl guesses right she keeps her old place, and they begin
again. If she is wrong the child who has come from the row takes her
place, and a new game is begun. Of course the child who asks the last
question alters its voice as much as possible, so as not to be
recognised.--Liphook, Hants. (Miss Fowler).
Rigs
A game of children in Aberdeenshire, said to be the same as Scotch and
English, and also called Rockety Row.--Jamieson's _Dictionary_.
Ring
See "Ring-taw."
Ring a Ring o' Roses
[Music]
--Marlborough (H. S. May).
[Music]
--Yorkshire (H. Hardy).
[Music]
--Sporle (Miss Matthews).
I. Ring a ring o' roses,
A pocket-full o' posies;
One for me, and one for you,
And one for little Moses--
Hasher, Hasher, Hasher, all fall down.
--Winterton, Lincoln, and Leadenham (Miss M. Peacock).
II. A ring, a ring o' roses,
A pocket-full o' posies;
One for Jack, and one for Jim, and one for little Moses--
A-tisha! a-tisha! a-tisha!
--Shropshire (Burne's _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 511).
III. A ring, a ring o' roses,
A pocket-full o' posies;
A curchey in, and a curchey out,
And a curchey all together.
--Edgmond (Burne's _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 571).
IV. Ring, a ring o' roses,
A pocket full o' posies;
Up-stairs and down-stairs,
In my lady's chamber--
Husher! Husher! Cuckoo!
--Wakefield, Yorks. (Miss Fowler).
V. Ring, a ring of roses,
Basket full of posies--
Tisha! Tisha! all fall down.
--Penzance, Cornwall (Mrs. Mabbott).
VI. Ring, a ring a roses,
A pocketful of posies;
Hush, oh! hush, oh!
All fall down!
--Colchester, Essex (Miss G. M. Frances).
VII. Ring, a ring a rosy,
A pocket full of posies;
One for you, and one for me,
And one for little Moses--
Atishm! Atishm!
--Beddgelert (Mrs. Williams).
VIII. A ring, a ring of roses,
A pocket full of posies--
Hist! hush! last down dead!
--Gainford, Durham (Miss A. Eddleston).
IX. Ring, a ring a row-o,
See the children go-o,
Sit below the goose-berry bush;
Hark! they all cry Hush! hush! hush!
Sitty down, sit down.
Duzzy, duzzy gander,
Sugar, milk, and candy;
Hatch-u, hatch-u, all fall down together.
--South Shields (Miss Blair, aged 9).
X. Ringey, ringey rosies,
A pocketful of posies--
Hach-ho, hach-ho, all fall down.
Another version--
Hash-ho! Tzhu-ho! all fall down.
--Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
XI. Windy, windy weather,
Cold and frosty weather,
When the wind blows
We all blow together.
I saw Peter!
When did you meet him?
Merrily, cherrily [so pronounced]
All fall down.
A ring, a ring of roses,
A pocketful of posies--
Ashem, ashem, all fall down.
--Sheffield (S. O. Addy).
(_b_) A ring is formed by the children joining hands. They all dance
round, singing the lines. At the word "Hasher" or "Atcha" they all raise
their hands [still clasped] up and down, and at "all fall down" they sit
suddenly down on the ground. In Lancashire (Morton) they pause and
curtsey deeply. The imitation of sneezing is common to all. Miss Peacock
says, in Nottinghamshire they say "Hashem! Hashem!" and shake their
heads. In the Sheffield version the children sing the first eight lines
going round, and all fall down when the eighth is sang. They then form a
ring by holding hands, and move round singing the next three lines, and
then they all fall either on their knees or flat on their faces.
(_c_) Versions of this game, identical with the Winterton one, have been
sent me by Miss Winfield, Nottingham; others, almost identical with the
second Norfolk version, from Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy), North
Staffs. Potteries, Norbury, Staffs., (Miss A. Keary), Earls Heaton,
Yorks. (H. Hardy). Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_, gives a version almost
identical with the last Sporle version.
Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_, compares the old stories about rose-laughing
in Grimm's _Teut. Myth._ iii. 1101. "Gifted children of fortune have the
power to laugh roses, as Treyja wept gold. Probably in the first
instance they were Pagan beings of light, who spread their brightness in
the sky over the earth--'rose children,' 'sun children.'" This seems to
me to be a very apposite explanation of the game, the rhymes of which
are fairly well preserved, though showing in some of the variants that
decay towards a practical interpretation which will soon abolish all
traces of the mythical origin of game-rhyme. It may, however, simply be
the making, or "ringing," a ring or circle of roses or other flowers and
bowing to this. Mr. Addy's suggestion does not account for the imitation
of sneezing, evidently an important incident, which runs through all
versions. Sneezing has always been regarded as an important or
supernatural event in every-day life, and many superstitious beliefs and
practices are connected with it both in savage and civilised life.
Newell (_Games and Songs of American Children_, p. 127) describes "Ring
around the Rosie," apparently this game, but the imitation of sneezing
has been lost.
Ring by Ring
Here we go round by ring, by ring,
As ladies do in Yorkshire;
A curtsey here, a curtsey there,
A curtsey to the ground, sir.
--Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 86).
There is no description of the way this game is played, but it is
evidently a similar game to "Ring-a-Ring o' Roses."
Ringie, Ringie, Red Belt
Take a small splint of wood, kindle it, and when it is burning turn it
rapidly round in a circle, repeating the words--
Ringie, ringie, Red Belt, rides wi' the king,
Nae a penny in's purse t'buy a gold ring.
Bow--ow--ow, fat dog art thou,
Tam Tinker's dog, bow--ow--ow.
--Corgarff (Rev. W. Gregor).
This goes by the name of "Willie Wogie" at Keith, but no words are
repeated as the splint is whirled.
See "Jack's Alive."
Ring-me-rary
I. Ring me (1), ring me (2), ring me rary (3),
As I go round (4) ring by ring (5),
A virgin (6) goes a-maying (7);
Here's a flower (8), and there's a flower (9),
Growing in my lady's garden (10).
If you set your foot awry (11),
Gentle John will make you cry (12);
If you set your foot amiss (13),
Gentle John (14) will give you a kiss.
This [lady or gentleman] is none of ours,
Has put [him or her] self in [child's name] power;
So clap all hands and ring all bells, and make the wedding
o'er.
--Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 67.
II. As I go round ring by ring,
A maiden goes a-maying;
And here's a flower, and there's a flower,
As red as any daisy.
If you set your foot amiss,
Gentle John will give you a kiss.
--Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 125.
(_b_) A number of boys and girls stand round one in the middle, who
repeats the lines, counting the children until one is counted out by the
end of the verse. The child upon whom (14) falls is then taken out and
forced to select one of the other sex. The middle child then proceeds to
say the three last lines. All the children clap hands during the saying
(or singing) of the last line. If the child taken by lot joins in the
clapping, the selected child is rejected, and, I believe, takes the
middle place. Otherwise, I think there is a salute.--Halliwell.
(_c_) This game is recorded by no authority except Halliwell, and no
version has reached me, so that I suppose it is now obsolete. It is a
very good example of the oldest kind of game, choosing partners or
lovers by the "lot," and may be a relic of the May-day festival, when
the worship of Flora was accompanied by rites of marriage not in accord
with later ideas.
Ring-taw
A rough ring is made on the ground, and the players each place in it an
equal share in "stonies," or alleys. They each bowl to the ring with
another marble from a distance. The boy whose marble is nearest has the
first chance to "taw;" if he misses a shot the second boy, whose marble
was next nearest to the ring, follows, and if he misses, the next, and
so on. If one player knocks out a marble, he is entitled to "taw" at the
rest in the ring until he misses; and if a sure "tawer" not one of the
others may have the chance to taw. Any one's "taw" staying within the
ring after being tawn at the "shots," is said to be "fat," and the owner
of the "taw" must then replace any marbles he has knocked out in the
ring.--Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy). Halliwell (_Dictionary_)
describes this game very much as above, except that a fine is imposed on
those who leave the taw in the ring. Ross and Stead (_Holderness
Glossary_) give this game as follows:--"Two boys place an equal number
of marbles in the form of a circle, which are then shot at alternately,
each boy pocketing the marbles he hits." Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_)
says, "Ring-taw" is a marble marked with a red ring used in the game
of marbles. This is commonly called "ring" for short. Evans
(_Leicestershire Glossary_) describes the game much the same as above,
but adds some further details of interest. "If the game be knuckle-up
the player stands and shoots in that position. If the game be
knuckle-down he must stoop and shoot with the knuckle of the first
finger touching the ground at taw. In both cases, however, the player's
toe must be on taw. The line was thus called taw as marking the place
for the toe of the player, and the marble a taw as being the one shot
from the taw-line, in contradistinction to those placed passively in the
ring-'line' in the one case, and 'marble' in the other being dropped as
superfluous."--Strutt (_Sports and Pastimes_, p. 384) alludes to the
game.
In Ireland this game is also called "Ring," and is played with marbles
and buttons. A ring is marked out on a level hard place, and every boy
puts down a button. The buttons are lightly struck in the centre of the
ring, and all play their marbles to the buttons. The nearest to them
play first. The line from which they play is generally about eight feet
away, and everybody does his best to strike the buttons. Any put out are
kept by the boy putting them out, and if a boy strikes a button, or
buttons, out, he can play on until he misses.--Waterville, Cos. Kerry
and Cork, T. J. Dennachy (through Mrs. B. B. Green of Dublin).
Rin-im-o'er
A game among children, in which one stands in the middle of a street,
road, or lane, while others run across it within a certain given
distance from the person so placed, and whose business it is to catch
one in passing, when he is released, and the captive takes his
place.--Teviotdale (Jamieson's _Dictionary_).
It nearly resembles "Willie Wastle."
Robbing the Parson's Hen-Roost
This game is played by every player, except one (the questioner),
choosing a word, and introducing it into his phrase whenever he gives an
answer. For example, X, Y, and Z have chosen the words elephant,
key-hole, and mouse-trap.
Questioner. "What did you steal from the parson's hen-roost?"
X. "An elephant."
Q. "How did you get into the hen-roost?"
Y. "Through the key-hole."
Q. "Where did you put what was stolen?"
Z. "Into a mouse-trap."
And so on with the other players.--Lincoln [generally known] (Miss M.
Peacock).
The players choose a name, and another player asks them questions,
beginning with, "The Parson's hen-roost was robbed last night, were you
there?" To all questions each player must answer by repeating his own
name only: if he forgets and says, "Yes" or "No," he has to take the
questioner's place.--Haxey, Lincolnshire (Mr. C. C. Bell).
Rockety Row
A play in which two persons stand with their backs to each other, one
passing his arms under the shoulders of the other, they alternately lift
each other from the ground.--Jamieson's _Dictionary_.
See "Bag o' Malt," "Weigh the Butter."
Roll up Tobacco
See "Bulliheisle," "Eller Tree," "Wind up the Bush Faggot."
Roly-poly
[Illustration]
A game played with a certain number of pins and a ball, resembling half
a cricket ball. One pin is placed in the centre, the rest (with the
exception of one called the Jack) are placed in a circle round it; the
Jack is placed about a foot or so from the circle, in a line with the
one in the circle and the one in the centre. The centre one is called
the King, the one between that and the Jack, the Queen. The King counts
for three, the Queen two, and each of the other pins for one each,
except Jack. The art of the game lies in bowling down all the pins
except Jack, for if Jack is bowled down, the player has just so many
deducted from his former score as would have been added if he had not
struck the Jack (Holloway's _Dict. Provincialisms_). This game was
formerly called "Half-bowl," and was prohibited by a statute of Edward
IV. (Halliwell's _Dictionary_). Brockett (_North Country Words and
Phrases_) says it is a game played at fairs and races. It is, under the
name of "Kayles," well described and illustrated by Strutt (_Sports and
Pastimes_, p. 270, 271), which is reproduced here. It will be seen that
Jamieson describes it as played with a pole or cudgel. He says this game
no doubt gave origin to the modern one of "Nine-pins;" though
primitively the Kayle-pins do not appear to have been confined to any
certain number nor shape. . . . The Kayle-pins appear to have been
placed in one row only. He also says that "Half-bowl," played in
Hertfordshire, was called "Roly-poly."
[Illustration]
Jamieson (_Dictionary_) gives this as "Rollie-poly," a game of
nine-pins, called also _Kayles_. The name "Rollie-poly" was given to it
because it was played with a pole, or cudgel, by which the pins were
knocked over. In the West of Scotland, where this game was in great
repute in olden times, it formed one of the chief sports of
Fastern's-e'en, and was a favourite amusement at fairs and races. The
awards for successful throwing were generally in the form of small cakes
of gingerbread, which were powerful incentives to the game, and never
failed to attract players in response to the cry, "Wha'll try the lucky
Kayles?"
Ronin the Bee
A rude game. A cazzie, or cassie, is unexpectedly thrown over the head
of a person. When thus blindfolded he is pressed down, and buckets of
water are thrown upon the cassie till the victim is thoroughly
saturated.--Jamieson's _Dictionary_.
See "Carrying the Queen a Letter," "Ezzeka."
Rosy Apple, Lemon and Pear
[Music]
--Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
I. Rosy apple, lemon, or pear,
Bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
I know who will be the bride.
Take her by her lily-white hand,
Lead her to the altar;
Give her kisses,--one, two, three,--
Mrs. (child's name) daughter.
--Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 58).
II. Rosy apple, lemon, and pear,
A bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
Choose the one shall be her bride.
Take her by her lily-white hand,
Lead her to the altar;
Give her kisses,--one, two, three,--
To old mother's runaway daughter.
--Symondsbury, Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 210).
III. Rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,
A bunch of ribbons she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
I know who will be her bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her over the water;
Give her kisses,--one, two, three,--
For Mrs. ---- daughter.
--Maxey, Northants. (Rev. W. D. Sweeting).
IV. Rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,
Bunch of roses you shall wear;
Gold and silver by your side,
I know who shall be a bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her 'cross the water;
Give her kisses,--one, two, three,--
For Mrs. (So-and-so's) daughter.
--Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).
V. Rosie had an apple and a pear,
A bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
I knows who shall be her bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her across the water;
Give her a kiss, and one, two, three,
Old Mother Sack-a-biddy's daughter!
--Ogbourne, Wilts. (H. S. May).
VI. Rosy apples, mellow pears,
Bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
Tell me who shall be her bride.
Take her by her lily-white hand,
Lead her across the ocean;
Give her a kiss, and one, two, three,
Mrs. ---- daughter.
--Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
VII. A rosy apple, lemon, and a pear,
A bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by your side,
Choose the one to be your bride.
Take her by her lily-white hand,
Lead her to the altar;
Give her a kiss by one, two, three,
Mrs. ---- daughter.
--Cowes, I. of Wight (Miss E. Smith).
VIII. Roses up, and roses down,
Roses in the garden;
I wadna gie ye a bunch o' flowers
For tenpence halfpenny farden.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her across the water;
Gie her a kiss, and one, two, three,
For she's a lady's daughter.
--Berwickshire (A. M. Bell) _Antiquary_, xxx. 16.
IX. Maggie Littlejohn, fresh and fair,
A bunch of roses in her hair;
Gold and silver by her side,
I know who is her bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her over the water;
Give her kisses,--one, two, three,--
For she's a lady's daughter.
Roses up, and roses down,
And roses in the garden;
I widna give a bunch of roses
For twopence ha'penny farthing.
--Rev. W. Gregor.
X. Roses up, and roses down,
And roses in the garden;
I widna gie a bunch o' roses
For tippence ha'penny farden.
So and so, fresh and fair,
A bunch o' roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
Crying out, "Cheese and bride" (bread).
Take her by the lily-white hand,
Lead her on the water;
Give her kisses,--one, two, three,--
For she's her mother's daughter.
--Fraserburgh (Rev. W. Gregor).
XI. Roses up, and roses down,
And roses in the garden;
I wadna gie a bunch o' roses
For twopence ha'penny farthin'.
----, fresh and fair,
A bunch of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
I know who's her bride.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
And lead her o'er the water;
And give her kisses,--one, two, three,--
For she's the princess' daughter.
--Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).