Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/235

 Collectanea. 221

the players matched in pairs, each pair sitting down on opposite sides of a straight Une, facing each other. The opposing players grasped each other's hands, and planted the soles of their feet against each other's stomachs, and, pulling and straining as if rowing a boat, strove to draw one another across the line and as far beyond it as possible. The side which drew the greater number of their opponents over the line were the winners.

Cocks and Hens. Cavalry Fighting.

Two sides being chosen, the half of each side sat on the shoulders of the other half, their legs firmly grasped by the " horses." The two sides then advanced to a dividing line and wrestled with each other with the view of drawing their opponents to their own side, and thus putting them out of action, a result also achieved by dismounting a rider. The game is not always just so orderly as we have described ; it may be merely a con- fused melee where they shove and jostle and pull till one side is exhausted or all are dismounted.

(P. 239, after line 7.)

A similar game, but the tug of war being decided between two individual girls, is

Here we gather Nuts in May.

Two equal sides are chosen. They stand facing each other on each side of a line drawn. One side starts singing :

" Here we go gathering nuts in May, nuts in May, nuts in May, Here we go gathering nuts in May, on a fine summer morning."

The opposite side replies :

'* Who will you gather for nuts in May, nuts in May, nuts in May, Who will you gather for nuts in May, on a fine summer morning?"

The opposite side then names a girl :

"We'll gather Kate Ramsay for nuts in May, for nuts in May, for nuts in May, We'll gather Kate Ramsay for nuts in May, on a fine summer morning."

The same process is carried on, beginning now with the other set of players, who finally nominate another girl — say, Grace Bell. Kate Ramsay and Grace Bell toe the line, and, holding each