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386 WIND UP THE BUSH FAGGOT
noise succeeds, in which the cry Row-chow-Tobacco prevails; after giving and receiving the fraternal hug, they disperse, and afterwards renew the process. In West of Scotland, it is Rowity-chow-o'-Tobacco, pronounced, rowity-clwwity-bacco, and as the first syllable of each word is shouted, another hug or squeeze is given. The game is not so common as formerly. The same game is played in West Cornwall by Sunday-school children at their out - of- door treats, and is called " Roll Tobacco."
It is known as "The Old Oak Tree" in Lincoln, Kelsey, and Winterton, and is played in the same manner. When coiling round, the children sing—
Round and round the old oak tree: I love the girls and the girls love me.
When they have twisted into a closely-packed crowd they dance up and down, tumbling on each other, crying— A bottle of rags, a bottle of rags.
In the Anderby and Nottinghamshire version of the game the children often sing—
The old oak tree grows thicker and thicker every Monday morning. —Miss M. Peacock.
In Mid-Cornwall, in the second week in June, at St. Roche, and in one or two adjacent parishes, a curious dance is performed at the annual " feasts." It enjoys the rather undignified name of " Snails Creep," but would be more properly called the " Serpent's Coil." The following is scarcely a perfect description of it:—"The young people being all assembled in a large meadow, the village band strikes up a simple but lively air and marches forward, followed by the whole assemblage, leading hand-in-hand (or more closely linked in case of engaged couples), the whole keeping time to the tune with a lively step. The band, or head of the serpent, keeps marching in an ever-narrowing circle, whilst its train of dancing followers becomes coiled round it in circle after circle. It is now that the most interesting part of the dance commences, for the band, taking a sharp turn about, begins to retrace the circle, still followed as before, and a number of young men, with long leafy branches in their hands as standards, direct this counter movement with |
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