No. 39.Trials, Troubles, and Tribulations.

Come all yeold maidsin your sinful ways!

All participating are blindfolded, and, joining hands, march forward, singing—

Here we go through the Jewish nation,Trials, troubles, and tribulation.

The fun consists in bringing up against a door, or in causing a general downfall by tripping over some obstacle.

New York.

An odd number of players, of whom the one not paired stands in the centre of the ring. The others march in couples, each consisting of a girl and a boy, till the sudden end of the song, when each boy grasps the girl in front of him.

Happy is the miller, who lives by himself,All the bread and cheese he piles upon the shelf,One hand in the hopper, and the other in the bag,The wheel turns around, and he cries out, Grab!

Western New York.

Another version:

Happy is the miller that lives in the mill;While the mill goes round, he works with a will;One hand in the hopper, and one in the bag,The mill goes around, and he cries out, Grab!

Cincinnati.

The miller, whose pay used to be taken in a proportion of corn ground, was a common object of popular satire.

In Germany the mill-wheel, as it slowly revolves, is said to exclaim—

There is—a thief—in the mill!

Then, moving more quickly—

Who is he? who is he? who is he?

And at last answers very fast, and without pausing—

The miller! the miller! the miller!

"Round and Round, the Mill Goes Round," is mentioned as an English dance at the end of the seventeenth century. A song of "The Happy Miller" is printed in "Pills to Purge Melancholy" (1707), of which the first verse is—

How happy is the mortal that lives by his mill!That depends on his own, not on Fortune's wheel;By the sleight of his hand, and the strength of his back,How merrily his mill goes, clack, clack, clack!

This song was doubtless founded on the popular game; but the modern children's sport has preserved the idea, if not the elegance, of the old dance better than the printed words of a hundred and seventy years since. A variation of the same game is still familiar in Canada and Sweden.[81]

That the prejudice against the honesty of the miller was not confined to the Old World will appear from the following ballad:

There was an old miller in Gosport did dwell:He had three sons whom he loved full well;He called them to him, one—by—one,Saying, "My—life—is—al—most—done!"[82]He called to him his eldest son,Saying, "My life is almost done,And if I to you the mill shall make,Pray, say what toll you mean to take?""Father," says he, "my name is Dick,And aout of each bushel I'll take one peck—Of every bushel—that—I—grind,I'll take one peck to ease my mind.""Thou foolish son," the old man said,"Thou hasn't but one half larnt thy trade!The mill to you I'll never give,For by such toll no man can thrive."He called to him his second son,Saying, "My life is almost done,And if I to you the mill shall make,Pray, say what toll you mean to take?""Father," says he, "my name is Ralph,And aout of each bushel I'll take one half—Of every bushel that I grind,I'll take one half to ease my mind.""Thou foolish son," the old man said,"Thou hasn't but one half larnt thy trade;The mill to you I'll never give,For by such toll no man can thrive."He called to him his youngest son,Saying, "My life is almost done;And if I to you the mill shall make,Pray, say what toll you mean to take?""Father," says he, "Iamyour boy,And in taking of toll shall be all my joy;That an honest living I ne'er may lack,I'll take the whole, and steal the sack.""Thouartmy son," the old man said;"Thou'st larnt thy good—old—fayther's trade;The mill to you I do—betide"—And—so—he—closed—his eyes—and—died.

There was an old miller in Gosport did dwell:He had three sons whom he loved full well;He called them to him, one—by—one,Saying, "My—life—is—al—most—done!"[82]

He called to him his eldest son,Saying, "My life is almost done,And if I to you the mill shall make,Pray, say what toll you mean to take?"

"Father," says he, "my name is Dick,And aout of each bushel I'll take one peck—Of every bushel—that—I—grind,I'll take one peck to ease my mind."

"Thou foolish son," the old man said,"Thou hasn't but one half larnt thy trade!The mill to you I'll never give,For by such toll no man can thrive."

He called to him his second son,Saying, "My life is almost done,And if I to you the mill shall make,Pray, say what toll you mean to take?"

"Father," says he, "my name is Ralph,And aout of each bushel I'll take one half—Of every bushel that I grind,I'll take one half to ease my mind."

"Thou foolish son," the old man said,"Thou hasn't but one half larnt thy trade;The mill to you I'll never give,For by such toll no man can thrive."

He called to him his youngest son,Saying, "My life is almost done;And if I to you the mill shall make,Pray, say what toll you mean to take?"

"Father," says he, "Iamyour boy,And in taking of toll shall be all my joy;That an honest living I ne'er may lack,I'll take the whole, and steal the sack."

"Thouartmy son," the old man said;"Thou'st larnt thy good—old—fayther's trade;The mill to you I do—betide"—And—so—he—closed—his eyes—and—died.

Another version finds its way to us from the West, and ends with an uncomplimentary opinion as to the habitation of the miller in the other world.

FOOTNOTES:[80]Donne-moi ton bras que je te guérisse,Car tu m'as l'air malade,Loula,Car tu m'as l'air malade![81]The Canadian words are, "J'entends le moulin, tique, tique, tique." Probably the old English dance ended, "How merrily the mill goes, clack, clack, clack!" after which, as now in Canada, partners were changed, and the odd player in the centre had an opportunity to secure a place, or to find a mate.[82]The pauses lengthen as the patient grows weaker.

[80]Donne-moi ton bras que je te guérisse,Car tu m'as l'air malade,Loula,Car tu m'as l'air malade!

[80]

Donne-moi ton bras que je te guérisse,Car tu m'as l'air malade,Loula,Car tu m'as l'air malade!

[81]The Canadian words are, "J'entends le moulin, tique, tique, tique." Probably the old English dance ended, "How merrily the mill goes, clack, clack, clack!" after which, as now in Canada, partners were changed, and the odd player in the centre had an opportunity to secure a place, or to find a mate.

[82]The pauses lengthen as the patient grows weaker.

A spire of grass hath made me gay;It saith, I shall find mercy mild.I measured in the selfsame wayI have seen practised by a child.Come look and listen if she really does:She does, does not, she does, does not, she does.Each time I try, the end so augureth.That comforts me—'tis right that we have faith.

Walther von der Vogelweide[A.D.1170-1230].

Plucking one by one the petals of the ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), children ask:

Rich man, poor man, beggar-man, thief,Doctor, lawyer, Indian chief.[83]

Girls then take a second flower, and, getting some one else to name it, proceed, in order to determine where they are to live:

Big house, little house, pigsty, barn.

And in like manner use a third to discover in what dress they are to be married:

Silk, satin, calico, rags.

Finally, they consult a fourth, to find out what the bridal equipage is to be:

Coach, wagon, wheelbarrow, chaise.

Another version gives for the second line of the first formula:

Doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief.

In Switzerland, girls in like manner say, as they pick off the flower-leaves of the common daisy (Bellis perennis):

Be single, marry, or go into the cloister?

And boys—

Rich, poor, moderate?

The marguerite (Doronicum bellidiastrum) is asked in the same country:

Heaven, hell, purgatory, paradise?

And in Styria is called "Love's Measure," because it determines the return of affection according to the well-known formula, "He loves me, he loves me not," for which a French equivalent is:

Je t'aime, un peu, beaucoup,Tendrement, pas du tout.

But in Switzerland again the questions for the marguerite exactly match ours:

Nobleman, beggar-man, farmer, soldier, student,Emperor, king, gentleman.

The verse is similar in Italy. It is curious to see the precise correspondence of English and Continental forms.

Mediæval writers do not mention this use of flower-petals, but frequently allude to the custom of drawing spires of grass, to secure the longer (or shorter, as might be agreed). Thus lads might draw grasses, for the purpose of deciding to which of the two a maiden might belong as a partner. This was so usual a way of deciding a controversy that it was even recognized in law, where the parties to a suit drew straws from a thatch or sheaf. Children still resort to a like arbitrament, where one holds the straws in the hand, and the other draws, the shorter straw winning. To our surprise, we find that girls in Massachusetts still keep up the mediæval usage; they draw stalks of grass in the field, and match them, to decide who shall begin a game—be "it."[84]

We have seen that the formula "Loves me, loves me not," was used in the Middle Age with grasses. In Italy the oracle is consulted by means of the branch of a tree. A twig is taken having alternate leaves, and they are detached one by one, the consulter always turning the head as the words of the oracle are spoken. The formulas for this purpose closely resemble our own: thus, "This year, another year, soon, never," which is exactly identical with the English "This year, next year, some time, never;" or, "He loves me, longs for me, desires me, wishes me well; wishes me ill, does not care;" or, as in the Swiss form given, "Paradise, Purgatory,Caldron" (that is, Inferno).

Flowers are gathered and loved by children as they have always been, and are used by them in all sorts of imaginative exercises of their own invention, as, for instance, by girls in their imitative housekeeping; but there is singularly little employment of them in any definite games. Formerly it was otherwise; but the deep sympathy which blooming youth once felt and expressed for the bloom of the year seems to have almost disappeared.

In the Middle Age, as in classic antiquity, flowers were much in use for dances. Great attention was paid to the significance of particular blooms. "What flowers will you give me for a garland? What flowers are proper for adornment?" are mentioned as names of sports. It was a practice for the lover to approach his mistress with a flower or fruit which he offered for her acceptance. If the girl accepted the gift, the youth led her out, and the dance began. Another ancient practice was to throw to a girl some bloom, at the same time pronouncing a couplet which rhymed with the name of the flower. The ball, too, with which youths and maids played, was sometimes made of flowers.

Almost the only relic of ancient usage of this sort, with us, is the employment little girls make of dandelions, with which (in some parts of the country) they make long garlands, cutting off the heads and stringing them together.

This use of the dandelion is very old, from which it derives one of its many German names, thechain-flowerorring-flower. On account of its early bloom and golden hue it is especially the flower of spring, and seemsto have had a religious and symbolic meaning. In Switzerland these garlands are used in the dance, the children holding a long wreath of the flowers so as to form a circle within the ring; and whoever breaks the chain pays forfeit. The plant is said to be of healing virtue, gives happiness to the lover, and, if plucked on particular days, will heal troubles of the eye. It has these qualities on account of its brightness, which causes it to be associated with the victorious power of light.

There are other ways of using this flower. A dandelion in seed is held to the lips; if the seeds can all be blown off in three attempts, it is a sign of successful love, of marriage within the year; or, with little girls, that "my mother wants me."

Little girls also split the stalks of the flower, and, dipping them in cold water, produce "curls," with which they adorn themselves. This usage, too, is German.

We may speak of the trifling lore of one or two other flowers. A buttercup is held against one child's chin by another, and a bright reflection is supposed (prosaically enough) to indicate a fondness for butter!

It was formerly said in New England that the heart's-ease (Viola tricolor) represented a "step-mother sitting on two chairs." The petals being turned up, the step-mother is seen to have two chairs, her children one each, and her step-children only one between them.

That this flower represents an unkind step-mother is stated in a Low-German rhyme of the fifteenth century; and step-mother is also an English name for the heart's-ease. There is another reason for the title besides that we have given. In Switzerland the flower is considered a type of malice, because the older the flower is the more yellow and "jealous" it becomes. Thus we have another striking example of the original similarity of English and German usage.

Boys in the spring are fond of blowing on the fresh blades of grass, with which they can make a loud but harsh trumpeting. This practice, in Germany, is mentioned at the beginning of the thirteenth century.

It is the custom still for boys to make whistles in the spring from the loosened bark of the willow; but they do not guess that this was originally a superstitious rite, the pipe cut from a tree which grows in the water being supposed to have the power of causing rain. The Swiss children, though unconsciously, still invoke the water-spirit as they separate the bark from the wood:

Franz, Franz,Lend me your pipe.

The following rhyme, used in New England at the beginning of the present century, remains unchanged in a single word, except the omission of the last three lines.

Apples formerly were an essential part of every entertainment in the country; in the winter season, a dish of such always stood on the sideboard. As the hours went by, a foaming dish of eggnog would be brought in, always with a red-hot poker inserted, for the purpose of keeping up the proper temperature. It was then that the apple, having been properly named, with a fillip of the finger was divided, to decide the fate of the person concerned according to its number of seeds.

One, I love,Two, I love,Three, I love, I say,Four, I love with all my heart,And five, I cast away;Six, he loves,Seven, she loves,Eight, they both love;Nine, he comes,Ten, he tarries,Eleven, he courts,Twelve, he marries;Thirteen wishes,Fourteen kisses,All the rest little witches.

We insert here, on account of the allusions to nature which they contain, several pieces which might also have found a place elsewhere in our collection; the present, for instance, being eminently a "love-game."

A single player stands in the centre of the ring, which circles and sings:

There's a rose in the garden for you, fair man,There's a rose in the garden for you, fair maid;There's a rose in the garden, pluck it if you can,Be sure you don't choose a false-hearted one.

The youth or girl in the centre chooses a partner, and the ring sings:

It's a bargain, it's a bargain, for you, fair man,It's a bargain, it's a bargain, for you, fair maid.

Now follows a fragment of romance, which in our version is unhappily corrupt:

You promised to marry me six months ago,I hold you to your bargain, "you old rogue you."

After a kiss, the first player takes his or her place in the ring, and the partner selected is left to continue the game.

Deerfield, Mass.(about 1810).

To the same game, perhaps, belongs the following fragment:

Here stands a red rose in the ring—Promised to marry a long time ago.

The comparison of a youth or maid to a rose is not uncommon in dances. We have a pretty French example in the Canadian round cited below;[85]and another English instance in our No. 62.

There was a tree stood in the ground,The prettiest tree you ever did see;The tree in the wood, and the wood in the ground;And the green grass growing all round, round, round,And the green grass growing all round.And on this tree there was a limb,The prettiest limb you ever did see;The limb on the tree, and the tree in the wood,The tree in the wood, and the wood in the ground,And the green grass growing all round, round, round,And the green grass growing all round.And on this limb there was a bough,The prettiest bough you ever did see;The bough on the limb, and the limb on the tree, etc.And on this bough there was a twig,The prettiest twig you ever did see;The twig on the bough, and the bough on the limb, etc.And on this twig there was a nest,The prettiest nest you ever did see;The nest on the twig, and the twig on the bough, etc.And in this nest there were some eggs,[86]The prettiest eggs you ever did see;The eggs in the nest, and the nest on the twig, etc.And in the eggs there was a bird,The prettiest bird you ever did see;The bird in the eggs, and the eggs in the nest, etc.And on the bird there was a wing,The prettiest wing you ever did see;The wing on the bird, and the bird in the eggs, etc.And on the wing there was a feather,The prettiest feather you ever did see;The feather on the wing, and the wing on the bird, etc.And on the feather there was some down,The prettiest down you ever did see;The down on the feather, and the feather on the wing,The feather on the wing, and the wing on the bird,The wing on the bird, and the bird in the eggs,The bird in the eggs, and the eggs in the nest,The eggs in the nest, and the nest on the twig,The nest on the twig, and the twig on the bough,The twig on the bough, and the bough on the limb,The bough on the limb, and the limb on the tree,The limb on the tree, and the tree in the wood,The tree in the wood, and the wood in the ground,And the green grass growing all round, round, round,And the green grass growing all round.

And on this tree there was a limb,The prettiest limb you ever did see;The limb on the tree, and the tree in the wood,The tree in the wood, and the wood in the ground,And the green grass growing all round, round, round,And the green grass growing all round.

And on this limb there was a bough,The prettiest bough you ever did see;The bough on the limb, and the limb on the tree, etc.

And on this bough there was a twig,The prettiest twig you ever did see;The twig on the bough, and the bough on the limb, etc.

And on this twig there was a nest,The prettiest nest you ever did see;The nest on the twig, and the twig on the bough, etc.

And in this nest there were some eggs,[86]The prettiest eggs you ever did see;The eggs in the nest, and the nest on the twig, etc.

And in the eggs there was a bird,The prettiest bird you ever did see;The bird in the eggs, and the eggs in the nest, etc.

And on the bird there was a wing,The prettiest wing you ever did see;The wing on the bird, and the bird in the eggs, etc.

And on the wing there was a feather,The prettiest feather you ever did see;The feather on the wing, and the wing on the bird, etc.

And on the feather there was some down,The prettiest down you ever did see;The down on the feather, and the feather on the wing,The feather on the wing, and the wing on the bird,The wing on the bird, and the bird in the eggs,The bird in the eggs, and the eggs in the nest,The eggs in the nest, and the nest on the twig,The nest on the twig, and the twig on the bough,The twig on the bough, and the bough on the limb,The bough on the limb, and the limb on the tree,The limb on the tree, and the tree in the wood,The tree in the wood, and the wood in the ground,And the green grass growing all round, round, round,And the green grass growing all round.

Savannah, Georgia.

This song is not known in the North, and it is equally unrecorded in English nursery-lore, but is very familiar in France (as well as Germany, Denmark, etc.). We are inclined to look on it as an adaptation fromthe French, made by the children ofémigrés, like the curious game which makes our next number.[87]

In parts of Georgia and South Carolina, as soon as a group of girls are fairly out of the house for a morning's play, one suddenly points the finger at a companion with the exclamation, "Green!" The child so accosted must then produce some fragment of verdure, the leaf of a tree, a blade of grass, etc., from the apparel, or else pay forfeit to the first after the manner of "philop$oelig;na." It is rarely, therefore, that a child will go abroad without a bit of "green," the practice almost amounting to a superstition. The object of each is to make the rest believe that the required piece of verdure has been forgotten, and yet to keep it at hand. Sometimes it is drawn from the shoe, or carried in the brooch, or in the garter. Nurses find in the pockets, or in the lining of garments, all mannerof fragments which have served this purpose. This curious practice is not known elsewhere in America; but it is mentioned by Rabelais, under the name by which it is still played in parts of Central France, "Je vous prends sans vert"—"I catch you without green." The game, however, is not merely a children's sport, and is played differently from our description. At Châtillon-sur-Inde it is during Lent, and only after the singing of theAngelus, that "green" is played. If any lady accost you and shows you her bough, you must immediately exhibit yours. If you have not such a one, or if your green is of a shade less rich than your adversary's, you lose a point; in case of doubt, the matter is referred to an umpire. The game was much in vogue from the thirteenth to the fourteenth century, and is described as a May-game. "During the first days of May, every one took care to carry on his person a little green bough, and those who were not so provided were liable to hear themselves addressed,I catch you without green, and to receive, at the same instant, a pail of water on the head. This amusement, however, was in use only among the members of certain societies, who took the name ofSans-vert. Those who belonged to these had a right to visit each other at any hour of the day, and administer the bath whenever they found each other unprovided. In addition, the members so surprised were condemned to a pecuniary fine, and the income of these fines was devoted to merry repasts which, at certain seasons of the year, united all the comrades of theSans-vert."[88]

The practice has given to the French language a proverb:to take any one without green, to take him unawares.

Our child's game was doubtless imported by Huguenot immigrants, who established themselves in the states referred to two centuries since, where they long preserved their language and customs, and from whom many well-known families are descended.

FOOTNOTES:[83]Played also on buttons. A friend informs us that, as a child, he had his buttons altered, in order that the oracle might return an agreeable response.[84]In Cambridge, Mass.[85]Dans ma main droite je tiens rosier,Qui fleurira, qui fleurira,Qui fleurira au mois de Mai.Entrez en danse, joli rosier,Et embrassez qui vous plaira.—Canadian Round.[86]So recited.[87]A French version:Au dedans Paris,Vous ne savez ce qu'il y a?Il y a-t-un bois,C'est le plus beau boisParmi tous les bois;Le bois est dans Paris.Ah! le joli bois,Madame;Ah! le joli bois!Il y a-t-une plume,C'est la plus belle plumeDe toutes les plumes;La plume est sur l'oiseau,L'oiseau est dans l'$oelig;uf,L'$oelig;uf est dans le nid,Le nid est sur la feuille,La feuille est sur la branche,L'arbre est dans le bois.Ah! le joli bois,Madame;Ah! le joli bois![88]The custom has been supposed to be derived from the ancient Roman usage of gatheringgreenon the calends of May, with which to decorate the house.

[83]Played also on buttons. A friend informs us that, as a child, he had his buttons altered, in order that the oracle might return an agreeable response.

[84]In Cambridge, Mass.

[85]Dans ma main droite je tiens rosier,Qui fleurira, qui fleurira,Qui fleurira au mois de Mai.Entrez en danse, joli rosier,Et embrassez qui vous plaira.—Canadian Round.

[85]

Dans ma main droite je tiens rosier,Qui fleurira, qui fleurira,Qui fleurira au mois de Mai.Entrez en danse, joli rosier,Et embrassez qui vous plaira.

—Canadian Round.

[86]So recited.

[87]A French version:Au dedans Paris,Vous ne savez ce qu'il y a?Il y a-t-un bois,C'est le plus beau boisParmi tous les bois;Le bois est dans Paris.Ah! le joli bois,Madame;Ah! le joli bois!Il y a-t-une plume,C'est la plus belle plumeDe toutes les plumes;La plume est sur l'oiseau,L'oiseau est dans l'$oelig;uf,L'$oelig;uf est dans le nid,Le nid est sur la feuille,La feuille est sur la branche,L'arbre est dans le bois.Ah! le joli bois,Madame;Ah! le joli bois!

[87]A French version:

Au dedans Paris,Vous ne savez ce qu'il y a?Il y a-t-un bois,C'est le plus beau boisParmi tous les bois;Le bois est dans Paris.Ah! le joli bois,Madame;Ah! le joli bois!Il y a-t-une plume,C'est la plus belle plumeDe toutes les plumes;La plume est sur l'oiseau,L'oiseau est dans l'$oelig;uf,L'$oelig;uf est dans le nid,Le nid est sur la feuille,La feuille est sur la branche,L'arbre est dans le bois.Ah! le joli bois,Madame;Ah! le joli bois!

[88]The custom has been supposed to be derived from the ancient Roman usage of gatheringgreenon the calends of May, with which to decorate the house.

"My brother, the hare,... my sisters, the doves...."

St. Francis of Assisi.

The names of animals being distributed among children, one, in the centre of the ring, sings the words; at the proper point the child who represents the animal must imitate its cry; and as at each verse the animals who have already figured join in, the game becomes rather noisy.

I had a little rooster, and my rooster pleased me,I fed my rooster beneath that tree;My rooster went—Cookery-cooery!Other folks feed their rooster, I feed my rooster too.I had a little lamb, and my lamb pleased me,I fed my lamb beneath that tree;My lamb went—Ma—a—a!Other folks feed their lamb, I feed my lamb too.

I had a little rooster, and my rooster pleased me,I fed my rooster beneath that tree;My rooster went—Cookery-cooery!Other folks feed their rooster, I feed my rooster too.

I had a little lamb, and my lamb pleased me,I fed my lamb beneath that tree;My lamb went—Ma—a—a!Other folks feed their lamb, I feed my lamb too.

And so on with the names of other beasts.

Georgia.

In another version, it is under the "green bay-tree" (Magnolia glauca) that the animals are stabled.

This is another of the games which have been widely distributed through Europe, and date back to a remote past. At present, with us it is a child's jest, the noisy imitation of animal cries; but, as in all such cases, sense preceded sound. Comparing German versions, we see that our game is properly a song, the idea of which consists in the enumeration by significant and comical names of the members and possessions of a family. "When I was a poor woman, I went over the Rhine: my goose was calledWag-tail, my maidSo he said, my pigLard-pot, my fleaHop-i'-straw" etc. A more courtly version gives us a pleasing pilgrim's song: "Whence come you?—From sunset. Whither will you?—To sunrise. To what country?—Home. Where is it?—A hundred miles away. What is your name?—The world names meLeap a-field, my sword isHonor worth, my wifePastime, her maidLie-a-bed, my childRush-about," etc.

Thus we see the ancient earnestness appearing behind the modern mirth. It is likely that the origin of the song would take us back to those lists of mythical titles which were regarded as conveying real knowledge of the relations of things, at a time when a large part of learning consisted in the knowledge of the significant names which were given to objects.

A party of children, who represent frogs by a hopping motion. At the word "kough," they imitate the croaking of the frog.

Come, neighbors, the moon is up,It's pleasant out here on the bank.Come, stick your heads out of the tank,And let us, before we sup,Go kough, kough, kough.And let us, before we sup,Go kough, kough, kough.

Enter child in character of duck—

Hush, yonder is the waddling duck,He's coming, I don't mean to stay.We'd better by half hop our way,If we don't he will gobble us up,With a kough, kough, kough.If we don't he will gobble us up,With a kough, kough, kough.

Every frog hops to his separate den, while pursued by the duck, the game after the duck's advent being extremely animated.

Georgia.

Within the ring is the shepherd; the wolf approaches from without. A dialogue ensues:

"Who comes here?""Bloody Tom.""What do you want?""My sheep.""Take the worst, and leave the best,And never come back to trouble the rest."

Salem, Mass.

A New Hampshire version makes the game represent a fox, who carries off chickens, thus:

"Who comes here this dark night?""Who but bloody Tom!—Which you druther be, picked or scalded?"

The Esthonian Fins have a characteristic children's game, based on the same idea, which may be quoted, to show how much imagination andspirit enter into the sports of a simple people. A watchman on duty at the sheepfold announces his office in a soliloquy:

Thus I guard my mother's lambkins,Guard the flocks of my good mother,Here before God's holy temple,Here behind Maria's cloister,Near the halls of our Creator.At the house the mother, knitting,Shapes the stockings of blue woollen,Woollen stockings seamed with scarlet,Jackets of the snow-white worsted.I build hedges, stakes I sharpen,Mould the brazen gratings strongly,That the thieves come in and steal not,Take not from the flock its sheep-dog,Nor the wolf steal in and plunder,Seize my mother's tender lambkins,Rob the young lambs of my father.

A girl entices away the shepherd, while a boy as wolf carries off part of the herd, and another as dog barks. The mother of the family hastens up, beats the traitor, and the herdsmen go with staves to seek the lost lamb. The garland it wore is found and identified. With shouts of, "Lamb, lamb," it is found at last, caressed, and its bruises examined.

A ring of girls with their hands clasped and lifted. A girl, called (according to the color of her dress) blue-bird, black-bird, yellow-bird, etc., enters, and passes into the ring under an arch formed by a pair of lifted hands, singing to any suitable tune:

Here comes a blue-bird through the window,Here comes a blue-bird through the window,Here comes a blue-bird through the window,High diddle dum day!

She seizes a child, and waltzes off with her, singing:

Take a little dance and a hop-i'-the-corner,[89]Take a little dance and a hop-i'-the-corner,Take a little dance and a hop-i'-the-corner,High diddle dum day!

After the dance the chosen partner leads, named, as before, according to the color of her costume. The child, as she enters, must imitate by her raised arms the flight of a bird, making a very pretty dance.

Cincinnati.

A girl, speaking the words "Ducks fly," raises her hand to imitate the flight of the bird; so on with robins, eagles, etc., while all the rest must imitate her example; but she finally says "Cats fly," or some similar expression, when any child who is incautious enough to raise the hand (or thumb) must pay forfeit.

New York.

Trifling as the catch is, it has been popular in Europe. In some countries, instead of birds who fly, the question is of beasts who have or do not have horns.

FOOTNOTES:[89]Pronouncedhop-sie-corner.

[89]Pronouncedhop-sie-corner.

Lilies are white, rosemary's green;When you are king, I will be queen.Roses are red, lavender's blue;If you will have me, I will have you.

Lilies are white, rosemary's green;When you are king, I will be queen.

Roses are red, lavender's blue;If you will have me, I will have you.

Gammer Gurton's Garland.

This game is now a mere jest. A row of chairs is so arranged as to leave a vacant space, which is concealed by shawls or other coverings, and represents a throne. The courtiers having taken their places, the newly elected monarch is ceremoniously seated by the side of his consort, and the fun consists in witnessing his downfall.

By Strutt's description, it appears that in the beginning of the century this was in use as a species of "hazing" in English girls' schools:

"In some great boarding-schools for the fair sex it is customary, upon the introduction of a novice, for the scholars to receive her with much pretended solemnity, and decorate a throne in which she is to be installed, in order to hear a set speech, addressed to her by one of the young ladies in the name of the rest. The throne is wide enough for three persons to sit conveniently, and is made with two stools, having a tub nearly filled with water between them, and the whole is covered with a counterpane or blanket, ornamented with ribands and other trifling fineries, and drawn very tightly over the two stools, upon each of which a lady is seated to keep the blanket from giving way when the new scholar takes her place; and these are called her maids of honor. The speech consists of high-flown compliments calculated to flatter the vanity of the stranger; and as soon as it is concluded, the maids of honor rising suddenly together, thecounterpane of course gives way, and poor miss is unexpectedly immerged in the water."

In Austria the same game is called "conferring knighthood." All present are dressed as knights, in paper helmets, great mustachios, sticks for lances, wooden swords, etc. Two, who represent the oldest knights, are seated on the two stools, between which is a vacant space, while the rest form a half-circle about theGrand Master, who wears a mask and wig, and holds a great roll of paper. Meanwhile the candidate, in a separate room, is prepared by two knights for the ceremony; these instruct him in his behavior, until the embassy arrives to lead him before the Grand Master. The latter delivers a solemn address, and from the document in his hands reads the rule of the order—silence, courage, truth, etc. Then follows the vow, the delivery of the knightly costume, and the solemn bestowal of the stroke which dubs the victim a knight. He is finally invited to take his seat in the circle, with the result described in our own jest.

The name, "King and Queen," recalls a game as old as history, that of electing a king, who proceeded to confer offices of state, and assign duties. Herodotus tells us how the child Cyrus showed his royal birth by the severity with which he punished his disobedient subjects. In Switzerland, the children still choose, by "counting out," a king and an executioner. The king proceeds to impose tasks. Geiler of Kaisersberg, in a sermon,A.D.1507, gives the formula then in use in the game: "Sir king, I wish to serve you." "And what is your service?" "What you command me, I would execute." "I bid you do an honor to the king." For this game, as still played in Switzerland, a queen is also chosen; after a time, the king exclaims, "I make a journey," when the whole company, in couples, follow him through the chambers of the house or streets of the town on his royal progress. The old English game of "Questions and Commands" seems to have been the same. A writer in theGentlemen's Magazine, February, 1738, gives its formula: "King I am," says one boy; another answers, "I am your man." Then his majesty demands what service will he do him; to which the obsequious courtier replies, "The best, and worst, and all I can."

In this game, the leader having been chosen by "speaking first," or "counting out," the rest must do whatever he does. It is usually played out-of-doors, and the children "follow their leader" in a row, across roads, fences, and ditches, jumping from heights, and creeping under barriers.[90]We are told that the game is played in a peculiarly reckless fashion in the South, where the leader will sometimes go under a horse's legs or between the wheels of a wagon, whereupon the driver, knowing what to expect, will stop for the rest.

No doubt this sport, now a mere exhibition of daring, has an ancient origin and history. Perhaps it was a development of theking game, already referred to.

The technical word for challenge among children in America is "stump." One boy "stumps" another to do a thing. Whence derived?

The game of "Truth," as played in Massachusetts, is described by Miss Alcott in her "Little Women," chapter xii. The players are there said to pile up their hands, choose a number, and draw out in turn, and the person who draws his or her hand from the pile at the number selected has to answer truly any questions put by the rest.

We have heard of a party of young people who met regularly to play this game, but have been assured that it proved prolific of quarrels.

We have seen that the imitation of the ceremony of knighthood is still a form of childish amusement in Europe. Here follows a jesting New England formula for such a purpose, though not a game of children, but belonging to an older age:

"You must promise to obey three rules: first, never to do to-day what you can put off till to-morrow; secondly, never to eat brown bread when you can get white; thirdly, never to kiss the maid when you can kiss the mistress, unless the maid is prettier than the mistress."

These vows having been taken, it is then said, "Now I dub you knight of the whistle." Meantime a whistle having been attached to the back of the candidate, the fun consists in his attempts to discover the person who blew it.

A child is chosen to be judge, two others for jurors (or, to speak with our little informant,juries), who sit at his right and left hand.

Each child must ask the permission of the judge before taking any step. A platter is brought in, and a child, rising, asks the judge, "May I go into the middle of the room?" "May I turn the platter?" "On which side shall it fall?"

If the platter falls on the wrong side, forfeit must be paid.

Cambridge, Mass.

The nursery, we see, does not understand republicanism. The fairy tale has never got beyond the period in which the monarch orders the wicked witch to immediate execution.

In the ancient world, however, where the courts were a place of resort, and law was not a specialized profession, the case was different. Maximus of Tyre tells us that the children had their laws and tribunals; condemnation extended to the forfeiture of toys. Cato the Younger, according to Plutarch, had his detestation of tyranny first awakened by the punishment inflicted on a playmate by such a tribunal. One of the younger boys had been sentenced to imprisonment; the doom was duly carried into effect, but Cato, moved by his cries, rescued him.

In a German game there is a king, a judge, an executioner, an accuser, and a thief. The parts are assigned by drawing lots, but the accuser does not know the name of the thief, and, if he makes an error, has to undergo the penalty in his stead. The judge finally addresses the king, inquiring if his majesty approves of his decision; and the king replies, "Yes, your sentence entitles you to my favor;" or, "No, your sentence entitles youto so many blows." Thus we see how modern child's play respects the dignity of the king as the fountain of law.

In a Swiss sport the thief flies, and is chased over stock and stone until caught, when he is made to kneel down, his cap pushed over his brows, and his head immediately struck off with the edge of a board. So is preserved the memory of the severity of ancient criminal law.

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