GAMES, 231 



know where the slipper is, it is occasionally tapped on the 

 ground and then suddenly handed on to right or left. 

 When the slipper is found in the possession of any one in 

 the circle, by the player who is hunting it, the party on 

 whom it is found takes the latter player's place." 



TIP-CAT 



Is a game played with sticks of a certain length and a piece 

 of wood sharpened off at each end, which is called the " cat." 

 A ring is made on the ground with chalk, or the pointed 

 part of the cat, which is then placed in the centre. One 

 end being smartly struck by the player, it springs spinning 

 upwards ; as it rises it is again struck, and thus knocked to 

 a considerable distance. It is played in two ways, one 

 being for the antagonist to guess how many sticks length it 

 is off the ring, which is measured, and if right he goes in ; 

 or he may elect to pitch the cat, if possible, into the ring, 

 which if he succeeds in doing, he then has the pleasure of 

 knocking the wood called the cat recklessly, he knows 

 not whither, until it alights somewhere, on something or 

 some one. 



CAT l' THE HOLE."^ 



The name of a game well known in Fife, and perhaps 

 in other counties. If seven boys are to play, six holes 

 are made at certain distances. Each of the six stands at 

 a hole, with a, short stick in his hand ; the seventh stands 

 at a certain distance, holding a ball. When he gives the 

 word, or makes the sign agreed upon, all the six must 

 change holes, each running to his neighbour's hole, and 

 putting his stick in the hole which he has newly seized. 

 In making this change, the boy who has the ball tries to put 

 it into the empty hole. If he succeeds in this, the boy who 

 had not his stick (for the stick is the cat) in the hole for 

 which he had run is put out, and must take the ball. When 

 the Cat is in the Boie, it is against the laws of the game to 

 put the ball into it. 



* Jamieson's "Scottish Dictionary." 



