Children's songs -- United States; Games with music
This exercise is an old-fashioned game resembling cricket. A peculiar,
long, shovel-shaped bat is used, flat, straight on one side and
spoon-shaped on the other. The ball is bowled at the wicket, which is
defended by the player. When the ball is struck, a run must be made to
the base of the bowler, and return.
No. 136.
_Hockey._
This sport is also called _Shinny_. The ball is struck on the ground
with a bent stick, the object being to drive it over the enemy's line.
The game is much played on the ice, as has been the case from the
oldest times in the North; for this is doubtless a descendant of the
games with bat and ball described in Icelandic Sagas. The name of "Bat
and Ball," also given to this sport, indicates that in many districts
this was the usual way of playing ball with the bat.
No. 137.
_Roll-Ball._
A row of holes large enough to contain the ball is made, one for each
boy. The player to whom is allotted the last hole takes the ball,
stands off, and rolls it in such a way as to stop in one of the holes.
The boy into whose place the ball has rolled seizes it, while the rest
scatter, and throws it at some one of the group; if he succeeds in
hitting him, a stone is placed in the hole of that boy; if not, the
thrower must put a stone in his own. The rolling of the ball is then
repeated. When five stones (called _babies_[110]) are lodged in any
hole, that boy is out of the game.
This New England game is exactly paralleled in Switzerland and Austria.
No. 138.
_Hat-Ball._
This is the same game as the preceding, played (among the Pennsylvania
Germans) with _hats_ instead of _holes_. The ball is tossed into the
hat of the player who is to begin. The first to get five stones in his
hat loses, and must undergo the punishment of being "paddled," passing
under the legs of the row of players for that purpose.
No. 139.
_Corner-Ball._
This is also an old game kept up by the Pennsylvania
Germans--Pennsylvania Dutch,[111] as they are commonly called. Four
players stand on the four angles of a square, and the four adversaries
in the centre.
The ball is passed from one to another of the players in the corners,
and finally thrown at the central players. For this purpose the
following rhyme (which our readers may translate if they can) is used
by the boy who aims the ball at the players in the centre. These last,
if they can catch the ball, may fling it back.
Bola we Sols,
Butar we Schmols,
Pef'r gat uf,
War fongt schmeist druf.
If the player in the corner hits a central player, the latter is out,
and _vice versâ_.
The last player of the losing party has to stand with his head against
a wall till every antagonist has flung the ball at him.
No. 140.
_Base-ball._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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