The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.Gomme, Alice Bertha
General
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.
Gomme, Alice Bertha
Folklore -- Great Britain; Games -- Great Britain
This game might be played by two, three, or more. A small stone of a
squarish form, called the “bob,” was placed on a level piece of ground.
On this stone each player placed an old button, for buttons were the
stakes. A point was fixed several yards from the stone, and a line was
drawn. Along this line, “the stance,” the players took their stand, each
holding in his hand a small flat stone named “the pitcher.” This stone
was thrown so as to strike “the bob” and make the buttons fall on “the
pitcher,” or nearer it than “the bob.” The button or buttons that lay
nearer “the pitcher” than “the bob” fell to the lot of the player. The
second player did the same, but he had to guard against driving any of
the buttons nearer the first player’s stone. If a button was nearer his
stone than “the bob,” or the first player’s stone, he claimed it. The
third player followed the same course if all the buttons had not been
won by the two players. If the buttons were not all won at the first
throw, the first player had a second chance, and so on till all the
buttons were won. If two played, if each won a button, they alternately
began, but if one gained the two buttons, the other began. When three
played, if one had two for his share he played last in the following
game, and the one that had nothing played first. If the players, when
three played, were experts, the one whose lot it was to play second, who
was called the “poust,” lost heavily, and to be “pousted” was always
looked upon as a misfortune, for the reason that the first player often
by the first throw gained the whole stake, and then in the following
game the last player became the first, and the gainer in the foregoing
game became the last. If this player carried off the whole stake, he in
the next game took the last place, and the last took the first, and so
between the two good players the “poust” had no chance.—Aberdeenshire
(Rev. W. Gregor).—See “Buttons.”
Smuggle the Gig
Mr. Ballantyne describes the game as played in his young days at Biggar
as follows:—Two boys would each select his own side. “First pick” was
decided by lot. A third boy took two straws, one shorter than the other,
and held them between his finger and thumb in such a way that only
equal lengths were visible. Each leader drew a straw. The one who drew
the longest had “first pick” of all the intended players, the other
leader had the next; alternate choice was then made by them until both
sides were complete, and were ranged by their leaders. Then lots were
again drawn as to which side should go out first. The side going out had
to show the Gig; anything easily carried in the hand sufficed. The
“outs” went out from the den twenty or thirty yards, sometimes round the
end of a house, to “smuggle the Gig”—that is, to give one of their
number the Gig to carry, care being taken that the “ins” did not know
who had it. During this time the leader of the ins called “out” in a
loud voice—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account