This required a confederate, who left the room. The other in the secret asked a person inside to whisper to him whom she (or he) loved, then called in his companion, and the following dialogue was carried on:--
"She said, and she said! And what did she say?"
"And whom did she love? Suppose she said she loved ----?"
"No! she never said that, whatever she said."
An indefinite number of names were mentioned before the right one. When that came, to the surprise of the whisperer, the answer was--
The secret was very simple, the name of a widow or widower was always given before that whispered.
The two next are played everywhere, but the words I believe are peculiar to Cornwall.
This is much too common to require a description. I will therefore only give the doggerel, which is recited by the holder of the handkerchief as he walks around the ring:--
"I sent a letter to my love, I carried water in my glove, And by the way I dropped it. I did so! I did so! I had a little dog that said 'Bow! wow!' I had a little cat that said 'Meow! meow!' Shan't bite you, shan't bite you, Shall bite you."
Throws the handkerchief, and chases the girl.
To this game, known elsewhere as "Thread the Needle," the following lines are chanted:--
"How many miles to Babylon? Three score and ten. Can I get there by candle-light? Yes! if your legs are long and straight. Then open your gates as high as the sky, And let King George and all his troops pass by."
Four children hold a handkerchief by the four corners, one moves a finger over it saying, as fast as possible--
"Here I go round the rules of contrary, Hopping about like a little canary, When I say 'Hold fast' leave go; When I say 'Leave go' hold fast."
Any player making a mistake pays a forfeit.
A very pretty version of this old English game is often played at juvenile parties in Cornwall.
One child is chosen to remain in the room, whilst the others go outside and consult together as to whom shall hold the ball (some small thing). They then troop in, with their hands either hidden under the skirts of their dresses, or clasped in such a way that Lady Queen Anne, by looking at them, cannot tell which has it; all repeating--
"Here come we to Lady Queen Anne, With a pair of white gloves to cover our hand; As white as a lily, as fair as the rose, But not so fair as you may suppose."