Mother:—
"I leave my daughter safe and sound,
And in her pocket a thousand pound.
Don't let her ramble; don't let her trot;
Don't let her carry the mustard pot."
The mother then retires with the other children, leaving the daughter chosen with the lady. This daughter sits down behind or beside the lady. As the mother retires, the lady says, under her breath, so that the mother may not hear:—
"She shall ramble, she shall trot;
She shall carry the mustard pot."
This entire play is repeated until all of the children have been chosen and left with the lady. The mother then retires alone, and after an interval in which several days are supposed to have elapsed, calls to see her children. The lady tells her she cannot see them. The mother insists, and the lady finally takes her to where they are sitting.
The mother goes to one child and asks how the lady has treated her. The child answers, "She cut off my curls and made a curl pie and never gave me a bit of it!" The mother asks the next child, who says she cut off her ear or fingers, etc., and made a pie, not giving her a bit of it. When all have told the mother what the lady has done to them, they all rise up and chase the lady; when captured, she is led off to prison.
This is one of the oldest traditional dramatic games, and is found in some form in almost all countries. Sometimes the mother is supposed to be poor, and bestows her children upon the wealthy lady of the land for adoption. It is thought possibly to have come from the country practice in European countries of hiring servants at fairs.
LAME FOX AND CHICKENS
10 to 30 or more players.