What Shall We Do Now?: Five Hundred Games and Pastimes Part 11

Snap Cards

"Snap" cards may just as well be home-made as bought. They either can be painted, in which case you must be careful that the sets of four articles are just alike, or you can cut out shapes of different colored paper and stick them on. A bundle of wall-paper patterns is splendid material for a pack. The only advantage that bought "Snap"

cards have over home-made ones is that they slip better.

Old Maid

This game can be played by any number, either with a home-made pack or with ordinary playing cards from which three of the queens have been taken away; the remaining queen being the old maid. The cards are then dealt and each player first weeds out all pairs, such as two knaves, two aces, two fives, and so on. All having done this, the player who begins offers her hand, with the cards face downward, to her neighbor, and her neighbor takes one. She then looks through her cards to see if it pairs with any that she already has, and, if it does, throws the pair on the table. Having finished her examination she offers her cards in the same way to the next player, and so it goes on. As the possessor of the old maid card is, at the end, the loser of the game, each one who gets it does all in her power to induce the next player to take it. As the cards get fewer and fewer the excitement grows and grows.

"Old Bachelor" is played in the same way, except that three of the kings are then thrown out.

Pig

"Pig" is a very noisy game. It is played with ordinary cards, unless you like to make a "Pig" set, which would be very easy. Having discovered how many persons want to play, you treat the pack accordingly. For instance, if five want to play you throw out all cards except five sets of four; if six, or three, you throw out all cards except six sets of four or three sets of four. Thus, if five were playing, the cards might consist of four aces, four twos, four threes, four fours, and four fives; or, if you began at the other end, four kings, four queens, four knaves, four tens and four nines. The cards are shuffled and dealt round, four each, and the game is for each player to complete a set of four. You do not, as in "Old Maid,"

select one from the cards that are offered, face downward, but each player hands whatever card he likes to the next player, who is bound to accept it. Directly a player has a set of four complete he lays the cards on the table, either very stealthily or with a bang, whichever he likes. Immediately a set is laid on the table (or directly the other players notice it) all other cards have to be laid there, too.

The player who is last in laying them down is Pig. The game is played for as many rounds as you like, the player who was last the fewest times being the winner. The word Pig alters with each round. The last player to lay down his cards in the second round is not merely Pig, but Little Pig; in the third, Big Pig; in the fourth, Mother (or Father) Pig; in the fifth, Grandmother (or Grandfather) Pig; in the sixth, Ancestral Pig; in the seventh, Venerable Pig; in the eighth, Primeval Pig; in the ninth, Crackling.

Prophecies and Characteristics

This is a memory game and a very amusing one. It is played with two packs of cards of any sort. One pack is laid in a heap, face down, in the middle of the table. The other pack is distributed to the players, who lay them face upward in rows; each person should not have more than twelve cards since it is practically impossible to remember more than that number. Any one can begin by giving either a prophecy or a characteristic--thus: "Who will inherit a fortune inside a year?" or "Who will be the first in the room to wear false teeth?" at the same time turning up a card from the centre pile. Whoever has the card matching this, takes it, lays it face down on his card repeating the prophecy, "I will be the first to wear false teeth." The next in turn gives a characteristic, "Who has the worst temper?" or "Who has the most unselfish disposition?" This process continues around, until all the centre cards are matched. Then the memory test comes in. Every player in turn tries to remember and repeat all the prophecies and characteristics which have fallen to his share, giving them aloud in rapid succession. He is allowed for deliberation on any one only the time while ten is being counted. The one who remembers the greatest number is the winner.

The Old Maid's Birthday

This game is utterly foolish, but it can lead to shouts of laughter.

It has been founded on an old-fashioned card game called "Mr. Punch."

The first thing required is a pack of plain cards on which should be written the names of articles of food and clothing, household utensils, and other domestic and much advertised things: such, for example, as a frock-coat, a round of beef, a foot-warmer, a box of pills. A story, somewhat on the lines of that which follows, must then be prepared and copied into a note-book. The company take their places and the cards are handed round. These should be held face downward.

When all is ready one of the players reads the story, pausing at each blank for the player whose turn comes next to fill it in by calling out whatever is on his uppermost card. No matter how often the game is played (provided the cards are re-shuffled) the unexpected always happens, and it is usually so absurd as to be quite too much for a room all ready for laughter. The number of blanks in the story should be equal to the number of cards, and in order that the story may run on smoothly it is well for the next player always to glance at his top card just before his turn, so as to bring it out readily and naturally. The following story, which makes provision for nearly fifty cards, should be found serviceable until a better and more personal one is written. It will add to the amus.e.m.e.nt if the player who reads it subst.i.tutes the names of real shops and, if he likes, real people:

Attention. It was Miss Flitters's birthday, and she woke with a start and hurried down to see what the postman had brought.

There were five parcels and a letter. The letter was from Miss Bitters. "Dear Miss Flitters," it ran, "I am so sorry to hear of your cold, and in the hope that it will do you good, I am sending you a ----. I always find it excellent, although mother prefers ----. We both wish you many happy returns of the day." The other presents were, from Miss Ditters a handsome ----, from Miss Glitters a delicate ----, and from Miss. .h.i.tters a particularly refined ----. "Dear me!" said Miss Flitters, "what a useful gift! just exactly what I wanted." She then sat down to breakfast, which, this being a special day, consisted of ----. "I did my best to do it to a turn," said the cook, as she laid it on the table with her own hands. "Mary said as how you'd prefer a ----, but, bless your 'eart, Miss Flitters, I know your tastes best." "You do, indeed," said Miss Flitters. "The thing is perfectly cooked.

It's delicious. It reminds me of ----. To-day," she added, "I am giving a party, and I want you to let us have a very charming meal. I will get the things directly after breakfast. What do you think we shall need?" "Well, ma'am,"

said the cook, "you may please yourself about everything else, but we've done without a ---- for so long, that I must have one." "Quite right," said her mistress.

She then prepared for going out; and seeing that it looked like rain, took a ---- from the cupboard and on her head tied a ----. "Bless your 'eart, mum," cried the cook, "you've forgot your smelling salts. Suppose you was to feel faint--what then? Never mind," she added, "this'll do just as well"--handing her a ----. Miss Flitters hurried off at such a pace that she ran right into the minister. "I beg your pardon," she exclaimed, "I mistook you for a ----." "May I come with you?" asked the minister. "Most certainly," said Miss Flitters.

They went first to Buszard's for a ----, and selected two particularly juicy ones. Then to Marshall and Snelgrove's for a ----. "Is this for the complexion?" asked the minister, picking up a ---- from the counter. "La, sir," said Miss Flitters, "how little you know of domestic life!" Then they went to Fuller's for a ----, and to Jay's for a ----. "It's too dear," said Miss Flitters. "Give me a ----instead." At the stores they inspected ----. "Haven't you anything fresher?" asked Miss Flitters: "I'd as soon buy a ----." None the less she bought two and slipped them into her reticule, adding as a little gift for the cook a ----.

The party began at six o'clock. The first to come was Miss Kitters. "You don't mind my bringing my work, I know, dear,"

she exclaimed; "I'm embroidering a ---- for the natives of Madagascar, and it must be done soon." Miss Litters came next, and being rather short-sighted, sat down on a ----.

"Never mind," said Miss Flitters. "Oh, I don't," she replied, "but it would have been more comfortable if it had been a ----." Miss Mitters came just as the clock struck. She was wearing a charming ---- trimmed with ----. "What perfect taste she has!" the others murmured. Miss Nitters followed.

Miss Nitters was the exact opposite of Miss Mitters in all matters relating to dress. She had no taste at all, and was wearing merely a ---- with pompons attached, and in place of earrings a couple of ----. "So fast!" whispered Miss Litters.

Miss Pitters, Miss Ritters, and Miss t.i.tters each brought a present. Miss Pitters's present was a silver-plated ----. "So useful for the toilet table," she said. Miss Ritters's was a j.a.panese ----, a piece of exquisite workmanship; while Miss t.i.tters produced from her pocket a brown paper parcel which turned out to contain a very choice ----, an heirloom in the t.i.tters family for centuries. "I didn't know whether to bring this or a ----," she said; "but father decided me. Father always knows best."

When all were a.s.sembled, the guests sat down to supper. But here an awkward thing happened. "If you please, mum," the cook was heard to whisper in a loud voice, "the ---- hasn't come. Shall I get a ---- instead?" "Yes," said Miss Flitters, "that will do very well. Don't you think so, Miss Pitters?"

"I think," was the reply, "I should prefer ----." It was none the less an excellent and generous repast. Opposite Miss Flitters was a n.o.ble ----, flanked by a ---- and a ----. At the foot of the table was a dish of ----. "I never tasted anything so delicious in my life," said Miss Mitters, taking a large helping of ----. "Oh!" said Miss Glitters, "you should try the ----. It's yumps." The first course was followed by sweets, the most imposing of which was a wonderful frosted ---- with Miss Flitters's name in pink sugar. "You must all have a piece," said the hostess, "but I'm afraid it's rather rich."

After supper came games, "Blind Man's Buff" and "Hunt the Slipper," but as no one cared to lend a slipper, they used instead a ----, and it did very well. At midnight the party broke up, the guests saying that they never had spent a pleasanter evening. As a protection against the cold Miss Flitters gave them each a hot ----. She then hurried to bed and dreamed all night of ----.

THINKING, GUESSING, AND ACTING GAMES

The Ship Alphabet

The players sit in a long row, as if in a cla.s.s at school. The one that acts as schoolmaster asks sharply, beginning at one end, "The name of the letter?" "A," says the player. The schoolmaster turns to the next player, "the name of the ship?" and straightway begins to count ten very quickly and sternly. "Andromeda," is perhaps rapped out before he reaches that number. "The name of the captain?" "Alfred."

"The name of the cargo?" "Armor." "The port she comes from?"

"Amsterdam." "The place she is bound for?" "Antananarivo." "The next letter?" "B," and so on. If the schoolmaster is very strict and abrupt with his questions and counting, he can drive every idea from the mind of the person he points at. If he counts ten before an answer comes, he pa.s.ses on to the next, and the next, and the next, until the answer is given. The one who gives it moves up above those that failed. The game should be played rapidly.

A variation on this is "When my ship comes in." This is played with a handkerchief knotted into a ball. Any letter of the alphabet is chosen; say B. One player throws the handkerchief to another, crying out, "When my ship comes in it will be laden with ----." The player who catches the handkerchief must supply a cargo, beginning with B before ten is counted, bees, b.u.t.terflies, belts, etc. If he fails to do this he gives a forfeit. When one letter is exhausted another is chosen and the game starts over.

I Love My Love

This is not played now as once it was. In the old way the players sat in a line and went steadily through the alphabet, each one taking a letter in order. This was the form:--"I love my love with an A, because he is [a favorable adjective beginning with A]. I hate him with an A because he is [an unfavorable adjective beginning with A].

He took me to the sign of the [an inn sign beginning with A], and treated me to [two eatables or an eatable and drinkable beginning with A]. His name is [a man's name beginning with A], and he comes from [a town or country beginning with A]." Then B, and so on.

A and B might run thus:--

I love my love with an A because he is adorable. I hate him with an A because he is apish. He took me to the sign of the Alderman and treated me to arrowroot and ale. His name is Arnold, and he comes from Ayrshire.

I love my love with a B because he is brisk. I hate him with a B because he is bookish. He took me to the sign of the Beetle and treated me to biscuits and bovril. His name is Brian, and he comes from Boston.

There is no reason why men should always be chosen. For the sake of variety the love may as well have a woman's name and a woman's qualities. In that case the inn might perhaps go and some such sentence as this take its place:--

I love my love with an A because she is amiable. I hate her with an A because she is awesome. We went to Uncle Alexander's, and had apricots and Apollinaris. Her name is Audrey, and she comes from Annapolis.

As finding seven words beginning with one letter is rather a heavy task for each player, the words might be taken in turn, as in the case of the "Ship" game mentioned above.

For a shorter way of playing "I Love my Love" the following form is used:--"I love my love with an A because he--or she--is [favorable adjective]. I will send him--or her--to [some place] and feed him--or her--on [something to eat]. I will give him--or her--an [some article, the use for which must be mentioned after it], and a bunch of [some flower] for a nosegay." Thus:--

I love my love with an A because he is artistic. I will send him to Australia, and feed him on asparagus. I will give him an alpenstock to climb with, and a bunch of asters for a nosegay.

My Thought

The players sit in a row or circle, and one, having thought of something--of any description whatever--asks them in turn, "What is my thought like?" Not having the faintest idea what the thought is they reply at random. One may say, "Like a dog"; another, "Like a saucepan"; a third, "Like a wet day"; a fourth, "Like a comic opera."

After collecting all the answers the player announces what the thought was, and then goes along the row again calling upon the players to explain why it is like the thing named by them. The merit of the game lies in these explanations. Thus, perhaps the thing thought of was a concertina. The first player, asked to show why a concertina is like a dog, may reply, "Because when it is squeezed it howls." The next may say, "It is like a heavy saucepan because it is held in both hands."

The third, "It is like a wet day because one soon has enough of it"; and the fourth, "It is like a comic opera because it is full of tunes."

P's and Q's