and English:--Two parties of boys, divided by a fixed line, endeavoured
to pull one another across this line, or to seize by bodily strength or
nimbleness a "wad" (the coats or hats of the players) from the little
heap deposited in the different territories at a convenient distance.
The person pulled across or seized in his attempt to rob the camp was
made a prisoner and conducted to the enemy's station, where he remained
under the denomination of "stinkard" till relieved by one of the same
side, or by a general exchange of prisoners.--_Blackwood's Magazine_,
August 1821, p. 25. The _Denham Tracts_, i. 150, gives a version of the
game much the same as these, except that the words used by the English
are, "Here's a leap into thy kingdom, dry-bellied Scot." See also
Hutton's _History of Roman Wall_ (1804), p. 104. Brockett's account,
under the title of "Stealy Clothes, or Watch Webs," is as follows:--The
players divide into two parties and draw a line as the boundary of their
respective territories. At an equal distance from this line each player
deposits his hat or some other article of his dress. The object of the
game is to seize and convey these singly to your own store from that of
the enemy, but if you are unfortunately caught in the attempt, you not
only restore the plunder but become a prisoner yourself. This evidently
takes its origin from the inroads of the English and Scotch; indeed, it
is plainly proved from the language used on the occasion, which consists
in a great measure of the terms of reproach still common among the
Borderers.--Brockett's _North Country Words_.
Jamieson, also, describes the game under the title of "English and
Scotch," and says the game has originated from the mutual incursions of
the two nations.
See "French and English," "Prisoner's Base," "Rigs."
Scratch Cradle
The game of "Cat's Cradle."
Scrush
A game much like Shinty between two sides of boys, each with bandies
(scrushes) trying to knock a roundish stone over the other's
line.--Barnes' _Dorset Glossary_. See "Shinney."
Scurran-Meggy
A game much in vogue in Cumberland during the last century, and in which
a peculiar form of top called a "scurran top" was used.--Halliwell's
_Dictionary_.
See-Saw
[Music]
--London (A. B. Gomme).
I. Titty cum tawtay,
The ducks in the water;
Titty cum tawtay,
The geese follow after.
--Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 213.
II. See-saw, Margery Daw,
Sold her bed to lie upon straw;
Wasn't she a dirty slut
To sell her bed to lie upon dirt?
--London (A. B. Gomme).
III. See-saw, Margery Daw,
Johnny shall have a new master;
He shan't have but a farthing a day,
Because he can't work any faster.
--London (G. L. Gomme).
IV. See-saw, sacradown,
Which is the way to London town?
One boot up, and the other down,
And that is the way to London town.
--Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, No. cccxxx.
V. The poor man was digging,
To and fro, to and fro;
And his spade on his shoulder,
To and fro, to and fro.
The poor man was digging,
To and fro, to and fro;
And he caught the black cross,
To and fro, to and fro.
--Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
A common game, children sitting on either end of a plank supported on
its centre, and made to rock up and down. While enjoying this
recreation, they sing the verse. Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_, gives Ranty
or Rantypole, a plank or pole balanced evenly, upon which children rock
up and down in see-saw fashion. Jamieson, _Etymological Dictionary_,
gives Coup-the-Ladle as the name for See-saw in Aberdeen. Moor, _Suffolk
Words and Phrases_, describes this game, and gives the same words to be
sung while playing as Halliwell's above. Grose gives "Weigh," to play at
See-saw. Holloway, _Dictionary of Provincialisms_, says, in Norfolk
See-saw is called Titti cum Totter; and in Gainford, Durham, Ewiggy
Shog. Halliwell gives versions of Nos. II. and III. in his _Nursery
Rhymes_, and also other verses with the opening words "See-saw," namely,
"See-saw, Jack-a-Daw," "See-saw, Sack-a-day;" but these are not
connected with the game by Halliwell, and there is nothing in the words
to indicate such a connection. Mactaggart, _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_,
calls the game "Coggle-te-Carry," but gives no verses, and Strutt calls
it "Titter Totter."--_Sports_, p. 303. He does not give any rhymes,
except to quote Gay's poem, but it is possible that the rhyme to his
game may be No. I. Brogden gives "Hightte" as the game of See-saw. The
Manx version has not before been published, and Mr. Moore says is now
quite forgotten in the Isle. The game is called "Shuggy-shoo" in Irish,
and also "Copple-thurrish," evidently "Horse and Pig," as if the two
animals were balancing against each other, and alternately becoming
elevated and depressed.--_Ulster Journ. Arch._, vi. 102. The child who
stands on the plank in the centre and balances it, is frequently called
the "canstick" or "candlestick."
See-Sim
A children's game. If one of the party is blindfolded, it is
"Blind-Sim."--Spurden's _East Anglian Glossary_.
Shame Reel, or Shamit Dance
In several counties of Scotland this was the name of the first dance
after the celebration of marriages. It was performed by the bride and
best man and the bridegroom and best maid. The bride's partner asked
what was to be the "sham spring," and she commonly answered, "Through
the world will I gang wi' the lad that lo'es me," which, on being
communicated to the fiddlers, was struck up, and the dance went on
somewhat punctiliously, while the guests looked on in silence, and
greeted the close with applause. This dance was common in Forfarshire
twenty years ago.--Jamieson's _Dictionary_.
See "Cushion Dance," "Salmon Fishers."
She Said, and She Said
This game requires two confederates; one leaves the room, and the other
in the secret asks a player in the room to whisper to him whom she (or
he) loved; he then calls in his companion, and the following dialogue is
carried on:--
"She said, and she said!
And what did she say?"
"She said that she loved."
"And whom did she love?
Suppose she said she loved ----?"
"No! she never said that, whatever she said."
An indefinite number of names are mentioned before the right one. When
that came, to the surprise of the whisperer, the answer is--
"Yes! she said that."
The secret was very simple; the name of a widow or widower known to both
players was always given before that whispered.--Cornwall (_Folk-lore
Journal_, v. 50).
Shepherd and Sheep
Children choose, by "counting out," or otherwise, a Shepherd and a Wolf
(or Mother Sheep, and Wolf). The Wolf goes away, and the rest of the
players are the Sheep (or Lambs) and stand in a row. The Shepherd counts
them--Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, &c. Then--
_Shepherd_--"What shall I bring home for you for dinner, Sunday, I'm
going to market?"
Sunday chooses something--roast veal, apple tart, or anything else that
she likes. Then Monday, Tuesday, and the rest choose also. Shepherd goes
away, saying--
"Mind you are all good children."
The Wolf comes directly the Shepherd goes out of sight, and takes away
one of the Sheep. Shepherd comes back and begins to distribute the
different things--
"Sunday, Monday,----why, where's Tuesday?" (or Wednesday, as the
case may be.)
The Children cry in chorus--
"Old Wolf came down the chimney and took him (or her) away."
This formula is repeated till all the children (sheep) are stolen.
The Shepherd now goes to the Wolf's house to look for his sheep--
_Shepherd_--"Good morning, have you seen my sheep?"
_Wolf_--"Yes, they went down Red Lane."
[Shepherd looks down Red Lane.]
_Shepherd_--"I've been down Red Lane, and they're not there."
_Wolf_--"I've just seen them pass, they're gone down Green Lane,"
&c. These questions and answers continue as long as the children's
fancy holds out; then the Shepherd comes back.
_Shepherd_--"I've looked everywhere, and can't find them. I b'lieve
you've got them? I smell meat; may I go up and taste your soup?"
_Wolf_--"You can't go upstairs, your shoes are too dirty."
_Shepherd_--"I'll take off my shoes" (pretends to take them off).
_Wolf_--"Your stockings are too dirty."
_Shepherd_--"I'll take off my stockings" (suits the action).
_Wolf_--"Your feet are too dirty."
_Shepherd_--"I'll cut my feet off" (pretends to cut them off).
(Milder version, "I'll wash my feet.")
_Wolf_--"Then the blood'll run about."
(Milder version, "Then they'll wet my carpet.")
_Shepherd_--"I'll tie up my feet."
(Or, "I'll wipe my feet")
_Wolf_---"Well, now you may go up."
_Shepherd_--"I smell my sheep."
The Shepherd then goes to one child, pretends to taste--using fingers of
both hands as though holding a spoon and fork--on the top of the child's
head, saying, "That's my sheep," "That's Tuesday," &c., till he comes to
the end of the row, then they all shout out and rush home to the fold,
the Wolf with them. A fresh Shepherd and Wolf are chosen, and the game
starts once more.--Cornwall (Miss I. Barclay).
One player is chosen to be the Shepherd, another the Thief, and the rest
the sheep, who are arranged in a long row. The Shepherd pretends to be
asleep; the Thief takes away one of the sheep and hides it; he then
says--
_Thief_--"Shepherdy, shepherdy, count your sheep!"
_Shepherd_--"I can't come now, I'm fast asleep."
_Thief_--"If you don't come now, they'll all be gone,
So shepherdy, shepherdy, come along!"
The Shepherd counts the sheep, and missing one, asks where it is gone.
The Thief says, "It is gone to get fat!" The Shepherd goes to sleep
again, and the same performance is repeated till all the sheep are
hidden; the Shepherd goes in search of them, and when found they join
him in the pursuit of the Thief.--Oswestry (Burne's _Shropshire
Folk-lore_, p. 520).
Mr. Northall (_Folk Rhymes_, p. 391) gives a version from Warwickshire,
and says he believes the Shepherd's dog to be the true thief who hides
his propensity in the dialogue--
Bow, wow, wow, What's the matter now?
A leg of a louse came over my house,
And stole one of my fat sheep away.
The game is played as in Shropshire. The dialogue in the Cornish game is
similar to that of "Witch." See "Wolf."
Shepherds
One child stands alone, facing the others in a line opposite. The single
child shouts, "Shepherds, shepherds, give warning." The others reply,
"Warn away! warn away!" Then she asks, "How many sheep have you got?"
They answer, "More than you can carry away." She runs and catches
one--they two join hands and chase the rest; each one, as caught,
joining hands with the chasers until all are caught.--Liverpool (Mr. C.
C. Bell.) See "Stag," "Warney."
Shinney, or Shinty, or Shinnops
A writer in _Blackwood's Magazine_, August 1821, p. 36, says: The boys
attempt to drive with curved sticks a ball, or what is more common, part
of the vertebral bone of a sheep, in opposite directions. When the
object driven along reaches the appointed place in either termination,
the cry of hail! stops the play till it is knocked off anew by the boy
who was so fortunate as to drive it past the gog. In the Sheffield
district it is played as described by Halliwell. During the game the
boys call out, "Hun you, shin you." It is called Shinny in
Derbyshire.--Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_. Halliwell's description does
not materially differ from the account given above except that when the
knur is down over the line it is called a "bye."--(_Dictionary_). In
_Notes and Queries_, 8th series, viii. 446; ix. 115 _et seq._, the game
is described as played in Lincolnshire under the name of "Cabsow," which
perhaps accounts for the Barnes game of Crab-sowl.
In Perthshire it is described as a game in which bats somewhat
resembling a golf club are used. At every fair or meeting of the country
people there were contests at racing, wrestling, putting the stone, &c.,
and on holidays all the males of a district, young and old, met to play
at football, but oftener at shinty.--_Perthshire Statistical Account_,
v. 72; Jamieson's description is the same.
Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_ says: A game described by Scotch
writers by the name of Shintie; the shins, or under parts of the legs,
are in danger during the game of being struck, hence the name from
shin.--Dickinson, _Cumberland Glossary_, mentions Shinny as a boyish
game, also called Scabskew, catty; it is also the name of the
crook-ended stick used in the game. Patterson, _Antrim and Down
Glossary_, under name Shinney, says, This game is played with shinneys,
_i.e._, hooked sticks, and a ball or small block of wood called the
"Golley," or "Nag."
In London this game is called Hockey. It seems to be the same which is
designed _Not_ in Gloucestershire; the name being borrowed from the
ball, which is made of a knotty piece of wood.--Grose's _Glossary_.
It has been said that Shinty and Hockey differ in this respect, that in
the latter two goals are erected, each being formed by a piece of stick
with both ends stuck in the ground. The players divide into two parties;
to each of these the care of one of the goals belongs. The game consists
in endeavouring to drive the ball through the goal of the opposite
party.--_Book of Sports_ (1810), pp. 11-13. But in Shinty there are also
two goals, called hails; the object of each party being to drive the
ball beyond their own hail, but there is no hole through which it must
be driven. The ball, or knot of wood, is called Shintie.
See "Bandy," "Camp," "Chinnup," "Crab-sowl," "Doddart," "Hockey,"
"Scrush."
Ship
A boy's game. It is played in two ways--(1) Of a single character. One
boy bends down against a wall (sometimes another stands pillow for his
head), then an opponent jumps on his back, crying "Ships" simply, or
"Ships a-sailing, coming on." If he slips off, he has to bend as the
other; but if not, he can remain as long as he pleases, provided he does
not laugh or speak. If he forgets to cry "Ships," he has to bend down.
(2) Sometimes sides are chosen; then the whole side go down heads and
tails, and all the boys on the other side have to jump on their backs.
The game in each case is much the same. The "naming" was formerly "Ships
and sailors coming on."--Easther's _Almondbury Glossary_. Mr. H. Hardy
sends an account from Earls Heaton, which is practically the same as
these.
Ship Sail
A game usually played with marbles. One boy puts his hand into his
trousers pocket and takes out as many marbles as he feels inclined; he
closes his fingers over them, and holds out his hand with the palm down
to the opposite player, saying, "Ship sail, sail fast. How many men on
board?" A guess is made by his opponent; if less he has to give as many
marbles as will make up the true number; if more, as many as he said
over. But should the guess be correct he takes them, and then in his
turn says, "Ship sail," &c.--Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 59).
See "Handy Dandy," "Neivvie-nick-nack."
Shiver the Goose
A boys' game. Two persons are trussed somewhat like fowls; they then hop
about on their "hunkers," each trying to upset the other.--Patterson's
_Antrim and Down Glossary_.
See "Curcuddie."
Shoeing the Auld Mare
A dangerous kind of sport. A beam of wood is slung between two ropes, a
person gets on to this and contrives to steady himself until he goes
through a number of antics; if he can do this he shoes the auld mare, if
he cannot do it he generally tumbles to the ground and gets hurt with
the fall.--Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_.
Shue-Gled-Wylie
A game in which the strongest acts as the Gled or Kite, and the next in
strength as the mother of a brood of birds; for those under her
protection, perhaps to the number of a dozen, keep all in a string
behind her, each holding by the tail of one another. The Gled still
tries to catch the last of them, while the mother cries "Shue! Shue!"
spreading out her arms to keep him off. If he catch all the birds he
wins the game.--Fife, Teviotdale (Jamieson).
See "Fox and Geese," "Gled-Wylie," "Hen and Chickens."
Shuttlefeather
This game is generally known as "Battledore and Shuttlecock." The
battledore is a small hand bat, formerly made of wood, then of a skin
stretched over a frame, and since of catgut strings stretched over a
frame. The shuttlecock consists of a small cork into which feathers of
equal size are fixed at even distances. The game may be played by one,
two, or more persons. If by one person, it merely consists of batting up
the shuttlecock into the air for as long a time as possible; if by two
persons, it consists of batting the shuttlecock from one to the other;
if by more than two, sides are chosen, and a game has been invented, and
known as "Badminton." This latter game is not a traditional game, and
does not therefore concern us now.
Strutt (_Sports and Pastimes_, p. 303) says this is a sport of long
standing, and he gives an illustration, said to be of the fourteenth
century, from a MS. in the possession of Mr. F. Douce. This would
probably be the earliest mention of the game. It appears to have been a
fashionable pastime among grown persons in the reign of James I. In the
_Two Maids of Moreclacke_, 1609, it is said, "To play at Shuttlecock
methinkes is the game now," and among the anecdotes related of Prince
Henry, son to James I., is the following: "His Highness playing at
shittle-cocke with one farr taller than himself, and hittyng him by
chance with the shittle-cock upon the forehead" (_Harl. MS._, 6391).
Among the accounts of money paid for the Earl of Northumberland while he
was prisoner in the Tower for supposed complicity in the Gunpowder Plot,
is an item for the purchase of shuttlecocks (_Hist. MSS. Com._, v. p.
354).
But the popular nature of the game is not indicated by these facts. For
this we have to turn to the doings of the people. In the villages of the
West Riding the streets may be seen on the second Sunday in May full of
grown-up men and women playing "Battledore and Shuttlefeathers"
(Henderson's _Folk-lore of the Northern Counties_, p. 80). In Leicester
the approach of Shrove Tuesday (known amongst the youngsters as
"Shuttlecock Day") is signalised by the appearance in the streets of a
number of children playing at the game of "Battledore and Shuttlecock."
On the day itself the streets literally swarm with juveniles, and even
grown men and women engage in the pastime. Passing through a by-street
the other day I heard a little girl singing--
Shuttlecock, shuttlecock, tell me true
How many years have I to go through?
One, two, three, four, &c.
--_Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, iii. 87.
The occurrence of this rhyme suggests that there is some sort of
divination in the oldest form of the game, and it appears to me that the
origin of the game must be sought for among the ancient practices of
divination. An example is found among the customs of the children of
Glamorganshire during the cowslip season. The cowslip heads are strung
on a piece of thread and tied into a "posty," and the play is to throw
it up a tolerable height, catching it on the distended palm with a blow
that sends it up again, while the player sings:--
Pisty, posty, four and forty,
How many years shall I live?
One, two, three, four, &c.
Of course, if it falls to the ground uncaught, or even if caught in the
clenched hand, there is an end of the player's "life." There is a good
deal of emulation amongst the children as to who shall live the longest
(_Notes and Queries_, 3rd ser., iii. 172). Miss Burne (_Shropshire
Folk-lore_, p. 530) mentions the same custom, giving the rhyme as--
Toss-a-ball, toss-a-ball, tell me true
How many years I've got to go through,
and she says the cowslip is thence called a "tissy-ball." In this custom
we have no artificial aids to form a game, but we have a significant
form of divination from natural flowers, accompanied by a rhyming
formula exactly parallel to the rhymes used in the Leicestershire game
of "Shuttlecock," and I conclude therefore that we have here the true
origin of the game. This conclusion is confirmed when it is found that
divinatory verses generally accompany the popular form of the game.
At Wakefield the children playing "Battledore and Shuttlecock" take it
in turn, and say the following sentences, one clause to each bat, and
repeated until the shuttlecock falls:--
1st. This year, next year, long time, never.
2nd. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
3rd. Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar-man,
thief.
4th. Silk, satin, cotton, rags.
5th. Coach, carriage, wheelbarrow, donkey-cart.--Miss Fowler
At Deptford the rhymes were--
Grandmother, grandmother,
Tell me the truth,
How many years have I been to school?
One, two, three, &c.
Grandmother, grandmother,
Tell me no lie,
How many children
Before I die?
One, two, three, &c.
In the same way the following questions are put and answered:--
How old am I?
How long am I going to live?
How many children shall I have?
Black currant,
Red currant,
Raspberry tart,
Tell me the name
Of my sweetheart.
A, B, C, D, &c.
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, potter's boy, flour boy, thief.
Silk, satin, cotton, muslin, rags.
Coach, carriage, wheelbarrow, dungcart.
On their buttons they say: "Bought, given, stolen," to show how
acquired.--Miss Chase.
In London the rhymes were--
One, two, buckle my shoe,
Three, four, knock at the door,
Five, six, pick up sticks,
Seven, eight, lay them straight,
Nine, ten, a good fat hen,
Eleven, twelve, ring the bell,
Thirteen, fourteen, maids a courting,
Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen,
Seventeen, eighteen, mistress waiting,
Nineteen, twenty, my plate's empty.
One, two, three, four,
Mary at the cottage door,
Eating cherries off a plate,
Five, six, seven, eight.
Up the ladder, down the wall,
A twopenny loaf to serve us all;
You buy milk and I'll buy flour,
And we'll have pudding in half an hour.
One, two, three, four, five, six, &c.
This year, next year, some time, never, repeated.
A, B, C, D, E, &c., repeated for the initial letter of the future
husband's name.
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, apothecary, ploughboy, thief, for
future husband's vocation.
Monday, Tuesday, &c., for the wedding day.
Silk, satin, cotton, rags, for the material of the wedding gown.
Coach, carriage, wheelbarrow, dungcart, for conveyance on wedding day.
Big house, little house, pigsty, barn, for future home.--(A. B. Gomme.)
It will be seen that many of these divination formulæ are used in other
connections than that of "Shuttlecock," but this rather emphasises the
divinatory character of the game in its original form.--See "Ball,"
"Teesty-tosty."
Shuvvy-Hawle
A boys' game at marbles. A small hole is made in the ground, and marbles
are pushed in turn with the side of the first finger; these are won by
the player pushing them into the shuvvy-hawle.--Lowsley's _Berkshire
Glossary_.
Silly Old Man
[Music]
--Leicester (Miss Ellis).
[Music]
--Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
I. Silly old man, he's all alone,
He wants a wife and can't get one;
Round and round and choose a good one,
Or else choose none.
This young couple are married together,
Their fathers and mothers they must obey;
Love one another like sister and brother,
And down on their knees and kiss one another.
--Leicester (Miss Ellis).
II. Silly old man, he walks alone,
He walks alone, he walks alone;
Silly old man, he walks alone,
He wants a wife and can't get one.
All go round and choose your own,
Choose your own, choose your own;
All go round and choose your own,
And choose a good one or else choose none.
Now young couple you're married together,
Married together, married together;
Now young couple you're married together,
Your father and mother you must obey.
So love one another like sister and brother,
And now young couple pray kiss together.
--Lancashire (_Notes and Queries_, 5th series, iv. 157).
III. Silly old maid (_or_ man), she walks alone,
She walks alone, she walks alone;
Silly old maid, she walks alone,
She wants a man (_or_ wife) and she can't get one.
Go around and choose your own,
Choose your own, choose your own;
Go around and choose your own,
And take whoever you like in.
Now these two are married together,
Married together, married together;
Now these two are married together,
I pray love, kiss again.
--Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
IV. Here's a silly ould man that lies all alone,
That lies all alone, that lies all alone;
Here's a silly ould man that lies all alone,
He wants a wife and he can get none.
Now young couple you're married together,
You're married together, you're married together;
You must obey your father and mother,
And love one another like sister and brother.
I pray, young couple, you'll kiss together.
--Carleton's _Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry_, p. 107.
V. Silly old man, he walks alone,
Walks alone, walks alone;
Silly old man, he walks alone,
Wants a wife and he canna get one.
All go round and choose your own,
Choose your own, choose your own;
All go round and choose your own,
Choose a good one or let it alone.
Now he's got married and tied to a peg,
Tied to a peg, tied to a peg;
Now he's got married and tied to a peg,
Married a wife with a wooden leg.
--Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy).
VI. Silly old maid, she lives alone,
She lives alone, she lives alone;
[Silly old maid, she lives alone,]
Wants a husband but can't get one.
So now go round and choose your own,
Choose your own, choose your own;
Now go round and choose your own,
Choose the very one you love best.