A large group plays the children’s game rong ran (dragon-snake). In One person sits on a small hill or some location above the other players; he or she acts as the doctor. The other children stand in a line, holding each other’s belts to form the body of the dragon-snake.
The dragon-snake approaches the doctor. The following dialogue occurs between the doctor and the head of the line:
– Where are you going, dragon-snake?
– I’m searching for medicine for my son.
– How old is he, your son?
– He is one year old. – The doctor is not well.
– He is (two, three, four, five… repeated each time) years old. – The doctor is not well.
The dialogue continues until the dragon-snake says:
– He is ten years old.
Then the doctor answers:
– All right, the doctor is well.
With this, the doctor stands up and says:
– Give me your head
– Nothing but the bones
Responds the dragon-snake
– Give me the body.
– Nothing but the blood.
– Give me the tail.
– Pursue at will!
At this, the doctor flies into a rage and attempts lo catch the child who represents the tail of the dragon-snake. The head of the line stretches his or her arms to bar the doctor while the dragon-snake tries to make a circle. If the dragon-snake succeeds in rolling into a circle before the physician can touch the tail, it wins. On the contrary, if the doctor catches the tail of the dragon-snake, the entire group loses the game. All losers must stretch out their hands, palms downwards, to the winner, who slaps them one after another.
