Children's songs -- United States; Games with music
In another way of playing, which makes the game one of chase, "Old
mammy Tipsy-toe" addresses her children:
I give you this much work to do,
Use thread and needle, thimble too;
If you don't have it done
By the time that I come home,
You'll be beaten black and blue
With my old shoe.
She then makes preparations to depart:
I'm going to Lady Washington's,
To get a cup of tea,
And five loaves of gingerbread,
So don't you follow me.
The children, of course, pursue her with shouts of defiance, upon which
she turns and chases them, while they rush to their places. She comes
back, and demands of the children:
"Have you been out to-day?" "No." "You have. Where have you been?" "To
grandmother's." "What did you get?" "A slice of cake." "Where is my
share?" "In the band-box." "But I might break my neck getting it." "I
wish you would." On this, she chases the children, who fly and scatter.
Any child she catches is out of the game, which is continued until all
are captured.
_Philadelphia._
No. 90.
_Who Stole the Cardinal's Hat?_
The children being seated in a circle, a child, who does not take part
in the game, whispers to each of the rest a name representing some
color, as "Red-cap," "Blue-cap," "Yellow-cap," etc. Two players are
excepted, one of whom is called "My man John," and one represents the
cardinal. The latter now leaves the room, first placing in the hands of
"John" a little billet of wood, bidding him take care of the Cardinal's
hat, which at the same time he declares to be of some particular color,
as green. "John" conceals this somewhere in the room. The child who
went out then enters, armed with a cane, and demands the Cardinal's
hat. "John" affects to have forgotten all about it, and asks, "What
color was it? green?" and so on until he guesses the color. Being thus
reminded, he declares that some one of the group, as, for example,
"Red-cap," has stolen it. "Red-cap" is now asked by the questioner,
"Red-cap, did you steal the Cardinal's hat?" He also must pass on the
charge, saying, "No, it was White-cap" (or any other color). If he
omits to do so, or names a color not included among the players, he
must pay forfeit. Meanwhile the questioner becomes indignant at the
numerous denials, and proceeds to extort confession by torture, rapping
with his cane the fingers of those whom he addresses. If he succeeds
in obliging any child to confess, the latter must pay forfeit. At last
"My man John" owns the theft, produces the hat, and the game is begun
again, until a sufficient number of forfeits have been collected.
_Saratoga, New York._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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