School, Church, and Home Games Part 13

Clairvoyant

The one who plays this trick must have an accomplice. The accomplice is sent from the room. It is announced that the accomplice will name the person pointed to. The demonstrator points at an individual and the accomplice on the outside of the room gives the name of the individual pointed at.

The Trick--The accomplice knows that the one last speaking before he left the room will be the one pointed at by the demonstrator. In pointing at an individual, the one doing the pointing asks of the accomplice, "Does the spirit move?" The one on the outside answers, if he knows who is being pointed at, "It does." The first speaker then says, "Whom am I pointing at?" The accomplice then gives the individual's name.

Scissors Crossed

A simple catch game. The group is seated in a circle. It is best to have two of the company know how to play the game. One of these hands a closed pair of scissors to the other, who takes it and says, "I received these scissors uncrossed and give them crossed" (opening the scissors as he says, "and give them crossed"). He pa.s.ses them to the player on his left, who should say, "I received these scissors crossed and give them crossed"--(if they are left open; if closed, "uncrossed"). If the players do not know the game, they will cross and uncross the scissors in an attempt to pa.s.s them correctly. Each one is given a turn and the game continues until some bright player notices that the scissors are called "crossed" when they are open and "uncrossed" when they are closed, and that the player who started the game crossed his feet if the scissors were crossed and, if not, his feet were uncrossed. Thus, the object of the game is to change the words and the position of the feet in accordance with the position of the scissors.

Knights of the Sacred Whistle

One or two of the group are informed that they are to be initiated into the Order of the Knights of the Sacred Whistle. They are shown a whistle and told that to become a member they must find this whistle.

It is then pretended that the whistle is handed to one of the members of the party. An ap.r.o.n is hung around the shoulders of the victim and the whistle is attached to the back of the ap.r.o.n on a piece of string.

The trick is for some of the players to blow the whistle behind the person's back, immediately dropping it and when he turns the person on the other side will blow. As all are standing in a circle, with the person who is being initiated in the centre, he is kept guessing for some time before he finds out where the whistle is located.

Hay Stack

Chairs are piled to a considerable height in the centre of the room and the person to be initiated is instructed to take off his shoes and jump over them. The leader insists that this is possible, but the uninitiated remonstrates, "It can't be done." The catch is that the individual is supposed to jump over his shoes instead of the chairs.

Boots Without Shoes

The leader asks one of the players to say as he directs and then asks him to say, "Boots without shoes." The player immediately says, "Boots without shoes." The leader says, "That is not correct," and goes to the next. The next one also says, "Boots without shoes," and so do most of the other members of the group, until one bright individual, discovering the trick, simply says, "Boots," which is the correct answer.

Newspaper Touch

Two individuals are instructed to stand upon a sheet of newspaper, so as not to be able to touch each other. This seems impossible and the individuals taking their places upon the paper endeavor to maneuver in impossible positions, but find they still can touch each other. The trick is to spread the newspaper over the sill of a door. One individual stands on one side of the closed door upon the newspaper, while the other takes his position on the other side of the door.

Coin and Card Snap

A card is balanced upon the end of the middle finger of the left hand, flat side down. A quarter or some small coin is placed upon the card, directly over the end of the finger. The trick is to snap the card from under the coin so that the coin will remain on the end of the finger.

Blind Blow

A lighted candle is placed upon a table. The players are blindfolded in turn, spun around, and instructed to blow out the candle. The time of each player is recorded and the one succeeding in blowing out the candle in the quickest time wins the game.

Tricks with Matches

Six matches are given to an individual and he is requested to make with them four equilateral triangles.

The Trick--Three matches are laid upon the table, forming an equilateral triangle. The other three are held above the three on the table in the form of a pyramid, with the triangle on the table as a base.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Twelve matches are placed upon the table as herewith ill.u.s.trated. Then those trying to accomplish the trick are instructed to ill.u.s.trate what matches are made of by moving two matches.

The Trick--It is natural that the ones trying to solve the trick endeavor to make the word "wood" out of the combination of forms, but by taking the top match off the first square, a "v" can be made by adding it to the third figure. By taking the right hand side off the first square, the letter "e" can be made by adding it to the last figure, spelling the word "love."

Pigs in Pen

A farmer has six pigs and five pens. He desires to place the pigs in the pens so that there will be an odd number of pigs in each pen. How can he accomplish this?

The Trick--He places a pen within a pen. Then he places a pig in each of the other pens, and two pigs in the one which encloses the pen, and another pig in the enclosed pen.

Number Trick

How can four be made out of three 3's?

3-3/3

Penny Wise

The players are provided with a bright new penny, a piece of paper and a pencil. On the paper have been written the following requirements, each player being expected to write the answers, the one having the largest number of correct answers, winning the game:

Find on the penny the name of a song.

(Ans. America.)

A privilege.

(Ans. Liberty.)

A part of Indian corn.

(Ans. Ear.)

A part of a hill.

(Ans. Brow.)

Something denoting self.

(Ans. I (Eye).)

Part of a door.

(Ans. Lock (of hair).)

A weapon of war.

(Ans. Arrow.)

An act of protection.

(Ans. Shield.)