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
While the tinder-box is being looked for she runs off with Tuesday. Then
the pot boils over, and the same dialogue is repeated. The Mother comes
and finds Tuesday gone. This is repeated for all the seven children in
turn, different articles, gridiron, poker, &c, being borrowed each time.
Finally, the eldest daughter is taken off too. There is no one now to
watch the pot, so it boils over, and makes so much noise that the Mother
hears it and comes to see why it is. Finding her eldest daughter gone
too, she goes after her children to the Witch’s house. A dialogue ensues
between the Witch and the Mother. The Mother asks—
Is this the way to the Witch’s house?
There’s a red bull that way!
I’ll go this way.
There’s a mad cow that way!
I’ll go this way.
There’s a mad dog that way!
She then insists on entering the house to look for her children. The
Witch will not admit her, and says—
Your boots are too dirty.
I’ll take my boots off.
Your stockings are too dirty.
I’ll take them off.
Your feet are dirty.
I’ll cut them off.
The blood will run over the threshold.
I’ll wrap them up in a blanket.
The blood will run through.
This enrages the Mother, and she pushes her way into the supposed house,
and looks about, and calls her children. She goes to one and says—
This tastes like my Monday.
The Witch tells her it’s a barrel of pork.
No, no, this is my Monday; run away home.
Upon this Monday jumps up from her crouching or kneeling posture [the
children were generally put by the Witch behind some chairs all close
together in one corner of the room], and runs off, followed by all the
others and their Mother. The Witch tries to catch one, and if successful
that child becomes Witch next time.—A. B. Gomme.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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