Queenie, Queenie, who's got the ball?
"Queenie, Queenie, who's got the ball" is a common children's playground game. It is played with a ball by four or more players.
A person is picked to be the "Queenie," and that person turns her back to everyone else. The "Queenie" then throws the ball over her shoulder and one of the other players needs to catch it or pick it up. Everyone, except the "Queenie", puts their hands behind their backs so that the "Queenie" does not know who has the ball. The "Queenie" then turns around and everyone shouts:
- "Queenie, Queenie, who's got the ball?
- Are they short, or are they tall?
- Are they hairy, or are they bald?
- You don't know because you don't have the ball!"
Another version of the chant is:
- Queenio, Cokio, who's got the ballio?
- I haven't got it
- It isn't in my pocket
- Queenio, Cokio, who's got the ballio?
The "Queenie" has to guess who has the ball through a process of elimination. If the person with the ball is the last one to be picked, that person becomes the new "queenie." The player must admit to having the ball or will automatically be "out". The player who is the "Queenie" must not look when throwing the ball or the "Queenie" herself will be "out".
Popular Culture
Paul McCartney's song Queenie Eye includes a variation of this chant as chorus lyrics.[1]