The Traditional Children's Games of England Scotland
& Ireland In Dictionary Form - Volume 1

With Tunes(sheet music), Singing-rhymes(lyrics), Methods Of Playing with diagrams and illustrations.

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	BUCK, BUCK	47
	Should the stooper guess correctly, they all change places, and the jumper forms the back. Another and not such a rough way of playing this game is for the guesser to stand with his face towards a wall, keeping his eyes shut.—Cornwall (Folk­lore Journal, v. 59). In Nairn, Scotland, the game is called Post and Rider. One boy, the Post, takes his stand beside a wall. Another boy stoops down with his head touching the Post's breast. Several other boys stoop down in the same way behind the first boy, all in line. The Rider then leaps on the back of the boy at the end of the row of stooping boys, and from his back to that of the one in front, and so on from back to back till he reaches the boy next the Post. He then holds up so many fingers, and says— Buck, buck, how many fingers do I hold up ? The boy makes a guess. If the number guessed is wrong, the Rider gives the number guessed as well as the correct number, and again holds up so many, saying— [Four] you say, but [two] it is; Buck, buck, how many fingers do I hold up ? This goes on till the correct number is guessed, when the guesser becomes the Rider. The game was called " Buck, Buck " at Keith. Three players only took part in the game— the Post, the Buck, and the Rider. The words used by the Rider were— Buck, buck, how many horns do I hold up ? If the guess was wrong, the Rider gave the Buck as many blows or kicks with the heel as the difference between the correct number and the number guessed. This process went on till the correct number was guessed, wThen the Rider and the Buck changed places.—Rev. W. Gregor. (b) Dr. Tylor says: " It is interesting to notice the wide dis­tribution and long permanence of these trifles in history when we read the following passage from Petronius Arbiter, written in the time of Nero :—* Trimalchio, not to seem moved by the loss, kissed the boy, and bade him get up on his back. With­out delay the boy climbed on horseback on him, and slapped him on the shoulders with his hand, laughing and calling out,