COUNTING-OUT RHYMES.
Reading edition
COUNTING-OUT RHYMES.
The operation of counting-out is a very important mystery in many puerile games. The boys or girls stand in a row, and the operator begins with the counting-out rhyme, appropriating a word to each, till he comes to the person who receives the last word, and who is accordingly "out." This operation is continued till there is only one left, who is the individual chosen for the hero of the game, whatever it may be. The following verses are selected from a host of rhymes employed for this purpose:
One-ery, two-ery,
Tick-ery, tee-vy;
Hollow-bone, crack-a-bone,
Pen and eevy.
Ink, pink,
Pen and ink;
A study, a stive,
A stove, and a sink!
One-ery, two-ery,
Tickery, teven;
Alabo, crackabo,
Ten and eleven:
Spin, spon,
Must be gone;
Alabo, crackabo,
Twenty-one!
O-U-T spells out.
[Something similar to this is found in Swedish, Arwidsson, iii. 492:
Apala, mesala,
Mesinka, meso,
Sebedei, sebedo!
Extra, lara,
Kajsa, Sara!
Heck, veck,
Vällingsäck,
Gack du din långe man veck,
Ut!]
Igdum, digdum, didum, dest,
Cot-lo, we-lo, wi-lo, west;
Cot pan, must be done,
Twiddledum, twaddledum, twenty-one!
Hytum, skytum,
Perridi styxum,
Perriwerri wyxum,
A bomun D.