Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/234

 2 20 Collectanea.

extent. Holding the stick where the point of his mid-finger had rested, he placed it to the point of his nose, the arm's length of stick extending above his head. Holding the stick in the position indicated, he had to bend backward without falling till the point of the stick touched the ground.

Up and Down Devilment.

Outside game played by boys in Kintyre. One boy knelt on his knees and elbows, another standing upright to one side of him grasped a third who hung head downwards, and also grasping him round the body front to front, their faces being between each other's legs. The boy standing laid the one who was head downmost on the back of the kneeling player and shoved him further till he could get his feet on the ground, when he had to lift the boy, who commenced standing till he hung head downwards, their positions in fact being reversed. This having been accomplished, those three who had been performing all kneel as described for the first kneeler, but at such a distance from each other that another pair could pass over three as described. If there were more than five players, the same process was continued till all had had an opportunity of doing the feat, which became more toilsome with every addition to the number of the "supports."

Failure on the part of a " support " was treated indulgently, he being probably merely called upon to give another chance when he had failed in allowing a pair to clear him, but if any couple failed in their part they were punished, either at the moment or when the game had finished, with what was called " Ham and Eggs." They had to lie down on their backs, parallel to each other, heads together. Four of the bigger boys who had succeeded, lifted the two victims by their arms and legs, and swinging them, brought their buttocks against each other with each swing. The knocks themselves would be restricted in number, but their severity depended chiefly on the judgment of the swingers. All failing were so punished. The swinging might be done with a boy at each limb.

Row Boat.

A boys' outside game in Perthshire. Sides were formed and