School: Ballyfin, Mountrath (roll number 15537)

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1. Games I Play - Rabbits and Twenty (continued)

   

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   exercise in it.
   "Twenty" is played as follows:
   To start this game, all the players stand in a row with their backs to a wall. One lad stands in front of them, and counts up to twenty, pointing to the boys in their order, the same as in "Rabbits." When he comes to the end of the row, he counts himself and then starts at the beginning of the row again. The person to whom he points while saying "Twenty, " is "out," which means that he goes as far away from the row as possible. The boys go on leaving the row until only one is left. This lad is said to be "after," which means that he must pursue the other boys until he catches one of them. When he does, he must give the boy he has caught three taps on the back. The two must then catch hands and pursue the others. The fact that the boy who is "after" will make for the person nearest to him accounts for the way a boy goes far away from the row as possible when he is "out."
   In catching the other boys, the pursuers must not separate. If they do, they must release anyone they may have caught while separated. If they do not hold a boy long enough to give him three taps, or if the boy escapes, having got one or two taps, he is not properly caught, and they must therefore catch him again and give him

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Denis Meehan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Cappanrush, Co. Laois