THZ SPORTS AND GAMES OF THE SINGHALESE. M 



is measured with the " striker, " ten, fifteen or any num- 

 ber of lengths previously agreed upon counting for game, 

 and throwing out a player on the other side> Sh©uld the 

 *' cat" drop into the hole, or within one length of the 

 striker, or he caught when struck, the in-player goes out 

 and the player who had the " cat" succeeds him. After 

 one whole set of players have been outed, the winners 

 enforce a penalty in the following manner: the " striker'' 

 is thrown about six feet away from the hole, and struck 

 with the cat, the loser tries to catch the cat and if he 

 succeeds he escapes the penalty, if not the player takes 

 up the striker and going up to where the " cat" may be, 

 throws the striker from him as before, and strikes it. 

 This goes on until he fails to hit the " striker ", or 

 it falling within reach of the loser (who must take it up 

 stretched on the ground) is taken up by him. From this 

 point the loser has to run back holding his breath and 

 crying " goodo", " goodo", "goodo", to the hole where the 

 game commenced. Should he give in, the throwing of 

 the " striker" and the striking with the cat, is resumed 

 from that place,* 



Eitan Kally (^y^odsi^Q) which is exactly the same 

 as the " Tip-cat" of the English play ground, is played 

 with a striker" eighteen inches long, and a " cat" or piece 

 of wood four inches long and pointed at each end ; a hole 

 as in the previous game, is the starting point, and the 

 " cat" being laid lengthwise in the hole, the projecting 



* I have looked in vain into all the " Boys' Own Books" available 

 for an English game bearing any resemblance to this. Mr. Robert 

 D awson tells me that he saw it played in the North of England 

 by some Norwegian boys, exactly in the same manner as above des- 

 cribed. 



