Collectanea. 449
The meeting at once recognised a new guess. In giving guesses, the practice was to give each one a chance of answering, but if the proper answer was not given, it was relegated to the next evening of meeting, and if still too deep for those present, to a third, when, after all had confessed inability to solve it, the solution was given. Probably expecting that it was some question much more recondite than it was, though many answers were suggested, it survived till the third night, when all having given it up, it fell to George to give his answer. Old William had retired as usual, and the exposition by his grandson was : — " Nach 'eil suilean agaibh cho math 's th'agamsa. Nach fhaic sibh am bodach na laidhe 'n sin; nach 'eil esan anns a' bhaile so, agus nach 'eil a bhean ann an Loch .Sunart." (" Have you not eyes as well as I myself, don't you see the old man lying there ; is he not in this town, and isn't his wife in Loch Sunart?") The fearful simplicity of this tempted his friends to give George a licking.
RHYMES.
(Page 206.)
Besides those given in the Appendix, there have been sent in a considerable number, many of which like those already given, are local modifications of rhymes common to Scotland and England as well. A writer in the Glasgoiv Evening News gives as counting-out rhymes known to the writer of the article —
" As eenty feenty holigolum,
As orkle porkle peel a gun,
Saw ye the laird of Eezil peezil
Jumping over Jerusalem steeple,
A, pee, pie, pipe ! "
" As eerie orie ickery am,
Pick ma nick and shick ma sham ; Orum scorum pickmanorum, Shee, sho, sham, shutters ! "
" As eenty feenty fanty fig, As iral diral do-ma-nig. As irky, birky stole a roe, As an tan tish toe ! " 2 F
