My Book of Indoor Games Part 6

Charity begins at home, but does not end there.

Cut your coat according to your cloth.

Do as you would be done by.

Do not halloo till you are out of the wood.

Do not spur a willing horse.

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Empty vessels make the greatest sound.

Enough is as good as a feast.

Faint heart never won fair lady.

Fine feathers make fine birds.

Fine words b.u.t.ter no parsnips.

Fire and water are good servants, but bad masters.

Grasp all, lose all.

Half a loaf is better than no bread.

Handsome is as handsome does.

Happy is the wooing that is not long in doing.

He that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing.

Hiders are good finders.

Home is home though it be ever so homely.

Honesty is the best policy.

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

It is an ill wind that blows n.o.body good.

It is never too late to learn.

It is not the cowl that makes the friar.

It is a long lane that has no turning.

It's a good horse that never stumbles.

It's a sad heart that never rejoices.

Ill weeds grow apace.

Keep a thing for seven years, and you will find a use for it.

Kill two birds with one stone.

Lazy folk take the most pains.

Let sleeping dogs lie.

Let them laugh that win.

Make hay while the sun shines.

Many a true word is spoken in jest.

Many hands make light work.

Marry in haste, repent at leisure.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Old birds are not to be caught with chaff.

Old friends and old wine are best.

One swallow makes not a spring, nor one woodc.o.c.k a winter.

People who live in gla.s.s houses should never throw stones.

Possession is nine points of the law.

Procrastination is the thief of time.

Short reckonings make long friends.

Safe bind, safe find.

Strike while the iron is hot.

Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.

The more the merrier, the fewer the better cheer.

The darkest hour is just before the daylight.

The cobbler's wife is the worst shod.

There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.

There's a silver lining to every cloud.

Those who play with edge tools must expect to be cut.

Time and tide wait for no man.

Too many cooks spoil the broth.

Union is strength.

Waste not, want not.

What the eye sees not, the heart rues not.

When rogues fall out honest men get their own.

When the cat's away, the mice play.

Willful waste makes woful want.

You cannot eat your cake and have it also.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE ADVENTURERS

This is a very good game and will combine both instruction and amus.e.m.e.nt. The idea is that the company imagines itself to be a party of travelers who are about to set out on a journey to foreign countries. A good knowledge of geography is required, also an idea of the manufactures and customs of the foreign parts about to be visited.

It would be as well, if not quite certain about the location of the part, to refer to a map.

A place for starting having been decided upon, the first player sets out upon his journey. He tells the company what spot he intends to visit (in imagination) and what kind of conveyance he means to travel in. On arriving at his destination, the player states what he wishes to buy, and to whom he intends to make a present of his purchase on returning home.

This may seem very simple, but it is not nearly so easy as it appears.

The player must have some knowledge of the country to which he is going, the way he will travel, and the time it will take to complete the journey. To give an instance, it will not do for the player to state that he is going to Greenland to purchase pineapples, or to Florida to get furs; nor will it do for him to make a present of a meerschaum pipe to a lady, or a cashmere shawl to a gentleman.

More fun is added to this game if forfeits are exacted for all mistakes.

The game continues, and the second player must make his starting point from where the first leaves off. Of course, all depends upon the imagination or the experience of the player; if he has been a traveler or has read a good deal, his descriptions should be very interesting.

POSTMAN'S KNOCK

One player begins the game by going out of the room, and then giving a double (or postman's) knock at the door; it is the duty of one of the other players to stand at the door inside the room to answer the knocks that are made, and to ask the postman for whom he has a letter. The postman names some member of the company, generally of the opposite s.e.x; he is then asked, "How many cents are to be paid?"

Perhaps he will say "six"; the person for whom the letter is supposed to be must then pay for it with kisses, instead of cents; after which he or she must take a turn as postman.

"OUR OLD GRANNIE DOESN'T LIKE TEA."

All the players sit in a row, except one, who sits in front of them and says to each one in turn: "Our old Grannie doesn't like T; what can you give her instead?"

Perhaps the first player will answer, "Cocoa," and that will be correct; but if the second player should say, "Chocolate," he will have to pay a forfeit, because there is a "T" in chocolate. This is really a catch, as at first every one thinks that "tea" is meant instead of the letter "T." Even after the trick has been found out it is very easy to make a slip, as the players must answer before "five"

is counted; if they cannot, or if they mention an article of food with the letter "T" in it, they must pay a forfeit.