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
_M._ Can’t I wrap them up in a blanket?
_W._ The fleas would hop out.
_M._ Can’t I wrap them up in a sheet?
_W._ The sheet is too white.
_M._ Can’t I ride up in a carriage?
_W._ You would break the stairs down.
The children then burst out from behind the Witch and they and the
Mother run after her, crying out, “Burn the Old Witch.” They continue
chasing the Witch till she is caught, and the child who succeeds in
catching her, takes the part of the Witch in the next game.—Dartmouth
(Miss Kimber).
The children choose from their party an Old Witch (who is supposed to
hide herself) and a Mother. The other players are the daughters, and are
called by the names of the week. The Mother says that she is going to
market, and will bring home for each the thing that she most wishes for.
Upon this they all name something. Then, after telling them upon no
account to allow any one to come into the house, she gives her children
in charge of her eldest daughter, Sunday, and goes away. In a moment,
the Witch makes her appearance, and asks to borrow some trifle.
Sunday at first refuses, but, after a short parley, goes into the next
room to fetch the required article. In her absence the Witch steals the
youngest of the children (Saturday), and runs off with her. Sunday, on
her return, seeing that the Witch has left, thinks there must be
something wrong, and counts the children, saying, “Monday, Tuesday,”
&c., until she comes to Saturday, who is missing. She then pretends to
cry, wrings her hands, and sobs out—“Mother will beat me when she comes
home.”
On the Mother’s return, she, too, counts the children, and finding
Saturday gone, asks Sunday where she is. Sunday answers, “Oh, mother! an
Old Witch called, and asked to borrow ——, and, whilst I was fetching it,
she ran off with Saturday.” The Mother scolds and beats her, tells her
to be more careful in the future, and again sets off for the market.
This is repeated until all the children but Sunday have been stolen.
Then the Mother and Sunday, hand in hand, go off to search for them.
They meet the Old Witch, who has them all crouching down in a line
behind her.
_Mother._ Have you seen my children?
_Old Witch._ Yes! I think by Eastgate.
The Mother and Sunday retire, as if to go there, but, not finding them,
again return to the Witch, who this time sends them to Westgate, then to
Southgate and Northgate. At last one of the children pops her head up
over the Witch’s shoulder, and cries out, “Here we are, Mother.” Then
follows this dialogue:—
_M._ I see my children, may I go in?
_O. W._ No! your boots are too dirty.
_M._ I will take them off.
_O. W._ Your stockings are too dirty.
_M._ I will take them off.
_O. W._ Your feet are too dirty.
_M._ I will cut them off.
_O. W._ Then the blood will stream over the floor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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