King.—“I have a brown-haired youth that will match you and make a matted colt of you at the door of the house, etc.”
Another game popular on these occasions was one of forfeits, known as the “Parson’s mare has gone amissing,” (Làir a’ pharsonaich air chall). Every boy and girl in the company has a false name, given for the occasion, such as “Old Cow’s Tail” (Earball Seana Mhairt); “Rooster on the House-top” (Coileach air Tigh), etc. The king, or overseer, commencing the game says,
“The parson’s mare has gone amissing,
And it is a great shame that it should be so;
Try who stole her.”
Làir a’ pharsonaich air chall,
’S mòr an nàire dh’ i bhi ann;
Feuch cò ghoid i.
Looking round the circle, he fixes upon some one, and mentions him by the assumed name. He fixes, for instance, on the one to whom the name of “Old Cow’s Tail” was given, and the person mentioned or denoted was bound at once to answer, saying