Cuckoo's Nest

[Ches Skinner]

We're in the middle of productions for Cuckoo's Nest and trying to find
how the "Wire, Briar, Limber Lock" finger game is played. If you've
know, please respond to: Ski...@uleth.ca.
Thank you
Ches Skinner

[Stephen702]

This is a game played by an adult with a child. The child sits on the
floor or at a table and puts out his or her arms with the 10 fingers spread
out. Then the adult counts each finger with the verse:

Wire, briar, limber lock,
Three geese in a flock.
One flew east,
And one flew west,
And one flew over the cuckoo's nest

The finger pointed to on "nest" is turned under, and the counting begins
again. Eventually, all fingers are turned under and the hands are fists.
My 84-year-old father remembers this game as a child, at a time when there
was no electricity and winter evenings could be deadly boring. It's not a
competitive game, but more along the lines of "This little piggy went to
market" or "Eeny, meeny, miney, moe.

Sometimes other rhymes are included:

"William Matrimatoes
He's a good fisherman,
Catches hens, puts 'em in pens.
Some lay eggs, some none.
Wire briar, limber lock,
Three geese in a flock,
One flew east, one flew west,
One flew over the cuckoo's nest.
O-U-T spells "OUT"
And out you go.

And:

Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn,
Apple seed and apple thorn;
Wire, briar, limber lock,
Three geese in a flock.
One flew east,
And one flew west,
And one flew over the cuckoo's nest.

Stephen Peithman
Editor-in-Chief
Stage Directions Magazine
www.stage-directions.com