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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	3o6                        TRAP, BAT, AND BALL 11 Two broken tradesmen newly come over, The one from France and Scotland, the other from Dover." " What's your trade ? " Two boys privately arrange that the pass-word shall be some implement of a particular trade. The trade is announced after the above dialogue, and carpenters, nailors, sailors, smiths, tinkers, or any other is answered; and on guessing the in­strument, " Plane him," " Hammer him," " Rasp him," or " Solder him," is called out; then the fun is that the unfor­tunate wight who guesses the " tool" is beaten with the caps of his fellows till he reaches a fixed goal, after which he goes out in turn.—Halliwell's Nursery Rhymes, cccxvi. In his Dictionary it is called u Trades and Dumb Motions." Northall {English Folk Rhymes) records this game as being played in Warwickshire. The method is practically the same as the Forest of Dean, except that the " tradesmen " are beaten if their trade is easily guessed by the others. They may also be beaten if they show their teeth during the operations. Trap, Bat, and Ball A game played with a trap, a ball, and a small bat. The trap is of wood made like a slipper, with a hollow at the heel end for the ball, and a kind of wooden spoon moving on a pivot, in the bowl of which the ball is placed. Two sides play—one side bats, the other fields. One of the batsmen strikes the end or handle of the spoon, the ball then rises into the air, and the art of the game is for the batsman to strike it as far as possible with the bat before it reaches the ground. The other side who are " fielding," try either to catch the ball before it falls to the ground, or to bowl it from where it falls to hit the trap. If they succeed in catching the ball all the "ins" are out, and their side goes in to strike the ball, and the previous batsmen to field; if the trap is hit the bats­man is out and another player of his side takes his place. The batsman is also out if he allows the ball to touch the trap when in the act of hitting it.—(A. B. Gomme.) Halliwell {Dictionary) says, " Nurspell" in Lincolnshire is somewhat similar to "Trap Ball." It is played with a kibble,