Up to a few decades ago Maltese folk-nursery rhymes were very popular both in Malta and Gozo. In 1948, in the April-June edition of Lehen il-Malti, the official organ of the Ghaqda tal-Malti (Maltese Language Society), Joseph Cassar Pullicino, the well-known Maltese folklorist, published a collec-tion of fifty nursery rhymes with a comparative study showing similari-ties with Sicilian parallels. If we take variants into consideration this collection may go up to some ninety rhymes. Only about five rhymes were said to come from Gozo.

In 1966 about 237 rhymes and dialogues from Gozo were published in book form. Some of the Gozitan examples are more detailed, make more sense and have a richer educative value with regard to history. The following two number rhymes, the first coming from Cospicua in Malta, and the second, a Gozitan variant coming from Rabat, will make this assertion clearer.

The first rhyme comes from Malta:

This rhyme can be compared to the following Gozitan rhyme:

Considering also the large number of references to De Soldanis given by Cassar Pullicino in his study entitled Kliem U Ghidut it-Tfal (Children's Words and Expressions), it is probable that the folklore material left by De Soldanis contains a great element of Gozitan traditional usage. Such words as haj (a car), pipu (a bird or a pigeon), qajzu (a pig), xekkuka (a sheep) and kulaci (joining little fingers) are children's words originating from Gozo. Moreover, the Gozitan rendering of many lexemes included in his dictionary, if not a definite proof, is surely a very reliable indication of this assertion.

Another very strong Gozitan tradition is that of children's games. Before our streets and squares were invaded by modern heavy motor traffic, Gozitan children could run and play at ease and at leisure without fear of being hit by a motorbike or run over by a car. The fields and the countryside were also playgrounds for children. As is well known, boys and girls of a very young age all over the world like to play games. Our children are no exception. Maltese and Gozitan children had their own peculiar ways of playing games. While Maltese children had their own tule', bumbard, ruh, hadet, biha hajt and twila-la' (Cassar Pullicino, (1960), Gozitan children had il-Bzejqa, il-Qriba, il-Qabbuz, il-Kuklu, 1-Iskorra, Gejder, Tmelliha, il-Ghoffu, Trajjos, it-Trija tax-Xaghra, and many others. For many Maltese children these words are meaningless. But this is Gozitan folklore. The games just mentioned were described in full by the present writer in a booklet which was published way back in 1969 in which more than hundred folk-games were explained in detail for teachers, folklorists and educators (Attard 1969) Unfortunately we have no parallel publications from Malta despite the appeal contained in the Gozitan publication. This renders comparative study about Maltese and Gozitan folk-games a rather difficult and unreliable task.

At this point it is pertinent to mention il-Brilli (nine-pins) an old game for grownups usually played in the villages of Gharb, San Lawrenz and Kerc em. It is a very interesting old folk-game which in my opinion should be propagated by being taught in schools.

GOZO'S NARRATIVE FOLKLORE

Children love to hear stories, even if the same story is repeated over and over again. Gozitan narrative folklore is so rich that very often foreigu folklore enthusiasts wonder how in such a small island one comes across so many folk-tales, fables, aetiological legends and other local legends about practically every hill and vale, and every church and old building throughout the whole island.

Gozitan folk-tales narrate stories about Balmies and his enchanted horse, about the underworld, fountains of oil, the winds, the far end of the earth, giants and dragons, the inhabited citrons, Toninu and his envious brothers, and galleys sailing on land!

The legends of St Dimitri, the miraculous stream of oil at Gharb, the coming to Gozo of the Capuchin Monks, the miraculous choice of a site for Qala's sanctuary, the wondefful bubbling water which appeared when building the first chapel of St Lawrence, the disappearance of the seven daughters of Selika into the whirlpool of Belliegha cave, the brave girls of Marsalforn bakery, the golden calf, the giantess who carried the stones ofour prehistoric temples, the hearing of St Paul's voice while the Apostle was preaching Christianity to our Maltese brethren, are all local legends with a Gozitan touch, but not without some foreign influence.
 
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