The Traditional Children's Games of England Scotland
& Ireland In Dictionary Form - Volume 2

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

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PRISONER'S BASE
81
this game with the addition of two prisons, which are stakes driven into the ground, parallel with the home boundaries, and about thirty yards from them ; and every person who is touched on either side in the chase is sent to one or other of these prisons, where he must remain till the conclusion of the game, if not delivered previously by one of his associates, and this can only be accomplished by touching him, which is a difficult task, requiring the performance of the most skilful players, because the prison belonging to either party is always much nearer to the base of their opponents than to their own; and if the person sent to relieve his confederate be touched by an antagonist before he reaches him, he also becomes a prisoner, and stands in equal need of deliverance."—Sports and Pastimes, p. 80.
But this is not quite the same as it is played in London. There the school ground is divided in the following manner:— The boys being divided into equal sides, with a captain for each, one party takes up its quarters in A, the other in B. Lots are chosen as to which side commences. Then one member of the side so chosen (say A) starts off for the middle of the play­ground and cries out " Chevy, Chevy Chase, one, two, three;" thereupon it becomes the object of the side B to touch him before reaching home again. If unsuccessful one from side B goes to the middle, and so on until a prisoner is secured from one of the sides. Then the struggle commences in earnest, after the fashion described by Strutt as above. If a boy succeeds in getting to the prison of his side without being touched by an opponent, he releases a prisoner, and brings him back home again to help in the struggle. The object of the respective sides is to place all their opponents in prison, and when that is accomplished they rush over to the empty home and take possession of it. The game then begins again from opposite sides, the winning side counting one towards the victory.—London (G. L. Gomme).
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