FOOTNOTES:

There was a young lady sat down to sleep;She wants a young gentleman to wake her up;Mr. —— —— shall be his name.

The awakening was then effected by a kiss.

The same game comes to us as a negro sport from Galveston, Texas, but in a form which shows it to be the corruption of an old English round:

Here we go round thestrawberry bush,This cold and frosty morning.Here's a young lady sat down to sleep,This cold and frosty morning.She wants a young gentleman to wake her up,This cold and frosty morning.Write his name and send it by me,This cold and frosty morning.Mr. —— his name is called,This cold and frosty morning.Arise, arise, upon your feet,This cold and frosty morning.

Here we go round thestrawberry bush,This cold and frosty morning.

Here's a young lady sat down to sleep,This cold and frosty morning.

She wants a young gentleman to wake her up,This cold and frosty morning.

Write his name and send it by me,This cold and frosty morning.

Mr. —— his name is called,This cold and frosty morning.

Arise, arise, upon your feet,This cold and frosty morning.

Some unintelligible negro rhymes follow.

The refrain of the last version indicates that it is of old English origin, and was used as a May-game.

It would appear, from the character of the round, that various names are proposed to the sleeping girl, which she rejects until a satisfactory oneis presented. At all events, this is the case in a Provençal game which we take to be of the same origin as ours. In this game it is explained that the girl is not asleep, but counterfeiting death. "Alas! what shall we give our sister? N. N. to be her husband."

A favorite French round describes the maiden as asleep "in the tower." The pretty song represents her as awakened by the rose her lover has left upon her breast. Though there is no very close resemblance between this and the Provençal game, the same idea of deliverance from enchantment appears to underlie both.

We infer, therefore, that the game, apparently so natural an invention, originally represented some form of the world-wide story of the "Sleeping Beauty." If this be so, to explain its history would lead us to write of Northern lay and mediæval legend; we should have to examine the natural symbolism of primitive religions, and the loves of ancient gods. The kissing-romp of a New England village would be connected with the poetry and romance of half the world.

In any case, this interlinking of the New World with all countries and ages, by the golden network of oral tradition, may supply the moral of our collection.

FOOTNOTES:[127]Die Holländisch' Brück'.[128]Mrs. R. W. Emerson, of Concord, Mass.[129]From Prof. G. J. Webb, now of New York, who learned it from his mother, in the Isle of Wight, his birthplace.[130]As the last verse is sung, the raised arms of the two directors of the game descend, and enclose the child who happens to be passing at the time. The prisoner is then led, still confined by the arms of her captors, to the corner which represents the prison. After this she must choose as described on page204, and the two sides finally pull against each other. Our informant well remembers how seriously the matter was taken, and how disturbed and disgraced she felt when arrested and imprisoned.[131]We have obtained a nearly identical, but more fragmentary version from Waterford, Ireland, with a refrain that seems a corruption of that belonging to the ordinary English song; thus—London Bridge is broken down,Fair lady!How shall we build it up again?Grand says the little dear.We have also, from an Irish domestic, a most curious account of the use of the latter version in the town named. Agreeing, as it does, in essential respects with the character which the European game now possesses, and which the English game once evidently possessed, we do not doubt its general correctness; but we have had no opportunity to verify the statement of the somewhat inconsequent informant.An actual bridge was built up with sticks and boards, and surrounded by the ring of players, dressed in costume; without stood the Devil. Little girls in variously colored dresses represented the angels.The repeated fall and rebuilding of the bridge was acted out, as described in the verses of the song; this fall was ascribed to the malice of the Devil, who ruined itduring thenight(watching it, said the narrator, from the top of an ash-tree during the day).The imprisonment of the child enclosed by the arms of the leaders was acted out as described in the note on page208, but in a noteworthy fashion. A chain was taken, and wrapped round the child, in the form of a serpent (for the Devilisa serpent, said the reciter); the captive was taken to a hut (representing apparently the entrance to the Inferno) built by the sea. Meantime, the rest of the train called on their leader for help; but he answered, "the Devil has five feet, and thirteen eyes, and is stronger than I!" The performance lasted five hours; and the name of the edifice was the Devil's Bridge.In this Irish game, tests were employed to determine whether the captive should belong to the Devil or not. One of these was the ability to walk on a straight line drawn on the ground.On the windows of French mediæval churches devils may be seen surrounding the condemned with a great chain, which they use to drag them into their clutches.[132]Or, hiswife.[133]À l'épayelle (that is, in thebasket)Tout du long de ciel,Tout du long du paradis,Saut'! Saut'! Saut souris![134]See No. 154, E, and note.[135]Game of New York German children: "Wer ist daraus?" "Der Engel mit dem goldenen Strauss." "Was will er?" "Eine Farbe." "Was für eine?" "Blau," etc. Then "Der Engel mit dem Feuerhaken" comes forward, and so on, "bis alle Farben fort sind."[136]An imitation of knocking. Italian, Din-din; French, pan! pan! etc.[137]The dialogue is: "Pan! pan!" "Qui est-ce qui est la?" "C'est le diable avec sa fourche." "Que veut-il?" "Un animal." "Entrez."[138]A line and a half are wanting.[139]"I charge my daughters every one,To keep good house while I am gone.Youandyou[points] but speciallySue,Or else I'll beat you black and blue."From "Nursery Rhymes of England," where it is said to be a game of the Gypsy, who "during the mother's absence comes in, entices a child away, and hides her. This process is repeated till all the children are hidden, when the mother has to find them."[140]This verse is borrowed from another game, No. 102. The drama opens with a foreboding. The prophetic soul of the mother uses the lament of a hen who has lost one of her brood.[141]Or any elevated position. Also,in heaven.[142]This Urschel is a mythologic character. When the children of Pfüllingen climb the Urschelberg, where she lives, each child deposits on a certain stone two or three horn buttons as an offering. On returning, they observe whether she has not taken them away; and, even if the buttons remain, they are sure that she has taken pleasure in them. When they pass a certain slope they roll down perforated stones (called "suns"), and the child whose "sun" rolls farthest says with pride, "Urschel liked my present best."Urschel passes for an enchanted maiden, whose original name was Prisca. Every four centuries she plants a beech-tree for the cradle of the youth whose love is at last to release her. The chosen shepherd sees her sitting by the road-side, in the shape of an old woman, dressed in green gown and red stockings. But none has ever dared to wed her for the sake of the castle and treasure she offers.[143]"Le Diable Boîteux."[144]"An Ogree is a giant with long teeth and claws, with a Raw Head and Bloody Bones, and runs away with naughty boys and girls, and eats them all up."—Story of the "Sleeping Beauty," as given in an old chap-book.[145]Où est la belle Marguerite,Ogier, beau chevalier?

[127]Die Holländisch' Brück'.

[128]Mrs. R. W. Emerson, of Concord, Mass.

[129]From Prof. G. J. Webb, now of New York, who learned it from his mother, in the Isle of Wight, his birthplace.

[130]As the last verse is sung, the raised arms of the two directors of the game descend, and enclose the child who happens to be passing at the time. The prisoner is then led, still confined by the arms of her captors, to the corner which represents the prison. After this she must choose as described on page204, and the two sides finally pull against each other. Our informant well remembers how seriously the matter was taken, and how disturbed and disgraced she felt when arrested and imprisoned.

[131]We have obtained a nearly identical, but more fragmentary version from Waterford, Ireland, with a refrain that seems a corruption of that belonging to the ordinary English song; thus—London Bridge is broken down,Fair lady!How shall we build it up again?Grand says the little dear.We have also, from an Irish domestic, a most curious account of the use of the latter version in the town named. Agreeing, as it does, in essential respects with the character which the European game now possesses, and which the English game once evidently possessed, we do not doubt its general correctness; but we have had no opportunity to verify the statement of the somewhat inconsequent informant.An actual bridge was built up with sticks and boards, and surrounded by the ring of players, dressed in costume; without stood the Devil. Little girls in variously colored dresses represented the angels.The repeated fall and rebuilding of the bridge was acted out, as described in the verses of the song; this fall was ascribed to the malice of the Devil, who ruined itduring thenight(watching it, said the narrator, from the top of an ash-tree during the day).The imprisonment of the child enclosed by the arms of the leaders was acted out as described in the note on page208, but in a noteworthy fashion. A chain was taken, and wrapped round the child, in the form of a serpent (for the Devilisa serpent, said the reciter); the captive was taken to a hut (representing apparently the entrance to the Inferno) built by the sea. Meantime, the rest of the train called on their leader for help; but he answered, "the Devil has five feet, and thirteen eyes, and is stronger than I!" The performance lasted five hours; and the name of the edifice was the Devil's Bridge.In this Irish game, tests were employed to determine whether the captive should belong to the Devil or not. One of these was the ability to walk on a straight line drawn on the ground.On the windows of French mediæval churches devils may be seen surrounding the condemned with a great chain, which they use to drag them into their clutches.

[131]We have obtained a nearly identical, but more fragmentary version from Waterford, Ireland, with a refrain that seems a corruption of that belonging to the ordinary English song; thus—

London Bridge is broken down,Fair lady!How shall we build it up again?Grand says the little dear.

We have also, from an Irish domestic, a most curious account of the use of the latter version in the town named. Agreeing, as it does, in essential respects with the character which the European game now possesses, and which the English game once evidently possessed, we do not doubt its general correctness; but we have had no opportunity to verify the statement of the somewhat inconsequent informant.

An actual bridge was built up with sticks and boards, and surrounded by the ring of players, dressed in costume; without stood the Devil. Little girls in variously colored dresses represented the angels.

The repeated fall and rebuilding of the bridge was acted out, as described in the verses of the song; this fall was ascribed to the malice of the Devil, who ruined itduring thenight(watching it, said the narrator, from the top of an ash-tree during the day).

The imprisonment of the child enclosed by the arms of the leaders was acted out as described in the note on page208, but in a noteworthy fashion. A chain was taken, and wrapped round the child, in the form of a serpent (for the Devilisa serpent, said the reciter); the captive was taken to a hut (representing apparently the entrance to the Inferno) built by the sea. Meantime, the rest of the train called on their leader for help; but he answered, "the Devil has five feet, and thirteen eyes, and is stronger than I!" The performance lasted five hours; and the name of the edifice was the Devil's Bridge.

In this Irish game, tests were employed to determine whether the captive should belong to the Devil or not. One of these was the ability to walk on a straight line drawn on the ground.

On the windows of French mediæval churches devils may be seen surrounding the condemned with a great chain, which they use to drag them into their clutches.

[132]Or, hiswife.

[133]À l'épayelle (that is, in thebasket)Tout du long de ciel,Tout du long du paradis,Saut'! Saut'! Saut souris!

[133]

À l'épayelle (that is, in thebasket)Tout du long de ciel,Tout du long du paradis,Saut'! Saut'! Saut souris!

[134]See No. 154, E, and note.

[135]Game of New York German children: "Wer ist daraus?" "Der Engel mit dem goldenen Strauss." "Was will er?" "Eine Farbe." "Was für eine?" "Blau," etc. Then "Der Engel mit dem Feuerhaken" comes forward, and so on, "bis alle Farben fort sind."

[136]An imitation of knocking. Italian, Din-din; French, pan! pan! etc.

[137]The dialogue is: "Pan! pan!" "Qui est-ce qui est la?" "C'est le diable avec sa fourche." "Que veut-il?" "Un animal." "Entrez."

[138]A line and a half are wanting.

[139]"I charge my daughters every one,To keep good house while I am gone.Youandyou[points] but speciallySue,Or else I'll beat you black and blue."From "Nursery Rhymes of England," where it is said to be a game of the Gypsy, who "during the mother's absence comes in, entices a child away, and hides her. This process is repeated till all the children are hidden, when the mother has to find them."

[139]

"I charge my daughters every one,To keep good house while I am gone.Youandyou[points] but speciallySue,Or else I'll beat you black and blue."

From "Nursery Rhymes of England," where it is said to be a game of the Gypsy, who "during the mother's absence comes in, entices a child away, and hides her. This process is repeated till all the children are hidden, when the mother has to find them."

[140]This verse is borrowed from another game, No. 102. The drama opens with a foreboding. The prophetic soul of the mother uses the lament of a hen who has lost one of her brood.

[141]Or any elevated position. Also,in heaven.

[142]This Urschel is a mythologic character. When the children of Pfüllingen climb the Urschelberg, where she lives, each child deposits on a certain stone two or three horn buttons as an offering. On returning, they observe whether she has not taken them away; and, even if the buttons remain, they are sure that she has taken pleasure in them. When they pass a certain slope they roll down perforated stones (called "suns"), and the child whose "sun" rolls farthest says with pride, "Urschel liked my present best."Urschel passes for an enchanted maiden, whose original name was Prisca. Every four centuries she plants a beech-tree for the cradle of the youth whose love is at last to release her. The chosen shepherd sees her sitting by the road-side, in the shape of an old woman, dressed in green gown and red stockings. But none has ever dared to wed her for the sake of the castle and treasure she offers.

Urschel passes for an enchanted maiden, whose original name was Prisca. Every four centuries she plants a beech-tree for the cradle of the youth whose love is at last to release her. The chosen shepherd sees her sitting by the road-side, in the shape of an old woman, dressed in green gown and red stockings. But none has ever dared to wed her for the sake of the castle and treasure she offers.

[143]"Le Diable Boîteux."

[144]"An Ogree is a giant with long teeth and claws, with a Raw Head and Bloody Bones, and runs away with naughty boys and girls, and eats them all up."—Story of the "Sleeping Beauty," as given in an old chap-book.

[145]Où est la belle Marguerite,Ogier, beau chevalier?

[145]

Où est la belle Marguerite,Ogier, beau chevalier?

The following is a list of collections of popular games of children, or collections containing such, consulted in preparing the present volume, and referred to in the notes by the names of the editors:

Brand, J.Popular Antiquities of Great Britain. With corrections and additions by W. Carew Hazlitt. (Lond. 1870, 3 vols.) The same, arranged and revised by Henry Ellis. (Lond. 1813, 2 vols.; new ed. 1849.)Chambers, R.Popular Rhymes of Scotland. (New ed. Edinb. 1870; 1st ed. 1842.)Halliwell [Phillips], J. O.The Nursery Rhymes of England. (6th ed. Lond. 1860; 1st ed. 1842; 2d ed. 1843.)

Chambers, R.Popular Rhymes of Scotland. (New ed. Edinb. 1870; 1st ed. 1842.)

Halliwell [Phillips], J. O.The Nursery Rhymes of England. (6th ed. Lond. 1860; 1st ed. 1842; 2d ed. 1843.)

Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales. (Lond. 1849.)

Strutt, J.The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England. (Lond. 1801.)Belèze, G.Jeux des Adolescents. (Paris, 1873.)Bujeaud, J.Chants et Chansons Populaires des Provinces de l'Ouest. (Niort, 1866, 2 vols.)Celnart, Madame.Manuel Complet des Jeux de Société. (2d ed. Paris, 1830.)Chabreul, Madame de.Jeux et Exercises des Jeunes Filles. (2d ed. Paris, 1860.)Dumersan, M.Chansons et Rondes Enfantines. (Paris, 1858.)Durieux, A., andBruyelle, A.Chants et Chansons Pop. du Cambresis. (Cambrai, 1864-68, 2 vols.)Gagnon, E.Chansons Pop. du Canada. (Quebec, 1880.)Gaidoz, H., andRolland, E.Mélusine. Recueil de Myth., Lit Pop., Trad., et Usages. (Paris, 1878.)Kuhff, P.Les Enfantines du Bon Pays de France. (Paris, 1878.)Puymaigre, T. J. B. de.Chants Pop. Rec. dans le Pays Messin. (Paris, 1865; 2d ed. 1881.)Tarbé, P.Romancero de Champagne. (Reims, 1843, 5 vols.)Arbaud, D.Chants Pop. de la Provence. (Aix, 1862. 2 vols.)Montel, A., andLambert, L.Chants Pop. du Languedoc. (Paris, 1880.)Coelho, F. A.Romances Pop. e Rimas Infantís Portuguezes. (Zeit. f. Rom. Phil. vol. iii. 1879.)Marin, F. R.Cantos Pop. Españoles, Tomo 1. Rimas Infantiles. (Sevilla, 1882.)Maspons y Labrós, F.Jochs de la Infancia. (Barcelona, 1874.)Villabrille, F.Los Juegos de la Infancia. (Madrid, 1847.) Contains little of a popular character.Bernoni, G.Guiochi Pop. Veneziani. (Venezia, 1874.)Corazzini, F.I Componimenti Minori della Letteratura Pop. Ital. (Benevento, 1877.)Dalmedico A.Ninne-nanne e Guiochi Infantili Veneziani. (Venezia, 1871.)Ferraro, G.Canti Pop. di Ferrara, etc. (Ferrara, 1877.)

Strutt, J.The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England. (Lond. 1801.)

Belèze, G.Jeux des Adolescents. (Paris, 1873.)

Bujeaud, J.Chants et Chansons Populaires des Provinces de l'Ouest. (Niort, 1866, 2 vols.)

Celnart, Madame.Manuel Complet des Jeux de Société. (2d ed. Paris, 1830.)

Chabreul, Madame de.Jeux et Exercises des Jeunes Filles. (2d ed. Paris, 1860.)

Dumersan, M.Chansons et Rondes Enfantines. (Paris, 1858.)

Durieux, A., andBruyelle, A.Chants et Chansons Pop. du Cambresis. (Cambrai, 1864-68, 2 vols.)

Gagnon, E.Chansons Pop. du Canada. (Quebec, 1880.)

Gaidoz, H., andRolland, E.Mélusine. Recueil de Myth., Lit Pop., Trad., et Usages. (Paris, 1878.)

Kuhff, P.Les Enfantines du Bon Pays de France. (Paris, 1878.)

Puymaigre, T. J. B. de.Chants Pop. Rec. dans le Pays Messin. (Paris, 1865; 2d ed. 1881.)

Tarbé, P.Romancero de Champagne. (Reims, 1843, 5 vols.)

Arbaud, D.Chants Pop. de la Provence. (Aix, 1862. 2 vols.)

Montel, A., andLambert, L.Chants Pop. du Languedoc. (Paris, 1880.)

Coelho, F. A.Romances Pop. e Rimas Infantís Portuguezes. (Zeit. f. Rom. Phil. vol. iii. 1879.)

Marin, F. R.Cantos Pop. Españoles, Tomo 1. Rimas Infantiles. (Sevilla, 1882.)

Maspons y Labrós, F.Jochs de la Infancia. (Barcelona, 1874.)

Villabrille, F.Los Juegos de la Infancia. (Madrid, 1847.) Contains little of a popular character.

Bernoni, G.Guiochi Pop. Veneziani. (Venezia, 1874.)

Corazzini, F.I Componimenti Minori della Letteratura Pop. Ital. (Benevento, 1877.)

Dalmedico A.Ninne-nanne e Guiochi Infantili Veneziani. (Venezia, 1871.)

Ferraro, G.Canti Pop. di Ferrara, etc. (Ferrara, 1877.)

Cinquanta Guiochi Fanciulleschi Monferrini. In Archivio per lo Studio delle Trad. Pop. G. Pitrè, S. Salomone-Mario. Fasc. I., II. (Palermo, 1882.)

Gianandrea, A. S.Saggio di Guiochi e Canti fanciulleschi delle Marche. In Vol. I. of Rivista di Letteratura Pop., G. Pitrè, F. Sabatini. (Roma, 1877.)Imbriani, V.Canti Pop. Avellinesi. (Bologna, 1874.)

Gianandrea, A. S.Saggio di Guiochi e Canti fanciulleschi delle Marche. In Vol. I. of Rivista di Letteratura Pop., G. Pitrè, F. Sabatini. (Roma, 1877.)

Imbriani, V.Canti Pop. Avellinesi. (Bologna, 1874.)

Canzonetti Infantili Pomiglianesi. In Vol. X. of Il Propugnatore. (Bologna, 1877.)

Ive, A.Canti Pop. Istriani. In Vol. V. of Canti e Racconti del Pop. Ital., D. Comparetti and A. D'Ancona. (Torino, 1877.)Pitrè, G.Canti Pop. Siciliani. (Palermo, 1870-71, 2 vols.)Coussemaker, C. E. de.Chants Pop. des Flamands de France. (Gand, 1856.)Hoffmann von Fallersleben, A. H.Horae Belgicae. (2d Aus. Hannover, 1866.)Lootens, A., andFeys, J.Chants Pop. Flamands rec. à Bruges. (Bruges, 1879.)Willems, J. F.Oude Vlaemsche Liederen. (Gent, 1848.)Aus dem Kinderleben, Spiele, Reime, Räthsel. (Oldenburg, 1851.)Baslerische Kinder-und Volks-Reime. (Basel, 187-.)Birlinger, A.Nimm mich mit! Kinderbüchlein. (Freiburg, 1871.)Dunger, H.Kinderlieder und Kinderspiele aus dem Vogtlande. (Plauen, 1874.)Feifalik, J.Kinderreime und Kinderspiele aus Mähren. (Zeit. f. deutsch Myth., Vol. IV.)Fiedler, E.Volksreime und Volkslieder in Anhalt Dessau. (Dessau, 1847.)Frischbier, H.Preussische Volksreime und Volksspiele. (Berlin, 1867.)Handelmann, H.Volks-und Kinder-Spiele aus Schleswig-Holstein. (Kiel, 1874.)Kehrein, J.Volkssprache und Volkssitte im Herzogthum Nassau. (Weilburg, 1862, 2 vols.)Mannhardt, W.Germanische Mythen. (Berlin, 1858.)Meier, E.Deutsche Kinderreime und Kinderspiele aus Schwaben. (Tübingen, 1851.)Mullenhoff, K.Sagen, Märchen, und Lieder d. Herzogthümer Schleswig-Holstein und Lauenburg. (Kiel, 1845.)Peter, A.Volkstümliches aus Üsterreichisch-Schlesien. (Troppau, 1867, 2 vols.)Rochholz, E. L.Alemannisches Kinderlied und Kinderspiel. (Leipzig, 1857.)Schuster, F. W.Siebenbürgisch-Sächsische Volkslieder. (Herrmannstadt, 1865.)Simrock, K.Das deutsche Kinderbuch. (Frankfurt am Main, 1857.)Stoeber, A.Elsässisches Volksbüchlein. (Strasburg, 1842.)Vernaleben, T., andBranky, F.Spiele und Reime der Kinder in Oesterreich. (Wien, 1873.)Wiegenlieder, Ammenreime und Kinderstuben-Scherze in plattdeutscher Mundart. (Bremen, 1859.)Zeitschrift für deutsche Myth. und Sittenkunde, I.-IV. (Göttingen, 1853-59.)Zingerle, J. V.Das deutsche Kinderspiel im Mittelalter. (2d ed. Innsbruck, 1873.)Arwiddson, A. I.Svenska Fornsånger. (Stockholm, 1842, 3 vols.)Djurklou, G.Ur Nerike's Folkspråk och Folklif. (Örebro, 1860.)Dybeck, R.Runa, En Skrift för fädernes-landets fornvänner. (Stockholm, 1842-49.)Grundtvig Svend.Gamle Danske Minder i Folkemunde. (Copenhagen, 1854. New Series, 1857.)

Ive, A.Canti Pop. Istriani. In Vol. V. of Canti e Racconti del Pop. Ital., D. Comparetti and A. D'Ancona. (Torino, 1877.)

Pitrè, G.Canti Pop. Siciliani. (Palermo, 1870-71, 2 vols.)

Coussemaker, C. E. de.Chants Pop. des Flamands de France. (Gand, 1856.)

Hoffmann von Fallersleben, A. H.Horae Belgicae. (2d Aus. Hannover, 1866.)

Lootens, A., andFeys, J.Chants Pop. Flamands rec. à Bruges. (Bruges, 1879.)

Willems, J. F.Oude Vlaemsche Liederen. (Gent, 1848.)

Aus dem Kinderleben, Spiele, Reime, Räthsel. (Oldenburg, 1851.)

Baslerische Kinder-und Volks-Reime. (Basel, 187-.)

Birlinger, A.Nimm mich mit! Kinderbüchlein. (Freiburg, 1871.)

Dunger, H.Kinderlieder und Kinderspiele aus dem Vogtlande. (Plauen, 1874.)

Feifalik, J.Kinderreime und Kinderspiele aus Mähren. (Zeit. f. deutsch Myth., Vol. IV.)

Fiedler, E.Volksreime und Volkslieder in Anhalt Dessau. (Dessau, 1847.)

Frischbier, H.Preussische Volksreime und Volksspiele. (Berlin, 1867.)

Handelmann, H.Volks-und Kinder-Spiele aus Schleswig-Holstein. (Kiel, 1874.)

Kehrein, J.Volkssprache und Volkssitte im Herzogthum Nassau. (Weilburg, 1862, 2 vols.)

Mannhardt, W.Germanische Mythen. (Berlin, 1858.)

Meier, E.Deutsche Kinderreime und Kinderspiele aus Schwaben. (Tübingen, 1851.)

Mullenhoff, K.Sagen, Märchen, und Lieder d. Herzogthümer Schleswig-Holstein und Lauenburg. (Kiel, 1845.)

Peter, A.Volkstümliches aus Üsterreichisch-Schlesien. (Troppau, 1867, 2 vols.)

Rochholz, E. L.Alemannisches Kinderlied und Kinderspiel. (Leipzig, 1857.)

Schuster, F. W.Siebenbürgisch-Sächsische Volkslieder. (Herrmannstadt, 1865.)

Simrock, K.Das deutsche Kinderbuch. (Frankfurt am Main, 1857.)

Stoeber, A.Elsässisches Volksbüchlein. (Strasburg, 1842.)

Vernaleben, T., andBranky, F.Spiele und Reime der Kinder in Oesterreich. (Wien, 1873.)

Wiegenlieder, Ammenreime und Kinderstuben-Scherze in plattdeutscher Mundart. (Bremen, 1859.)

Zeitschrift für deutsche Myth. und Sittenkunde, I.-IV. (Göttingen, 1853-59.)

Zingerle, J. V.Das deutsche Kinderspiel im Mittelalter. (2d ed. Innsbruck, 1873.)

Arwiddson, A. I.Svenska Fornsånger. (Stockholm, 1842, 3 vols.)

Djurklou, G.Ur Nerike's Folkspråk och Folklif. (Örebro, 1860.)

Dybeck, R.Runa, En Skrift för fädernes-landets fornvänner. (Stockholm, 1842-49.)

Grundtvig Svend.Gamle Danske Minder i Folkemunde. (Copenhagen, 1854. New Series, 1857.)

Danske Folkeminder. (Copenhagen, 1861.)

Hammershaimb, V. U.Faeröiske Skikke og Lege. (Antiquarisk Tidsskrift, Copenhagen 1849-51.)Thiele, J. M.Danske Folkesagn. (Copenhagen, 1820-23, 4 vols.)Wigstrom, Eva.Folkdiktning. (Copenhagen, 1880.)Bezsonoff, A.Dyetskia Pyesni. Songs of (Russian) Children. (Moscow, 1868.)Mozarowski, A.Svyatochnoia Pyesni. Christmas Games of the Government of Kazan (Kazan, 1873.)Vr̆cević, V.Sprske Narodne Igre. Servian Popular Games (Belgrade, 1868.)Neus, H.Ehstnische Volkslieder. (Reval, 1850.)

Hammershaimb, V. U.Faeröiske Skikke og Lege. (Antiquarisk Tidsskrift, Copenhagen 1849-51.)

Thiele, J. M.Danske Folkesagn. (Copenhagen, 1820-23, 4 vols.)

Wigstrom, Eva.Folkdiktning. (Copenhagen, 1880.)

Bezsonoff, A.Dyetskia Pyesni. Songs of (Russian) Children. (Moscow, 1868.)

Mozarowski, A.Svyatochnoia Pyesni. Christmas Games of the Government of Kazan (Kazan, 1873.)

Vr̆cević, V.Sprske Narodne Igre. Servian Popular Games (Belgrade, 1868.)

Neus, H.Ehstnische Volkslieder. (Reval, 1850.)

The object of the following notes is to exhibit, in a clear manner, the extent of the correspondence between the games of American children and those belonging to children in other countries. This volume is not intended to include all games of children, but (with some exceptions in favor of certain amusements which possess interest as folk-lore) only such as are played with words or quaint formulas. Of games of this class, we find in the collections very few known to children in Great Britain, and possessing European diffusion, which are not represented in this series by independent American versions (see No. 160, note, end). With these exceptions, the British game-formulas to which American usage does not offer equivalents are local and of trifling interest. The references given below may, therefore, be considered as a comparative account of English children's games in general.

The coincidence which this comparison shows to exist between English and German games is very close. Taking three German collections—belonging respectively to Switzerland (Rochholz), to Suabia (Meier), and to Schleswig-Holstein (Handelmann)—and leaving out of account songs and ballads, we have about eighty games played with rhymes or formulas. Of this number, considering only cases of obvious identity, we estimate that forty-five have equivalents in the present series, and thirty-three are not so paralleled. But of the latter class, six are known to have been played in Great Britain, while thirteen others appear to be variations of types represented in this collection. Of the small number remaining, few seem to be ancient, it being impossible to point out more than three or four really curious games which are not played also in an English form. This agreement cannot be explained by inheritance from a common stock, a theory which research has also discredited in other branches of folk-lore. The relationship is only a degree less near in other countries; thus, in a collection of Spanish games belonging to Catalonia (Maspons y Labrós), we find that, out of thirty-eight games, twenty-five have English equivalents.

Carol, p.9. Middle LatinChoraula, fromchoreola. The wordcoraulais still used to denote the ring-dance in Switzerland; alsocoreihi, to leap (choreare), Rochholz, p. 371. Russianchorom, a round of children, Bezsonoff, p. 190.

May-games, pp.16-19. Tarbé, "Romancero de Champagne," ii. 61. Puymaigre, p. 201, "Trimazos." A. Rivinus, "De Majumis," etc., in Graevius, Syntagma (Utrecht, 1702).

Games Cited by Froissart(pp.34,35).—The passage here rendered (with the omission of two or three obscure names of amusements) is from "L'Espinette Amoureuse," l. 143-338, 35-47. Many of the games mentioned cannot now be recognized from the titles given. Others, however, can be identified; thus,Queue loo loo(keuve leu leu) is No. 106 of the present collection;Oats(avainne), No. 21;Scorn or Derision(risées), perhaps No. 61;King who does not lie, perhaps No. 55;Grasses(erbelette), No. 42;Cligne-musette(Cluignette), No. 105;Pince-merine, according to Menagier de Paris, lxxvii., the same asPince-sans-rire, No. 77, C.Playing with nuts, No. 144;Throwing pence, etc., No. 144, B.Pebbles(pierettes), No. 137, or No. 148.Hook(havot), perhapsHockey, No. 136.Mule, a kind of leapfrog, still played in Italy,Salta-muletta, Gianandrea, No. 30. A species of this game in Philadelphia is now calledSaults. Replies (réponniaux), a sort ofHide and seek, No. 105, in which the concealed person indicates his whereabouts in answer to a call; see same poem, l. 2653.Astonishment(esbahi), a game which consisted in imitating that emotion; thus, when the horses of a party have given out unexpectedly—"I should think we were playing at Astonishment," says one of the cavaliers, looking at the faces of the rest (Dict. of La Curne de Sainte-Palaye, art. "Esbahi"). On the whole, the impression which the catalogue gives us, is that the sports of a child in the Middle Ages were very similar to those of to-day, or, perhaps we should rather say, of yesterday.

Love-games(p.39).—This is an old name for games representing or offering opportunity for courtship, as "love-songs" is for ballads. We have heard both expressions in New England, from the lips of aged persons, in whose youth they were current. See the Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1738.

No. 1. English versions are numerous. Halliwell, Nurs. Rh. (6th ed.), Nos. 332, 333. Pop. Rh., pp. 123, 124. Chambers, p. 143; p. 141, "Janet jo." Notes and Queries, 1st ser. VI. 241; 5th ser. IV. 51, 157.—German, Meier, p. 107 (cited), 109: Handelmann, p. 62. Vernaleken, p. 55, etc.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 175 f.—Icelandic, Arwiddson, iii. 182. Lyngbye, Faeröiske Quaeder, p. 37, introd. note.—Faroese, Antiq. Tids., 1849-51, p. 310, "Princes riding," compare No. 3.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 43, "L'Imbasciatore." Gianandrea, No. 23, "Il bel Castello."—Spanish(Catalan), Maspons y Labrós, p. 47, "La Conversa del rey Moro."—French, Ch. du Cambresis, i. 80.2. A variety of No. 1. Corresponding is theFaroeseversion referred to, in which the suitors, after rejection as thralls, smiths, etc., are finally accepted as princes, with the expression "tak vid" (literally "take with"), be welcome, which may explain the peculiar use of the word "take" in our rhyme.3. Also a variety of No. 1. Folk-lore Record, iii. 170. Chambers, p. 139 (cited). "I am a lusty wooer" (the version referred to, p. 49, note) is said to have beenplayed by Charles II. See the Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1738; Nurs. Rh., No. 491.4. Henderson, Folk-lore of the Northern Counties (Lond. 1879), p. 27. Compare French round in Celnart, p. 24.5. Nurs. Rh., No. 479. Compare No. 31.6. Nurs. Rh., No. 466, "The Keys of Canterbury." Chambers, p. 61, "The Tempted Lady."7.French, Celnart, p. 15, sixth round, presents verbal correspondence.8. These versions belong to a game, widely diffused through Europe, in which a "rich" mother begs away, one by one, the daughters of a "poor" mother, until she has secured them all.—German, Frischbier, No. 657.—French, Chabreul, p. 175, "Riche et Pauvre." Celnart, p. 382, "Olivé Beauvé et la voisine." Ch. du Camb., i. 77, "La Boiteuse." The celebrated song "Giroflé Giroflà" is of the same origin. In the Canadian round (Gagnon, p. 149), and in the English rhyme, for the sake of the dance, the mother whose daughters are begged away or stolen is turned into a mother whose object is to marry her many daughters; so theSwedish(Arwiddson, iii. 203), which presents verbal correspondence to the English song of our collection. Arwiddson, iii. 167, game of "Rich and Poor Birds." The first comes in limping, leaning on a cane, and with piteous gestures begs the train of the other. By comparing No. 154, and note, it will be seen that all the above games make up a single branch of the numerous outgrowths of a primitive root, which is responsible for no small part of the amusements of youth in Europe. Compare Nurs. Rh., No. 343.10. Connected is a European game representing courtship—meeting, saluting, parting, etc.—German, Frischbier, No. 674.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 257.—Flemish, Looten and Feys, No. 113. A different but related game isFrench, Celnart, p. 14 (cited). Chabreul, p. 157. Gagnon, p. 151.—Italian, Corazzini, p. 84.—The words "Rowe the boat" begin a waterman's roundel, A.D. 1453; see Chappell's Pop. Music of the Olden Time, p. 482.—(4.)French, Ch. du Camb., i. 221 (cited).11. Chambers, p. 140, "Janet jo." Folk-lore Record, iii. 171, "Jenny Jones." See Coussemaker, p. 100, Flemish "Maiden's Dance."—Bernoni, Cant. Pop. Venez. xi. 2, "Rosetina."—Roxburghe Coll. i. 186-189, Ballad of "The Bride's Buriall."12. Compare N. and Q., 3d ser. VII. 353.13. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 133. Henderson, Folk-lore, p. 26.15. N. and Q., 5th ser. III. 482.—French round cited, Ch. du Camb., ii. 58. Gagnon, p. 303 (cited, p. 8). Bugeaud, i. 202.16. Chambers, p. 118.—French, Ch. du Camb., ii. 42.17.DanishandSwedishballads, Sv. Grundtvig, Danmarks Gamle Folkeviser, Nos. 180, 181.18. Child, Eng. and Scot. Ballads, 1857, iii. 136.19. Child, ii. 154.20.Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 196.21.French, Celnart, p. 21, etc.—Provençal, see Fauriel, Hist. de la Poésie Prov., ii. 87.—Spanish(Catalan), Mila y Fontanals, Romanc. Cat., p. 173.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 37. (Sicily) Pitrè, ii. 33.—German, Meier, pp. 136, 137.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 326.—Rounds of a similar type, Chabreul, p. 146, "Salade." Bugeaud, i. 48, "Plantons la Vigne."22.German, Dunger, pp. 184-186. Mullenhoff, p. 484, No. 2. "Aus dem Kinderleben," p. 33.—Finnish, Neus, p. 387.23. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 127. Chambers, p. 134.25. A variation of 23, 24. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 130. Chambers, p. 135.—French, Gagnon, p. 99. Chabreul, p. 141, etc.—Spanish, Marin, i. 96, "Thus do the Shoemakers."26. Folk-lore Rec., iii. 170. Compare French game, Ch. du Camb., i. 223.28. Nurs. Rh., No. 287.29. Folk-lore Rec., iii. 169. For French game referred to, see Laisnel de la Salle, ii. 151.—French, Celnart, p. 53, "L'Anguille Enfilée."30. Compare Provençal nurse-songs, in Chants Pop. du Languedoc, "Chants énumeratifs," especially p. 432.31. Compare No. 5.32. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 119, "Mary Brown." N. and Q., 6th ser. II. 248.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 233.—Finnish, Neus, p. 388.—Italian, Comparetti, iv. 263.—French, Mélusine, p. 542.33. Chambers, p. 25. N. and Q., 4th ser. II. 274.—Flemish,Dutch,German, Hor. Belg., ii., Nos. 143, 145.—French(Canada), Gagnon, p. 129.34. Nurs. Rh., No. 290. To this class of jests belongs the German tale, Grimm, No. 119, "Die sieben Schwaben."35. Chambers, p. 344. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 218, quotes the first lines of this rhyme from Aubrey's Miscellanies, ed. 1696.36. Compare Chambers, p. 137, "A Courtship Dance."—French, Celnart, p. 19.—Canadian song of Perrette, Gagnon, p. 286.38. For way of playing, compare No. 22.40. Chappell, Pop. Music of the Olden Time, p. 589.—French(Canada), Gagnon, p. 223.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 369.42.Germanusages, Rochholz, pp. 172-174. Meier, p. 93.—In Middle Ages, Zingerle, pp. 32, 33.—Italian, Corazzini, pp. 93, 94.—Drawing lots by spires of grass is probably the "Erbelette" of Froissart; see Celnart, p. 105, "L'Herbette Joliette."—Spanish, Marin, i. 123.43.Germanusages, Rochholz, pp. 174-183.45. Compare French of Gagnon, p. 147.46.French, Ch. du Camb., i. 119, etc.—German, Peter, p. 49, etc.—Flemish, Willems, p. 522.—Breton, Mélusine, p. 462.47.French, Rabelais, Gargantua, ch. xxii. Laisnel de la Salle, ii. 156.48. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., pp. 263-265. Chambers, p. 31.—German, Rochholz, pp. 156-170; he refers to the Rigsmál of the poetic Edda. Schuster, p. 364, etc.—Provençal, Ch. Pop. du Languedoc, p. 517, "Las Bestios."50. Nurs. Rh., No. 278. Compare Finnish game, Neus, p. 417.52.German, Vernaleken, p. 94. Meier, p. 135.—French, Chabreul, p. 183.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 400.53. Strutt, p. 294. Brand, ii. 287.—German, Vernaleken, p. 86, "Ritterschlagen." Rochholz, p. 435.—French, "Les Ambassadeurs," Celnart, p. 131. Old English game of "Questions and Commands," Gent.'s Mag., Feb. 1738; Rochholz, p. 413.55. Perhaps the "Roi qui ne ment" of Froissart, which he mentions as a game of his childhood (see p. 34), and also as played by great personages.56.French, Celnart, p. 125.57. Similarly, in a French game, "Le Roi Dépouillé" (Celnart, p. 139), the player must say "Oserais-je?" at every movement.58. See the round in Chappell, Pop. Mus., p. 77.60. Perhaps connected with No. 154. Compare German, Vernaleken, p. 52, No. 8.61. Very likely the "Derision" (Risées) of Froissart.62.German, Rochholz, p. 183. Vernaleken, p. 47, etc.—Provençal, "Lou brandet de Roso," Ch. Pop. du Languedoc, p. 577.64.German, Dunger, p. 176, played also in New York. The rhyme in the text seems a recent translation.68. Nurs. Rh., No. 352. Chambers, p. 137.—French, Celnart, p. 19.—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 100, "Jan petit."71. Nurs. Rh., No. 218.74. Chambers, p. 139, "Curcuddie."—French, Celnart, p. 353, "Les Jarcotons."—Among games of motion might have been mentioned the familiar "Puss in the Corner," Gent.'s Mag., Feb. 1738.—French, Celnart, p. 57, "Les Quatre Coins," etc.75. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 128.—Danish, Grundtvig, Dansk. Folk., 2d ser. p. 142.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 19, No. 18.—Spanish, Marin,I.52, No. 84.76. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 112.—French, Chabreul, p. 8, "Petit bonhomme vist encore, car il n'est pas mort."—German, Handelmann, p. 31, "Little man still lives."—TheHigh-Germanformula is, "Stirbt der Fuchs, so gilt der Balg." Like the English phrase is a Danish game, "Do not let my master's bird die", Syv, "Adagia Danica," p. xlvii.—Russian(Kazan), Mozarowski, p. 88, "Kurilka lives, she is not dead."77. (a)German, Vernaleken, p. 89.—French, Celnart, p. 307—(b) Nurs. Rh., No. 282.—German, Vernaleken, p. 88, "Vater Eberhard."—(c)German, Rochholz, p. 430, No. 50.—French, Rabelais, Gargantua, ch. xxii. Celnart, p. 124, "Pince-sans-rire."79. Compare finger-game in Chambers, p. 116. Italian finger-game referred to, Bernoni, p. 22, No. 25.81. Strutt, p. 290, "Hammer and Block."83.French.—Celnart, p. 162, "Le Chevalier Gentil."86. Nurs. Rh., Nos. 297, 307.—German, Meier, p. 138; Handelmann, p. 40.—French, Mélusine, p. 198.87.Italian(the game, not the rhyme), Ferraro, G. Monfer., No. 10.—Spanish, Marin, i. 48, No. 71. Compare Nurs. Rh., No. 293; Chambers, p. 159.88. Celnart (2d ed.,A.D.1830) gives sixty kinds of "pénitences," consisting in kissing, as then usual in French society (see p. 6).—French, Celnart, p. 302, "Les Aunes d'Amour," the same as "Measuring yards of tape."—German, Frischbier, p. 201, "Aus dem Brunnen erretten," equivalent to "I'm in the well." "Redeeming forfeits in Germany," Frischbier, p. 199.89. With the dialogue at the end of the second version, compare No. 154, B. An Italian game, Corazzini, p. 104, has a similar theme.90. Spectator, No. 268.—German, Rochholz, p. 440.91. Strutt, p. 386. "Even or Odd." A universal game.—Ancient Egyptian, Wilkinson, ii. 416.—Ancient Greek, Aristotle, Rhet. iii. 5. The formula is ἄρτια ἢ περισσά—Latin, "par impar."—German, "grad oder ungrad," or "effen oder uneffen."—Spanish, Marin, i. 51, "Pares ó Nones" ("par est, non est").92. The similarItaliangame begins, "Galota, galota," whence, no doubt, our "Hulgul," Gianandrea, No. 20.—Ancient Greek, Scholiast to Aristophanes, Plut. 1057, πόσα ἐν χερσὶν ἔχω; "How many have I in my hands?" Suidas (10th century), Lexicon, under παιδιά, writes: "There is a game of the following character among the Athenians: Having taken up a number of nuts and holding out his hand, one asks, 'How many have I?' And if [the other] guesses the number, he takes as many as he has in his hand; but if he fails to guess, he loses as many as the asker holds in his hand."—Latin, given by Helenius Acron (4th century), "quot in sunt?" See Marin, note to preceding game.—German, Meier, p. 123, "Wie viel sollen Kerner in meiner Hand sein?" Handelmann, p. 35, etc.93. A child rests his head in the lap of another, while a third claps the back of the first, keeping time to the words of the rhyme, and finally raises a certain number of fingers; if the kneeling child can guess the number, he takes the other's place.—Spanish, Marin, i. 51, No. 81. The rhyme closely resembles the English given in the text.—Italian, Imbriani, No. 30, where the question is, "How many horns do I hold up?"—German, Meier, pp. 135, 136, where it is asked, "Wie viel Hörner hat der Bock?" This allusion to the goat (as a leaping animal) refers to the usual practice of riding on the back of the stooping child while putting the question.—German, Rochholz, p. 434.—Dutch, Hor. Belg., vi. 182. The formulas differ. Tylor, Primitive Culture, i. 67. The Latin formula of Petronius is curiously translated by F. Nodot,A.D.1694: "Étant à cheval sur luy, il luy donna plusieurs coups du plat de la main sur les épaules, disant tout haut en riant, Quatre cornes dans un sac, combien font-ils? ce jeu fini," etc. Nodot remarks of his free translation, that it is still a boys' game in France.94. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 116, "Handy-Dandy."—German(Austria), Vernaleken, p. 41. The formula is the exact counterpart of the English: "Windle, wandle, in welchen Handle, oben oder unt?" Handelmann, p. 35 (Schleswig-Holstein), "Where dwells the smith? Above or below?"—Spanish, Marin, p. 50, No. 77.95.German, Meier, p. 124, "Under which finger sits the hare?"97. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 125, "My Lady's lost her diamond ring."—Low-Germanformulas exactly correspond to our "Hold fast what I give you." Thus the North Frisian, "Biwari wel, wat ik di du," Handelmann, p. 38. Corresponding to "Button, button, who's got the button?" is theItalian"Anello, anello, chi ha mi anello?" Gianandrea, No. 14.—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 86.98. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 133.99.German, Frischbier, p. 195.100. A universal game.101. Halliwell, Nurs. Rh., Nos. 328, 357; Pop. Rh., p. 118; Chambers, p. 123, "The King and Queen of Cantelon."—German, Rochholz, p. 414, No. 32.102. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 132, "The Old Dame," like our B. The Scotch of Chambers, p. 130, "Gled Wylie" (wily hawk) corresponds to our first version.—German, Mullenhoff, p. 488; Handelmann, p. 76, etc.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 164.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 34, No. 40, here a game of a witch like our second version.—Finnish, Neus, p. 418, begins like the Scotch.—Russian, Bezsonoff, p. 195, probably borrowed from the German.103. The name, "Tag," in Gent.'s Mag., Feb. 1738.—German, Handelmann, p. 66, "Eisen anfassen;" "Eisenzech" in Berlin; "Eisenziggi" in Switzerland.—Italian,Bernoni, p. 62, "Toca fero."—"Squat-tag" is alsoSpanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 81.105.Ancient Greek, Pollux, ix. 117, Ἀποδιδρασκίνδα, "Game of Running Away."—German, Vernaleken, p. 89, "Verstecherlspiel," "Einschauen."—Italian, Bernoni, p. 61, "Chi se vede, eh!"—French, Celnart, p. 55, "Cligne-musette" or "Cache-cache."106.French, Chabreul, p. 1, "La Queue Leuleu," mentioned by Froissart.—German, Rochholz, p. 408, etc.; Schuster, p. 392, a game of wolf and geese; soRussian, Bezsonoff, p. 205.107.Spanish, Marin, i. 169. The seeker must wait until the hiders, who go off one by one as they are counted out, cry "Jilo bianco, jilo negro," etc. Hence, probably, the cry "Blancalilo," etc., of the English game. The rest proceeds like No. 105. In the Spanish sport, a player reaching goal must spit three times; this seems to have been originally a conjuration against the Evil Spirit, whom the seeker represented.108.Ancient Greek, Pollux, ix. 113, 123. The game is universal. See Handelmann, p. 71. Child, Eng. and Scot. Pop. Bal., 1882, i. 67.109.German, Handelmann, p. 65, "Die Hexe." The games are identical; yet the children, from whom the version in the text was learned, imagined that they had "made it up!"110. Strutt, p. 61.—German, Vernaleken, p. 63, "Das Barlaufen."—French, Celnart, p. 58, "Les Barres."—Italian, Bernoni, p. 87. The French wordbarresis probably only a false interpretation of an older wordbar, a form of our base, meaning goal; so Swiss "Bahre," Basle. Kindr., p. 30.—Flemish, in Hor. Belg., vi. 181.111. N. and Q., 2d ser. VIII. pp. 70, 132. Brand, ii. 316.—German, Handelmann, p. 81, "Die Katzen von dem Berge." The phrase is "Cat, cat, off my hill!"—French, Belèze, p. 42, "Le Roi Détroné."113. Chambers, p. 122, "Hickety Bickety."—German, Aus dem Kinderleben, p. 24. Rochholz, p. 442.114. Folk-lore Rec., iii. 169; Chambers, p. 36. See No. 89.115.German, Vernaleken, p. 74, "Weinbeer-Schneiden."—Italian, Bernoni, p. 50. This is a variation of No. 156; compare Frischbier, p. 186.116. Chambers, p. 127, "Scots and English."117. This number includes the remains of two ancient games: (a)Ancient Greek, σχοινοφιλίνδα, Pollux, ix. 115, in which a player must be whipped round the ring with the cord he has dropped at the back of another.—German, in 14th century, Mone, Anzeiger, 1839, p. 395.—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 22.—French, Celnart, p. 55. (b) Strutt, p. 285, "Cat and Mouse, or Kiss in the Ring," where a player pursues another round and through the circle.—French, Celnart, p. 39, "Le Chat et la Souris."—Italian, Gianandrea, No. 6.—German, Handelmann, p. 78.122. Variation of No. 121. The name connects it with the old English game of "Frog in the Middle," Strutt, p. 293; the ancient Greek, χυτρίνδα," pot-game," see p. 31, note.123.German, Vernaleken, p. 75. Handelmann, p. 80. Meier, p. 105. See No. 89.124.French, Chabreul, p. 22, "La Toilette de Madame."125. Nurs. Rh., No. 131.127.German, Rochholz, p. 430, No. 50. See Nos. 77, 152, 153.128. "Marble-day" in Sussex is Good Friday, N. and Q., 5th ser. XII. 18. "Times" of German sports, Basle. Kindr., p. 30. Meier, p. 92, 8.129. Brand, ii. 302, "Camp." Strutt, p. 78.—Ancient Greek, Pollux, ix. 104.—IcelandicandLow-German, Weinhold, Altnord. Leben, p. 292. Egils Saga, ch. 40.130. Games of ball played with the hand are, of course, universal.131. Strutt, p. 381 (new ed.). Strutt, p. 76. Bradford's History of Plymouth (ed. by Ch. Deane, Boston, 1856), p. 112. Ducange, under Pelota. Wirt Sikes, British Goblins, p. 272.132.German(Austria), Vernaleken, p. 2. (Schleswig-Holstein), Handelmann, p. 88, "Stehball." (Switzerland), Rochholz, p. 388.136. Jamieson gives Scotch name as "Shinty."—Italian, Ferraro, G. Monfer., No. 38.137.German, Vernaleken, p. 9.—French, Celnart, p. 69.—Italian, Ferraro, G. Monfer., No. 23, "Le Pietruzze."138.German, Vernaleken, p. 10. Rochholz, p. 389.139.German, Vernaleken, p. 11. Rochholz, p. 399.140.German, Vernaleken, p. 15.—The American word "Cat" ("one old cat," "two old cat," etc.) is explained by the Flemish "Caetsen, Ketsen," the common name of the game of ball in the Netherlands, Hor. Belg., vi. 177.141.German, names of "marbles." "Schnell-Kügelchen" (15th century), "Schusser," "Löper," also "Marmeln," the latter when made of marble. A MS. of the 15th century mentions "the yellow glass used for the little yellow balls with which schoolboys play, and which are very cheap," Rochholz, p. 421.—Playing marbles (kluckern) in the streets was forbidden on pain of torture, by the Reformers in Zurich,A.D.1530.—The general name in North Friesland is "Rollkugle," "rollballs."—Frenchname, "billes;" see Celnart and Belèze for description of games. The game of Roman boys with nuts, from which marbles is probably derived, is still played in the Netherlands, Hor. Belg., vi. 182. Nuts are also used instead of marbles in Italy, Gianandrea, No. 20.142. Strutt, p. 86, "Tip-cat." Brand, ii. 303, "Kit-cat." The game, which is played inHindostan, N. and Q., 4th ser. IV. 93, may probably have made its way into Europe from the East.—German, Handelmann, p. 89, "Kipseln." Vernaleken, p. 29, "Titschkerln."—Italian, Bernoni, p. 81; p. 82, "Chiba e Cheba."143. Brand, ii. 305.144. (a)German, Rochholz, p. 426. Vernaleken, p. 25.—French, Celnart, p. 379, "La Fossette aux Noyaux," played with cherry-stones or plum-stones. The fillip given to the stone is calledpoguer, poke. Froissart appears to allude to this game, (b) Also ancient.—Italian, Gianandrea, No. 20, "Battemuro."145.German, Handelmann, p. 92, "Kaak."—Italian, Gianandrea, No. 17, "La Checca."146. Strutt, p. 266. Brand, ii. 330, "Scotch-hoppers" mentioned A.D. 1677.—German, Vernaleken, p. 38, "Tempelhupfen."—Italian, Bernoni, p. 84, "El Campanon."—French, Celnart, p. 379, "La Marelle."—Hindostan, N. and Q., 4th ser. IV. 93.147.German, Handelmann, p. 96, "Stickmest."148. Though played in Great Britain, the game is not (so far as we know) mentioned by writers.—French, Celnart, p. 375 f., "Les Osselets."—Spanish, Marin, pp. 80-95, 150-159, "Juego de las Chinas," "Game of the Stones."—German, Meier, p. 145.—Japanese, Tedama, "Hand-balls."149. Rhymes for counting out are used throughout Europe, and examples could be cited of types corresponding to most of the English forms, and sometimes evidently related. Peculiar is the usage in Spain, where the syllables are told off alternately on the closed hands of a player, who holds a pebble; if the last syllable falls on the hand containing the stone, the lad proving his fortune is free, and so on until only one child remains. The custom has given a proverb to the language. Marin, i. 117. A like usage (without the rhymes) we have found to be the usual way of selection in a town of Pennsylvania (Bethlehem).150. First printed in Ritson's "Gammer Gurton's Garland." Other original versions: (1) Gent.'s Mag., Sept. 1823; (2), (3) The Critic, Jan. 15, 1857, and (4) Feb. 2, 1857. The last mentioned is nearly identical with our B. The communicator of (1) refers it, through an aged informant, to a lady born in the reign of Charles II.; it has several more verses than the last, generally agreeing with our E, but lacks the ending. The rhyme, in England, appears at present to be known as a song only. The European rhyme is properly a dialogue, the verses being sung alternately by the warders and the approaching party; the former, whose joined and lowered arms represent the fallen bridge, do not elevate them until the negotiations are concluded. The game is, no doubt, that mentioned under the name of "Coda Romana," by G. Villani, Istorie Fiorent.,A.D.1328, ch. xcvi., as played by the boys of Florence, in which the question put to the imprisoned player is said to have been, "Guelf or Ghibelline?"—German, Meier, p. 101 (cited), etc. Mannhardt in Zeitschr. f. d. Myth., iv. 301-320, gives twenty-seven versions, includingSlavic,Hungarian,Scandinavian.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 250.—French, Chabreul, p. 117, "Le Ciel et l'Enfer." Celnart, p. 52, 'Le Pontlevis.'—Italian, Bernoni, p. 46, "Le Porte." Corazzini, pp. 90-93; p. 87 (a mixed form with No. 154).—Spanish, A. de Ledesma,A.D.1605, beginning "Fallen is the bridge." See Marin, i. 166-168.—For the English rhyme, see also N. and Q., 1st Ser. II. p. 338.The name "Lady Lee" in the song may imply a legend. We read in Nature, June 15, 1871, p. 118: "It is not, for example, many years since the present Lord Leigh was accused of having built an obnoxious person—one account, if we remember right, said eight obnoxious persons—into the foundation of a bridge at Stoneleigh." The communicator of version (2) (The Critic, Jan. 15, 1857) spelt the nameLeigh, and took "the Lady Leigh of the song to be the wife of Sir Thomas Leigh, who was Lord Mayor of London in 1558, ... ancestor of the noble family of Leigh of Stoneleigh, Warwickshire." Compare the ballad of "The Bridge of Arta," Passow, Pop. Carmina Græciæ Recent., No. 511; Tommaseo, Cant. Pop. Toscani, iii. 174 f.; F. Liebrecht, Zur Volkskunde, 1879, p. 284.151. A variation of No. 150.—Italian, Corazzini, pp. 91-93, beginning, "Open, open the gates." Gianandrea, No. 3, "Le Porte del Paradiso." The dialogue ends, "Let the King of France with all his soldiers pass."152.Italian, Bernoni, p. 54.—French, Ch. du Camb. i. 133.—German, Vernaleken, p. 55.153.German, Meier, p, 117, "Farben aufgeben," etc.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 51, "I colori." This version is identical with the German and our A, as is also theSpanish(or Catalan), Maspons y Labrós, p. 91. The game of "Los Colores" is mentioned by A. de Ledesma,A.D.1605.—French, Belèze, p. 40 (cited).Intermediate between this number and the following are games ofselling birds, Frischbier, p. 184; ofcatching birds, Rochholz, p. 449.Greek game of the shell, Ὀστρακίνδα, Pollux, ix. 111.154. The following is our classification of the numerous games (not before noticed as connected) belonging to this cycle of childish tradition:(1.) Versions preserving the original idea of the child-stealing witch (as in our A, B, and C).—Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 131 (cited).—German, Meier, p. 117 (cited).—Italian, Corazzini, p. 110, a fragment.(2.) Versions in which (as in our D) the mother is represented as present, and the game becomes one ofbegginginstead ofstealingchildren. This is the case in mostGermanversions. The tests described in No. 152 are introduced and become the leading feature of the game.—German, Frischbier, p. 183. Rochholz, p. 436, and p. 444, where the mother is called "Maria, mother of God," and the game "Getting Angels." Mullenhoff, p. 486, No. 7.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. p. 437 (cited). Mannhardt, Germanische Mythologie, pp. 273-321, gives fourteen versions, with a long discussion of this game, and concludes (p. 297) that the last girl of the row (who in our A is the eldest daughter, but here represents the "Mother Rose") "personates the goddess Freya cherishing in or behind the clouds the souls of the dead, who, renewed through the heavenly waters (the fountain of youth), are destined to return to earth at new birth as the souls of children!"It is very curious to observe that several Prussian versions contain traits only explained by the American games, the form of which they thus imply as more original. Thus the mother isinvited to a mealby the witch, Frischbier, p. 182, and the person invited sendsexcuses(see our A).(3.) The mother and children are represented in childish fashion as a hen and her brood (see our B, and No. 101). Hence the game of the "Rich and Poor Birds;" see references in No. 8, note.—Italian, Corazzini, pp. 86-88. Gianandrea, No. 19, "Madonna Pollinara."(4.) The children are denoted by the names of leaves or flowers.—German, Vernaleken, p. 58, "Die Grossmutter." The visitor begs for a leaf as balsam to heal her injury, and the girls are gathered under the name of leaves. So Frischbier, p. 181. Feifalik, No. 81.—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, pp. 87-89, game of "Pulling Leeks."(5.) The game has become a representation of selling pottery.—German, Frischbier, p. 183. Mannhardt, p. 284.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 169, "Selling Pots," a dance, has become a mere mercenary transaction.—The English game of "Honey-pots" is a version of this, where the weighing feature is to be explained as in No. 152.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 57, "I Piteri," where the original idea reappears. The purchaser advanceslimping(a characteristic of witches), and the game is one of stealing and recovery (like our London version E).—Italian, Gianandrea, No. 19. The first part of the game is played as in (3). The "pots" are weighed, as in the English game mentioned. Ferraro, G. Monfer., No. 43, where the purchaser is the devil, and the game thus passes over into the form of No. 153.—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 87, "Las Gerras."(6.) A game of stealing or measuring cloth.—German, Rochholz, p. 437, "Tuch anmessen." In this game, mentioned by the mother of Goethe (Düntzer, Frauenbilder aus Goethe's Jugendzeit, p. 506), the children are arranged against the wall to represent cloth, which the dealer measures and names by the color of the stockings of the children. A thief steals the cloth bit by bit, which the dealer must recover by guessing the color, a task of some difficulty, the stockings having beentaken off in the interval. A very curious Low-German version, Brem. Wiegenlieder, p. 61, removes any doubt as to the relation of the amusement to the original game. In this version the colored cloths are only names for children. There are verbal coincidences with forms given in the text, the dialogue beginning "Mother, the broth is boiling over!" (as in our version B), put (as in our version C) into the mouth of the watcher left in charge by the absent mother; so Aus dem Kinderleben, p. 39, "Leinendieb." The remainder of the first paragraph of C will be found almost word for word in Handelmann, p. 57, No. 80, "Frau Rosen," a version of the form (2).—Italian, Bernoni, p. 55, "I Brazzi de Tela," "the measures of cloth." The thief advanceslimping, the owner having departed, steals the cloth, but is pursued, and the goods recovered, as in the game of pots described above. Ferraro, G. Monfer., No. 3.—French, Celnart, p. 43, "La Toile," has become a kissing romp of grown people.(7.) Finally, to the same root belong various rounds and dances which represent a mother who wishes to marry her many daughters, or of a poor widow who has but one daughter; see our No. 8, and note.155.German, Grimm, No. 15, "Hansel und Grethel."156. Gent.'s Mag., Feb. 1738, "Fryar's Ground."—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 92.—French, Celnart, p. 53, "Chateau du Corbeau;" "Je suis dans ton château, corbeau, et j'y serai toujours."—German, Meier, p. 98, "Ist der Kukuk zu Haus?" see No. 115, note. German games based on this idea are numerous. Vernaleken, p. 77, "The Black Man;" p. 62, "Dead man, arise;" p. 73, "Wassermannspiel." The child representing the Water-spirit lies in the dry bed of a brook and pretends to sleep. The rest approach to tease him, when he endeavors to seize one without leaving the brook or pit. The first so caught must assist him to capture the rest. The superstition about a treasure buried at the foot of the rainbow is also Swiss, see Lütolf, Sagen, etc., Von Lutzern, p. 384.157. A variation of 156.—German, Meier, p. 121. Rochholz, p. 415.158.German, Meier, p. 102, "Der Böse Geist."159.French, Celnart, p. 365, etc.—German, Vernaleken, p. 52, etc. See Mannhardt, Germ. Myth., pp. 492-511, who gives twenty-three versions, including a Spanish (Catalan) one. He imagines, as usual, a good deal of mythology in the game. The mythologic character belongs, not to the details of the children's rounds, but to the cycle of traditions on which these are founded. The name in Suabia is "Prinzessin erlösen," "to disenchant the princess."160.Provençal, Arbaud, ii. 207.—French, Puymaigre, p. 334. Bugeaud, i. 126. Tarbé, ii. 178.

2. A variety of No. 1. Corresponding is theFaroeseversion referred to, in which the suitors, after rejection as thralls, smiths, etc., are finally accepted as princes, with the expression "tak vid" (literally "take with"), be welcome, which may explain the peculiar use of the word "take" in our rhyme.

3. Also a variety of No. 1. Folk-lore Record, iii. 170. Chambers, p. 139 (cited). "I am a lusty wooer" (the version referred to, p. 49, note) is said to have beenplayed by Charles II. See the Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1738; Nurs. Rh., No. 491.

4. Henderson, Folk-lore of the Northern Counties (Lond. 1879), p. 27. Compare French round in Celnart, p. 24.

5. Nurs. Rh., No. 479. Compare No. 31.

6. Nurs. Rh., No. 466, "The Keys of Canterbury." Chambers, p. 61, "The Tempted Lady."

7.French, Celnart, p. 15, sixth round, presents verbal correspondence.

8. These versions belong to a game, widely diffused through Europe, in which a "rich" mother begs away, one by one, the daughters of a "poor" mother, until she has secured them all.—German, Frischbier, No. 657.—French, Chabreul, p. 175, "Riche et Pauvre." Celnart, p. 382, "Olivé Beauvé et la voisine." Ch. du Camb., i. 77, "La Boiteuse." The celebrated song "Giroflé Giroflà" is of the same origin. In the Canadian round (Gagnon, p. 149), and in the English rhyme, for the sake of the dance, the mother whose daughters are begged away or stolen is turned into a mother whose object is to marry her many daughters; so theSwedish(Arwiddson, iii. 203), which presents verbal correspondence to the English song of our collection. Arwiddson, iii. 167, game of "Rich and Poor Birds." The first comes in limping, leaning on a cane, and with piteous gestures begs the train of the other. By comparing No. 154, and note, it will be seen that all the above games make up a single branch of the numerous outgrowths of a primitive root, which is responsible for no small part of the amusements of youth in Europe. Compare Nurs. Rh., No. 343.

10. Connected is a European game representing courtship—meeting, saluting, parting, etc.—German, Frischbier, No. 674.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 257.—Flemish, Looten and Feys, No. 113. A different but related game isFrench, Celnart, p. 14 (cited). Chabreul, p. 157. Gagnon, p. 151.—Italian, Corazzini, p. 84.—The words "Rowe the boat" begin a waterman's roundel, A.D. 1453; see Chappell's Pop. Music of the Olden Time, p. 482.—(4.)French, Ch. du Camb., i. 221 (cited).

11. Chambers, p. 140, "Janet jo." Folk-lore Record, iii. 171, "Jenny Jones." See Coussemaker, p. 100, Flemish "Maiden's Dance."—Bernoni, Cant. Pop. Venez. xi. 2, "Rosetina."—Roxburghe Coll. i. 186-189, Ballad of "The Bride's Buriall."

12. Compare N. and Q., 3d ser. VII. 353.

13. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 133. Henderson, Folk-lore, p. 26.

15. N. and Q., 5th ser. III. 482.—French round cited, Ch. du Camb., ii. 58. Gagnon, p. 303 (cited, p. 8). Bugeaud, i. 202.

16. Chambers, p. 118.—French, Ch. du Camb., ii. 42.

17.DanishandSwedishballads, Sv. Grundtvig, Danmarks Gamle Folkeviser, Nos. 180, 181.

18. Child, Eng. and Scot. Ballads, 1857, iii. 136.

19. Child, ii. 154.

20.Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 196.

21.French, Celnart, p. 21, etc.—Provençal, see Fauriel, Hist. de la Poésie Prov., ii. 87.—Spanish(Catalan), Mila y Fontanals, Romanc. Cat., p. 173.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 37. (Sicily) Pitrè, ii. 33.—German, Meier, pp. 136, 137.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 326.—Rounds of a similar type, Chabreul, p. 146, "Salade." Bugeaud, i. 48, "Plantons la Vigne."

22.German, Dunger, pp. 184-186. Mullenhoff, p. 484, No. 2. "Aus dem Kinderleben," p. 33.—Finnish, Neus, p. 387.

23. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 127. Chambers, p. 134.

25. A variation of 23, 24. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 130. Chambers, p. 135.—French, Gagnon, p. 99. Chabreul, p. 141, etc.—Spanish, Marin, i. 96, "Thus do the Shoemakers."

26. Folk-lore Rec., iii. 170. Compare French game, Ch. du Camb., i. 223.

28. Nurs. Rh., No. 287.

29. Folk-lore Rec., iii. 169. For French game referred to, see Laisnel de la Salle, ii. 151.—French, Celnart, p. 53, "L'Anguille Enfilée."

30. Compare Provençal nurse-songs, in Chants Pop. du Languedoc, "Chants énumeratifs," especially p. 432.

31. Compare No. 5.

32. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 119, "Mary Brown." N. and Q., 6th ser. II. 248.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 233.—Finnish, Neus, p. 388.—Italian, Comparetti, iv. 263.—French, Mélusine, p. 542.

33. Chambers, p. 25. N. and Q., 4th ser. II. 274.—Flemish,Dutch,German, Hor. Belg., ii., Nos. 143, 145.—French(Canada), Gagnon, p. 129.

34. Nurs. Rh., No. 290. To this class of jests belongs the German tale, Grimm, No. 119, "Die sieben Schwaben."

35. Chambers, p. 344. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 218, quotes the first lines of this rhyme from Aubrey's Miscellanies, ed. 1696.

36. Compare Chambers, p. 137, "A Courtship Dance."—French, Celnart, p. 19.—Canadian song of Perrette, Gagnon, p. 286.

38. For way of playing, compare No. 22.

40. Chappell, Pop. Music of the Olden Time, p. 589.—French(Canada), Gagnon, p. 223.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 369.

42.Germanusages, Rochholz, pp. 172-174. Meier, p. 93.—In Middle Ages, Zingerle, pp. 32, 33.—Italian, Corazzini, pp. 93, 94.—Drawing lots by spires of grass is probably the "Erbelette" of Froissart; see Celnart, p. 105, "L'Herbette Joliette."—Spanish, Marin, i. 123.

43.Germanusages, Rochholz, pp. 174-183.

45. Compare French of Gagnon, p. 147.

46.French, Ch. du Camb., i. 119, etc.—German, Peter, p. 49, etc.—Flemish, Willems, p. 522.—Breton, Mélusine, p. 462.

47.French, Rabelais, Gargantua, ch. xxii. Laisnel de la Salle, ii. 156.

48. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., pp. 263-265. Chambers, p. 31.—German, Rochholz, pp. 156-170; he refers to the Rigsmál of the poetic Edda. Schuster, p. 364, etc.—Provençal, Ch. Pop. du Languedoc, p. 517, "Las Bestios."

50. Nurs. Rh., No. 278. Compare Finnish game, Neus, p. 417.

52.German, Vernaleken, p. 94. Meier, p. 135.—French, Chabreul, p. 183.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 400.

53. Strutt, p. 294. Brand, ii. 287.—German, Vernaleken, p. 86, "Ritterschlagen." Rochholz, p. 435.—French, "Les Ambassadeurs," Celnart, p. 131. Old English game of "Questions and Commands," Gent.'s Mag., Feb. 1738; Rochholz, p. 413.

55. Perhaps the "Roi qui ne ment" of Froissart, which he mentions as a game of his childhood (see p. 34), and also as played by great personages.

56.French, Celnart, p. 125.

57. Similarly, in a French game, "Le Roi Dépouillé" (Celnart, p. 139), the player must say "Oserais-je?" at every movement.

58. See the round in Chappell, Pop. Mus., p. 77.

60. Perhaps connected with No. 154. Compare German, Vernaleken, p. 52, No. 8.

61. Very likely the "Derision" (Risées) of Froissart.

62.German, Rochholz, p. 183. Vernaleken, p. 47, etc.—Provençal, "Lou brandet de Roso," Ch. Pop. du Languedoc, p. 577.

64.German, Dunger, p. 176, played also in New York. The rhyme in the text seems a recent translation.

68. Nurs. Rh., No. 352. Chambers, p. 137.—French, Celnart, p. 19.—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 100, "Jan petit."

71. Nurs. Rh., No. 218.

74. Chambers, p. 139, "Curcuddie."—French, Celnart, p. 353, "Les Jarcotons."—Among games of motion might have been mentioned the familiar "Puss in the Corner," Gent.'s Mag., Feb. 1738.—French, Celnart, p. 57, "Les Quatre Coins," etc.

75. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 128.—Danish, Grundtvig, Dansk. Folk., 2d ser. p. 142.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 19, No. 18.—Spanish, Marin,I.52, No. 84.

76. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 112.—French, Chabreul, p. 8, "Petit bonhomme vist encore, car il n'est pas mort."—German, Handelmann, p. 31, "Little man still lives."—TheHigh-Germanformula is, "Stirbt der Fuchs, so gilt der Balg." Like the English phrase is a Danish game, "Do not let my master's bird die", Syv, "Adagia Danica," p. xlvii.—Russian(Kazan), Mozarowski, p. 88, "Kurilka lives, she is not dead."

77. (a)German, Vernaleken, p. 89.—French, Celnart, p. 307—(b) Nurs. Rh., No. 282.—German, Vernaleken, p. 88, "Vater Eberhard."—(c)German, Rochholz, p. 430, No. 50.—French, Rabelais, Gargantua, ch. xxii. Celnart, p. 124, "Pince-sans-rire."

79. Compare finger-game in Chambers, p. 116. Italian finger-game referred to, Bernoni, p. 22, No. 25.

81. Strutt, p. 290, "Hammer and Block."

83.French.—Celnart, p. 162, "Le Chevalier Gentil."

86. Nurs. Rh., Nos. 297, 307.—German, Meier, p. 138; Handelmann, p. 40.—French, Mélusine, p. 198.

87.Italian(the game, not the rhyme), Ferraro, G. Monfer., No. 10.—Spanish, Marin, i. 48, No. 71. Compare Nurs. Rh., No. 293; Chambers, p. 159.

88. Celnart (2d ed.,A.D.1830) gives sixty kinds of "pénitences," consisting in kissing, as then usual in French society (see p. 6).—French, Celnart, p. 302, "Les Aunes d'Amour," the same as "Measuring yards of tape."—German, Frischbier, p. 201, "Aus dem Brunnen erretten," equivalent to "I'm in the well." "Redeeming forfeits in Germany," Frischbier, p. 199.

89. With the dialogue at the end of the second version, compare No. 154, B. An Italian game, Corazzini, p. 104, has a similar theme.

90. Spectator, No. 268.—German, Rochholz, p. 440.

91. Strutt, p. 386. "Even or Odd." A universal game.—Ancient Egyptian, Wilkinson, ii. 416.—Ancient Greek, Aristotle, Rhet. iii. 5. The formula is ἄρτια ἢ περισσά—Latin, "par impar."—German, "grad oder ungrad," or "effen oder uneffen."—Spanish, Marin, i. 51, "Pares ó Nones" ("par est, non est").

92. The similarItaliangame begins, "Galota, galota," whence, no doubt, our "Hulgul," Gianandrea, No. 20.—Ancient Greek, Scholiast to Aristophanes, Plut. 1057, πόσα ἐν χερσὶν ἔχω; "How many have I in my hands?" Suidas (10th century), Lexicon, under παιδιά, writes: "There is a game of the following character among the Athenians: Having taken up a number of nuts and holding out his hand, one asks, 'How many have I?' And if [the other] guesses the number, he takes as many as he has in his hand; but if he fails to guess, he loses as many as the asker holds in his hand."—Latin, given by Helenius Acron (4th century), "quot in sunt?" See Marin, note to preceding game.—German, Meier, p. 123, "Wie viel sollen Kerner in meiner Hand sein?" Handelmann, p. 35, etc.

93. A child rests his head in the lap of another, while a third claps the back of the first, keeping time to the words of the rhyme, and finally raises a certain number of fingers; if the kneeling child can guess the number, he takes the other's place.—Spanish, Marin, i. 51, No. 81. The rhyme closely resembles the English given in the text.—Italian, Imbriani, No. 30, where the question is, "How many horns do I hold up?"—German, Meier, pp. 135, 136, where it is asked, "Wie viel Hörner hat der Bock?" This allusion to the goat (as a leaping animal) refers to the usual practice of riding on the back of the stooping child while putting the question.—German, Rochholz, p. 434.—Dutch, Hor. Belg., vi. 182. The formulas differ. Tylor, Primitive Culture, i. 67. The Latin formula of Petronius is curiously translated by F. Nodot,A.D.1694: "Étant à cheval sur luy, il luy donna plusieurs coups du plat de la main sur les épaules, disant tout haut en riant, Quatre cornes dans un sac, combien font-ils? ce jeu fini," etc. Nodot remarks of his free translation, that it is still a boys' game in France.

94. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 116, "Handy-Dandy."—German(Austria), Vernaleken, p. 41. The formula is the exact counterpart of the English: "Windle, wandle, in welchen Handle, oben oder unt?" Handelmann, p. 35 (Schleswig-Holstein), "Where dwells the smith? Above or below?"—Spanish, Marin, p. 50, No. 77.

95.German, Meier, p. 124, "Under which finger sits the hare?"

97. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 125, "My Lady's lost her diamond ring."—Low-Germanformulas exactly correspond to our "Hold fast what I give you." Thus the North Frisian, "Biwari wel, wat ik di du," Handelmann, p. 38. Corresponding to "Button, button, who's got the button?" is theItalian"Anello, anello, chi ha mi anello?" Gianandrea, No. 14.—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 86.

98. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 133.

99.German, Frischbier, p. 195.

100. A universal game.

101. Halliwell, Nurs. Rh., Nos. 328, 357; Pop. Rh., p. 118; Chambers, p. 123, "The King and Queen of Cantelon."—German, Rochholz, p. 414, No. 32.

102. Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 132, "The Old Dame," like our B. The Scotch of Chambers, p. 130, "Gled Wylie" (wily hawk) corresponds to our first version.—German, Mullenhoff, p. 488; Handelmann, p. 76, etc.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 164.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 34, No. 40, here a game of a witch like our second version.—Finnish, Neus, p. 418, begins like the Scotch.—Russian, Bezsonoff, p. 195, probably borrowed from the German.

103. The name, "Tag," in Gent.'s Mag., Feb. 1738.—German, Handelmann, p. 66, "Eisen anfassen;" "Eisenzech" in Berlin; "Eisenziggi" in Switzerland.—Italian,Bernoni, p. 62, "Toca fero."—"Squat-tag" is alsoSpanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 81.

105.Ancient Greek, Pollux, ix. 117, Ἀποδιδρασκίνδα, "Game of Running Away."—German, Vernaleken, p. 89, "Verstecherlspiel," "Einschauen."—Italian, Bernoni, p. 61, "Chi se vede, eh!"—French, Celnart, p. 55, "Cligne-musette" or "Cache-cache."

106.French, Chabreul, p. 1, "La Queue Leuleu," mentioned by Froissart.—German, Rochholz, p. 408, etc.; Schuster, p. 392, a game of wolf and geese; soRussian, Bezsonoff, p. 205.

107.Spanish, Marin, i. 169. The seeker must wait until the hiders, who go off one by one as they are counted out, cry "Jilo bianco, jilo negro," etc. Hence, probably, the cry "Blancalilo," etc., of the English game. The rest proceeds like No. 105. In the Spanish sport, a player reaching goal must spit three times; this seems to have been originally a conjuration against the Evil Spirit, whom the seeker represented.

108.Ancient Greek, Pollux, ix. 113, 123. The game is universal. See Handelmann, p. 71. Child, Eng. and Scot. Pop. Bal., 1882, i. 67.

109.German, Handelmann, p. 65, "Die Hexe." The games are identical; yet the children, from whom the version in the text was learned, imagined that they had "made it up!"

110. Strutt, p. 61.—German, Vernaleken, p. 63, "Das Barlaufen."—French, Celnart, p. 58, "Les Barres."—Italian, Bernoni, p. 87. The French wordbarresis probably only a false interpretation of an older wordbar, a form of our base, meaning goal; so Swiss "Bahre," Basle. Kindr., p. 30.—Flemish, in Hor. Belg., vi. 181.

111. N. and Q., 2d ser. VIII. pp. 70, 132. Brand, ii. 316.—German, Handelmann, p. 81, "Die Katzen von dem Berge." The phrase is "Cat, cat, off my hill!"—French, Belèze, p. 42, "Le Roi Détroné."

113. Chambers, p. 122, "Hickety Bickety."—German, Aus dem Kinderleben, p. 24. Rochholz, p. 442.

114. Folk-lore Rec., iii. 169; Chambers, p. 36. See No. 89.

115.German, Vernaleken, p. 74, "Weinbeer-Schneiden."—Italian, Bernoni, p. 50. This is a variation of No. 156; compare Frischbier, p. 186.

116. Chambers, p. 127, "Scots and English."

117. This number includes the remains of two ancient games: (a)Ancient Greek, σχοινοφιλίνδα, Pollux, ix. 115, in which a player must be whipped round the ring with the cord he has dropped at the back of another.—German, in 14th century, Mone, Anzeiger, 1839, p. 395.—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 22.—French, Celnart, p. 55. (b) Strutt, p. 285, "Cat and Mouse, or Kiss in the Ring," where a player pursues another round and through the circle.—French, Celnart, p. 39, "Le Chat et la Souris."—Italian, Gianandrea, No. 6.—German, Handelmann, p. 78.

122. Variation of No. 121. The name connects it with the old English game of "Frog in the Middle," Strutt, p. 293; the ancient Greek, χυτρίνδα," pot-game," see p. 31, note.

123.German, Vernaleken, p. 75. Handelmann, p. 80. Meier, p. 105. See No. 89.

124.French, Chabreul, p. 22, "La Toilette de Madame."

125. Nurs. Rh., No. 131.

127.German, Rochholz, p. 430, No. 50. See Nos. 77, 152, 153.

128. "Marble-day" in Sussex is Good Friday, N. and Q., 5th ser. XII. 18. "Times" of German sports, Basle. Kindr., p. 30. Meier, p. 92, 8.

129. Brand, ii. 302, "Camp." Strutt, p. 78.—Ancient Greek, Pollux, ix. 104.—IcelandicandLow-German, Weinhold, Altnord. Leben, p. 292. Egils Saga, ch. 40.

130. Games of ball played with the hand are, of course, universal.

131. Strutt, p. 381 (new ed.). Strutt, p. 76. Bradford's History of Plymouth (ed. by Ch. Deane, Boston, 1856), p. 112. Ducange, under Pelota. Wirt Sikes, British Goblins, p. 272.

132.German(Austria), Vernaleken, p. 2. (Schleswig-Holstein), Handelmann, p. 88, "Stehball." (Switzerland), Rochholz, p. 388.

136. Jamieson gives Scotch name as "Shinty."—Italian, Ferraro, G. Monfer., No. 38.

137.German, Vernaleken, p. 9.—French, Celnart, p. 69.—Italian, Ferraro, G. Monfer., No. 23, "Le Pietruzze."

138.German, Vernaleken, p. 10. Rochholz, p. 389.

139.German, Vernaleken, p. 11. Rochholz, p. 399.

140.German, Vernaleken, p. 15.—The American word "Cat" ("one old cat," "two old cat," etc.) is explained by the Flemish "Caetsen, Ketsen," the common name of the game of ball in the Netherlands, Hor. Belg., vi. 177.

141.German, names of "marbles." "Schnell-Kügelchen" (15th century), "Schusser," "Löper," also "Marmeln," the latter when made of marble. A MS. of the 15th century mentions "the yellow glass used for the little yellow balls with which schoolboys play, and which are very cheap," Rochholz, p. 421.—Playing marbles (kluckern) in the streets was forbidden on pain of torture, by the Reformers in Zurich,A.D.1530.—The general name in North Friesland is "Rollkugle," "rollballs."—Frenchname, "billes;" see Celnart and Belèze for description of games. The game of Roman boys with nuts, from which marbles is probably derived, is still played in the Netherlands, Hor. Belg., vi. 182. Nuts are also used instead of marbles in Italy, Gianandrea, No. 20.

142. Strutt, p. 86, "Tip-cat." Brand, ii. 303, "Kit-cat." The game, which is played inHindostan, N. and Q., 4th ser. IV. 93, may probably have made its way into Europe from the East.—German, Handelmann, p. 89, "Kipseln." Vernaleken, p. 29, "Titschkerln."—Italian, Bernoni, p. 81; p. 82, "Chiba e Cheba."

143. Brand, ii. 305.

144. (a)German, Rochholz, p. 426. Vernaleken, p. 25.—French, Celnart, p. 379, "La Fossette aux Noyaux," played with cherry-stones or plum-stones. The fillip given to the stone is calledpoguer, poke. Froissart appears to allude to this game, (b) Also ancient.—Italian, Gianandrea, No. 20, "Battemuro."

145.German, Handelmann, p. 92, "Kaak."—Italian, Gianandrea, No. 17, "La Checca."

146. Strutt, p. 266. Brand, ii. 330, "Scotch-hoppers" mentioned A.D. 1677.—German, Vernaleken, p. 38, "Tempelhupfen."—Italian, Bernoni, p. 84, "El Campanon."—French, Celnart, p. 379, "La Marelle."—Hindostan, N. and Q., 4th ser. IV. 93.

147.German, Handelmann, p. 96, "Stickmest."

148. Though played in Great Britain, the game is not (so far as we know) mentioned by writers.—French, Celnart, p. 375 f., "Les Osselets."—Spanish, Marin, pp. 80-95, 150-159, "Juego de las Chinas," "Game of the Stones."—German, Meier, p. 145.—Japanese, Tedama, "Hand-balls."

149. Rhymes for counting out are used throughout Europe, and examples could be cited of types corresponding to most of the English forms, and sometimes evidently related. Peculiar is the usage in Spain, where the syllables are told off alternately on the closed hands of a player, who holds a pebble; if the last syllable falls on the hand containing the stone, the lad proving his fortune is free, and so on until only one child remains. The custom has given a proverb to the language. Marin, i. 117. A like usage (without the rhymes) we have found to be the usual way of selection in a town of Pennsylvania (Bethlehem).

150. First printed in Ritson's "Gammer Gurton's Garland." Other original versions: (1) Gent.'s Mag., Sept. 1823; (2), (3) The Critic, Jan. 15, 1857, and (4) Feb. 2, 1857. The last mentioned is nearly identical with our B. The communicator of (1) refers it, through an aged informant, to a lady born in the reign of Charles II.; it has several more verses than the last, generally agreeing with our E, but lacks the ending. The rhyme, in England, appears at present to be known as a song only. The European rhyme is properly a dialogue, the verses being sung alternately by the warders and the approaching party; the former, whose joined and lowered arms represent the fallen bridge, do not elevate them until the negotiations are concluded. The game is, no doubt, that mentioned under the name of "Coda Romana," by G. Villani, Istorie Fiorent.,A.D.1328, ch. xcvi., as played by the boys of Florence, in which the question put to the imprisoned player is said to have been, "Guelf or Ghibelline?"—German, Meier, p. 101 (cited), etc. Mannhardt in Zeitschr. f. d. Myth., iv. 301-320, gives twenty-seven versions, includingSlavic,Hungarian,Scandinavian.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 250.—French, Chabreul, p. 117, "Le Ciel et l'Enfer." Celnart, p. 52, 'Le Pontlevis.'—Italian, Bernoni, p. 46, "Le Porte." Corazzini, pp. 90-93; p. 87 (a mixed form with No. 154).—Spanish, A. de Ledesma,A.D.1605, beginning "Fallen is the bridge." See Marin, i. 166-168.—For the English rhyme, see also N. and Q., 1st Ser. II. p. 338.

The name "Lady Lee" in the song may imply a legend. We read in Nature, June 15, 1871, p. 118: "It is not, for example, many years since the present Lord Leigh was accused of having built an obnoxious person—one account, if we remember right, said eight obnoxious persons—into the foundation of a bridge at Stoneleigh." The communicator of version (2) (The Critic, Jan. 15, 1857) spelt the nameLeigh, and took "the Lady Leigh of the song to be the wife of Sir Thomas Leigh, who was Lord Mayor of London in 1558, ... ancestor of the noble family of Leigh of Stoneleigh, Warwickshire." Compare the ballad of "The Bridge of Arta," Passow, Pop. Carmina Græciæ Recent., No. 511; Tommaseo, Cant. Pop. Toscani, iii. 174 f.; F. Liebrecht, Zur Volkskunde, 1879, p. 284.

151. A variation of No. 150.—Italian, Corazzini, pp. 91-93, beginning, "Open, open the gates." Gianandrea, No. 3, "Le Porte del Paradiso." The dialogue ends, "Let the King of France with all his soldiers pass."

152.Italian, Bernoni, p. 54.—French, Ch. du Camb. i. 133.—German, Vernaleken, p. 55.

153.German, Meier, p, 117, "Farben aufgeben," etc.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 51, "I colori." This version is identical with the German and our A, as is also theSpanish(or Catalan), Maspons y Labrós, p. 91. The game of "Los Colores" is mentioned by A. de Ledesma,A.D.1605.—French, Belèze, p. 40 (cited).

Intermediate between this number and the following are games ofselling birds, Frischbier, p. 184; ofcatching birds, Rochholz, p. 449.

Greek game of the shell, Ὀστρακίνδα, Pollux, ix. 111.

154. The following is our classification of the numerous games (not before noticed as connected) belonging to this cycle of childish tradition:

(1.) Versions preserving the original idea of the child-stealing witch (as in our A, B, and C).—Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 131 (cited).—German, Meier, p. 117 (cited).—Italian, Corazzini, p. 110, a fragment.

(2.) Versions in which (as in our D) the mother is represented as present, and the game becomes one ofbegginginstead ofstealingchildren. This is the case in mostGermanversions. The tests described in No. 152 are introduced and become the leading feature of the game.—German, Frischbier, p. 183. Rochholz, p. 436, and p. 444, where the mother is called "Maria, mother of God," and the game "Getting Angels." Mullenhoff, p. 486, No. 7.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. p. 437 (cited). Mannhardt, Germanische Mythologie, pp. 273-321, gives fourteen versions, with a long discussion of this game, and concludes (p. 297) that the last girl of the row (who in our A is the eldest daughter, but here represents the "Mother Rose") "personates the goddess Freya cherishing in or behind the clouds the souls of the dead, who, renewed through the heavenly waters (the fountain of youth), are destined to return to earth at new birth as the souls of children!"

It is very curious to observe that several Prussian versions contain traits only explained by the American games, the form of which they thus imply as more original. Thus the mother isinvited to a mealby the witch, Frischbier, p. 182, and the person invited sendsexcuses(see our A).

(3.) The mother and children are represented in childish fashion as a hen and her brood (see our B, and No. 101). Hence the game of the "Rich and Poor Birds;" see references in No. 8, note.—Italian, Corazzini, pp. 86-88. Gianandrea, No. 19, "Madonna Pollinara."

(4.) The children are denoted by the names of leaves or flowers.—German, Vernaleken, p. 58, "Die Grossmutter." The visitor begs for a leaf as balsam to heal her injury, and the girls are gathered under the name of leaves. So Frischbier, p. 181. Feifalik, No. 81.—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, pp. 87-89, game of "Pulling Leeks."

(5.) The game has become a representation of selling pottery.—German, Frischbier, p. 183. Mannhardt, p. 284.—Swedish, Arwiddson, iii. 169, "Selling Pots," a dance, has become a mere mercenary transaction.—The English game of "Honey-pots" is a version of this, where the weighing feature is to be explained as in No. 152.—Italian, Bernoni, p. 57, "I Piteri," where the original idea reappears. The purchaser advanceslimping(a characteristic of witches), and the game is one of stealing and recovery (like our London version E).—Italian, Gianandrea, No. 19. The first part of the game is played as in (3). The "pots" are weighed, as in the English game mentioned. Ferraro, G. Monfer., No. 43, where the purchaser is the devil, and the game thus passes over into the form of No. 153.—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 87, "Las Gerras."

(6.) A game of stealing or measuring cloth.—German, Rochholz, p. 437, "Tuch anmessen." In this game, mentioned by the mother of Goethe (Düntzer, Frauenbilder aus Goethe's Jugendzeit, p. 506), the children are arranged against the wall to represent cloth, which the dealer measures and names by the color of the stockings of the children. A thief steals the cloth bit by bit, which the dealer must recover by guessing the color, a task of some difficulty, the stockings having beentaken off in the interval. A very curious Low-German version, Brem. Wiegenlieder, p. 61, removes any doubt as to the relation of the amusement to the original game. In this version the colored cloths are only names for children. There are verbal coincidences with forms given in the text, the dialogue beginning "Mother, the broth is boiling over!" (as in our version B), put (as in our version C) into the mouth of the watcher left in charge by the absent mother; so Aus dem Kinderleben, p. 39, "Leinendieb." The remainder of the first paragraph of C will be found almost word for word in Handelmann, p. 57, No. 80, "Frau Rosen," a version of the form (2).—Italian, Bernoni, p. 55, "I Brazzi de Tela," "the measures of cloth." The thief advanceslimping, the owner having departed, steals the cloth, but is pursued, and the goods recovered, as in the game of pots described above. Ferraro, G. Monfer., No. 3.—French, Celnart, p. 43, "La Toile," has become a kissing romp of grown people.

(7.) Finally, to the same root belong various rounds and dances which represent a mother who wishes to marry her many daughters, or of a poor widow who has but one daughter; see our No. 8, and note.

155.German, Grimm, No. 15, "Hansel und Grethel."

156. Gent.'s Mag., Feb. 1738, "Fryar's Ground."—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 92.—French, Celnart, p. 53, "Chateau du Corbeau;" "Je suis dans ton château, corbeau, et j'y serai toujours."—German, Meier, p. 98, "Ist der Kukuk zu Haus?" see No. 115, note. German games based on this idea are numerous. Vernaleken, p. 77, "The Black Man;" p. 62, "Dead man, arise;" p. 73, "Wassermannspiel." The child representing the Water-spirit lies in the dry bed of a brook and pretends to sleep. The rest approach to tease him, when he endeavors to seize one without leaving the brook or pit. The first so caught must assist him to capture the rest. The superstition about a treasure buried at the foot of the rainbow is also Swiss, see Lütolf, Sagen, etc., Von Lutzern, p. 384.

157. A variation of 156.—German, Meier, p. 121. Rochholz, p. 415.

158.German, Meier, p. 102, "Der Böse Geist."

159.French, Celnart, p. 365, etc.—German, Vernaleken, p. 52, etc. See Mannhardt, Germ. Myth., pp. 492-511, who gives twenty-three versions, including a Spanish (Catalan) one. He imagines, as usual, a good deal of mythology in the game. The mythologic character belongs, not to the details of the children's rounds, but to the cycle of traditions on which these are founded. The name in Suabia is "Prinzessin erlösen," "to disenchant the princess."

160.Provençal, Arbaud, ii. 207.—French, Puymaigre, p. 334. Bugeaud, i. 126. Tarbé, ii. 178.

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