Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 1 1883.djvu/395

Rh Hen. What for? Fox. To make a fire. Hen. What's the fire for? Fox. To boil some water. Hen. What's the water for? Fox. To boil some chickens in. Hen. Where do you get them from? Fox. Out of your flock. Hen. That I'm sure you wont.

The fox now tries to get hold of one of the chickens, who, holding tightly on to one another with the hen, try to dodge him and prevent being caught. If the fox succeeds in catching them, they all with the fox try to dodge the hen, who makes an effort to regain possession of them.—(Derbyshire.)

In this game only three players are required: the Lover, the Lady, the Fairy.

It commences in this manner. The lover seeing the lady a little way off, says, "Yonder stands a lovely lady, whom she be I do not know, I'll go and court her for my beauty, whether she say me yea or nay." He approaches her, and falling on one knee says, "Madam, to thee I humbly bow and bend," to which she replies, "Sir, I take thee not to be my friend"; she then retires, and he falls to the ground, and, supposed to be dying at his rejection, cries, "Oh, if the good fairy doesn't come I shall die." Whereupon the good fairy appears, touches him with her wand, and he is immediately well again.

A Derbyshire servant-girl taught this game to myself and some others when children many years ago.

