At Evesham the custom is still more distinctly connected with the game, as the following quotation shows:--"One custom of the town is connected with a sport called 'Thread my needle,' a game played here by the children of the town throughout the various streets at sunset upon Easter Monday, and at no other period throughout the year. The players cry while elevating their arms arch-wise--
Open the gates as high as the sky, And let Victoria's troops pass by."
As all these customs occur in the early spring of the year, there is reason to think that in this game we have a relic of the oldest sacred dances, and it is at least a curious point that in two versions (Bocking and Ellesmere) the Anglo-Saxon title of "Lady" is applied to the Queen.
The writer in _Blackwood's Magazine_, who quotes the rhymes as "immemorial," says: "Another game played by a number of children, with a hold of one another, or 'tickle tails,' as it is technically called in Scotland, is 'Through the needle-e'e.'" Moor (_Suffolk Words and Phrases_) mentions the game. Patterson (_Antrim and Down Glossary_) gives it as "Thread the needle and sew." Barnes (_Dorset Glossary_) calls it "Dred the wold woman's needle," in which two children join hands, and the last leads the train under the lifted arms of the first two. Holloway (_Dictionary of Provincialisms_) says the children form a ring, holding each other's hands; then one lets go and passes under the arms of two who still join hands, and the others all follow, holding either by each other's hands or by a part of their dress. "At Ellesmere," Miss Burne says, "this game was formerly called 'Crew Duck.' It now only survives among little girls, and is only played on a special day." It is alluded to in _Poor Robin's Almanack_ for 1738: "The summer quarter follows spring as close as girls do one another when playing at Thread my needle; they tread upon each other's heels." Strutt calls this "Threading the Taylor's needle." Newell (_Games of American Children_) gives some verses, and describes it as played in America.
See "How many miles to Babylon," "Through the Needle 'ee."
Two players hold up their joined hands, the rest pass under one by one, repeating, "Three days' holidays, three days' holidays!" They pass under a second time, all repeating, "Bumping day, bumping day!" when the two leaders strike each player on the back in passing. The third time they say, "Catch, catch, catch!" and the leaders catch the last in the train between their arms. He has the choice of "strawberries or grapes," and is placed behind one of the leaders, according to his answer. When all have been "caught," the two parties pull against each other.--Berrington (Burne's _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 522).