Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/244

 2o6 Collectanea,

Another of the row is hidden and the same process as before is repeated, only of course the four sing —

" Here's four beggars four by four, etc." It then goes on to " Here's five beggars, etc.," and so on, till the whole party are members of the begging fraternity.

(P. 92, after line 4.)

The variant of this, " Hunt the Thimble," is played with one searcher, the remainder of the party being conscious of where the thimble is placed, which ought to combine invisibility and ease of being recovered. The " Hot " and " Cold " assistance is given the searcher. If she ultimately fails to find the thimble, she sits down on the floor and takes no further part in the game, another being sent out till the thimble is again hidden.

Up Jinkers.

The players are divided into two equal parties and sit at a table, the sides facing each other, with the palms of both hands on the table. Below the hand of a player of one of the sides is a coin or button, and the other side have to guess under whose hand it is. They hold a whispered consultation, and having come to some agreement, the one suspected of having the button is told " hands up." If the button is found, that counts one to the guessing side and they have then to conceal it, while if the button is not found where it was supposed to be, the side holding it score one and continue in its possession. The side that first scores an agreed on number of successes, wins.

Hop, Hop.

A boys' game. One is chosen to be Hut. The others playing having put stones in their bonnets and concealed them in various places, while Hut has to keep his eyes shut. The others then cry —

" Hop, hop, harry the nest, Kill the birds and eat the flesh."

Hut then opens his eyes and must find all the bonnets. When he has done so, the one whose bonnet he first found becomes Hut.

Recovering an object concealed on the person of one of an assembled company is practised by means of the following trick.