Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/255

{[rh||Collectanea.|217}} point of the child's thumb and the other fingers in succession, naming them as above; she comes back to the thumb, and turning it down in the palm of the hand, she says, "Cuiridh mi ord foidhpe sin" (I will put a hammer under that). She then turns down the forefinger and says, "Cuiridh mi gileab foidhpe sin" (I will put a chisel under that). Then comes the turn of the middle finger, "Cuiridh mi gunna fada foidh sin" (I will put a long gun under that). For the ring-finger she says, "Cuiridh mi rud abaich foidh sin" (I will put a ripe thing under that), and then the little finger, "Cuiridh mi airgeid foidhpe sin" (I will put silver (money) under that).

(P. 121, after line 17.)

Spin the Trencher.

This well-known game was played in Argyleshire. All sat with their backs to the wall but one, who, provided with a plate, stood in the centre. The plate was set spinning on its edge, the one who did so calling the name of one of the others who had to catch it before it ceased spinning. This continued, each spinner choosing his own successor. Any one missing to catch the plate in time paid a forfeit, the one who had spun him out calling out another.

There were, of course, traditional methods of freeing the forfeits paid, but quite a free field was given to the blindfold person fixed on to order the punishments. A favourite traditional method, however, was to order the one who had paid the forfeit to be blindfolded. Something then was held over his back, the holder saying, " Truime, truime, 'n ordag, de sin os do cheann?" (Weight, weight of a hammer, what is that over your head?) If the answer was right the pledge was released, if it was wrong the thing, whatever it was, was placed on the bearer's back, and the point of the joke was to try and crush the bearer under the weight of things piled upon him.

(P. 124, after line 29.)

In a variant of the above "Genisis" becomes "Georgina":