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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FOX AND GEESE
141
Geese. A boy or a girl represents the Fox, and a number of others the Geese. Then the Fox shouts, ° Geese, Geese, gannio," and the Geese answer, " Fox, Fox, fannio." Then the Fox says, "How many Geese have you to-day?" The Geese reply, " More than you can catch and carry away." Then the Geese run out of the den, and the Fox tries to catch them. He puts as many as he catches into his den (S. O. Addy).
(b) This game is a very general one at Christmas time. It is practically the same as u Gled Wylie," and u Hen and Chickens," and the " Hawk and Chickens" of Mr. Newell's Games and Songs of American Children, pp. 155-56. By referring to these games it will be seen that the whole group are mimic representatives of farmyard episodes, though the animal characters are giving way to more domestic affairs, as shown in the Pins and Needles version of " Hen and Chickens." It is possible that the different animals which are victims to the Fox appearing in the different games may arise from local circumstances, and that in this case a real distinction exists between the various names by which this game is known. A game called "Wolf and Deer," similar to " Fox and Geese," is given in Winter Evening Amusements, by R. Revel. The last one at the end of the tail may, if she has no other chance of escape, try and place herself before the Deer or Hen. She is then no longer to be hunted; all the others must then follow her example until the deer becomes the last of the line. The game then terminates by exacting a forfeit for each lady whom the Wolf has suffered to escape his clutches (pp. 64, 65).
See "Gled Wylie," "Hen and Chickens," "Old Dame."
Fox and Geese (2)
A game known by this name is played with marbles or pegs on a board on which are thirty-three holes, or on the pave­ment, with holes scraped out of the stones. To play this game there are seventeen pieces called Geese, and another one either larger or distinguished from the Geese by its colour, which is called the Fox. The Fox occupies the centre hole, and the Geese occupy nine holes in front, and four on each side of him.