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208
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[AUGUST, 1904.
Hdlmelé is somewhat different; there is no saving post, and the area that the players have to ran about is circumscribed; the pursuer hops on one leg and is relieved by the person that first leaves the circle or is first touched. Before starting he cries out - Hdfmelé. 4. -Kanakabaré. Q. - Enda hondé ? (May I come P). 4. - Bohoma hondayi (All right).
In hávan paninard (the hare's jump) the players hold their hands together forming a line, and one of them (hávan or hare) comes running from a distance and tries to break through it.
To play mahasop paninard (Mahason's leap)) a figare in the shape of His drawn; a player guards each line and the others have to jump across them and return without being touched ; it is optional to leap over the middle line and is only attempted by the best players, as the demon Mahason (Mahesasura) himself is supposed to guard it.
The children, in addition to their tops (bombara), bamboo pop-guns (bata tuvaklu), cntwater (rompetta), bow dunu), and water-squirts (watura vedilla), have their own nursery games; when wearied. hide and seek (hengin muttan) they sit in a circle and play at less tiring amusements. They hold the backs of each other's palms with their thumb and forefinger, move them up and down singing "kaputu kák kák kdk, goraka den den den, amutu váy vdv vdv, dorakada gahé puval puvak, batapanduré bulat bulat, usi kaputá 11," and let go each other's hold at the end of the jingle, which probably means that "crows swinging on a gamboge-tree (goraka) take to their wings when chased away (131, usi), and there are nats in the areca-tree by the house and betel-creepers in the bamboo-grove." Or they close their fists and keep them ono over the other, pretending to form a cocoanat-tree; the eldest takes hold of each hand in turn, asks its owner, “ Achchiyê achchiyé honda pol gediyak tiyanara kadannada ?" (grandmother, grandmother, there is a good cocoanat, sball I pluck itP); and, when answered “Oh, oertainly" (bohoma honday), brings it down. A sham performance of hysking the nuts, breaking them, throwing out the water, scraping the pulp and cooking some eatable follows this. Or they twist the fingers of the left-hand, clasp them with the right, leaving only the finger-tips wisible and get each other to pick out the middle finger (moda engilla).
Or they keep their hands one over the other, the palm downwards, and the leader strokes each hand saying, "Aturu muturu, demita muturu Rdjakapuru hetiyd aluta gend manamdli hal atak gerald, hiyala getat beddla pahala getat beddua, us us daramiti pêliyayi, miti miti daramiti péliyayi, kukald kapald dora pilk, kikili kapalá veta mulla, sangan palld" (Aturu muturu demita muturu; the new bride that the merchant, Rajakapura, brought, having taken a handful of rice, cleansed it and divided it to the upper and lower house ; a row of tall faggots; a row of short faggots; the cock that is killed is on the threshold; the hen that is killed is near the fence; rangan palld); one hand is next kept on the owner's forehead and the other at the stomach and the following dialogue ensues :
Q. - Nalalé monavdda - What is on the forehead ? 4.- Le - Blood. Q. - Elwaturen hêduváda - Did you wash it in cold water ? - Ov - Yes.
Giyada - Did it come off ? A. - N - No.
- Kiren hedwydda - Did you wash it in milk? A. - Ov - Yes.
- Qiyada - Did it come off ? - Ov - Yes.
(The hand on the forehead is now taken down)
