The players seat themselves in a circle on the floor, having chosen one of their number to remain outside the circle. The children seated on the floor are supposed to be cobblers, and the one outside is the customer who has brought his shoe to be mended. He hands it to one of them, saying:
Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe;
Get it done by half-past two.
The cobblers pass the shoe round to each other as quickly as they can, taking care that the customer does not see which of them has it. When the customer comes to get it he is told that it is not ready. He pretends to get angry and says he will take it as it is. The must then try to find it, and the cobbler who has it must try to pass it on to his neighbor without its being seen by the customer. The person upon whom the shoe is found must become the customer. Whilst the customer takes his place in the circle on the floor.
Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain
Image © pope24 @ Flickr, Attribution