Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 53

ROTARY.--Raise both arms above the head. Move both with a rotary motion in opposite directions, describing a circle in the air, with the right hand moving forward and with the left moving backward simultaneously.

Extend both arms in slanting position downward from the shoulders, elbows straight. Describe circles in the air with both arms, the hands at about the level of the hips, the right turning forward and the left backward.

"RUBBER NECK."--In this feat a kneeling performer is required to pick a card up from the floor with his teeth, both hands being behind his back. The card is placed in front of him at the length of his forearm and hand from one knee. This distance is measured by placing the elbow against the knee and stretching the forearm and the hand at full length on the floor; the point which the middle finger reaches is the point at which the card must be placed. The card has the ends folded down so as to rest like a small table on the floor. The nearer edge of it must rest on the line determined as above specified.

SCALES.--Hold a weight out at arm's length for a given time.

SIAMESE TWINS.--Two players (two boys or two girls), of about the same height and weight, stand back to back and lock arms. The object is to walk in one direction, using first the legs of one player and then those of the other. This may be done by one player moving his feet forward slightly. This is accomplished by both bending the knees, and the player on the side toward which progress is to be made sliding his feet forward. Bracing his feet in the new position, he straightens his entire body upright, drawing the rear player after him until both are in the same relative position as at the start. This const.i.tutes one step, and is repeated over as long a distance as may be specified or desired.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SKIN THE SNAKE

_Reprinted from Dr. Isaac T. Headland's "Chinese Boy and Girl," by kind permission of Messrs. Fleming H. Revell and Co._ ]

SKIN THE SNAKE.--This is a feat for several performers--from five to fifty or more, and is suitable for the gymnasium. The players stand in a line, one behind another, with a short distance between. Each player bends forward and stretches one hand backward between his legs, while with the other hand he grasps that of the player in front, who has a.s.sumed the same position. When all are in position, the line begins backing, the player at the rear end of the line lying down on his back, and the next player walking backward astride over him until he can go no farther, when he also lies down with the first player's head between his legs. This backing and lying-down movement continues until all the players are lying in a straight line on the floor. Then the last one to lie down gets up and walks astride the line toward the front, raising the man next behind him to his feet, and so on until all again are standing in the original position. The grasp of hands is retained throughout.

It hardly need be said that this game is of Chinese origin. It makes a very funny spectacle, especially if done rapidly.

STOOPING PUSH.--Draw a line on the floor. Toe it with the feet spread wide apart. Reach around outside of the legs and grasp a light dumb-bell or other object of similar weight with both hands; throw or slide it forward on the floor from between the feet, the hands being kept together throughout. The object is to see how far the dumb-bell may be thrown without the player losing his balance.

TANTALUS.--The left foot and leg and left cheek are placed close against the wall. The right foot is then slightly lifted in an effort to touch the left knee. Having reached it, the position should be steadily maintained for a few moments.

THUMB SPRING.--This is similar to the Wall Spring, but differs both in method of execution and in general difficulty. The performer places the inner side of the thumbs against a wall, or the edge of a table or window sill may be used. No other part of the hands should touch this surface. The feet should then be moved as far backward as possible.

The body will then be leaning forward; and from this position, without any movement of the feet, a sudden push should be made from the thumbs, the object being to recover the upright position. It is well to begin with a slight distance and work up to a greater one.

WALL PIVOT.--One foot is placed against a wall at about the height of the knee. The other foot is thrown over it, the body making a complete turn in the air, so that the free foot may touch the ground in time to sustain the weight before a tumble. Thus, if the right foot be placed against the wall, the left leg will be thrown over it and the body turned over toward the right, the left foot being replaced on the floor to receive the weight. This is usually easier if done with a short run, and is best practiced on a thick gymnasium mattress.

WALL SPRING.--The performer should stand facing a wall and a short distance from it. Keeping his feet in one spot, he should lean forward and place the palms of his hands flat against the wall; from this position he should then make a sudden push and spring backward to an upright position. With some practice, this may be done with a very considerable distance between the feet and the wall.

WOODEN SOLDIER.--The arms are folded across the chest. In this position the performer is required to lie down on the back and rise again to an upright standing position, without a.s.sistance from either hands or elbows.

WRIGGLE WALK.--The performer stands with heels together and toes pointed outward. Simultaneously he raises the right toes and the left heel, and turns them toward the same direction, the right toes inward and the left heel outward, pivoting on the opposite toe and heel. This is then reversed, so as to continue progress in the same direction.

Resting on the toes and heel just moved, he lifts the opposite ones; that is, the left toes moving outward, the right heel moving inward, and so progresses for a specified distance.

IV. FORFEITS

Many of the things described in the previous section of this chapter may be used as forfeits.

Forfeits are used in many games as a penalty for failure, and may be an occasion for much merriment. The usual method of collecting and disposing of the forfeits is for each player when he fails, to deposit with some one person designated for the purpose some article which shall serve to identify him when the penalties are a.s.signed. This may be a ring, some small article from the pocket, a bonbon, a pebble, or flower, a bit of ribbon, or other ornament of dress.

When the game is over, the forfeits are redeemed. For this purpose one player is chosen as the judge, who is seated.

Behind him stands a player who takes one article at a time from the pile of collected forfeits, holds it over the head of the judge so that he may not see it, and says, "Heavy, heavy hangs over thy head."

The judge then asks, "Fine or superfine?" (meaning, boy or girl?)

The holder answers, "Fine," if a boy, and "Superfine," if a girl, and adds, "What must the owner do to redeem it?"

The judge then p.r.o.nounces sentence. Part of the sport of this imposing of penalties for forfeits is the ignorance of the judge as to who is the owner of the forfeit.

The following penalties are appropriate for the paying of forfeits, and many of the feats previously described are also suitable.

The practice of forfeits is prehistoric, and is thought to have originated in the custom of paying ransom for immunity from punishment for crimes. As used in games of later years, the main object has been to make the offender ridiculous.

AFFIRMATIVE, THE.--A player is required to ask a question that cannot be answered in the negative. The question is, "What does y-e-s spell?"

BLARNEY STONE.--The player is required to pay a compliment to each person in the room in turn.

BLIND WALTZ.--Two players are blindfolded and told to waltz together.

CHEW THE STRING.--Two bonbons are wrapped in paper and tied each to a piece of string six yards in length. These are placed on the floor at a distance from each other, the free end of each string being given to one of the two players who are a.s.signed to this penalty. At a signal, each player puts his piece of string in his mouth, and with hands behind back chews rapidly at the string, trying to get it all into the mouth. The one who first gets to his piece of candy is rewarded by having both pieces.

CONSTANTINOPLE.--The player is required to "Spell Constantinople, one syllable at a time." As soon as he gets to the letter "_i_," all of the other players shout the following syllable, "No!" The speller naturally thinks that he has made a mistake, and commences again. Each time that he gets to the letter "_i_," the same cry of "No" is made, and the poor victim may become very much confused, and doubt his own memory as to spelling before he discovers the trick.

CORDIAL GREETING, A.--This penalty is imposed upon two players at once. They are blindfolded and led to opposite corners of the room.

They are then told to go toward each other and shake hands.

CRAWL, THE.--The player is required to leave the room with two legs and come back with six. He does this by bringing a chair with him when he returns.

DANGEROUS POSITION, A.--The player is required to sit upon the fire.

This is done by writing the words "the fire" on a slip of paper, and then sitting on it.

ENNUI.--The player is required to yawn until he makes some one else yawn.

FOOTBALL.--A ball the size of an orange is made of crumpled paper. It is placed on the floor, and the player is required to stand at a point three times the length of his foot from the ball. From this point he is required without bending the knees to kick the ball out of the way.

FORUM, THE.--The player is required to make a speech on any subject a.s.signed by the judge.

FOUR FEET.--The player is required to put four feet against the wall.

He does this by placing the feet of a chair against the wall.

GRa.s.sHOPPER.--The player is required to hold one foot in his hand and hop on the other around the room.

HAND-TO-HAND.--A player is given some small article to hold in each hand, such as a flower or lead pencil, and required to stretch both arms at full length sideways, the right arm to the right and the left arm to the left. He is then required to bring both articles into one hand without bending shoulders or elbows; or, to state it differently, without bringing the hands any nearer together. This may be done by placing one of the objects on a table with one hand, turning around, and picking it up with the other hand.

HAYSTACK.--A player is required to make a pile of chairs as high as his head, and then take off his shoes and jump over them. (Jump over the shoes.)

HOTTENTOT TACKLE.--The player is required to cross the arms and grasp the left ear with the right hand and the nose with the left hand. He is then suddenly to release the grasp and reverse the position of the hands, grasping the right ear with the left hand and the nose with the right hand. This should be repeated several times in quick succession.

INSIDE AND OUT.--The player is required to kiss a book inside and outside without opening it. He accomplishes this seemingly impossible task by taking the book out of the room, kissing it there, coming back, and kissing it again inside the room.

JINGLES.--The player is given two pairs of rhymes and required to write a verse of four lines ending with the prescribed rhymes. This same forfeit may be imposed on several different players at once, an added interest arising from comparison of the finished verses.

KNIGHT OF THE RUEFUL COUNTENANCE.--This requires two players, one who is a.s.signed to be the knight and the other to be the squire.

The squire takes the knight by the arm and leads him before each lady present. The squire kisses the hand of each lady in turn, and after each kiss carefully wipes the knight's mouth with a handkerchief. The knight must display his grief at the loss of so many opportunities by preserving throughout an unsmiling countenance.