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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	WITCH, THE
	The Mother at this loses patience, and pushes her way in, the Witch trying in vain to keep her out. She, with all her chil­dren, then chase the Witch until they catch her; when they pretend to bind her hand and foot, put her on a pile, and burn her, the children fanning the imaginary flames with their pina­fores. Sometimes the dialogue after " Here we are, mother," is omitted, and the Witch is at once chased.—Cornwall (Folk­lore Journal\ v. 53—54)- One child represents an old woman who is blind, and has eight children. She says she is going to market, and bids her eldest daughter let no one into the house in her absence. The eldest daughter promises. Then a second old woman knocks, and bribes the daughter, by the promise of a gay ribbon, to give her a light. Whilst the daughter is getting the light, the Witch steals a child anc), carries it off. The daughter comes back, and makes all the other children promise not to tell their Mother. The Mother returns and says : " Are all the children safe ? " The daughter says, "Yes." "Then let me count them." The children stand in a row, and the Mother counts by placing her hands alternately on their heads. The eldest daughter runs round to the bottom of the row, and so is counted twice. This is repeated until all the children are gone. At the end the eldest daughter runs away, and the Mother finds all her children gone. Then the Witch asks the old woman to dinner, and the children, who have covered their faces, are served up as beef, mutton, lamb, &c. Finally they throw ofif their coverings and a general scrimmage takes place.—London (Miss Dendy). At Deptford the game is played in the same way, and the dialogue is similar to the Cornish version, then follows— I'll ride in a pan. That will do. The Mother gets inside to her children and says to them in turn, " Poke out your tongue, you're one of mine," then they run away home.—Deptford (Miss Chase). In another Deptford version the children are named for days of the week, the Mother goes out, and the Witch calls and asks— Please you, give me a match.
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