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KING PLASTER PALACEY |
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the governor is said to have replied in the above quatrain of juvenile celebrity.
The London version is for the boys to run up a hillock, when one of them declares as follows—
I'm the King of the Castle ; Get down, you dirty rascal, whereupon he pushes down his companions. If another boy succeeds in getting his place he becomes King, and repeats the doggerel (G. L. Gomme). This is a very popular boys' game. Newell (Games, 164) mentions it as prevalent in Pennsylvania.
See "Tom Tiddler's Ground."
King Plaster Palacey
The players are a King and his three sons named White Cap, Red Cap, Brown Cap. Red Cap says, " Plaster Palacey had a son, whose name was old daddy White Cap." White Cap, in an injured voice, says, " Me, sir ? " The King says, "Yes, sir." White Cap answers, "You're a liar, sir." The King then says, " Who then, sir ?" White Cap answers, " Old daddy Red Cap."—Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase).
The game as given above is obviously incomplete, and no description as to how the game was played was sent me. Newell (Games) p. 145), describes a game, " The Cardinal's Hat," which is probably a variant of the original game, of which the above is only a fragment. I remember once witnessing a game in which a ball was passed from player to player, and in which the dialogue was similar. When one player was told that the ball was in his possession, the answer was, " What, me, sir ? " " Yes, you, sir." " Not I, sir." " Who then, sir ? " " White Cap, sir;" the questions and answers were again repeated for Red Cap, and Blue Cap. When it was Black Cap's turn, I think the ball was thrown by this player to some one else ; whoever was hit by the ball had to chase and capture one, who became questioner; but my recollection of the game is too slight for me to be certain either of the dialogue or the way the game terminated (A. B. Gomme). A game described in Suffolk County Folk-lore, p. 62, is apparently a version of this. It is there described as a forfeit game. |
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