Entertainments for Home, Church and School Part 10

At the beginning of the game the dominoes are thoroughly shuffled by being turned face down and stirred round and round. The players then draw at random as many bones as the game requires. These dominoes with which the hand is to be played may stand on their edges in front of the players or may be held in the hand, or both. It is usual to sort them into suits as far as possible. The one who has drawn the highest doublet usually plays or sets first.

The object in dominoes is either to block the game so that the adversary cannot play or it is to make the two ends when added together equal to some multiple of a given number, or it is to make both ends of the line the same. The player first getting rid of all his pieces is "Domino."

Dominoes are made in sets known by the number of pips on the highest domino or bone in the set. The standard set is double-sixes and contains twenty-eight bones. Some persons use double-nines. In the double-six set there are seven "suits," each named after some number from six to blank. In each of these suits there are seven bones, but each domino in a suit, except the doublet, belongs to some other suit as well. The lower figure on each domino shows the other suit to which it belongs.

All games of dominoes, except matadore, are based on the principle of following suit or matching. The first player "sets" a certain domino, and after that each player must play one of the same suit, the suit called for being always that of the exposed or open end.

BACKGAMMON

The object of each player is to get all his men into his home table, and as soon as they have all arrived to throw them off the board altogether. The one that succeeds in doing this first wins the game.

Each of two players has fifteen men, known as black and white, and each should have his own dice-box. Almost all of the folding checker boards are marked on the reverse side for backgammon, and the fifteen men of each color in a checker set are intended for backgammon players.

The two sides of the board nearer the players are called tables, and the table with only two men on two of the points is called the inner table. It is also the home table of the player who sits with that side of the board nearer to him.

It does not matter which way the board is turned, as the arrow points are alternately light and dark all the way round in either direction, but it is usual to place the side of the board with only two men on points nearest the window, so that there shall be a good light on the home tables. The points in the home tables are known by their numbers, which correspond to the faces of a die, and are called: ace point, deuce point, trey point, four point, five point, and six point.

The point immediately across the bar which divides the two tables is called the "bar point," not because it is next the bar, but because it bars the two adverse men in your home table from running away with double sixes if you can "make it up."

CHECKERS

The object of the game is to capture all the opponent's men and remove them from the board, or else to pin them up in such a manner that he cannot move. If neither player can accomplish this, the game is drawn.

A board divided into sixty-four squares is used. These are of dark and light color. Each player receives twelve men, known as white and black.

At the beginning of the game the board is so placed that each player shall have two of his men touching the edge of the board at his left.

The men are set on the black squares.

The squares upon the board are supposed to be numbered from one to sixty-four, beginning at the upper left-hand corner upon the side of the board occupied by the black men.

In giving the moves the first figures are the moves of a black man.

The next figures are the moves of a white man.

As the men never leave the color upon which they are first placed, all moves must be diagonal. A man can move only one square at a time, and only to a square which is in front of him diagonally and is not occupied.

If a square to which a man might move is occupied by an adverse piece, that piece can be jumped over if there is a vacant square immediately beyond him. The capturing piece moves to this vacant square, and the man jumped over is removed from the board. Two or more men may sometimes be captured simultaneously. When a piece may be captured the player is obliged to take it. If he does not, his adversary can compel him to take back his move and make the capture, or can remove from the board the piece that should have made the capture, or can let the matter stand. If there are two different captures on the board at the same time the player can take his choice of them.

JENKINS

Any number of players may play this game, which is common to almost every nation, and is very interesting. Sides being formed, the players seat themselves at a table, facing each other. It having been decided who shall first hold the silver piece, the player who receives it holds it in his closed hand under the table, as do all the players on his side, when they receive it, and the piece is pa.s.sed from hand to hand, the object being to deceive the opposite players as to its whereabouts.

The captain of the side which has not the coin now calls: "Jenkins says hands up," and all the hands come up, closed; then "Jenkins says hands down," and all the hands fall, palms downward, on the table.

There should be much noise to drown the clink of the piece as it falls on the table.

The opposing side now tries to guess the side which has not the coin.

The captain directs the players who have not the piece to take their "hands off." None of his side may give this order. Should any do so the coin is forfeited.

Should the captain make a mistake and call up a hand under which the coin is hidden, the piece remains with the same side, and the number of hands still on the table counts for the side which keeps the coin.

If the last hand left on the table covers the piece, it then goes to the opposing players. It is necessary to set a score. The side which makes these points wins the game.

BOUQUET

Each guest receives a slip of paper, on which is written the name of a flower. When all are ready to begin, the hostess gives to each a sheet of tissue paper of the color needed to make a designated flower; also two sheets of green paper of different shades.

Thirty minutes are allowed for the making of the flowers. A pair of scissors and a needle and thread must be given to each guest; also some mucilage. The flowers are collected and a committee decides who has made the most perfect flower. The one who has done so receives the bouquet of flowers made by the guests.

ZOO

The names of animals are given the players. Each receives ten slips of paper numbered from one to ten. These are arranged irregularly in a pile. The slips are turned with the faces downward.

The first player turns up his upper slip so that the number is visible and lays it down in front of him. In doing this, he must turn it away from himself, so that the other players see it first; the next player then does the same.

Should two slips coincide in number, they must each at once call each other's names--the animal names given them. The one who first calls the other's name gives away his slip to that other person, the object being to get rid of one's slips as fast as possible. If the slip turned up by the second player does not correspond in number to that turned up by the first, he also lays it down in front of him; the third player then turns his up, and this is continued around the circle until a slip is turned that corresponds in number with any that has been turned up, when those two players must immediately call each other's names.

The winner is the one who first gets rid of his slips.

SIMON SAYS

Any number of players seat themselves at a table. Each player makes a fist of each hand, extending the thumb.

The leader says, "Simon says, 'Thumbs up'!" whereupon he places his own fist on the table before him, with the thumbs upward. The players do likewise. When the leader says, "Simon says, 'Thumbs down'," he turns his own hand over so that the tips of the thumbs touch the table.

The others must imitate him.

He then says, "'My thumb wiggles-waggles." He suits the action to the word, and the rest repeat his performance.

If at any time the leader omits the words "Simon says," and goes through the movements only with the words "Thumbs up," "Thumbs down," or "Wigle-waggle," the players must all keep their hands still and not imitate his movements. Any player doing this pays a forfeit.

AUTHOR'S INITIALS

Each player writes on a piece of paper groups of words, each group descriptive of some author, and each word beginning with one of his initials in regular order. The player who guesses the largest number of authors wins the game.

Example: Who is the just, gentle writer?

Answer: John Greenleaf Whittier.

Whose stories are read alike by old and young?

Answer: James Fennimore Cooper.

Who was the greatest humorist?

Answer: "Mark Twain."

SKETCHES

The players are provided with sheets of paper and pencils. They then write a description of some historical character. The object is to give a description that is truthful, yet misleading, in a way, so as to make the guessing a little harder.

One player reads his description. The others ask questions that may be answered by "Yes" and "No." The one guessing correctly reads his description next.

STRAY SYLLABLES

The same syllable is often seen in different words. You can prove this by playing the following game: Each player writes several words on a long strip of paper, leaving s.p.a.ces between the different words. This having been done the syllables are cut out and shuffled. Each player draws three syllables. The guests seat themselves at small tables, and try to fashion words from the syllables, either using two or three of them. If it is impossible to do this, they must be returned and others are taken in their place. Another trial at word-making is given, and the one who, after a definite time, has made the most words out of his syllables, wins a prize.