alwaysrats

Skipping game

Published: July 18th 2024, 12:54:03 pm

This is me writing and sketching down things to make sure I remember it all later.

The urchins in Tistow play a skipping game known as 'dragons and rat'. It includes a ditty that they chant and sing while playing.

The game involves a chalk drawn dragon on the cobbles of various lengths. The players are 'dragons' skipping up and down its spine and wings, trying to reach the head as fast as they can.

A 'rat' watches from the sidelines and should any of the 'dragons', "cross the line", they'll shout it out and they're allowed to chase them down. If they manage to tag the dragon, the rat then swaps places with them. The dragons have to try to reach 'higher ground' to get away from the rat. This can be anything from crates, walls or wagons to get away from the chaser.