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NUTS IN MAY |
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by far the greater number of versions; " On a fine summer's morning," " So early in the morning/' "All on a summer's morning," "Five o'clock in the morning," "On a cold and sunny morning," coming next in number. The Belfast version ends, " May ! May! May ! " and a Newbury and Marlborough fourth line is simply a repetition of the second, " Nuts in May, nuts in May."
In the first line of the verse the only important variant seems to be the Symondsbury " Gathering nuts away " and " Gathering nuts to-day." "Gathering nuts away" also occurs in one version from Newbury (Berks), " Nuts and May" appearing in the larger number after the more usual " Nuts in May." In only one version is a specific place mentioned for the gathering. This is in the Bocking version, where Galloway Hill is named, in reply to the unusual question, " Where do you gather your nuts in May ? " A player is usually gathered for " Nuts in May." In three or four cases only is this altered to gathering a player's "nuts away," which is obviously an alteration to try and make the action coincide exactly with the words. The game is always played in " lines," and the principal incidents running throughout all the versions are the same, i.e., one player is selected by one line of players from their opponents' party. The " selected" one is refused by her party unless some one from the opposite side can effect her capture by a contest of strength. In all versions but two or three this contest takes place between the two; in one or two all the players join in the trial of strength. In another instance there appears to be no contest, but the selected player crosses over to the opposite side. Two important incidents occur in the Bocking and Symondsbury versions. In the Bocking game the side which is victorious has the right to begin the next game first: this also occurs in the Barnes version. In Symondsbury, when one child is drawn over the boundary line by one from the opposite side she has to be " crowned ' immediately. This is done by the conqueror putting her hand on the captured one's head. If this is not done at once the captured one is at liberty to return to her own side. In some versions (Shropshire and London) the player who is selected for " Nuts " is always cap- |
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