Games for Everybody Part 24

Suspend a bell in a doorway low enough for the children to reach. The children stand about ten feet away and each in turn throws a beanbag, endeavoring to make the "liberty bell," as it is called, ring. Those who succeed in making it ring receive little bells as a reward.

The contents of several boxes of torpedoes may be emptied and hidden around the room. The children hunt for them, and have a jolly time shooting them off after the hunt is over.

HALLOWE'EN.

A Hallowe'en party is probably the only gathering where the stiffness and formality entirely disappear. Every one is in for a good time, and should be dressed in old clothes ready to try all sorts of experiments.

Decorate the room appropriately with pumpkin jack-o'-lanterns, greens, weird lights, and strings of peppers, if possible. Mirrors should be in profusion. Effective lights may be made from cuc.u.mbers by sc.r.a.ping out the inside and cutting holes in the rind for eyes and nose, and placing a candle in each.

Persons dressed as ghosts may receive the guests and usher them into the room where the fun is to be. As soon as a person enters, the hostess, who is not a ghost, blindfolds the victim, and those already in the room take turns shaking hands with him. He has to guess who each person is. It is marvellous how many mistakes will be made, even if the guests are the best of friends.

HALLOWE'EN STORIES.

There are several ways of telling ghastly stories on Hallowe'en. Have a large ball of different colored yarn handy and before the midnight hour, turn out the lights, and ask all the players to sit in a circle. The hostess, holding the ball of yarn, begins by telling some weird story, unwinding the yarn as she proceeds, until she comes to a different color, and then she tosses the ball to someone in the circle, and that one must proceed with the story until she comes to a different color. It is then tossed to another, and so on, until the ball is unwound and the story ended.

Another way, more ghastly still, is to give each guest a saucer in which is a handful of salt and some alcohol. Each one in turn lights the contents of the saucer and tells some ghost story, continuing until all the alcohol is burned, and no longer. The stories may be lively or sad.

HALLOWE'EN FATES.

For obtaining partners, fill a pumpkin rind with nuts, which have been opened, had the meat taken out, some token of the fate placed inside, and glued together again with a ribbon attached to each. Those drawing nuts having the same colored ribbon are partners. The one whose nut has a ring in, is to be married next; if a coin, he is to be the most wealthy; if a thimble, a spinster all her life. The other nuts may have slips of paper with prophecies written on them.

A bag filled with nuts may be tied up tightly and hung in a doorway. One of the players is blindfolded and given a stick with which he is to hit the bag as hard as he can, thus breaking it, and scattering the nuts on the floor. The one who succeeds in gathering the greatest number of nuts will be the luckiest during the year.

Fill two large pans with sawdust. Bury in one pan pieces of paper bearing a rhyme about one's future, these can be about the ladies for the men to draw, and in the other pan verses for the ladies to draw. The papers are folded up tightly. The ladies and gentlemen take turns putting in their thumbs. As soon as a verse is found it is read aloud.

Example for the men to draw:

"Medium height, eyes of blue, Charming girl is awaiting you."

For the ladies:

"Tall and slight, with red hair, Fond of walking and fresh air."

SOME MORE FATES.

In addition to the regulation "bobbing for apples," "floating needles," and throwing the apple peel over the head, there are many other amus.e.m.e.nts of prophecy.

In a doorway a portiere of apples may be hung. Apples are strung on strings of various lengths. The tallest guests endeavor to bite those swinging on the longest strings stooping in the attempt, while the shorter ones reach for those above. The one who succeeds in eating the whole of his apple just by biting it, will never want for anything.

A horseshoe is hung in a doorway. Each guest is given three small apples. Each in turn tries to throw the apples, one at a time, through the horseshoe. If he succeeds in sending all three through, he will always be lucky during the coming year.

From the ceiling suspend a large pumpkin, on whose rind all the letters of the alphabet have been burned or painted. Twirl this quickly and each guest in turn tries to stab some letter with a hatpin. The letter which is pierced is the initial letter of one's fate.

Another,--swing a wedding ring over a goblet and repeat the alphabet slowly, the letter said as the ring touches the gla.s.s is the initial of the future wife or husband, as the case may be.

This same ring may be suspended from the ceiling, at a convenient distance from the floor. Whoever succeeds in running a pencil through it while walking towards it, without stopping, is the next to be married.

WATER CHARM.

Place three bowls on a table, one containing clear water, another soapy or muddy water, and the third one empty.

Blindfold the players one at a time, and lead them to the bowls, (whose positions are changed each time) to put their fingers in one of them.

If a player touches the clear water, he will be happily married; if the soapy water, he will marry a widow; and if he puts his finger in the empty bowl, he will never marry.

For knowing the occupation of the future one, there are several ways. Articles suggestive of different trades may be buried in flour, and the players in turn take a spoonful out of the dish and see what they can find. If not successful the first time, they may have a second trial.

Another way is to melt lead and then drop in into cold water, and the form it takes will suggest the trade of the future husband. Sometimes the forms are intricate, but if they suggest any trade, that is the real one. If it flattens out and looks like a book, an author will be the fate; if in tiny pieces, like particles of dirt, a farmer will be suggested, and so on.

OVER THE CIDER MUGS.

By each place at the table place a mug of sweet cider, a small bunch of matches, two candles, and a slip of paper with a pencil.

Before the refreshments are served, when all are seated, the hostess announces that as she counts twenty-five slowly, each guest is to write a wish on the paper, light a candle, burn the paper in the light, letting the ashes fall into the cider, and drink the contents of the mug, ashes and all. All who succeed in doing this before twenty-five is counted, will have their wishes granted.

Later, ask each guest to light both candles, naming each after a sweetheart, and allow them to burn as long as they will. The candle which burns longest shows which one will prove most faithful.

SHIPS OF FATE.

Prepare as many half sh.e.l.ls of walnuts as there are guests. In each fasten a small candle with a drop of the wax.

Fill a tub with water, and before sailing the boats, the water should be agitated so as to have it wavy. Two at a time may sail their boats, lighting the candles as they are launched. The life of the owner is prophesied by the seaworthy qualities of his ship.

If the storm overcomes the ship, the one whose it is, will be wrecked by adversity. The ship sailing across the tub signifies a long sea voyage, while those remaining by the side show that the person loves home better.

If the two ships stay together throughout the trip, the couple owning them will have a happy marriage. If they b.u.mp together, that signifies a quarrel, and if they sail in opposite directions, each person will lead a single life.