Three Hundred Games & Pastimes - complete online book

A Book Of Suggestions For Children's Games And Employments.

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	What Shall We Do Now?               99 The same game is played by Essex children with an old woman in place of the fox, and with different words. In this case the hen and chickens make a procession in front of a player who personates an old weeping woman. As they march by, the hen sings— Chickens, come clock, come clock, come clock, Chickens, come clock, come clock, come clock, The kites are away and the crows are asleep, It's time that my chickens had something to eat. Then they leave go of each other and stand round the old weeping woman, and between her and the hen the following conversation is held :—
	The old woman then leaps up and tries to catch a chicken, and the hen tries to stop her. In this game, which is a variation of " Hen and Chickens," one player takes the part of the mother, one of the frog, and the others are children. It is supposed to be washing-day, and the mother being busy, she gives her children some bread and cheese and says, " Now, children, I'm very busy, and I can't wash when you're about bothering me, so run away to the field and play, and mind you don't come back before dinner." " Very well," answer the children, and off they go to the field—which is a part of the garden as far from the mother as possible. Here they	Frog in the well, or Old bull