Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/65

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CORNISH FOLK-LORE.
57

sense, and sung, as before, three times, whilst the children circle round. The one in the middle then rises to her feet. The boy (or girl) named advances and kisses her, they change places, and the game begins again.


Joggle along.

This is a very favourite open air game. To play it there must be an uneven number. He (or she) stands in the middle, whilst the others, arm in arm, circle around him, singing:—

"Come all ye young men, with your wicked ways,
Sow all your wild oats in your youthful days,
That we may live happy, that we may live happy,
That we may live happy when we grow old.
The day is far spent, the night's coming on,
Give us your arm, and we'll ' joggle along.'
That we may live happy," &c. &c.

At the words "joggle along" they all drop the arm of the person they are leading, and try to catch the arm of the player in front of them, whilst the middle man tries at the same time to get a partner. Should he succeed, the player left without one, takes his place. (Repeat.)

I am indebted to the Rev. S. Bundle, vicar of Godolphin, for another set of words to this game, which he calls—


The Jolly Miller.

And, under this title, a lady, two years since, saw some children playing it at St. Ives, in Cornwall.

"There was a jolly miller, lived by himself;
By grinding corn he got his wealth;
One hand in the upper, the other in the bag,
As the wheel went round they all called * Grab.' "

In this county "Tom Tiddler's Ground" is known as "Mollish's Land," "Cat and Mouse" as "The Duffan Ring," and "Blind Man's Buff" as "Blind Buck-a-Davy." To this last the following words are repeated, which I have never seen in print. One of the players takes the blindfolded person by the shoulders, and says: