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OUTDOOR GAMES
How fine is the muscular
action
So highly conducive to health
Oh! Hygeia's glances are sweeter
Than all the caresses of wealth.
So, in 1836, wrote a
pusillanimous London Scot, a baker at Blackheath, concerning the national
pastime of shinty. Already by that time, you will mark, the game had been
deprived of its immemorial money prize to the winner. And, as if this were
not bad enough, it had degenerated from a game that was full of
ill-feeling and practically destitute of rules, so that it corresponded to
the palio of Siena, into a carefully umpired contest of equal numbers
subjected to gentle manly regulations and imbued with what is known in
England as "the proper sporting spirit". Originally fit alike for beggars
and for kings, conducted with "banners flying, bagpipes playing", upon a
field that had "the appearance of a battle scene", while "souls of heroes
floated on the breeze", it enlisted indefinite and unequal numbers, up to
forty or so on each side, and was played all day, new players stepping now
and again from an ambush at favourable moments. The ball was of wood-a man
might run a mile with it in his hand if he wasn't stopped-and if you felt
like changing your stick midway for a Lochaber axe there was nothing to
hinder you. The more knots you had on your stick the better, so that the
game was sometimes called "knotty" or "shinny" - the latter with reference
to the other fellow's shins, for if you didn't see the ball you could let
fly at the other man. A favourite expedient for cold Sundays on the road
to church and back, the first nail was put in its coffin by the
Sabbatarians of the late eighteenth century. After that it was fit only
for weekdays and Anglo-Scots, with stereotyped sticks, a ball of leather
or wool and nothing but honour for the best men.
Other famous Scotch
ball-games required a river in which the players were immersed for the
greater part of the time. Those good old days are past. For a cold day
out-of-doors in Scotland, however, there are still a few warming, fairly
risky games that have escaped revision and may be played by fit persons
without bothering too much about rules and with impromptu arrangements for
counting. Here are some of them.
BAB THE BOWSTER
also known as
Hunch-Cuddy-Hunch, is played by equal sides chosen by counting out. The "oots"
then choose a captain, who is the Bowster because he must stand with his
back against a wall, while the others form a cuddy by bending down as for
leap-frog, one at the tail of the other, the nearest planting his head in
the Bowster's belly. The "ins" queue up about 30 feet away, and, led by
their captain, run, one by one, place their hands on the endmost bent
player's back, and leap as far as they can towards the Bowster. If, during
the process, the cuddy breaks under the strain, it must reform and allow
the game to start as before. If, on the other hand, the "ins" jump so
feebly that there is not room for the last of them, they must become
cuddy. If the cuddy stays firm and all are landed on it, the last jumper
calls out, "Bab, bab, bab the Bowster!" during which remark the cuddy does
its best to throw its riders without itself falling down. If it succeeds,
the "loupers" have to be cuddy next time. If it fails it must be cuddy
again. Often this game leads to argument.
HOT PIES
"Baker" stands with his
back to the other players or "customers", who are queued up. He keeps
calling "Hot pies!" and moving his arms stiffly from his sides to the
level of his shoulders and back again. He may do this at any speed he
likes, and may use both arms together or alternately, but he must never
bend his arm at the elbow. The customers run forwards in turn, trying to
dodge under his upraised arm without being touched. The one who is touched
becomes baker.
JINKS
Players choose pseudonyms,
most commonly Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc., or names of fruits. The
player counted "out", by any of the well-known rhymes, throws a ball high
against the gable of a house or other wall and shouts "Tuesday, Jinks" or
any other name. Tuesday may catch the ball as it descends and throw it up
again, calling the pseudonym of another player. If he fails to catch the
ball before it touches the ground, or if he deliberately lets it bounce,
he then attempts to strike another player with the ball. The players
should shout "Jinks!" otherwise they must stand still immediately the
"out" man catches the ball. "Out" tries to forestall them by shouting "Nae
jinks!" but he must not do so until the ball is in his grasp. Anyone whom
he beats to it must stand still and "out" has a pot shot at him. If they
all get their "Jinks" out first, he must throw at them on the run. The
player struck by the ball is then out. If he fails to put anyone out, the
last player to throw throws once more after having the others lined up.
"Out" then has another shot and this goes on until he succeeds.
KIRN-DUNOON-INNELLAN-ROTHESAY
Player who is "down" stands
on one side of the roadway with his back to the other players who are
lined up across the road. He recites "Kirn-Dunoon-Innellan-Rothesay",
porter fashion, at any speed he chooses, or at various speeds. While he is
chanting, all the other players must keep moving towards his side of the
road. At the last syllable he wheels round and tries to catch one of the
others on the move. Anyone challenged has now to attempt to reach the
other side by running and dodging the porter. If caught he is out of the
game. Meanwhile the others stand still. Porter recommences. If all the
passengers are caught before the porter's wall is reached by anyone, the
porter becomes a player for next game and first passenger caught becomes
porter. If any remain uncaught, they have now to get back to the other
side in the same manner. This goes on until all the passengers are caught.
If they have not all been caught in one journey, it is the last to be
caught who becomes porter.
COCK-A-ROOSTY
Cock-a-Roosty is a hopping
game. The person counted out chooses one player from the others lined up
against a wall or along the side of a road. The challenged one must hop
from the moment of leaving his den until he reaches the other side of the
road or whatever space is marked off as Home. He may choose to fight the
challenger (who also hops) or to dodge him. If he succeeds in making the
challenger touch ground with both feet, he may cross the road on both his
own; but if he dodges across he is equally "free". If he is upset he takes
his stand along with the challenger and both jointly oppose the next
person challenged. The game continues until everyone is upset. If,
however, a challenged person should upset all the challengers in one
encounter, then all those except the original challenger become free, and
the challenger has to begin afresh.
COCK-FIGHTING
Cock-fighting is the same
game carried out on either side by hoppers carrying a passenger. |
