Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/107

 Collectanea. 85

BALANCING.

(P. 12, after line 28.)

The description of the above feat, as seen practised in Uist, is as follows :

The performer stands on one foot on a table, his toe flush with the edge. To the toe of the foot on the table he brings the heel of the other foot; stooping forward he places one of his fists against the toe of the suspended foot and prolongs the line of foot and fist with his other hand, the success of the feat consisting in retaining his balance. The reciter saw masons performing this on the top of a wall. As thus described, the performer had the whole length of one foot as a base.

(P. 13, at bottom.)

Picking a pin up by the mouth.

In Barra a pin is stuck in the ground, and the performer, with his or her two hands clasped behind the back, stoops and picks up the pin with the teeth. This trick was popular in North Argyle in the I edaig district. " The pin was placed upon a smooth surface, a broad smooth flagstone, a piece of wood. Standing erect the performer placed his hands behind his back and stooped until with his teeth he gripped the pin, having to lift it from the floor without placing his hands on the floor or his feet." He might be allowed to put his hands on his knees, but not lower than that. With the description of the trick as done in Barra before us, the question was put to our corre- spondent, " Was the pin not stuck by the point ? " but the answer was quite clear that it was only laid down horizontally. A man who had done it in his youth said the hands were put behind the back and the legs spread out till the face could reach the pin.

Standing on one foot to touch the ground with the knee of the other leg.

Standing upright on the left foot, the performer raised the right foot backwards, bending the knee and held the toes with his right hand. Retaining his hold he had to bend the left knee