Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/230

 2 1 6 Collectanea.

The inquirer then moves off, but when he has gone a short distance, the one at the head of the row cries to him, " Come, come back and you will get porridge and milk." (Till, till agus gheidh thu lite 's bainne?) He returns, and coming to one in the row asks him, "Is it you?" ('n e thusa?). The boy answers, "It is not," and this is repeated till he has gone over two or three, and then he fixes on one, when the struggle takes place, and if the one chosen is overcome he is professedly concealed in a hole, to be eaten by and by, recalling the oxen of the previous game. If the inquirer is able to overcome the whole row, that finishes the game, but according to Gregorson Campbell, if one of the row overcome him {Argyleshire Series, v. p. 128), the successful linesman takes his place.

SKIPPING.

(P. 228, at bottom of page.) Dropping the Handkerchief,

The various feats to be performed are called for by those turning (m-ing) the rope, and these having been successfully performed, the swingers add, "Lady, lady, drop your hand- kerchief," a motion which the skipper goes through, keeping up the jumping. She is then told, " Lady, lady, pick it up," a motion through which she also goes, and finally, the rope still swinging, she is told, " Lady, lady, run out," when she runs out, and the one to perform after her skips into her place.

French Rope.

Two girls stand opposite each other with a rope in each hand, an end in the right of the one, in the left of the other. The ropes are swung alternately, the swinger's hands, the rope lying on the ground, being moved towards the middle line of their bodies. The skipper has to clear the ropes alternately.

German Rope

Is the same, except that the swingers start with the rope hanging towards the ground, by moving their hands outwards from the centre of their bodies.