Entertainments for Home, Church and School Part 3

Leader: "Who then, sir, if not you?"

Number 7: "Number 4, sir."

Number 4 jumps up, and says: "What, sir? I, I?"

Leader: "Yes, sir; you, you."

Number 4: "Not I, not I, sir."'

Leader: "Who then, sir?"

Number 4: "Number 2, sir."'

Then number 2 jumps to his feet.

This goes on until the leader reaches the last one in the circle. If he can repeat again "The Prince of India has lost his pearl," before this one can jump to his feet, they exchange places.

EXCHANGE

A blindfolded player stands in the center; the others are seated about him in a circle. Each one is numbered. The blindfolded player calls out two numbers, whereupon the players bearing those numbers exchange places, the blindfolded player trying meanwhile either to catch one of the players or to secure one of the chairs. Any player so caught must yield his chair to the catcher. No player may go outside of the circle formed by the chairs.

HUNT THE RING

All the players stand in a circle holding a long cord, which forms an endless band upon which a ring has been slipped before it was joined at the ends. This ring is pa.s.sed rapidly from one player to another--always on the cord and concealed by the hand--while somebody in the center endeavors to seize the hands of the person who holds it, who, when actually caught, takes his place within the circle.

If the circle is very large, two rings may be slipped upon the cord, and two players placed in the center together.

A small key may be used instead of a ring, while still another variation is to have the concealed object a small whistle with a ring attached.

When this is adopted, an amusing phase of the game is to secretly attach a string to the whistle and fasten this to the back of the player in the center by means of a bent pin at the other end of the string. Then while feigning to pa.s.s the whistle from hand to hand, it is occasionally seized and blown upon by some one in the ring, toward whom the victim is at that moment turning his back, causing that individual to be greatly puzzled.

SHADOW BLUFF

A sheet being stretched across one end of the room, one of the players being seated upon a low stool facing it, and with his eyes fixed upon it. The only light in the room must be a lamp placed upon a table in the center of the room. Between this lamp and the person on the stool, the players pa.s.s in succession, their shadows being thrown upon the sheet in strong relief. The victim of the moment endeavors to identify the other players by their respective shadows, and if he succeeds the detected party must take his place.

It is allowable to make detection as difficult as possible by means of any available disguise that does not conceal the whole person, any grimacing, contortion of form, etc.

GUESSING EYES AND NOSES

A sheet is fastened up between two doors. Holes are cut in it, and some of the party go behind the sheet and stand with their eyes at the holes, while the others must guess to whom the eyes belong. Failing to guess correctly, they must give a forfeit.

THE TAILLESS DONKEY

An amusing game, at which any size party may play and enjoy it for hours. Cut a large figure of a donkey, minus a tail, from dark paper or cloth, and pin it upon a sheet stretched tightly across a door-way.

Each player is given a piece of paper, which would fit the donkey for a tail, if applied. On each tail is written the name of the person holding it. When all is ready, the players are blindfolded in turn--placed facing the donkey a few steps back in the room--then turned around rapidly two or three times, and told to advance with the tail held at arm's length, and with a pin previously inserted in the end, attach it to the figure of the donkey wherever they first touch it. When the whole curtain is adorned with tails--(not to mention all the furniture, family portraits, etc., in the vicinity)--and there are no more to pin on, the person who has succeeded in fastening the appendage the nearest to its natural dwelling place, receives a prize, and the player who has given the most eccentric position to the tail entrusted to his care, receives the "b.o.o.by" prize, generally some gift of a nature to cause a good-humored laugh.

THROWING THE HANDKERCHIEF

A very old and still quite popular game. The company being seated around the room in a circle, some one stationed in the center throws an unfolded handkerchief to one of the seated players. Whoever receives it must instantly throw it to some one else, and so on, while the person in the center endeavors to catch the handkerchief in its pa.s.sage from one player to another. If he catches it, as it touches somebody, that person must take his place in the center. If it is caught in the air, the player whose hands it last left enters the circle.

The handkerchief must not be knotted or twisted, but thrown loosely.

CHAPTER IV

MAGIC MUSIC--CUSHION DANCE--ANIMAL BLINDMAN'S BLUFF--MY LADY'S TOILET --GOING TO JERUSALEM

MAGIC MUSIC

A beautiful game, which amuses even the mere spectator as much as it does the players. One of the company sits at the piano while another leaves the room. The rest of the party then hide some article, previously agreed upon, and recall the absent player. At his entrance the pianist begins playing some lively air, very softly, keeping up a sort of musical commentary upon his search, playing louder as he approaches the goal, and softer when he wanders away from it. In this way he is guided to at last discover the object of his search.

CUSHION DANCE

The cushions are set upright in a circle on the floor. The players then join hands, and form a ring round them. The circle formed by the cushions should be almost as large as the ring formed by the players, and the cushions may be placed at a considerable distance apart. The players in the ring dance round; and each player, as he dances, tries to make his neighbors knock over the cushions. He, however, avoids knocking over any himself. The players should not break the ring, as the penalty to one letting go hands is expulsion from the ring. If it is preferred, Indian clubs placed on end may be subst.i.tuted for the cushions.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

The players sit in a circle and form an orchestra. The conductor stands in the center. A tune is decided on, and the instruments are selected.

Then the conductor beats time, and each player imitates as well as he can the sound of his instrument, and the motion used in playing it.

Suddenly the conductor turns to one of the players and asks, "What is the matter with your instrument?" and immediately counts ten. Before he finishes counting, the player who has been questioned must begin an answer which is appropriate to his instrument. If his answer is inappropriate, or if it is not begun before the counting stops, he must change places with the conductor.

Whenever the conductor claps his hands the music must stop, and the players must remain in the att.i.tudes in which they were when he gave the signal. Any one who fails to stop humming, or who changes his position, must become leader.

The same conductor may continue throughout the game. The person who fails in any of the requirements of the game then pays a forfeit.

ANIMAL BLINDMAN'S BLUFF

A blindfolded player stands in the center of a circle with a wand, stick, or cane in his hand. The other players dance around him in a circle until he taps three times on the floor with the cane, when all must stand still. The blindfolded one points his cane in any direction.

The one directly opposite it must make a noise like an animal. From this the person in the center of the ring guesses the other's ident.i.ty.

If he does so, there is an exchange of places.

MY LADY'S TOILET

This is a French game. In it each player is named for some article of "My Lady's Toilet," such as her gown, her hat, her gloves, etc. The players sit in a circle, and when the leader mentions an article of the toilet, the one who is named for it must rush to the center of the ring before the platter stops spinning there. If successful, he or she takes the place of the spinner in the center of the ring. If unsuccessful, the person returns to his or her place.

The leader may keep up the interest of the game by comments on the toilettes. This is most interesting in story form.

A variation of this game introduces the word ball. Whenever this is spoken of, the players must jump up and change places, the spinner trying to secure a seat in the general confusion. The odd player becomes a spinner.

MARY AND JOHN

The players--all but two--form a circle and clasp hands. Two odd players in the center are called, "Mary" and "John." The object of the game is for John to catch Mary. As he is blindfolded, he can only locate her in her stealthy movements by the sound of her m.u.f.fled voice. When he says, "Mary, where are you?" she must answer as often as he questions her.

Mary may stoop or tiptoe, or resort to any means to escape capture, except leaving the ring.

When Mary is captured she is blindfolded and John takes her seat.