Games and songs of American children

by Unknown

NOTES TO GAMES.

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 the Faroese version 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 been played 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 the Swedish (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 is French, 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. Danish and Swedish ballads, 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. German usages, 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. German usages, 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."—The High-German formula 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 similar Italian game 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-German formulas 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 the Italian "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 also Spanish, 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; so Russian, 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 word barres is probably only a false interpretation of an older word bar, 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.—Icelandic and Low-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."—French name, "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 in Hindostan, 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 called poguer, 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, including Slavic, 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 name Leigh, 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 the Spanish (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 of selling birds, Frischbier, p. 184; of catching 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 of begging instead of stealing children. This is the case in most German versions. 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 is invited to a meal by the witch, Frischbier, p. 182, and the person invited sends excuses (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 advances limping (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 been taken 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 advances limping, 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.

Of the following games played in Great Britain, and possessing European equivalents, we have not obtained American versions: (1.) Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 131, "Game of the Fox."—German, Rochholz, p. 44, "Fuchs aus dem Loche." Handelmann, p. 74.—French, Belèze, p. 27, "La Mère Garuche," also "Le Diable boiteux."—Ancient Greek, Pollux, ix. 121. (2.) Halliwell, Pop. Rh., p. 126, "The Poor Soldier."—Spanish, Maspons y Labrós, p. 86, mentioned A.D. 1605, Marin, i. 177. (3.) "The Wadds," Chambers, p. 124.—German, Rochholz, p. 432, No. 52. (4.) Chambers, p. 128, "The Craw."—German, Rochholz, p. 445, "Der Teufel an der Kette." (5.) Nurs. Rh., No. 323, "This is the Key of the Kingdom."—German, Handelmann, p. 39.—French, Celnart, p. 181.—Spanish, Marin, i. 88.

Transcriber's Notes:

Simple spelling, grammar, and typographical errors were corrected.

Punctuation normalized.

Anachronistic and non-standard spellings retained as printed.

Beginning with p. 236 several numbers were skipped in the original.