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 concludes the game in many places, but in others the game is
continued by altering the last line of the verses, and the children
alternately turning round when named until they all face inside again.
In some of the versions the first child to turn her face to the wall is
the youngest, and it is then continued by the next youngest, until the
eldest is named. This obtains in Hampshire (Miss Mendham), Nottingham,
Symondsbury, Shropshire, Beddgelert, Sheffield, Connell Ferry, Oban,
Hersham, Surrey, Dyke. In the London (Miss Chase) and Sheffield versions
the child named leaves the ring and turns with her face to a wall. In
the Wakefield version Miss Fowler says a child stands in the middle, and
at the fifth line all the children say their own name. At the end of the
verse they all unclasp hands, and turn with their faces outside the
circle; the verse is repeated, when they all turn again facing inwards,
and so on over again. In the Nairn version, after all the players have
turned their faces outside the ring, they all throw their arms over
their heads, and turn so as to face inwards if possible without
disjoining hands. The children at Ogbourne, Wilts, clap hands when
singing the last two lines of the verses. At Enbourne School it is the
tallest child who is first named, and who turns her back; presumably the
next tallest is then chosen. In the Suffolk game one child stands
outside the ring; the ring sings the first four lines, and the child
outside sings the rest. At Wenlock Miss Burne says each child is
summoned in turn by name to turn their heads when the last line is said.
At Hurstmonceux a girl chooses a boy after her face is turned to the
wall.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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