in impoverished times. Her favourite games were no doubt the universal ones based on movement and rhythm, ancient chants and singing, and the imitation of adults' daily and seasonal tasks. She would have absorbed Gaelic prayers and poetry that tied in to so many household activities including food preparation, spinning, weaving, keeping the fire and the protection of the home at night. The dwelling, O God, by thee be blest, And each one who here this night doth rest; My dear ones, O God, bless thou and keep In every place where they are asleep; In the evening that doth fall tonight, And in every single evening-light; In the daylight that doth make today, And in every single daylight day. There were no brightly-coloured factory produced toys, but common everyday objects. Corks washed ashore from herring nets were just the thing. There were old horse-shoes, stones from river or beach. All were fine for imaginative play for younger children, while those who were older used them in games of skill -- peevers, put-the-shot, cork-release, football, fingers and catty-doggy. Peevers was a form of hopscotch, the peever being a flat stone shunted from square to square while hopping on one foot. Squares were drawn on the ground in the overall shape of a crucifix. Put-the-shot required a special stone called a dornag which had to be weigh about six or seven pounds, and be a round shape washed in the sea. What thoughts of prowess came to the minds of young