The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #103866 Message #2121299
Posted By: Bee
07-Aug-07 - 09:37 PM
Thread Name: Folklore: Tag (the game)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Tag
Besides 'It' tag, Shadow tag and Freeze Tag, in Cape Breton (50s, 60s) we played a tag game called Ghost in the Cellar. One person is chosen the Mother, one the Ghost, everyone else is the Children. The following ritual goes like this:
Children: "Mother, Mother, we're hungry!" Mother: "Show me your hands!" (Children show hands) "Your hands are dirty! Go wash them in the cellar and you can have your supper!" (Children run off to area designated 'cellar', where Ghost is waiting.) Ghost: "Booooooo!" (Children run back to Mother, shrieking.) Children: "Mother, Mother, there's a Ghost in the cellar!" Mother: "There's no such thing as ghost's, it's only your father's underwear! Go back and wash your hands!" (Children run back to cellar.) Ghost: "Booooooo!" Children: "What do you want?" Ghost: "I want some water." Children: "What do you want water for?" Ghost: "To boil my kettle." Children: "What do you want to boil your kettle for?" Ghost: "To wet my stone." Children: "What do you want to wet your stone for?" Ghost: "To sharpen my knife!" Children: "What do you want to sharpen your knife for?" Ghost: "To kill you all!" At this point, children run shrieking, ghost chases children until all are tagged. Last child tagged becomes the Ghost, and the Ghost becomes the Mother.
We were probably the last generation of children who knew wells and handpumps were often in cellars, that fathers wore 'Union Suits', and that water and stone sharpened steel edges.