To possess a white ally-taw was considered most lucky, a considerable number of marbles always being offered in exchange, though it was only dire poverty which would render such a transaction possible. One hears the same words and terms used now which thirty years ago came so glibly from our own lips, and how long before that, goodness knows; but old men tell us that they played the same games with the same terms and laws which govern them now. I remember seeing the look of astonishment which came into a South-country man’s face as some boys rushed out of school to their usual ground, shouting at the top of their voices, ‘Bags Ah fuggy, bags Ah seggy, thoddy thoddy’; and from another, ‘Fowrt! fowrt! fowrt!’ whilst a small scrap of a mortal yelled at the top of his voice, ‘An’ Ah bags laggy, Ah bags laggy.’ Then it was demanded, ‘What’s t’ steeak?’ ‘Tweea a go,’ was the response, after which the game commenced, only to be followed by such expressions as—‘Backs neea flies;’ ‘Ah bags brush;’ ‘Ah sed neea brush;’ ‘Noo, then, neea fullocking;’ ‘Here, thoo’ll ’a’e ti gan ower agaan, thoo ramm’d.’ And then up crept a bully of a boy, who screamed ‘Brulley,’ snatching every taw out of the ring and running off with them. And really, after all, one need not be very much surprised if a southern visitor does fail to understand what the boys are talking about. But then our lads would be equally at sea, and find it just as difficult to understand such a sentence as the following:—‘Oi’ll ketch yer one on yer blooming bouko, if yer deoun’t ’old yer bally reow.’ One is north, the other south, that is all—at least, nearly all.

For what untold ages our children’s methods of counting-out have existed, it would be difficult to say. Some owe their birth to the times of the Reformation, when with a truly Christian spirit all things Romish were consistently or otherwise jeered at[72]; others to still earlier days, and a few to times remote. Take as an example the following:—‘Ena, tena, tethra, pethra, pimps; sarfra, larfra, ofra, dofra, dix; ena dix, tena dix, tethra dix, pethra dix, bumpit; ena bumpit, tena bumpit, tethra bumpit, pethra bumpit, sigit—you’re out.’ Again it is repeated till another is out, and so on until only two remain, and then the last one is counted out.

The above is not very common, but still it lives; it is perhaps one of the oldest methods which has survived. Doubtless, during the centuries through which it has lived, as might be expected, many of the words have lost their original sound. It would seem to date from those days when a mixed race had for some time lived peaceably together, if ever such a thing did happen. The children know it, and that is all. Let us take the first ten words; I will leave my readers to form their own conclusions.

FROM ONE TO TEN IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES.

SIMILARITIES ONLY GIVEN.
The Children’s
Form.		Welsh.Anglo-
Saxon.		Old High
German.		Modern
German.		Gothic.
1. Ena......Ein......
2. Tena(1)...Tu.........
3. TethraTair............
4. PethraPedwar............
5. PimpsPump...FinfeFunf...
6. Sarfra............Saihs
7. Larfra...............
8. Ofra......Ohto......
9. Dofra...............
10. DixDeg............
1: Probably this is the old form of two ones, for twice, hence tuena or tena.

The comparative study of children’s lore proves, perhaps more conclusively than that of anything else, how local circumstances in all things compel both alteration and modification. Our American cousins have retained with commendable accuracy most of the lore belonging to the old country; but as in some cases the nasal twang has altered the sound of words, so local and national peculiarities have influenced and modified them in others; it must, however, be admitted not to any vital extent. As an example of what I mean, take the following.

There is a very common girls’ game not only in the North Riding, but in most parts of England, called ‘Jennie o’ Jones.’ It is a singing game. One verse runs:—

Red is for the soldiers,

For soldiers, for soldiers;

Red is for the soldiers,