Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium

Charley over the Water

10 to 30 or more players.

Parlor; gymnasium; playground.

One player is chosen to be Charley, and if there be more than twenty players there should be two or more Charlies, to make the action more rapid. Charley stands in the center; the other players join hands in a circle around him and dance around, repeating the rhyme:—

"Charley over the water,
Charley over the sea.
Charley catch a blackbird,
Can't catch me!"

As the last word is said, the players stoop, and Charley tries to tag them before they can get into that position. Should he succeed, the player tagged changes places with him.