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LAMPLOO |
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one between the chin and the turned-down under-lip, pronouncing the following rhyme—
I bought a beard at Lammas fair,
It's a' awa' but ae hair; Wag, beardie, wag! He who repeats this oftenest without dropping the straw is held to have won the game (Chambers' Popular Rhymes, p. 115). This game-rhyme has an interesting reference to Lammas, and it may also refer to the hiring of servants. Brockett (North Country Words, p. 221) says, "At a fair or market where country servants are hired, those who offer themselves stand in the market-place with a piece of straw or green branch in their mouths to distinguish them."
Lamploo
A goal having been selected and bounds determined, the promoters used to prepare the others by calling at the top of their voices—
Lamp ! Lamp! Laa-o!
Those that don't run shan't play-o!
Then one of the " spry est" lads is elected to commence, thus:—First touching the goal with his foot or leaning against it, and clasping his hands so as to produce the letter W in the dumb alphabet, he pursues the other players, who are not so handicapped, when, if he succeeds in touching one without unclasping his hands, they both make a rush for the goal. Should either of the other boys succeed in overtaking one of these before reaching that spot, he has the privilege of riding him home pick-a-back. Then these two boys (*.*., the original pursuer and the one caught), joining hands, carry on the game as before, incurring a similar penalty in case of being overtaken as already described. Each successive boy, as he is touched by the pursuers, has to make for the goal under similar risks, afterwards clasping hands with the rest, and forming a new recruit in the pursuing gang, in whose chain the outside players alone have the privilege of touching and thus adding to their numbers. Should the chain at any time be broken, or should the original pursuer unclasp his hands, either by design or |
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