Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-12-29

on Christmas G"Wes.
One of the interesting features of
Christmas in the olden times was the
varied assortment of games which were
SO heartily joined in by both old and
young assembled around the blazing
hearth Most of these merry pastimes
have long ago passed away; only few,
such as snapdragon, hide-and-seek, &c,
being known by the present generation
out of the long list of Christmas games
formerly kept up. Thus, an old game
played especially at Christmas was hot
cookies, a species of blndman's- buff,
in which the person kneeling down,
and being struck behind, was to guess
who inflicted the blow. 1t is described
by Gay in the following lines -
As at hot cookies once laid me down,
And felt the weighty hand of many a,cown,
Buxoma gave gentle tap, and
Quick rose, and read soft mischief in her eye.
In an old tract, "Round About Our
Coal Fire; or, Christmas Entertain
ments," published in the early part of
last century, mention is made of a
game called questions and commands.
The writer says that the commander
may oblige his subjects to answer any
lawful question, and make the same
obey him instantly under the penalty
of paying any such forfeit as may be
laid on the aggressors. Handy-dandy
was in much request at this season.
One of the party concealed something
in his hand, making his neighbours
guess in which one ii was. If the
latter guessed right, he won the article;
if wrong, he lost an equivalent. 1t is
alluded to in "piers Ploughman," ana
it is, perhaps, noticed by Shakespeare
where King Lear (Act w., SC. o. says
to Glo'ster :-'Look with thine ears;
see how yon' justice rails upon yon'
simple thief Hank, in thine ear ::
change places; and, handy dandy, which
is the justice, which Is the thief p
Browne, too, in one of his Pastorals,
tells how boys
With the pibbles play at handy-dandy.
A childish diversion also usually in
troduced Al Christmas in bygone days
was the game of goose. 1t was, says
Strut, played by two persons, although
it readily admitted of many more, and
was well calculated to make the young
people sharp at reckoning the produce
OF two given numbers. The table for
playing goose was about the size of a
sheet almanac, and divided into sixty
two small compartments, arranged in a
spiral form, with large open space in
the centre marked with the number o.;
the other compartments were denoted
by numbers from one to sixty-two, in
elusive. The game was played with
two dice, each player throwing in turn,
and marking with a counter whatever
number the dice cast up. Thus, il
there were four and five he marked
nine, and so on, until the game was
completed. The number 6s had to
be reached exactly, and should the
player exceed it he had to reckon back,
and throw again in his turn.
Another game seems to have been
fox / hole, and is thrice mentioned by
Herrlck, but not once explained -
OF Christmas sports. the wassail-bowl,
That's tossed up, after fox i the hole.
A diversion which often caused
much laughter was dun in the mlre.
A log of wood was brought into the
middle of the room; this was dun, or
the cart-horse, and a cry was raised
that he hau stuck in the mire. Two
of the company then advanced, either
with or without ropes, to draw him oht
When unable to do so, they called for
further help, until finally all the parties
joined in the game, when dun was, of
course, extricated No small merri-
nent arose from each persons sly
efforts to let the log fall on his neigh
bours toes. 1t is frequently alluded to
by old writers, and by Shakespeare in
"Romeo and Juliet" (Act l., SC. a.,
where Mercutio says to Romeo -
Tut, dun's the mouse, the corsiables own word;
II thou art dun, Wen draw thee from the mire
Some doubt exists as to the precise
nature of game designated shoeing
the wild mare, and mentioned by Her
rick, where he speaks Of
Christmas sports, the wassail-bowl,
OF blind.man- buff, and Of the care
That young men have TO shoe the mare.
st appears" says Brand, that "the
wild mare was simply youth so called,
who was allowed certain start, and
who was pursued by his companions,
with the object Of being shoed, il he
did not succeed in outstripping them
Then there were 'cap-yerses, wherein
one gave word, to which another
found rhyme; pastime once very
popular.
Among other references to old
Christmas games may be quoted the
"Paston Letters" in which letter