An’ fooak awlus thowt, ‘foor tha spak,
Wa s’u’d aim ti deea all a good to’n,
Whahl ill-will wad tak off iv a crack.
If ti illify, spite an’ sike uthers
C’u’d be deng’d cleean off t’ feeace o’ t’ yeth,
Wa sud live mair leyke sisters an’ bruthers,
An’ ‘ev mair ov innocent mirth.
CHAPTER XIV
CHILDREN‘S LORE
The North Riding is peculiarly rich in children’s lore. I remember when a lad it was considered unlucky to hold a third place whilst crossing a stream. To overcome the difficulty, two would walk abreast, rather than cross last as third boy. A boy was not considered a true grammarian[71] until he had been subjected to the orthodox rule of bumping; and any boy appearing in a new garment had to submit to ’nips for new,’ each one giving him a nip to ‘handsel’ the new garment. I remember, too, it was considered unlucky to write one’s name in a new book with a borrowed pen. And whilst any one had hold of wood, and cried ‘Queenie,’ or wet his finger, calling out ‘I’m wet,’ such for the time being was secure from receiving the last tig (bat or touch) on parting for the night—a most desirable point of vantage to gain in those days. But, be it remembered, this last tig had to be given on the skin, not on the jacket, or the boy would call out, ‘I wasn’t born with my clothes on.’