Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/115

 Items of Armenian Folk-Lore collected in Boston. 103

and places it on top of this last one, and so on until the last member of the group has done in like manner. Then some one of the number begins at the bottom, and points to each fist in turn. Each time he touches one he says "goje " until he has reached the top one ; then the conversation takes place as noted in translation below. The one who has been saying " goje " begins the conversation and is answered by the party having his hand on top : " Where is the grass ? What did you do with it ? " " Gave it to the cow." " What did the cow do?" "She gave me milk." "What did you do with it?" "I drank it." " Where is my part of it ? " " I drank it."

The questioner at this point, as if in anger, slaps the party who is answering him. All hands are now taken up and replaced again at random, thereby giving a new order. The "goje, goje, goje," etc., is now gone over again, but changes are made for the sake of variety. Another form it takes, starting from the cow, is : " Where 's the cow ? " " In the table." " Where 's the table ? " " Under the house." And so they go on. It is to be noted that the game symbolizes beginning at the lowest point of the roots of the grass (goje means "roots,") and approaching the surface of the ground, where the gradually grass is found wanting, because the cow has eaten it.

CANDLE GAME.

In this game each one chooses a partner. Some one holds a candle, which is usually heavy. A member of the company says : " Donkey ! donkey ! foolish donkey ! why do you hold that candle ? " The one having the candle replies: "Who will hold it?" The party who first spoke signifies some member of the group as the one who should hold the candle. He does this by simply calling the name to the individual. However, the party indicated must not reply. Instead, his partner speaks for him, instantly saying, "No." If the party addressed speaks, through mistake, then he must hold the candle and be quizzed as a foolish donkey. If he does not speak, but his partner answers correctly, then the candle remains in the same hands as before. In this case, everything is begun again as at first, and a new party named, with like possible results. Thus the game con- tinues as long as there is a disposition to play.

CUSTOMS.

The nails of babies are never cut, because they would then become robbers. The first time the nails are cut, they are buried in the graveyard. Even the older Armenians never allow the parings of their nails to be cast about at random. They gather them together and bury them, or wrap them in paper or rags and hide them in a crack of the wall, fence, or some other place which will afford storage

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