Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 2).djvu/514

 strongest, or eldest, instinctively assumes the leadership, to which the rest of the children voluntarily bow. In my square there is a certain Mabel, as she is usually called by her friends, who is nothing less than a born general. Amongst her squad there are girls who must be at least five or six years older than herself, and yet her generalship, so far as I can see, is never challenged. She selects her own favourite companions for the most coveted posts, orders the entire company about, administers slight corporal punishment to stupid or careless recruits, settles in the most arbitrary manner any disputes that arise—generally to her own advantage—in short, by the exercise of goodness knows what magical qualities, has some dozen children under her command every evening.

Of round games, I think Poor Jenny is a-weeping is by a long way the favourite. Any number of children can join in the game, which is played by a ring being formed, with one child in the centre, who personifies Jenny. The circle moves round singing:—

It will be seen from the above specimen that one must not expect too much in the way of sense or grammar or refinement in these street songs; but there is a heartiness in the singing and a zest and enjoyment in the dancing round which go far to compensate for any trifling drawback of this kind.

A rather curious round game and a very favourite one is Bobby Bingo. There is the usual circle, which moves round with one child in the centre, and the words run in this way:—

Then the girl in the centre points to each child in the circle with her finger, saying to herself as she goes round,, over and over again. If she says any letter but "o" aloud she is out. This is by no means so simple a matter as appears at first sight, as can be proved by anyone who spells out the ridiculous word several times quickly, taking care to say only the last letter aloud.

There stands a Lady on the Mountain is practically the same game with different words, and the same applies to Master, Master, where's your Gold?

In The King of the Barbaree the girls march to and fro in long lines singing a number of verses, each of which ends in