Game, game, ba’ ba’,
Twenty lasses in a raw,
Nae a lad amon them a’
Bits game, game, ba’, ba’.
If the girl keeps the ball dancing up and down—“stottin’” during the time the words are being repeated, it counts one game gained. She goes on “stottin’” the ball, and the others go on repeating the words till she allows the ball to escape from her control.—Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr. Gregor); Dalry, Galloway (J. G. Carter).
Another rhyme for a ball game is—
Little wee laddie, foo’s yer daidie?
New come oot o’ a basket shadie.
A basket shadie’s ower full,
New come oot o’ a roarin’ bull.
A roarin bull’s ower fat,
New come oot o’ a gentleman’s hat.
A gentleman’s hat’s ower fine,
New come oot o’ a bottle o’ wine.
A bottle o’ wine is ower reid,
New come oot o’ a crust o’ breid.
A crust o’ breid is ower broon,
New come oot o’ a half-a-croon.
A half-a-croon is ower little,
New come oot o’ a weaver’s shuttle.
A weaver’s shuttle’s ower holey,
New come oot o’ a paint pottie,
Game, game, game, game, game!
—Rev. Dr. Gregor.
Bannockburn.
[See [Fool, Fool, come to school], vol. i. p. 132.]
Played as “[Fool]” with these differences. The namer cries to the fool in the same formula as the Sussex version (vol. i. p. 133). The fool, called here “Bannockburn,” says, “Are ye it?” to each player pointing to them in turn. When she points at the correct one that player runs off. Bannockburn runs after and tries to catch her. If the first runner can get back into the row untouched she gets renamed, if caught she has to take Bannockburn’s place.
During the naming, Bannockburn tries to overhear the names given. But when noticed coming near, those being named, cry “Bannockburn away dune the sea.”—Dalry, Galloway (J. G. Carter).