Acting and Dramatic Games Old Buzzard
( Acting and Dramatic, Choreographed, Command and Response, Singing and Song, Tag )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 oclock 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 oclock nine oclock ten oclock. So long as the buzzard does not say twelve oclock 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 oclock ” 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.