Part 31
Mother, mother, the pot boils over. Take the spoon and skim it. Can't find it. Look on the shelf. Can't reach it. Take the stool. The leg's broke. Take the chair. Chair's gone to be mended. I suppose I must come myself?
The Mother here wrings her hands out of the water in the washing-tub and comes in. She looks about and misses Monday.
Where's Monday? Oh, please, Mother, please, I couldn't help it; but some one came to beg a light for her pipe, and when I went for it she took Monday off. Why, that's the witch!
The Mother pretends to beat the eldest daughter, tells her to be more careful another time, and to be sure and not let the pot boil over. The eldest daughter cries, and promises to be more careful, and the Mother goes again to the wash-tub.
The same thing occurs again. The Witch comes and asks--
Please, will you lend me your tinder-box? My fire's out. Yes, certainly, if you'll bring it back directly. You shall have it in half-an-hour.
While the tinder-box is being looked for she runs off with Tuesday. Then the pot boils over, and the same dialogue is repeated. The Mother comes and finds Tuesday gone. This is repeated for all the seven children in turn, different articles, gridiron, poker, &c, being borrowed each time. Finally, the eldest daughter is taken off too. There is no one now to watch the pot, so it boils over, and makes so much noise that the Mother hears it and comes to see why it is. Finding her eldest daughter gone too, she goes after her children to the Witch's house. A dialogue ensues between the Witch and the Mother. The Mother asks--
Is this the way to the Witch's house? There's a red bull that way! I'll go this way. There's a mad cow that way! I'll go this way. There's a mad dog that way!
She then insists on entering the house to look for her children. The Witch will not admit her, and says--
Your boots are too dirty. I'll take my boots off. Your stockings are too dirty. I'll take them off. Your feet are dirty. I'll cut them off. The blood will run over the threshold. I'll wrap them up in a blanket. The blood will run through.
This enrages the Mother, and she pushes her way into the supposed house, and looks about, and calls her children. She goes to one and says--
This tastes like my Monday.
The Witch tells her it's a barrel of pork.
No, no, this is my Monday; run away home.
Upon this Monday jumps up from her crouching or kneeling posture [the children were generally put by the Witch behind some chairs all close together in one corner of the room], and runs off, followed by all the others and their Mother. The Witch tries to catch one, and if successful that child becomes Witch next time.--A. B. Gomme.
A probable explanation of this game is that it illustrates some of the practices and customs connected with fire-worship and the worship of the hearth, and that the pot is a magical one, and would only boil over when something wrong had occurred and the Mother's presence was necessary. The pot boils over directly a child is taken away, and appears to cease doing this when the Mother comes in. It is remarkable, too, that the Witch should want to borrow a light from the fire; the objection to the giving of fire out of the house is a well-known and widely-diffused superstition, the possession of a brand from the house-fire giving power to the possessor over the inmates of a house. The mention of the spitting on the hearth in the Sheffield version, and dirtying the hearth in the London version, give confirmation to the theory that the desecration of the fire or hearth is the cause of the pot boiling over, and that the spirit of the hearth or fire is offended at the sacrilege. The Witch, too, may be unable to get possession of a child until she has something belonging to the house. The journey of the Mother to the Witch's house in search of her children, the obstacles put in her path, and the mention of the spilling of blood on the threshold, are incidents which have great significance. Why the "keeling" or skimming of the contents of the pot should be so difficult a task for the eldest daughter that the Mother is obliged to come herself, is not so clear; the skimming is of course to prevent the pot boiling over, and the pot may be supposed to take the place of the Mother or Guardian of the hearth, and tell when misfortune or trouble is at hand. Or the "boiling over" (which, if continued, would extinguish the fire and sully the stone) may be an offence to the hearth spirit, who ceases then to protect the inmates of the house. Fairies are said to have power over the inmates of a house when the threshold and kitchen utensils are left dirty and uncared for. Thus on the theories accompanying the ancient house ritual, this extraordinary game assumes a rational aspect, and it is not too much to suggest that this explanation is the correct one.
In the game of "Witch" practically the same incidents occur, and nearly the same dialogue, but the significant elements of pot-boiling and fire-protection do not appear in that game. It is not certain whether we have two independent games, or whether "The Witch" is this game, the incidents of pot-boiling and the fire-protection having been lost in its transmission to more modern notions. Although so closely allied, these games are not one at the present day, and are therefore treated separately. Newell (_Games_, p. 218) gives some versions of "Witch" which show a connection between that game and this. See "Keeling the Pot," "Witch."
Mount the Tin
One child throws a tin (any kind of tin will do) to some distance, and then walks towards it without looking round. The other children, in the meantime, hide somewhere near. The child who threw the tin has to guard it, and at the same time try to find those who are hiding. If he sees one he must call the name, and run to strike the tin with his foot. He does this until each one has been discovered. As they are seen they must stand out. The one who was first found has to guard the tin next time. Should one of the players be able to strike the tin while the keeper is absent, that player calls out, "Hide again." They can then all hide until the same keeper discovers them again.--Beddgelert (Mrs. Williams).
See "New Squat."
Mouse and the Cobbler
One girl stands up and personates a mother, another pretends to be a mouse, and crouches behind a chair in a corner. The mother says to another player--
Go and get your father's shirt.
This player goes to the chair to look for the shirt, and is tickled or touched by the one hiding. She rushes back and calls out--
Mother, there's a mouse. Go and get your father's coat. There's a mouse. Go and get your father's watch and chain. There's a mouse.
The Mother then goes to see herself. The second time she is scratched and chased. When caught she takes the Mouse's place.--Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).
This is evidently the same game as "Ghost in the Garden" and "Ghost in the Copper," in a decaying stage. There is no _raison d'etre_ for either mouse or cobbler. Probably these words are a corruption of the older "Ghost in the Copper."
Muffin Man
[Music]
--Earls Heaton (H. Hardy).
[Music]
--Congleton Workhouse (Miss A. E. Twemlow).
I. Have you seen the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man, Have you seen the muffin man that lives in Drury Lane O? Yes, I've seen the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man; Yes, I've seen the muffin man who lives in Drury Lane O.
--Earls Heaton, Yorks. (H. Hardy).
II. O, have you seen the muffin man, The muffin man, the muffin man; O, have you seen the muffin man Who lives in Drury Lane O?
--N. W. Lincolnshire (Rev. ---- Roberts).
III. Have you seen the muffin girl, The muffin girl, the muffin girl? O have you seen the muffin girl Down in yonder lane?
--Congleton Workhouse School (Miss A. E. Twemlow).
IV. Don't you know the muffin man? Don't you know his name? Don't you know the muffin man That lives in our lane? All around the Butter Cross, Up by St. Giles's, Up and down the Gullet Street, And call at Molly Miles's!
--Burne's _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 571.
V. Have you seen the nutting girl, The nutting girl, the nutting girl? Have you seen the nutting girl, Down in yonder lane O?
--Holmfirth (H. Hardy).
(_b_) A ring is formed by the players joining hands; one child, who is blindfolded and holds a stick, stands in the centre. The ring dance round, singing the verse. They then stand still, and the centre child holds out the stick and touches one of the ring. This player must take hold of the stick. Then the Muffin Man asks this player any questions he pleases, "Is the morn shining?" "Is ink white?" &c. The child who holds the stick answers "Yes" or "No" in a disguised voice, and the Muffin Man then guesses who it is. He is allowed three tries. If he guesses right he joins the ring, and the child who was touched takes his place in the centre. In the Yorkshire versions no questions are asked; the blindfolded child goes to any one he can touch, and tries to guess his or her name. The other version, sent by Mr. Hardy, is played in the same way, and sung to the same tune. In the Congleton version (Miss Twemlow), the blindfolded child tries to catch one of those in the ring, when the verse is sung. The lines, with an additional four from _Shropshire Folk-lore_, are given by Miss Burne among nursery rhymes and riddles.
See "Buff with a Stick," "Dinah."
Mulberry Bush
[Music]
--Miss Harrison.
Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, Here we go round the mulberry bush, On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we wash our hands, Wash our hands, wash our hands, This is the way we wash our hands, On a cold and frosty morning.
Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, Here we go round the mulberry bush, On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we wash our clothes, Wash our clothes, wash our clothes, This is the way we wash our clothes, On a cold and frosty morning.
Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, Here we go round the mulberry bush, On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we go to school, We go to school, we go to school, This is the way we go to school, On a cold and frosty morning.
Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, Here we go round the mulberry bush, On a cold and frosty morning.
--Liphook, Hants (Miss Fowler).
(_b_) The children form a ring, all joining hands and dancing round while singing the first verse. When singing the last line they unclasp their hands, and each one turns rapidly round. They then sing the next verse, suiting their actions to the words they sing, again turning round singly at the last line. This is done with every alternate verse, the first verse being always sung as a chorus or dance in between the different action-verses. The verses may be varied or added to at pleasure. The actions generally consist of washing and dressing oneself, combing hair, washing clothes, baking bread, sweeping the floor, going to and returning from school, learning to read, cleaning boots, and lacing stays. When "going to school," the children walk two by two in an orderly manner; when "coming home from school," jumping and running is the style adopted; "lacing stays," the hands are put behind and moved first one and then the other, as if lacing; "this is the way the ladies walk," holding up skirts and walking primly; "gentlemen walk," walking with long strides and sticks. The dressing process and cleaning boots preceded "school."
(_c_) This game is well known, and played in almost all parts of England. It is always played in the same way. There is so little variety in the different versions that it appears unnecessary to give more than one here. In the many versions sent the only variants are: In Sporle, Norfolk, Miss Matthews says the game is sometimes called "_Ivy_ Bush," or "_Ivory_ Bush;" and Mr. C. C. Bell, of Epworth, sends a version, "Here we go round the Mulberry _Tree_" In Notts it is called "Holly Bush" (Miss Winfield). A version given in the _Folk-lore Record_, iv. 174, is called the "_Gooseberry_ Bush," and Halliwell (_Popular Nursery Rhymes_, p. 224) records a game, the "Bramble Bush." "The bush," he says, "is often imaginative, but is sometimes represented by a child in the centre." Chambers (_Popular Rhymes_, pp. 134, 135) gives the game as a form of the "Merry-ma-tanzie"--a kind of dance. They sing while moving round to the tune of "Nancy Dawson," and stopping short with courtesy at the conclusion.
Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, Here we go round the mulberry bush, And round the merry-ma-tanzie.
Disjoining hands, they then begin, with skirts held daintily up behind, to walk singly along, singing--
This is the way the ladies walk, The ladies walk, the ladies walk; This is the way the ladies walk, And round the merry-ma-tanzie.
At the last line they reunite, and again wheel round in a ring, singing as before--
Here we go round the mulberry bush, &c.
After which, they perhaps simulate the walk of gentlemen, the chief feature of which is length of stride, concluding with the ring dance as before. Probably the next movement may be--
This is the way they wash the clothes, Wash the clothes, wash the clothes; This is the way they wash the clothes, And round the merry-ma-tanzie.
After which there is, as usual, the ring dance. They then represent washing, ironing clothes, baking bread, washing the house, and a number of other familiar proceedings.
Chambers quotes a fragment of this "little ballet," as practised at Kilbarchan, in Renfrewshire, which contains the following lines similar to those in this game:--
She synes the dishes three times a day, Three times a day, three times a day; She synes the dishes three times a day, Come alang wi' the merry-ma-tanzie.
She bakes the scones three times a day, Three times a day, three times a day; She bakes the scones three times a day, Come alang wi' the merry-ma-tanzie.
She ranges the stules three times a day, Three times a day, three times a day; She ranges the stules three times a day, Come alang wi' the merry-ma-tanzie.
This game originated, no doubt, as a marriage dance round a sacred tree or bush. As it now exists it appears to have no other character than the performance of duties such as those enumerated in the description. In no version that I am acquainted with do the elements of love and marriage or kissing occur, otherwise the resemblance it bears to the Scotch "Merry-ma-tanzie" would suggest that it is a portion of that game. This game possesses the centre tree, which is not preserved in "Merry-ma-tansa." Trees were formerly sacred to dancing at the marriage festival, as at Polwarth in Berwickshire, where the custom once prevailed, which is not unworthy of notice. "In the midst of the village are two thorn trees near to each other; round these every newly-married pair were expected to dance with all their friends; from hence arose the old song, 'Polwarth on the Green'" (_New Statistical Account of Scotland, Polwarth, Berwickshire_, ii. 234). Holland (_Cheshire Glossary_), under "Kissing Bush," says, "A bush of holly, ivy, or other evergreens, which is hung up in farm kitchens at Christmas, and serves the purpose of mistletoe. The kissing bushes are usually prepared by the farm lads on Christmas Eve, and they are often tastefully decorated with apples, oranges, and bits of gay-coloured ribbon. I have occasionally seen them made upon a framework of hoop iron something in the form of a crown, with a socket at the bottom to hold a lighted candle." Brand (ii. 15) also describes how in Ireland men and women dance round about a bush in a large ring on the Patron Day. Newell (_Games_, p. 86), gives this game, and also mentions one in which "barberry bush" is named. The tune in all versions is the same. See "Merry ma-tansa," "Nettles."
Munshets or Munshits
Is played by two boys as follows:--One of the boys remains "at home," and the other goes out to a prescribed distance. The boy who remains "at home" makes a small hole in the ground, and holds in his hand a stick about three feet long to strike with. The boy who is out at field throws a stick in the direction of this hole, at which the other strikes. If he hits it, he has to run to a prescribed mark and back to the hole without being caught or touched with the smaller stick by his playfellow. If he is caught, he is "out," and has to go to field. And if the boy at field can throw his stick so near to the hole as to be within the length or measure of that stick, the boy at home has to go out to field. A number of boys often play together; for any even number can play. I am told that the game was common fifty years ago. In principle it resembles cricket, and looks like the rude beginning of the game.--Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_.
See "Cat," "Cudgel," "Kit-cat," "Tip-cat."
Musical Chairs
A line of chairs is placed in a row down a room (one chair less than the number of children who are playing) in such a way that every alternate chair only is available on either side for the players to seat themselves. The children walk or dance round the chairs, keeping quite close to them. The piano or other musical instrument is played while they are dancing round. The music is continued for any length of time the player pleases, the children running round the chairs as long as the music goes on. The player stops the music suddenly, when all the children endeavour to take seats. One will be unable to find a seat, and this player remains "out." A chair is then taken away, and the music and dancing round begins again. There should always be one chair less than the number of players.--A. B. Gomme.
In Ellesmere, Miss Burne says, "Snap-tongs," called in other circles "Magic Music" or "Musical Chairs," is thus played. Five players take part; four chairs are set in the middle, and one of the players, who holds a pair of tongs, desires the others to dance round them till the clock strikes a certain hour, which is done by snapping the tongs together so many times. While they dance, a chair is taken away, and the player who cannot find a seat has to become the "snap-tongs" next time.--_Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 525.
Nacks
A game in which pegs of wood play a similar part to the well-known object "Aunt Sally."--Robinson's _Mid Yorkshire Glossary_.
Namers and Guessers
Any number of players can play this game. Two are chosen, the one to be Namer, and the other Guesser or Witch. The rest of the players range themselves in a row. The Guesser retires out of sight or to a distance. The Namer then gives each player a secret name. When names have been given to all the players, the Namer calls on the Guesser to come, by saying--
Witchie, witchie, yer bannocks are burnin', An' ready for turnin'.
Whereupon he approaches, and the Namer says--
Come, chois me out, come, chois me in, to ----
(naming one by the assumed name). The players all shout, "Tack me, tack me," repeatedly. The Witch points to one. If the guess is correct the player goes to the Witch's side, but if it is incorrect he goes to the Namer's side. This goes on till all the players are ranged on the one side or the other. The two parties then come to a tug, with the Namer and Guesser as leaders. The gaining party then ranges itself in two lines with a space between the lines, each boy holding in his hand his cap or his handkerchief tightly plaited. The boys of the conquered side have then to run between the two lines, and are pelted by the victors. This is called, "Throuw the Muir o' Hecklepin."--Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).
This game is practically the same as "Fool, Fool, come to School," but the secret naming may indicate that this belongs to an earlier form.
See "Fool, Fool," "Hecklebirnie."
Neighbour
There is a game called "Neighbour, I torment thee," played in Staffordshire, "with two hands, and two feet, and a bob, and a nod as I do."--Halliwell's _Dictionary_.
Neiveie-nick-nack
A fireside game. A person puts a little trifle, such as a button, into one hand, shuts it close, the other hand is also shut; then they are both whirled round and round one another as fast as they can, before the nose of the one who intends to guess what hand the prize is in; and if the guesser be so fortunate as to guess the hand the prize is in, it becomes his property; the whirling of the fists is attended with the following rhyme--
Neiveie, neiveie, nick nack, What ane will ye tak, The right or the wrang? Guess or it be lang, Plot awa' and plan, I'll cheat ye gif I can.
--Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_.
The Rev. W. Gregor says at Keith this game is played at Christmas, and by two. The stakes are commonly pins. One player conceals a pin, or more if agreed on, in one of his (her) hands. He then closes both hands and twirls them over each other, in front of the other player, and repeats the words--
Nivvie, nivvie-neek-nack, Filk (which) (or filk han') 'ill ye tack? Tack the richt, tack the left, An' a'll deceave ye gehn (if) I can.
The other player chooses. If he chooses the hand having the stake, he gains it. If he does not, he forfeits the stake. Another form of words is--
Nivvie, nivvie-neek-nack Filk (which) will ye tick-tack? Tack ane, tack twa, Tack the best amo' them a'.
And--
Nivvie, nivvie-nick-nack, Which han' will ye tack? Tack ane, tack twa, Tack the best amo' them a'.
Dickinson's _Cumberland Glossary_ describes this as a boyish mode of casting lots. The boy says--
Neevy, neevy-nack, Whether hand will ta tack, T'topmer or t'lowmer?
Mr. W. H. Patterson (_Antrim and Down Glossary_) gives the rhyme as--
Nievy, navy, nick nack, Which han' will ye tak', The right or the wrang? I'll beguile ye if I can.
Chambers (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 117) gives the rhyme the same as that given by Mr. Patterson. In _Notes and Queries_, 6th Series, vii. 235, a North Yorkshire version is given as--