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 firmg 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 bey 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 Kirkbean I may be pardoned for introducing it. At my first 
school in Dumfries port-wine negus 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 speakmg, these were of the usual 
character, such as “blind man’s buff,” “hunt the slipper,” &e. ; 
sometimes the sport seems to have been more demonstrative, and 
one could perhaps best describe it by the well-known expression 
