As I sit here remembering some old school memories, I can't help but reflect on some of the games I played growing up. The first one that comes mind, is the Farmer in the Dell/Den/Ring. To those of you who sang Den then read Den, if you sang Dell, then read dell and so on. Yes? ok
School at the Methodist Church began after hurricane David destroyed the Wesley Government School aka big school. Friday's were the best days, it was clean up day culminating in a big fire in the root of the mango tree and of course games.
The farmer in the dell/den/ring? who remembers it as the farmer in the ring? anyways that was always a fun game, especially if you really... wanted to play... and by really wanting to play, I mean, if the farmer was your cheek. If your cheek wasn't the farmer you still had to play cause it was a class activity. The fun began once the circle was made, farmer was chosen and the song began. This game wasn't just a game, it was a time for statements to be made. For example, if your cheek was the farmer, of course you would be chosen first and it was a time to signal to the haters to step off. Well not in those words but something like that.
The statements were made based on how the farmer chose his family. hahahahaha! In order for the family to begin the farmer had to choose his wife and this is where happy, sad, and vexed feelings surfaced. The farmer tells everyone at least during the game who he wanted as his wife or who his wife/girlfriend at the moment will be/is by walking over to choose her. Usually, his wife's natural response was to pull her hand, cut/roll her eyes as if to say, "boy lemme go, wha you choosing me for your wife nor?" all the while enjoying the moment of being chosen first.
If per chance, one wasn't chosen as the farmer's wife, thankfully there were other mentionable positions in the farmer's dell/den/ring/life to vy for. There's the nurse, the maid, the child, the cow and the dog. This brings us to the last and absolute worse position that one can be chosen as..the cheese..... I can still hear in my head and the cheese stands alone......what a sad place to be.
Did any of you ever wanted to be chosen as the farmer's wife? I specifically recall a particular farmer who insisted on choosing me as his wife and I insisted on hiding behind the person next to me. Turns out, me and Mr. Farmer were very good friends and used to be during school, I just didn't want to be his wife. I had my eyes on another farmer who, sadly, NEVER chose me as his wife. Oh well, the lessons that these childhood games teach us. Looking back one can't help but wonder, how in the world were we allowed to play these games with such adult undertones? I guess it was a different time, when children were really innocent and carefree.
