KiRKBEAN Folklore. 39 



— which, as you all know, is the Scottish for "flame" — was used, 

 except in one instance afterwards related, and can only come to 

 the conclusion that the word has been handed down for genera- 

 tions. The Candlemas " bleeze " celebration appears to have taken 

 a slightly different form in the various schools, and in some does 

 not seem to have been observed at all, In some schools this was 

 the day on which the " coal money," as the fee given to the teacher 

 for firing was called, was taken to the school. In others the " coal 

 money " was taken on some other day, or a peat taken regularly 

 by each scholar, but in this case the money was given to the teacher 

 as a Candlemas gift. In some schools a boy and girl were respec- 

 tively made "king and queen," the honours being, as it were, put 

 up to the highest bidders by their falling upon those who gave 

 the largest sum of money to the schoolmaster. I have been told 

 of one instance in which the teacher always left two particular 

 scholars to the last, so that they might be able to hand a larger 

 sum than any who had preceded them. It is gratifying to think 

 that this was not general, however. Sometimes the teacher gave 

 the "king and queen" a present, which frequently consisted of a 

 knife for the boy and a pair of scissors for the girl. After the 

 teacher had received his gifts or his " coal money," as the case 

 might be, all the scholars were treated to refreshments, which 

 usually consisted of "toddy" and a hard biscuit, known as a 

 '' bake." The toddy shows us what progress has been made in 

 ideas of the fitness of things since these days, but the description 

 I have received of it leads one to believe that its effect upon the 

 pupils would add little to the hilarity which followed. It is 

 said to have been " hot water, sugar, and a little whisky " — " a very 

 wee drap o' whusky " is the most graphic way of putting it I have 

 heard. In some schools cordial was substituted, and although not 

 in Kirkbeau I may be pardoned for introducing it. At my first 

 school in Dumfries port-wine uegus or coffee were offered from 

 which to choose. The toddy was handed round in a jug, the 

 bearer of which also carried a glass, into which the steaming 

 beverage was poured, to be quaffed by the expectant juvenile. 

 When this was over desks and seats were put out of the way, and 

 games succeeded. Generally speaking, these Avere of the usual 

 character, such as " blind man's buff," " hunt the slipper," &c. ; 

 sometimes the sport seems to have been more demonstrative, and 

 one could perhaps best describe it by the well-known expression 



