This is continued through the following rounds:
“Not Ragged-and-tough,
Nor Huckem-a-buff, first cousin, &c.
Nor Miss Grizzle, maiden-aunt, &c.
But Goody Gherkin, grandmamma to Miss Grizzle, &c.
“Not Ragged-and-tough,
Nor Huckem-a-buff, first cousin, &c.
Nor Miss Grizzle, maiden-aunt, &c.
Nor Goody Gberkin, grandmamma, &c.
But little Snap, favourite dog of Goody Gherkin, grandmamma, &c.
“Not Ragged-and-tough,
Nor Huckem-a-buff, first cousin, &c.
Nor Miss Grizzle, maiden-aunt, &c.
Nor Goody Gherkin, grandmamma, &c.
Nor little Snap, favourite dog, &c.
But the Whip that tickled the tail of little Snap,
Favourite dog of Goody Gherkin,
Grandmamma of Miss Grizzle,
Maiden-aunt of Huckem-a-buff,
First cousin to Ragged-and-tough.”
Each person, in turn, has to repeat this jingle, gradually increasing in length, going backwards through the list, a new character being introduced each round; so that by the time the last lines have been reached, some one’s memory is sure to become confused and a mistake be made in the repetition, for which, amidst general laughter, a forfeit is claimed.
Another form the game would sometimes take was that of a “word puzzle,” when an outlandish single word, or curiously involved sentence, had to be repeated so many times (seven or nine was the usual number) without a mistake, on failure of which a forfeit was exacted.
The following is a specimen of such a word:
“Aldibirondifosdiforniosdikos.”
And this of a sentence:
“Of all the saws I ever saw saw, I never saw a saw saw as that saw saws.”
(To make this intelligible the tool “saw” should be understood.)
