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
Two boys join hands and feet over the back of a third, the which creeps
away with them on hands and knees to a certain distance; and if able to
do this, he, the Cuddy, must have a ride as one of the powks on some
other’s back.—Mactaggart’s _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_.
Cudgel
[Illustration: Change of sides]
[Illustration: A run]
Four or more boys can play this game, and sides are chosen. Two holes
are made in the ground at a distance of about eight or ten feet apart. A
ring about a foot in diameter is made round each hole. A boy stands at
each hole with a stick, which he puts into the hole to guard it. Two
other boys stand behind the holes, who act as bowlers. One of these
throws a small piece of wood shaped like a Cat, and tries to pitch it
into the hole. The boy guarding the hole tries to hit it with his stick.
If he succeeds, he and the boy at the other hole run to each other’s
places. Should the boy who throws the piece of wood succeed in getting
it into the hole, the batsmen are out. Should the Cat fall into the ring
or a span beyond, one of the bowlers picks it up, and both run to a
hiding-place. They then agree as to which of them should hold the Cat.
This must be carried in such a way that it cannot be seen by the
batsmen, both boys assuming the same attitude. Both boys then resume
their previous places. They kneel down, still keeping the same
attitudes. The batsmen, keeping their sticks in the holes, then agree
which of the two holds the Cat. One batsman runs across and puts his
stick into the hole behind which the boy kneels whom they consider has
the Cat, the other then running to his place. If they are right in their
guess, the holder of the Cat throws it across the ground for the
opposite bowler to put it in the hole before the second batsman reaches
it. If they guess wrongly, the holder of the Cat puts it into the hole
as soon as the batsman runs, and they then become the batsmen for the
next game. If the batsmen leave their holes unguarded with the stick,
the catsmen can at any time put them “out,” by putting the Cat in a
hole. If more than two boys on a side play, the others field as in
“Cricket.”—Barnes (A. B. Gomme).
See “Cat and Dog.”
Curcuddie
I. Will ye gang to the lea, Curcuddie,
And join your plack wi’ me, Curcuddie?
I lookit about and I saw naebody,
And linkit awa’ my lane, Curcuddie.
—Chambers’ _Popular Rhymes_, p. 139.
II. Will ye gang wi’ me, Curcuddie,
Gang wi’ me o’er the lea?
I lookit roun’, saw naebody;
Curcuddie, he left me.
—Biggar (William Ballantyne).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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