All the children except one sit on the floor in a circle, with their knees raised. The one left out brings a slipper, and handing it to one child says:

"Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe,
Get it done by quarter-past two."

He walks to the other side of the room and in a minute comes back and asks if the shoe is done. In the meantime the slipper is being passed from one to the other, under their knees.

The child who is asked if the slipper is done says she thinks her neighbor has it, the neighbor is asked and receiving the same answer the one hunting it goes from one to the other until the slipper is found. If it takes too long for him to find it, the slipper may be tossed across the circle, so it will be easy to follow it up.