I saw this game played on Barnes Green, Surrey, on 25th August 1892. The boys, instead of using their hats, had pieces of leather tied to a string, with which they struck the Bear on the back. They could only begin when the Keeper cried, “My Bear is free.” If they struck at any other time, the striker became the Bear. It is called “Baste the Bear.”—A. B. Gomme. Chambers (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 128) describes this game under the title of “The Craw.” It was played precisely in the same way as the Barnes game. The boy who holds the end of the long strap has also a hard twisted handkerchief, called the _cout_; with this cout he defends the Craw against the attacks of the other boys, who also have similar couts. Before beginning, the Guard of the Craw must call out— Ane, twa, three, my Craw’s free. The first one he strikes becomes the Craw. When the Guard wants a respite, he calls out— Ane, twa, three, my Craw’s no free. (_b_) Jamieson defines “Badger-reeshil” as a severe blow; borrowed, it is supposed, from the hunting of the badger, or from the old game of “Beating the Badger.” Then but he ran wi’ hasty breishell, And laid on Hab a badger-reishill. —_MS. Poem._ Mr. Emslie says he knows it under the name of “Baste the Bear” in London, and Patterson (_Antrim and Down Glossary_) mentions a game similarly named. It is played at Marlborough under the name of “Tom Tuff.”—H. S. May. See “Doncaster Cherries.” Bag o’ Malt A bag o’ malt, a bag o’ salt, Ten tens a hundred. —Northall’s _English Folk Rhymes_, p. 394. Two children stand back to back, linked near the armpits, and weigh each other as they repeat these lines. See “Weigh the Butter.” Ball I. Stottie ba’, hinnie ba, tell to me How mony bairns am I to hae? Ane to live, and ane to dee, And ane to sit on the nurse’s knee! —Chambers’ _Pop. Rhymes of Scotland_, p. 115. II. Toss-a-ball, toss-a-ball, tell me true, How many years I’ve got to go through! —Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 530. (_b_) Children throw a ball in the air, repeating the rhyme, and divine the length of their lives by the number of times they can catch it again. In some places this game is played with a cowslip ball, thence called a “tissy-ball.”