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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	200	SKIPPING
	ing upright. A third boy jumps stride-leg on his back, and tries to " crown," i.e., put his hand on the head of the boy at the wall. The boy on whose back he is tries every means by shifting from side to side, and by throwing up his back, to pre­vent him from doing so, and to cast him off. If he succeeds in doing so, he takes his stand behind the stooping boy in the same position. Another boy then tries to do the same thing over the two stooping boys. If he succeeds in crowning the stand­ing boy, he takes his station at the wall. If not, he takes his stand behind the two stooping boys. The game gees on till a boy " crowns " the one standing at the wall.—Banchory (Rev. W. Gregor). See "Saddle the Nag." Skipping Strutt says (Sports, p. 383), "This amusement is probably very ancient. Boys often contend for superiority of skill in this game, and he who passes the rope about most times without interruption is the conqueror. In the hop season a hop-stem, stripped of its leaves, is used instead of a rope, and, in my opinion, it is preferable." On Good Friday on Brighton beach the fisher folk used to play at skipping, six to ten grown-up people skipping at one rope. Apart from the ordinary, and probably later way of playing, by one child holding a rope in both hands, turning it over the head, and either stepping over it while running, or standing still and jumping until the feet catch the rope and a trip is made, skipping appears to be performed in two ways, jumping or stepping across with (1) more or less complicated movements of the rope and feet, and (2) the ordinary jumping over a turned rope while chanting rhymes, for the purpose of deciding whether the players are to be married or single, occupation of future husband, &c. Of the first class of game there are the following variants :— " Pepper, salt, mustard, cider, vinegar." — Two girls turn the rope slowly at first, repeating the above words, then they turn it as quickly as possible until the skipper is tired out, or trips.