Old Buzzard

Source: Games For The Playground, Home, School And Gymnasium
Category: MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVE GAMES



_5 to 30 or more players._

_Playground._

This is one of the old dramatic games, probably better known in
America than any other of this type.

One player is chosen to represent the "Old Buzzard"; another player
represents a hen, and the remainder are chickens. All the players
circle around the buzzard, saying in chorus


"Chickany, chickany, crany crow;
I went to the well to wash my toe;
And when I came back a chicken was gone."

The hen finishes by asking alone, "What o'clock is it, old buzzard?"
The buzzard crouches on the ground during the repetition of the verse,
going through the pantomime of building a fire with sticks, and in
answer to the question may name any hour, as eight o'clock, nine
o'clock, ten o'clock. So long as the buzzard does not say twelve
o'clock, the players continue to circle around, repeating the verse,
the final question being asked each time by a different player, until
the buzzard finally says, "Twelve o'clock!" When this occurs, the ring
stands still, and the following dialogue takes place between the
buzzard and the hen


_Hen._ Old buzzard, old buzzard, what are you doing?

_Buz._ Picking up sticks.

_Hen._ What do you want the sticks for?

_Buz._ To build a fire.

_Hen._ What are you building a fire for?

_Buz._ To broil a chicken.

_Hen._ Where are you going to get the chicken?

_Buz._ Out of your flock!

The buzzard, who keeps a crouching attitude with face downcast during
this dialogue, suddenly rises on the last words and chases the
players, who scatter precipitately. When a player is captured, the
buzzard brings him back, lays him down, and dresses him for dinner,
while the rest of the players group around. The buzzard asks of the
captured chicken, "Will you be picked or scraped?" and goes through
the motions of picking feathers or scaling fish, as the chicken
decides. The buzzard then asks, "Will you be pickled or salted?" "Will
you be roasted or stewed?" each time administering to the recumbent
chicken the appropriate manipulations. At the end he drags the victim
to a corner, and the game goes on with the remainder of the players.

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