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
[3] A variant of the second line is, “Ranting, roaring, heely man.” “I
suppose he was Irish,” said my informant, “as he was named
‘Healey’” (Miss G. Hope).
Follow my Leader
This is a boys’ game. Any number can take part in it. It requires a good
extent of country to play it well. The boy who is the swiftest runner
and the best jumper is chosen as Leader. He sets out at a good speed
over the fields, tries to jump as many ditches or burns, jumping such
from one side to the other again and again, to scramble over dykes,
through hedges, over palings, and run up braes. The others have to
follow him as they can. This steeplechase continues till the followers
are all tired out.—Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).
This is a very general game among schoolboys, but in Hereford it was a
town custom occurring once in seven years on 11th October (_Folk-lore
Journal_, v. 75).
Fool, Fool, come to School
This game is played under the name of “Foolie, Foolie” at Duthil,
Strathspey. The players are placed in a row, either standing or sitting.
Two are chosen, the one as Namer and the other as Foolie. Foolie
withdraws, if not out of sight, at least out of range of hearing. The
Namer then gives a name secretly to each player. When this is done, he
calls on Foolie—Foolie, Foolie, come to your schoolie.
Foolie pays no attention to this call. It is again repeated, but with
the same results. This goes on for several times. At last the Namer
calls out—
Foolie, Foolie, come to your schoolie;
Your bannocks are burnin’ an’ ready for turnin’.
Foolie always obeys this call, comes and stations himself beside the
Namer. A little chaffing generally goes on against Foolie. The Namer
says, “Come chise me oot, come chise me in, tae” so and so, naming one
by the assumed fancy name. Foolie makes choice of one. If the choice
falls right, the one so chosen steps from the line and stands beside
Foolie. If the choice falls wrong, the one named remains in the line.
All the players’ names are called out in this way. If any stand unchosen
by Foolie, the Namer then goes up to each and asks if he wants, _e.g._,
“an aipple,” “an orange,” “a kirk,” “a cottage,” &c. Each one whispers
what he wants. The same question is put to Foolie. If he answers,
_e.g._, “orange,” the one so named steps out and stands beside Foolie.
All not first chosen are gone over in this way. Those left unchosen take
their stand beside the Namer. There is then a tug-of-war, with the Namer
and Foolie as the leaders.—Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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