Games for Everybody Part 8

BUZ.

All the players sit in a circle and begin to count in turn, but whenever seven, or any multiple of seven comes, "Buz" is said in its place. If anyone forgets he may be put out and the game commenced over again, but it is more fun if the players go right on with the counting, as many will fall off when the count is up in the hundreds. The game may be continued as long as is desired.

Suppose the players have counted up to twenty, the next one would say "Buz," as twenty-one is a multiple of seven; the next, "twenty-two,"

the next "twenty-three," and so on. The one having "twenty-seven"

would say "Buz," as it contains seven. When seventy is reached, the numbers are said, "Buz one," "Buz two," etc.; "double Buz," for seventy-seven, and so on.

"Siz" may be subst.i.tuted for six and its multiples, and "Fiz" for five, just for variety.

JENKINS UP!

Divide the company into two sides. One division sits around the table on one side, the other on the opposite side. The members of division "A" put their hands under the table and a small coin, dime or quarter, is pa.s.sed from one to the other.

When division "B" thinks they have had enough time, the players call out, "Jenkins up!" and the players of "A" hold up their closed hands, and when "Jenkins down!" is called, they must place their hands, palm down, on the table. The players of "B" must guess under which palm the coin is. Each player has one guess, those on the opposite side raising their hands when requested to do so.

If "B" guesses correctly, the coin is pa.s.sed over to them and "A" must guess who has it, but if not, "A" keeps the coin, and "B" has another trial for guessing.

Tally may be kept, 1 being counted for every correct guess, and a certain number, as 50, may be the limit. The side gaining 50 points first is victorious.

STATE OUTLINES.

This is a splendid game for the beginning of an evening as the guests mingle together and become acquainted while hunting for their partners.

The hostess prepares pieces of cardboard on which she has drawn the outline of a state without the name. The state capitals are written on separate pieces of paper. The cards and slips are handed out haphazard as the guests arrive.

The object of the game is to find the state to which the capital belongs or vice versa, as the case may be.

The one who succeeds in locating his capital first is the winner.

The hostess can arrange for the length of time.

PREFIXES.

One of the players is sent out of the room. The others then decide upon some word which he is to guess when he returns. He is told what the prefix of the word is, and must guess, by asking questions, what the rest of the word is. The players answer his questions by their manner or actions.

Suppose the word chosen is "encouraged," the answers may be given in a cheerful way.

The player who is guessing may think of any number of words with the prefix "en," but he must continue asking questions until the right word has been guessed.

The player who has revealed the word by his or her actions, takes the other's place and leaves the room while the rest are deciding upon some word for him to guess. The game continues as before.

MY FATHER HAD A ROOSTER!

All the players sit in a circle, the leader begins by saying, "My father had a rooster!" The player to his left says: "A what?" The leader answers: "A rooster!" Each player repeats this in turn to his left-hand neighbor who asks the question, until it is the leader's turn again.

He then repeats the first part and asks the player next to him, "Could he crow?" The player answers, "Crow he could." This is repeated by each player with the previous questions. The next time the leader says "How could he crow?" The player on the left answers "c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo!" This goes around the circle again and when the last one has taken part, all together say "c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo," as a finish.

No one is supposed to laugh during the whole game, whoever does, may either pay a forfeit or is out of the game. It is best to have a person who knows the game sit next to the leader, so they can start the game correctly. The complete statements are these,

"My father had a rooster!"

"A what?"

"A rooster!"

"Could he crow?"

"Crow he could!"

"How could he crow?"

"c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo!"

CROSS QUESTIONS AND CROOKED ANSWERS.

All sit in a circle for this game. The first one begins by whispering some question to his left hand neighbor, such as "Do you like apples?"

The second player must remember the question asked him, and he answers No. 1 by saying, "Yes, the nice, red, juicy kind." This answer belongs to No. 1 and he must remember it. No. 2 asks No. 3 a question, being careful to remember his answer, as it belongs to him. Suppose he asks, "Are you fond of books?" and the answer is "Yes, I read every one that comes out." Thus No. 2 has a question and answer that belong to him.

Every one in turn asks a question and gives an answer, remembering the question he was asked and the answer his neighbor gave him, which belong to him. When all have had a turn, No. 2 begins by saying aloud: "I was asked: 'Do you like cats?' and the answer was 'Yes, the nice, red juicy kind';" No. 2 says: "I was asked, 'Do you like apples?' and the answer was, 'Yes, I read every one that comes out,'" and so on.

MAGIC WRITING.

An a.s.sistant is necessary for this game. One gives a little talk about sign-language and says that he can read any sign made with a stick on the floor, and will leave the room while the others decide upon some word for him to guess.

Beforehand, it has been agreed upon between the leader and his a.s.sistant that one tap of the stick on the floor will represent "a"; two taps, "e"; three taps, "i"; four taps, "o"; five taps, "u." Thus all the vowels are indicated by taps, and the consonants, by having the first word of the sentence which the leader gives begin with the chosen letter. The letters of the chosen word must be given in order.

The leader, who remains inside, knows the chosen word, and when the a.s.sistant is called in, he makes many signs with the stick, tapping in the proper places.

Suppose the word chosen is "Games." When the a.s.sistant is called in, the leader begins by making many scrolls, etc., on the floor, then says: "Great fun, isn't it?" (initial letter "g"), then one tap, "a"; "Many don't know what I'm writing." (initial letter "m"); 2 taps, "e"; "Sometimes it is hard to read." (initial letter "s"). Then a few more marks, so as not to end too abruptly, and the a.s.sistant says "Games,"

to the astonishment of the company.

This is continued until some have guessed, or until the trick has been explained.