The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.Gomme, Alice Bertha
History
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.
Gomme, Alice Bertha
Folklore -- Great Britain; Games -- Great Britain
Several boys place one button each close together on a line. The game
consists in hitting a particular button out of this line with the nicker
without touching the others. This is generally played in London streets,
and is mentioned in the _Strand Magazine_, ii. 515.
See “Banger,” “Buttons.”
Hare and Hounds
A boys’ game. One boy is chosen as the Hare. He carries with him a bag
filled with strips of paper. The rest of the boys are the Hounds. The
Hare has a certain time (say fifteen minutes) allowed him for a start,
and he goes across country, scattering some paper on his way in order to
indicate his track. He may employ any manœuvre in order to deceive his
pursuers, but must keep up the continuity of his paper track-signs. The
Hounds follow him and try to catch him before he gets home, which is a
place agreed upon beforehand.—London (G. L. Gomme).
In Cornwall the leader, when at fault, says—
Uppa, uppa, holye! If you don’t speak
My dogs shan’t folly.
—Courtney (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 73).
Other versions of this holloa are—
Whoop, whoop, and hollow!
Good dogs won’t follow
Without the hare cries, Peewit.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 66.
Sound your holler,
Or my little dog shan’t foller.
—Northall’s _English Folk Rhymes_, p. 357.
This game is played in Wales under the name of “Hunt the Fox.” The Fox
has a certain time given him for a start, the other players then go
after him.—Beddgelert (Mrs. Williams).
Harie Hutcheon
A game among children, in which they hop round in a ring, sitting on
their hams.—Jamieson.
See “Curcuddie,” “Cutch-a-cutchoo,” “Hirtschin Hairy.”
Hark the Robbers
[Music]
—Tong, Shropshire (Miss R. Harley).
I. Hark the robbers coming through,
Coming through,
Hark the robbers coming through,
My fair lady.
What have the robbers done to you,
Done to you,
What have the robbers done to you,
My fair lady?
You have stole my watch and chain,
Watch and chain,
You have stole my watch and chain,
My fair lady.
Half-a-crown you must pay,
You must pay,
Half-a-crown you must pay,
My fair lady.
Half-a-crown we cannot pay,
Cannot pay,
Half-a-crown we cannot pay,
My fair lady.
Off to prison you must go,
You must go,
Off to prison you must go,
My fair lady.
—Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).
II. Here are the robbers coming through,
Coming through, coming through,
Here are the robbers coming through,
My fair lady.
What will the robbers do to you,
Do to you, do to you,
What will the robbers do to you,
My fair lady?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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