A NOTE ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SLOVENIAN
GAME ŠKARJICE BRUSITI
Paul G. B r e w s t e r
Although it can not lay claim to being either the oldest or the most
widespread, the game under discussion is of considerable antiquity and
is known in many lands under a variety of names. In the present paper
it is the intention of the writer merely to indicate something of the
geographical distribution of it, since obviously a full treatment of the
subject would require a greater amount of space than that given it here.
As will be well-known to readers of this journal, the game of
Škarjice brusiti is played by an odd number of players (usually
five), all of them except one taking their positions near trees. The player
without a tree walks about among them, rubbing index and second
fingers together to imitate the sharpening of scissors, and at the same
time calling out, "I am sharpening scissors." The instant his back is
turned, the others exchange places. As they do so, the first player
attempts to secure for himself one of the places temporarily left vacant.
If he succeeds in doing so, ^hen the one who has lost his tree must take
his turn at sharpening scissors.
Scissors play a part also in the Hungarian form of the game, though
here they are requested by the player seeking a place. She approaches
another player and asks, "My sponsor-woman, where are the scissors?"
to which the one questioned replies, "I have lent them to my neighbor."
As the first player turns to repeat the question, all the others exchange
positions.
Scissors are also the object sought in many of the German variants,
as indicated by such titles as "Schneider, leih mir die Scheer," "Vater,
Mutter, leih mir die Scheer," etc.^
In the Czech game, known as "Godmother Anne," the article asked
for is a sieve. Each of four of the players, usually girls, stands beside
a tree; the fifth, who is a "beggar," approaches one of the others and
asks, "Godmother Anne, lend me a sieve." The other replies, "I have lent
it to my neighbor." The first player then goes to the next, who returns
the same answer. When she has been refused by the fourth and last girl.
^ See the author's American Nonsinging Games (Norman: University of
Oklahoma Press, 1953), p. 97. This description I owe to the kindness of Miss
Maria Kresz, of Budapest.
^ Zeitschrift des Vereins für Volkskunde, VIT, 302.
255
Paul G. Brewster
she calls out, "Change places!" and as they do so, she tries to secure
a place for herself. The player who is left without a tree must be the
"beggar" in the next game.^
The Greek equivalent, Avaxpe fiov to xepäx«, is popular all OTer Greece.
It is played usually by either five or seven children, who use posts oi-
corners of buildings, as well as trees, for their "homes." The player
without a "home" goes from one to another, begging, "Light my candle."
The reply is "Go to another comer." In the meantime the others are
exchanging places, and the questioner is trying to secure one for herself.*
It is interesting to note that in Spanish-speaking countries, too, the
request is for a light (or a candle). Thus, in the Dominican Republic the
seeker asks, " Una candelita?" To this the first, second, third, and fourth
players answer respectively: "A la otra esquinita," "En la otra esquinita,"
"Por alH jumea," and "Por alli se quema." From this point the game
proceeds as described above.'^
In Switzerland the game is commonly known as "Bäumchen Wechsel
dich." Each of the players, with the exception of one, stands in front
of a tree. Suddenly the latter player claps her hands together and cries,
"All the trees must change!" At this, the other players must exchange
positions, and the one in the center tries to get one for herself while
they are doing so. There appears to be no limit as to the number of
participants, and it will be noted that there is a complete absence of
dialogue."
An interesting variant is that played by Malay children, who call
it "Main galah-galah anjing." First, a circle with four lines passing
through the center is drawn on the ground {six lines if there are to be
seven players). The player chosen by lot to be anjing (dog) stands in
the center, and the others stand where the lines touch the circumference.
The anjing then barks, whereupon each of the other players runs to the
vacant place next to him. At the same time the anjing tries to get a place
for himself. If he is successful, the player whose place he stole must
take the role of anjing.''
The game is played also by the Iloko (northern Luzon, Philippines)
under the name "Sinnulisuli." Four players, usually girls, stand on the
four corners of an imaginary square; a fifth player, standing inside.
' Erben, Karel Jaromir. Kytice z povesti närodnich (Pragiie, 1924), p. 102.
* Kyvernetakis, John. 'AvdoAoyia naiyvtöi'&v. (Heracleon, 1958), p. 91.
* See Salas, Eugenio Pereira, Juegos y Alegrias Colonias en Chile (Santiago
de Chile, 1947), p. 272; Martinez, Maria Cadilla de, Juegos y Canciones Infantiles
de Puerto Rico (San Juan, 1940), p. 128; Marin,, Francisoo Rodriguez, Rimas
Infantiles (Barcelona, 1882), p. 86; Maspons y Labros, F., Jochs de la Infancia
(Barcelona, 1874), p. 81; Hernandez de Soto, A., Juegos Infantiles de Extra-
madura (Seville, 1886), p. 147; Ruiz, Ramon Garcia, Los Juegos Infantiles en
la Escuela Rural (Mexico, D. F., 1938), pp. 56, 100.
" Meier, S., "Volkskundliches aus dem Frei- und Kelleramt", Archioes
Suisses des Traditions Populaires, XXII (1918—1919), 88.
' Hervey, D. F. A., "Malay Games", Journal of the Royal Anthropological
Institute, XXXIII (1903). 301. '
256
A note on the distribution of the Slowenian game >Škarjice brusiti«  ;
tries to catch them when they move from one corner to another changing
places. Apparently she makes no attempt to secure a position.*
In English-speaking parts of the world the usual name for the gmne
is "Puss in the Corner" or "Pussy Wants a Comer," and the latter is
often the demand made by the player who lacks a place. The reply is
"Go to my nextdoor neighbor." Exchange of positions is effected while
the player has her back turned.''
The Gaelic variant is known as "King, King, Come Along" or
"Change All Corners." Stones are frequently used as positions. The
supernumerary player, who stands in the center, suddenly calls out,
"King, king, come along, and change all corners," whereupon all must
exchange places and he tries to seize one left vacant.^"
In Sweden the game is known as "Byta gardar." It is played in
much the same way as the English and American forms except that
there is apparently no dialogue.^^
The game is widely known in Germany, where it bears a variety
of names.It is, or was, played also in Russia where it is known as
KjiioiB French children know it as "jeu des quatre coins."^* It is known
also by the Arabs, who call it "Biz Zowaia."^^ Japanese children play
it,^" as do also the children of Turkeys' and those of the Netherlands.^*
It is a popular game, too, in Italy.^" It is played among the Todas of
India^" and also among certain North American Indian tribes.^^
Škarjice brusiti belongs to that group sometimes classified
as Elimination Games, in which one player is without, or loses, a place
* Vanoverberg'h, Morice, "Iloko Games", Anthropos, XXII (1927), 237.
' Newell, W. W., Games and Songs of American Children (New York, 1911),
p. 256; Gomme, A.B., The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland
(London, 1894—1898), II, 88.
" Maclagan, Robert Craig, The Games and Diversions of Argyleshire
(London, 1901), p. 210.
Tillhagen, Carl-Herman, Soenska Lekar och Danser (Stockholm, 1950),
I, 221.
" See Zeitschrift des Vereins für Volkskunde, V (1895), 285; VII, 302; XXVI
(1916), 366; Böhme, F. M., Deutsches Kinderlied und Kinderspiel (Leipzig, 1924),
p. 649 f.; Rochholz, Ernst Ludwig, Alemannisches Kinderlied u. Kinderspiel
(Leipzig, 1857), p. 449; Zingerle, Ignaz V., Das deutsche Kinderspiel im Mittel-
alter .{Innsbrnck, 1873), p. 157: Liebrecht, F., Zur Volkskunde (Heilbronn, 1879),
p. 392.
" Gavrilova, N. P., Igry oktiabriat (N. p., 1937), p.'ll.
" Melusine, II, 430; III, 234—235.
Jessup, Henry Harris, The Women of the Arabs (New York 1873), p. 320.
" Griffis. William Elliott, The Mikado's Empire (New York and lx>ndon.
1913), p. 465. See also Hunt, Sarah Ethridge, and Ethel Cain, Games the World
Around (New York, 1941), p. 148.
Hunt and Cain, op. cit., p. 234.
^ De Cock, A., and Is. Teirlinck, Kinderspel & Kinderlust im Zuid-Neder-
land (Gent, 1902—1908), I, 84 f. (Vierhoeken).
" Pitre, Giuseppe, Giuochi Fanciulleschi Siciliani (Biblioteca delle Tra-'
dizioni Siciliane, XIII) (Palermo, 1883), p. 272.
'0 Rivers, W. H. R., The Todas (London, 1906), p. 597.
" American Anthropologist, n. s., I, 277; IV, 342.
17  Slovenski etnograf 257
Paul G. Brewster
and must try to regain it or to find another. Typical examples of this
kind of game are the German "Reise nach Jerusalem"^^ and the Estonian
"Körand-spel".^^ In the former the players are seated on chairs, the
number of chairs being one fewer than the number of players. The latter
march around the row of chairs to a musical accompaniment. Suddenly
the music stops, and there is a scramble for seats. The player who is
unsuccessful must leave the game, and at the same time one chair is
removed. This continues until only one chair remains. The placer secur-
ing it is the winner of the game. In the latter game the players are given
the names of villages. When the leader calls the names of two of these,
the players bearing them must exchange places, and the leaxler tries
to secure one of them before it can be occupied.
Other games of the same general character are the Spanish "Fui
a Cadiz",^'' "Musical Chairs", "The Ocean Is Stormy", "Mauerblüm-
chen",^^ etc.
Not the least, interesting feature of the game in question is the
request of the odd player and the nature of the object requested. When
such a request is present, it is usually, as we have noted, scissors, a sieve,
or a candle that are asked for. Whether the mention of these particular
articles has any significance is, of course, problematical; however, their
mention raises certain questions in the observer's (or the reader's) mind.
For instance, are we being taken back in this game to a time when such
now common articles were owned by only one person (e. g. the tailor)
in the community? Was the player who repeatedly asks for a candle
(or a light) originally conceived of as a witch? One is inevitably remin-
ded of the Witch in "Mother, Mother, the Pot Boils Over"'" and "The
Witch,"^' who asks for fire or for a light for her pipe and thus gains
admittance to the house. These are interesting speculations, but hardly
within the scope of the present paper.
Povzetek
O RAZŠIRJENOSTI SLOVENSKE IGRE ^ŠKARJICE BRUSITI«
Gornje igre ne igrajo samo po večini evropskih dežela, marveč tudi —
v isti ali drugačni obliki — o Severni in Južni Ameriki, na britanskih otokih,
v Aziji, Afriki in Polineziji. Po navadi sodeluje pet ali šest udeležencev, včasih
pa tudi več. Nekatere inačice vsebujejo kratek dvogovor med preostalim ude-
ležencem in ostalimi; v nekaterih je edino besedilo ukaz, naj udeleženci menjajo
prostore. V nekaterih oblikah igre prosi preostali udeleženec vse druge ude-
ežence po vrsti za škarje, za sito, za svečo. Ali se predmetu, po katerem
vprašuje, pripisuje kaj pomena ali ne, ni jasno; vsekakor se avtorju zdi, da
bi nadaljnje raziskovanje o tem moglo biti hvaležno.
Description furnished through the kindness of Miss Christine Baumann.
Loorits, OskffiT, Volkslieder der Liven (Tartu, 1936), p. 95.
^* Salas, op.cit., p. 272. Cf. Ruiz, op.cit., p. 67 (Salvese quien pueda).
Hunt and Cain, op.cit., p. 112.
2" Gonune, op. cit., I, 39—40, 397, 398, 400.
" Ibid., II, 394, 395.
258