Spanish Highways and Byways Part 22

What will we play?

We'll cut our hands away.

Who cut them, who?

Rain from out the blue.

Where is the rain?

Hens drank it up again.

Hens? And where are they?

Gone their eggs to lay.

Who will eat them up?

Friars when they sup.

What do friars do?

Sing 'gori-gori-goo.'"

Watching Spanish children, one may see two little girls, say White Rose and Sweetness, fly out into an open s.p.a.ce, where White Rose carefully places the tips of her small shoes in touch with those of Sweetness. Then they clasp hands, fling their little bodies as far back as these conditions permit, and whirl round and round, singing l.u.s.tily--until they are overcome by giddiness--the following rigmarole, or one of its variants:--

"t.i.tirinela, if you please!

t.i.tirinela, bread and cheese: 'What is your father's wors.h.i.+pful name?'

'Sir Red-pepper, who kisses your hands.'

'And how does he call his beautiful dame?'

'Lady Cinnamon, at your commands.'

t.i.tirinela, toe to toe!

t.i.tirinela, round we go!"

[Ill.u.s.tration: FROM THE TOWER OF GOLD DOWN THE GUADALQUIViR]

Even in some of their prettiest games the verses have a childish incoherence. Some dozen little girls form a circle, for instance, with the b.u.t.terfly in the centre. They lift her dress-skirt by the border, and hold it outspread about her. Another child, on the outside, runs around and around the ring, singing:--

"Who are these chatterers?

Oh, such a number!

Not by day nor by night Do they let me slumber.

They're daughters of the Moorish king, Who search the garden-close For lovely Lady Ana, The sweetest thing that grows.

She's opening the jasmine And shutting up the rose."

Then the children suddenly lift their hands, which are holding b.u.t.terfly's frock, so as to envelop her head in the folds. The little singer outside continues:--

"b.u.t.terfly, b.u.t.terfly, Dressed in rose-petals!

Is it on candle-flame b.u.t.terfly settles?

How many s.h.i.+rts Have you woven of rain?

Weave me another Ere I call you again."

These songs are repeated seven times. Then comes another stanza:--

"Now that Lady Ana Walks in garden sweet, Gathering the roses Whose dew is on her feet, b.u.t.terfly, b.u.t.terfly, Can you catch us? Try it, try!"

With this the circle breaks and scatters, while b.u.t.terfly, blinded as she is by the folds of her own skirt wrapped about her head, does her best to overtake some one, who shall then become her successor.

Many of the games are simplicity itself. Often the play is merely a circle dance, sometimes ending in a sudden kneeling or sitting on the ground, One of the songs accompanying this dance runs:--

"Potatoes and salt must little folks eat, While the grown-up people dine Off lemons and chestnuts and oranges sweet, With cocoanut milk for wine.

On the ground do we take our seat, We're at your feet, we're at your feet."

Sometimes a line of children will form across the street and run, hand in hand, down its length, singing:--

"We have closed the street And no one may pa.s.s, Only my grandpa Leading his a.s.s Laden with oranges Fresh from the trees.

Tilin! Tilin!

Down on our knees!

Tilin! Tilin! Tilin! Tilin!

The holy bell of San Agustin!"

A play for four weans, training them early to the "eternal Spanish contradiction," consists in holding a handkerchief by its four corners, while one of them sings:--

"Pull and slacken!

I've lost my treasure store.

Pull and slacken!

I'm going to earn some more.

_Slacken!_"

And at this, the other three children must _pull_, on pain of forfeit, whereas if the word is _pull_, their business is to _slacken_.

They have a gra.s.shopper game, where they jump about with their hands clasped under their knees, singing:--

"Gra.s.shopper sent me an invitation To come and share his occupation.

Gra.s.shopper dear, how could I say no?

Gra.s.shopper, gra.s.shopper, here I go!"

In much the same fas.h.i.+on they play "Turkey," gobbling as they hop.

I never found them "playing house" precisely after the manner of our own little girls, but there are many variants for the dialogue and songs in their game of "Washerwoman." The Mother says: "Mariquilla, I'm going out to the river to wash. While I am gone, you must sweep and tidy up the house."

"_Bueno, madre._"

But no sooner is the Mother out of sight than naughty Mariquilla begins to frisk for joy, singing:--

"Mother has gone to wash.

Mother'll be gone all day.

Now can Mariquilla Laugh and dance and play."

But the Mother returns so suddenly that Mariquilla sees her barely in time to begin a vigorous sweeping.

"'What hast been doing, Mary?'

'Sweeping with broom of brier.'

'A friar saw thee playing.'

'He was a lying friar.'

'A holy friar tell a lie!'

'He lied and so do you.'

'Come hither, Mary of my heart, 'And I'll beat thee black and blue.'"

After this lively exercise, the washerwoman goes away again, charging Mariquilla to churn the b.u.t.ter, then to knead the bread, then to set the table, but always with the same disastrous results. The Mother finally condemns her to a dinner of bread and bitters, but Mariquilla makes a point of understanding her to say bread and honey, and shares this sweetness with her sympathetic mates who form the circle. This time the beating is so severe that the children of the ring raise their arms and let Mariquilla dodge freely in and out, while they do all they can to trip and hinder the irate washerwoman in her pursuit.

There is another was.h.i.+ng game of more romantic sort, the chorus being:--