Page:Morgan Philips Price - Siberia (1912).djvu/137

 Rh they were celebrating the occasion by little impromptu concerts and by vigorous recreation.

Large crowds of youths and girls now collected and walked about aimlessly. Then all at once they broke off into separate groups. The older youths began tracing out circles in the middle of the street, and started to play a game which very much resembled English rounders. As I stood watching I was asked by a peasant youth to come and join them. I did so, and created great merriment whenever I clumsily missed the ball with the wooden stick. Some of the girls also, fine and healthy creatures and almost as strong as some of the youths, joined in the games. Others walked round and round in circles singing in harmony little verses from folk-songs. Then one of the girls was put into the middle of the ring; they all closed upon her and a tussle ensued as she tried to escape from the ring as soon as possible. It was a rather rough game, as I found when I subsequently played it with them; and when I was put in the middle I certainly did not relish the position. If Siberian girls play the same sort of rough games that are played by Lancashire collier youths, one can imagine what sort of games the Siberian boys play.

Some of the girls now formed into two rows, hand in hand, facing each other, and each side sang a line from some well-known folk-song. One of these songs I managed to understand, and found it related a story (common to the people of all countries) about two lovers and an angry parent. When they came to some little dramatic incident in the narrative, one of their number would step forward and act the little scene, and when it was finished would retire