Birds (Colors)
Translation details
Model:mistral-large-2512.Translated text
Section titled “Translated text”A game quite common in Lesser Poland; application as above.
a) All children except two stand in a line (in some regions, in a circle). In front of the line stand the “birdkeeper” and the “merchant.” The birdkeeper (whispering) assigns the children names of various birds. The merchant arrives and demands a particular bird. The named bird jumps up and flees, while the merchant chases it. If the bird, having run around the line of children, takes refuge in its place, it remains in the line (having received a new name from the birdkeeper). If the merchant catches it along the way, he leads it aside. The game continues until the merchant has caught all the birds.
b) In other regions, three players stand outside the line: the birds are alternately demanded by the “angel” and the “devil.” (The angel says: — Ding, ding! — Who’s there? — An angel from heaven. — What do you want? — A bird. — Which one? — A golden oriole (magpie, etc.). The conversation with the devil is similar, only the introduction differs: — Clop, clop-clop! — Who’s there? — A black boot.
c) In some regions, an ending is added to either version of the game, involving a battle between two camps: a) the children not called remain with the birdkeeper, the rest with the merchant;
b) the camp of the angel and the devil. In the Buczacz region (Lesser Poland), this battle consists of drawing a boundary between the two camps, and the children, having joined hands, try to pull their opponents across this boundary. The camp that pulls even one opponent across wins.
d) Under the name “Colors,” a nearly universal variation of this game is played, in which different colors take the place of birds.
Source scan: Kujawsko-Pomorska Digital Library, marked “Public Domain.” See PDF — page 116.
Metadata
Section titled “Metadata”- Type: game
- Traits: Not stated in the source
- Source: Eugeniusz Piasecki, Zabawy i gry ruchowe dzieci i młodzieży (1922)
- Printed pages: 111–112 / PDF 116–117
- Digital edition: Digital edition · Source record
- Open the edition at the relevant page: p. 111
- Read the source text: zgr-072