Shot at a pigeon
And killed a crow.
The cock doth crow
To let you know,
If you be well.
The second that the last word is sung, those who have formed the arch drop their arms around the neck of the child just passing under. Then they inquire in a whisper which he would rather have, Rubies or Emeralds. When he decides, he must whisper the answer, and he will then be told to go back of the player that represents that stone.
When all have been caught, those back of the stone that has had the most admirers now hide, while the others seek for them. Should the rubies have precedence, the emeralds are the ones to hunt, or if the emeralds, the rubies are the ones to hunt. Whichever stone is in the minority must seek for the others. Whoever finds the most rubies or emeralds, as the case may be, is counted the richest, as this player possesses the most treasure.
The players who have formed the arch keep watch that all is done fairly.
WHAT THE DANDELIONS SAID
Is the old game familiar to all from babyhood—that of blowing the soft down of the ripened dandelion to learn, “How old am I?” Blow once, one year old; blow twice, two years, and so on, until all the downy stuff has gone. The number of times the blows have been given before the down has altogether disappeared indicates the age.