School: Carlanstown (roll number 884)

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1. Games, Tricks etc.

   

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   Children nowadays amuse themselves in various ways. Some play with balls, others with skipping-ropes and still more with marbles, toy pistols etc. In the winter nights they gather around the fires and tell stories, sing songs and play mouth-organs. Some of the bigger boys and girls play cards, blind man's buff or hid-and-seek. In the summer time little girls make "babby houses" and wear an old apron of their mother's to pretend to be busy housewives. They bring in cans of water, burn bundles of sticks and go shopping. Everything they see done in their own hoes they do the same in their make-believe houses.
   Long ago children played tricks, games etc, which are nearly all forgotten now. A crowd would gather round the turf fire on a cold winter's night in some widow's cabin perhaps and one boy would say to another, "I bet you, Tommy that if you go outside the door I'll be able to pull you in through the key-hole". Of course everyone present would laugh at the ridiculous idea but this "magician" whom we will call Pat would say. "You may all laugh but I can do it; just wait & see". Poor, unsuspecting Tommy would go out and close the door. After a lapse of a few minutes something was pushed through the keyhole and Pat's voice came. "Take hold of this, Tommy, till I pull you in", and Tommy, all unthinking would grab the red-hot spoon-handle which the cruel Pat had pushed through the keyhole. No need to say with what alacrity Tommy would let go the hot spoon.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. entertainments and recreational activities (~5,933)

   Language

   English