_Cecil._--A vine.

_John._--My thought was a rose; so now, Charles, tell me why a rose is

like a young girl.

_Charles._--Because it is loveliest when only half-blown.

_John._--And why a queen?

_James._--Because the rose is the queen of all flowers.

_John._--Harry, why is a rose like a lion?

_Harry._--Because it is one of the emblems of England.

_John._--And why, Tom, is it like beauty?

_Tom._--Because it soon fades.

_John._--William, why is it like an oak?

_William._--Because both spring from the earth.

_John._--And you, Alfred; why is a rose like a beautiful woman?

_Alfred._--Because its fragrance often remains after the charms are

faded.

_John._--Andrew, why is a rose like hope?

_Andrew._--Because in returning sunshine it forgets the past storm.

_John._--Arthur, why is a rose like a hedgehog?

_Arthur._--Because its thorns defend it from a rough grasp.

_John._--You, Ben, having fixed upon the same thing as myself, must pay

a forfeit. Cecil, why is a rose like a vine?

_Cecil._--Because in old times they were both considered essential to a

banquet. I can think of nothing better.

[Illustration: EASY GAMES WITH TOYS, OUTDOOR.]

EASY GAMES WITH TOYS.

OUTDOOR.

[Illustration: BALLS]

CATCH BALL.

This is very simple play. The ball is thrown into the air by one player,

the others standing round him. He calls out the name of the player, for

whom the ball is thrown. If it be caught by the player so called, before

the ball reaches the ground twice, he scores a point; if any of the

other players catch it, they score a point, and the other loses one.

DOUTEE-STOOL.

This is a variety of the above game. A certain number of stools are set

up in a circular form, and at a distance from each other, and every one

is occupied by a single player; when the ball is struck, which is done,

as before, by the hand, every one of them is obliged to alter his

situation, running in succession from stool to stool; and if he who

threw the ball can regain it in time to strike any of the players before

he reaches the stool to which he is running, he takes his place, and the

person touched must throw the ball, until he can in like manner return

to the circle.

EGG-HAT.

[Illustration]

All the players engaged in this favourite pastime must place their caps

on the ground, close to the wall, in such a manner that a ball may be

easily pitched into them. A line being marked on the ground about

fifteen feet from the wall, one of the players takes his station at it,

and begins the game by throwing the ball into one of the caps; the

moment this is done all the boys run away, excepting the one into whose

cap the ball is thrown, who immediately runs to take it out, and

endeavours to strike one of the fugitives by throwing the ball at him;

if he can do so, the one struck has a small stone, called “an egg,”

placed in his cap, and has to take his turn at pitching the ball. Should

the thrower fail to hit one of the boys as they are running away, an

“egg” is put into his cap, and he has to pitch the ball into the caps

again. If a player fails to throw the ball into a cap, he earns an

“egg,” but continues throwing until he succeeds. When a player gets

three “eggs” in his cap, he is out. When all the players but one have

been struck out, he is considered the winner, and the punishment of the

losers then commences; one of them standing near the wall bounces the

ball at it with all his force, and next stands with his back to the

wall, stretching out his right arm, and placing the back of his hand

quite close to the wall, while the winner, standing where the ball fell,

takes aim, and throws the ball at the said loser’s hand three times:

each of the losers likewise receives the same punishment from him. In

some places it is usual, when one boy gets out, for him to bounce the

ball against the wall, and all the other players, standing at the spot

where the ball first touched the ground, to have their three balls at

his back, as he stands with his face to the wall. Should the ball in

rebounding swerve either to the right or left, a line must be drawn,

from the spot where it falls, to a place directly in a straight line

from the boy at the wall; thus, suppose A is the boy who has just

bounced the ball, which instead of going direct to B, has deviated from

the straight line A B to C, a line should be drawn from C to B, and the

winner should stand at the latter.

FEEDER.

[Illustration]

In this game four or five stones or marks must be placed on the ground,

as in the annexed figure, A, B, C, D, E, about twelve or fifteen yards

asunder; these marks are called bases, and one of them, as A, is styled

“home.” The players next toss up for the office of “feeder,” who takes

his place about two yards in front of “home,” as at F, and the rest of

the players stand at and round the home. The feeder then calls out

“Play!” and pitches the ball to the first player, who endeavours to

strike it with a bat, as far as he possibly can; should he succeed in

hitting the ball, he immediately drops the bat, and runs to the first

base on his right hand, as E, while the feeder is going after the ball:

but if he can run all the bases and then home, before the ball is in

hand, so much the better. If, however, the feeder obtains the ball soon

enough to throw it at, and strike him with it as he is running from base

to base, the player is out; he is also out if the feeder catches the

ball: in either case the player becomes feeder, and the latter runs home

to join his playmates. Should any of the other players be out at the

bases, when one is caught or struck out, they also must run home. If the

first player could only reach the base E, after striking the ball, he

should, when the second player strikes it, run to the base D, as it is

not allowable for two persons to be at one base at one and the same

minute; he proceeds in the same manner to the third and fourth bases,

until he arrives home again, thus enabling the others to get to their

bases and home in their respective turns. The player with the bat is not

obliged to take every ball the feeder chooses to give him; if he does

not like a throw, he catches the ball and throws it back again. He is

not allowed to make more than three “offers” at the ball; if he does so

he is out, and must be feeder.

[Illustration]

MONDAY, TUESDAY.

This game, which takes its title from the names assumed by the players,

is played by seven boys, each of whom calls himself after one of the

days of the week. To show the manner of playing the game, we will

suppose that some boys are playing at it, and that the ball is taken by

“Wednesday;” he throws it up against a wall, calling out at the same

time the assumed name of any one of the other players, who should be

standing around--we will suppose, for instance, “Friday!” All the boys

but Friday run away, and he endeavours to catch it ere it falls to the

ground; if he can do so, he throws it up again, calling out another

boy’s name--say “Sunday!” Should the ball touch the ground before _he_

can catch it, he must pick it up and throw it at the retreating party;

and if he succeeds in hitting one of them, the boy struck has to throw

the ball up the next time; but if he cannot strike one he loses a point,

as in Egg-hat; indeed, in the rules respecting the punishment of the

losers, and the number of points each player is restricted to, it

resembles that game.

NINE-HOLES.

Dig near a wall nine holes, of about six inches in diameter, and three

deep. Let each player have one of these, according to his number, which

must be determined by lot. At about six yards from the holes draw a

line, and from this, as a fielding place, one player pitches the ball

into one of the holes. The boy to whom this hole is assigned immediately

runs to it, while all the other players run off in different directions.

The player snatches the ball from the hole, and throws it at one of the

“runners;” if he hits him, the one so hit becomes “pitcher,” and the one

that struck him marks one. Should he not hit him, the player who throws

the ball loses a point, and bowls. The player who misses his aim at

throwing the ball at his partners a second time becomes a “Tenner.” If

he loses a third hit, he is a “Fifteener;” if the fourth, he stands out

and can play no more. When all the players are thus out, the last player

remaining in wins the game, and he can compel each of the losers to

stand with their hands open against the wall, for him to throw at, and

give what is called the “Brandy Ball.” If the ball be a soft one, this

conclusion of the game is all very well; but if a hard ball be used, it

ought to be omitted, or the “Brandy” may be too strong.

NORTHERN SPELL.

This game is played with a trap and ball, which is struck with a bat or

bludgeon at the pleasure of the players; but the latter is most commonly

used. The performance of this game does not require the attendance of

either of the parties in the field to catch or stop the ball, for the

contest between them is simply who shall strike it the greatest distance

in a given number of strokes; the length of each stroke is measured

before the ball is returned, by means of a cord made fast at one end

near the trap, the other being stretched into the field by a person

stationed there for that purpose, who adjusts it to the ball, wherever

it may be.

The cord is divided into yards, which are properly numbered upon in it

in succession, so that the person at the bottom of the ground can easily

ascertain the distance of each stroke by the number of the yards, which

he calls to the players to place to their account, and the ball is

thrown back.

ROUNDERS.

This is a most excellent game, and very popular in some of our English

counties. It is played with a moderate-sized ball and a hand-bat,

_i. e._ a bat that can be held in one hand, and which is about two feet

in length, smooth, and round. Two parties play at the game, and there

ought not to be less than five on a side; and the first innings is

decided by throwing up the ball, the party catching it being allowed to

go in first.

[Illustration]

In playing the game, five stones, or stakes (called bases), or, if these

be not convenient, as many holes may be made, at about sixteen yards

apart, forming the five parts of a pentagon, as in the diagram. At the

centre of this figure is a station called the feeder’s place, being the

spot at which one of the out party stands to give the ball to the

batsman, or to “feed” him, as it is technically termed. The out party

are distributed over the field, except the feeder, who takes his station

at F to deliver the balls, while one of the in party takes the bat and

places himself at Fig. 1, which is enclosed within a circle, and called

the Home, and where all the rest of the in party stand. The feeder then

says “Play,” and delivers his ball to the batsman, who immediately

strikes it as far as he can. As soon as he has done so, he drops his

bat, and runs to as many of the stations as he can; but he must touch at

all, or he will be out. If while he is running to the second, or between

any of the bases, the returned ball is sent up and strikes him, he is

out, and the next of the in party takes up the bat. If he is not struck

while he runs, as soon as he reaches one of the stations the next of the

in party takes up the bat, another ball is given by the feeder, and he

runs to the first, or as many other of the stations as he can; the first

batsman does the same, so as to go the whole round of the bases to the

home at No. 1. The in player is also out if he tips the ball behind him,

or if he misses striking it when delivered. The in players as they

arrive at home take the bat again, till they are got out, according to

the rules of the game just given. When it happens that all are out but

two, the best of the two may, with the consent of the other, call for

“three fair hits for the rounder.” Standing at the home, the feeder then

gives him in succession three balls. He may decline as many balls as he

pleases, if they do not suit him; but if he strikes at the ball, he is

only allowed to do so twice without running. On the delivery of the

third ball, he must run the entire course, touching with his bat at

every one of the five points. If, during his progress, he be touched by

the ball, or it be grounded at the home while he is absent, he is

declared out, and the opposite side go in and take their places. If, on

the contrary, he reaches home without being struck or the ball grounded,

his side go in again, and continue the game as before. Should he miss

the ball when striking at it the third time, the rounder is lost. In the

play the feeder is allowed to make feint or pretence of throwing the

ball, in order to tempt a player to run from his base, so as to get a

chance of hitting him. It is usual also for the out party to place a

player behind the home, so that when a batsman makes a tip on the side

of the home, he may seize the ball and strike him out before he reaches

the first base.

SEVENS.

This game is very like Catch-ball. The object is to catch a ball seven

times in a particular fashion; hence the name. The player begins by

throwing the ball in the air and catching it seven times with both

hands. Then he catches it seven times with the right hand, next seven

times with the left. Then he throws the ball up, claps his hand while it

is in the air, and catches it seven times with both hands, then with the

right, and then with the left. The players are allowed to make as many

more variations as they please; and he who goes through the series first

wins the game.

STOOL-BALL.

This is an old English sport, mentioned by Gower and Chaucer, and was at

one period common to women as well as men. In the northern parts of

England, particularly in Yorkshire, it is practised in the following

manner:--A stool being set upon the ground, one of the players takes his

place before it, while his antagonist, standing at a distance, tosses a

ball, with the intention of striking the stool. It is the former

player’s business to prevent this, by breaking it away with the hand,

reckoning one to the game for every stroke of the ball; if, on the

contrary, it should be missed by the hand, and touch the stool, the

players change places. The conqueror of the game is he who strikes the

ball most times before it touches the stool.

[Illustration]

TRAP, BAT, AND BALL.

This game is so called from the trap used to elevate the ball when it is

to be struck by the batsman. It is one of the earliest games played with

the trap and ball, and we can trace it to the commencement of the

fourteenth century. The manner in which it was then played was somewhat

different to the style at the present day. As now played, the trap is no

longer elevated, but set on the ground, and is generally made in the

form of a shoe, the heel part being hollowed out for the reception of

the ball: but some boys, when they cannot get a trap, make a hole in the

ground, and having obtained the crochet bone of an ox, place it in a

slanting position, one end being in the hole and the other out of it.

The elevated end is then sharply struck with the bat, which causes the

ball to rise to a considerable height, and then all the purposes of a

trap are answered, especially if the ground be hard and dry.

It is usual in the present game of Trap and Ball to place two

boundaries, at a given distance from the trap, between which it is

necessary for the ball to fall when struck by the batsman, for if it

falls outside of either, he gives up his bat and is out. He is also out

if he strikes the ball into the air, so that it is caught by an opposite

player; and, again, if the ball when returned by an adversary touches

the trap, or rests within one bat’s length of it. Every stroke tells for

one towards the striker’s game.

There are some variations in the play of the game in different counties.

In Essex and Suffolk, for instance, the game is played with a cudgel

instead of a bat, which would seem to be a preferable weapon, as those

who strike with it rarely miss their blow, but frequently send it to an

astonishing distance, no boundaries being set.

The ball being stopped by one of the opposing party, the striker forms

his judgment of the ability of the person who is to throw it back, and

calls in consequence for any number of scores towards the game that he

thinks proper. It is then returned, and if it appears to his antagonist

to rest at a sufficient distance to justify the striker’s call, he

obtains his number; but when a contrary opinion is held, a measurement

takes place, and if the scores demanded exceed in number the length of

the cudgel from the trap to the ball, he loses the whole, and is out;

while, on the other hand, if the lengths of the bat are more than the

scores called for, the matter terminates in the striker’s favour, and

they are set up to his account.

[Illustration: HOOPS]

Trundling the hoop is a pastime of uncertain origin, but it has long

contributed to the health and amusement of the youth of Great Britain.

Iron hoops have almost superseded the old-fashioned wooden ones, and

instead of being trundled with a stick, they are usually guided by an

iron hook shaped like the annexed figure. On a cold frosty morning the

hoop is an invaluable companion to a boy, as he is enabled by its aid to

defy the weather, and dispense with overcoats, comforters, and all such

devices for keeping out the wintry wind. Often have we envied our

juvenile friends, as they have rushed past us with their hoops, and

lamented that custom should prevent grown-up people indulging in the

same healthful recreation.

[Illustration]

THE HOOP.

The proper and legitimate hoop, however, should be made of a stout ashen

lath, round on the outside and flat on the inside, and should be well

fastened at its point of juncture; it should be in height so as to reach

midway between the youngster’s elbow and shoulder, so that he may not

have to stoop while striking it. The stick should be about sixteen

inches long, and made of tough ash; and, in bowling the hoop, the bowler

should strike it vigorously in the centre, and in a direction horizontal

with the ground. Such hoop exercise is exceedingly good, and a good run

with such a hoop will warm the youth in the very coldest weather.

The games, properly so called, that can be played with the hoop are very

few, and not generally known.

ENCOUNTERS.

Two boys start at different ends of the playground with their hoops,

and, meeting in the middle, each endeavours to knock down the hoop of

his antagonist, while his own remains upright.

There is no small skill required in this game, for it is not always easy

to make the hoops touch each other at all. Then a light hoop has little

chance against a heavy one, unless it can strike it sideways, for if it

were struck directly in front, it would be certainly upset.

Also, a ready hand at recovering a falling or tottering hoop wins many a

game that appears to be hopelessly lost.

Wooden hoops, also, give due exercise to the arm; and there is some tact

required in knowing exactly where to strike a hoop, so as to propel it

with the greatest force.

This cannot well be done with iron hoops, and forms one of the

objections to them. Moreover, boys always complain that they soon lose

their round form, and are awkward to bowl. Still, there is something

cheering in the ringing sound of an iron hoop, as it rushes along under

the pressure of the curved iron rod that is used instead of a

hoop-stick; and as long as boys don’t drive them against the legs of

unwary passengers, they are very well in their way.

[Illustration]

HOOP RACE.

Any number of boys can join in this exciting sport, but they ought all

to be provided with hoops as nearly equal in size as possible. At a

given signal the players all start together, and each endeavours to

reach the winning post (which may be any distant object) before his

companions. He who arrives at the winning-post last is generally

received with groans, hisses, and other vocal signs of disapprobation.

POSTING.

Bases, called _posting-stations_, are formed at regular distances, in a

large circle or ellipse, and at each base a player is stationed. Every

player, except the hoop-driver, has charge of a base. Let us suppose

that there are seven players--A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, and that the

latter holds the hoop: the other six players having taken possession of

their stations, G now starts from the station belonging to F, and drives

the hoop towards A, who waits, with hoop-stick in hand, ready to relieve

G of his charge. G stops at the posting-station, while A trundles the

hoop to B, who takes charge of it, and delivers it to C. C trundles the

hoop to D; D transfers it to E; E delivers it to F; and F conveys it in

safety to the first player, G. In this way the game continues, until all

the players have worked round the circle five or six times. It is

considered very disgraceful to touch the hoop with the hand, or to allow

it to fall after it has been started on its journey. The game is

rendered much more lively by increasing the number of players, and

having two or three hoop-drivers to follow each other from base to

base.

TOURNAMENT.

This game is almost the same as Encounters. Two boys drive their hoops

one against the other, and he whose hoop falls in the encounter is

conquered. With eight players this game may be rendered very exciting.

Four of the players stand in a row, about six feet apart, and, at a

considerable distance, the other four take their stand, facing them. At

a given signal each player dashes towards his opponent, and strives to

overturn his hoop. The four victors now pair off, and charge two against

two. The conquerors then urge their hoops one against the other, and he

who succeeds in overturning the hoop of his antagonist wins the game.

Wooden hoops are more suitable for Tournament than iron ones, though the

game is usually played with the latter.

TURNPIKE.

Five or six boys can play at this game, though only one hoop is

required. Chance decides which of the players shall first take the hoop.

The other players become turnpike-keepers. Each turnpike is formed of

two bricks or stones, placed on the ground, and separated by about three

fingers’ breadths. These turnpikes are fixed at regular distances, and

their number is regulated by the number of keepers. When all is ready,

the first player starts his hoop, and endeavours to drive it through all

the turnpikes; should he succeed in this, he turns the hoop, drives it

back again, and retains it until it touches one of the turnpikes, the

keeper of which now becomes hoop-driver. When a player touches the hoop

with his hand, or allows it to fall, he must deliver it up to the

nearest turnpike-keeper. Each keeper must stand on that side of his

turnpike which is towards the right hand of the hoop-driver, and it

therefore follows that he must alter his position when the hoop-driver

returns. Should a keeper stand on his wrong side, the driver need not

send the hoop through his turnpike. When the players are numerous, there

may be two or more hoops driven at once.

[Illustration: HOOP STICKS.]

[Illustration: KITES]

The form of the kite and manner of flying it must be familiar to all our

readers. This favourite toy probably received its denomination from

having originally been made in the shape of the bird called the kite.

The flying of paper kites is a favourite pastime among the Chinese. On a

certain day they hold a sort of kite festival, and then people of all

ages hasten to the hills to fly their kites, the fantastic shapes and

gaudy colours of which produce an extraordinary effect. Philosophers

have occasionally taken the kite out of the hands of the schoolboy, and

have applied it to useful and curious purposes. By means of a kite

formed of a silk handkerchief stretched over a wooden frame, Dr.

Franklin drew down lightning from the clouds, and demonstrated its

identity with electricity. Many years ago Mr. Pocock, of Bristol,

travelled on the road between Bath and London in a carriage drawn by two

paper kites, supported at a moderate elevation, and impelled by the

wind. The paper kite has also been employed to convey a line over the

capital of Pompey’s Pillar. We do not expect our readers to perform any

electrical or locomotive experiments with their kites; but we are quite

sure that they may derive great amusement from these little aërial

machines, especially if they manufacture them with their own hands. We

know of no pleasanter occupation for a summer’s day than watching the

graceful flight of a well-made kite.

[Illustration]

HOW TO MAKE A KITE.

For the upright get a good straight lath, as A B, in the annexed figure,

and next procure half of a thin hoop or cane for the bow C D, and then

tie the hoop to the upright at A, and take care to have as much on one

side of the upright as on the other; otherwise your kite will be sure

to fall on one side when flying. Notch the two ends of the bow C D, and

tie a long piece of string to D; pass it round the upright at E, and

then fasten it at C; next carry the string to A, pass it down to D, and

tie it there: from thence it is to be continued to B, passed round a

notch there, and carried up again to C, then down the upright at F, and

up to D, where it is to be finally fastened off. The skeleton being thus

finished, the next thing to be done is to paste several sheets of paper

so as to form a surface large enough to cover the kite and allow of a

little turn over to fasten the outer edges; after you have pasted the

paper on to the skeleton, you must make two holes, in the upright, as at

G, G, through which the belly-band is to be passed, knotting the two

ends of the string to keep it from slipping through the holes. The wings

are to be made of several sheets of paper, cut into slips, rolled close

up, so as to bear some resemblance to a tassel, and tied to the sides of

the kite at C, D. The tail, which should be about fifteen times the

length of the kite, is made by folding a number of pieces of paper so as

to be about an inch in breadth, and four inches in length, and

afterwards tying them on a string at intervals of three inches, and is

finished by affixing to the end of the string a large tassel made in the

same manner as the wings. Tie the string with which you intend to fly

the kite to the belly-band, and your kite is complete and ready for

service.

FLYING THE KITE.

[Illustration]

We need not enter very minutely into the rules to be observed in flying

a kite, as every boy is acquainted with them. Unless there be a nice

breeze stirring, the kite-flyer need not expect to have much sport, as

nothing can be more vexatious than attempting to fly a kite when there

is not sufficient wind for the purpose. To raise the kite in the first

instance, the flyer will require the aid of another boy. The owner of

the kite having unwound a considerable length of string, now turns his

face towards the wind and prepares for a run, while his assistant holds

the kite by its lower extremity as high as he can from the ground. At a

given signal the assistant lets the kite go, and if all circumstances be

favourable it will soar upwards with great rapidity. With a

well-constructed kite, in a good breeze the flyer need not trouble

himself to run very fast nor very far, as his kite will soon find its

balance, and float quite steadily on the wind. The kite-flyer should be

careful not to let out string too fast. When a kite pitches, it is a

sign that it is built lop-side, or that its tail is not long enough.

MESSENGERS.

Some boys amuse themselves by sending messengers up to their kites when

they have let out all their string. A messenger is formed of a piece of

paper three or four inches square, in the centre of which a hole is

made. The end of the string is passed through the hole, and the wind

quickly drives the messenger up to the kite. The kite-flyer should be

careful not to send up too many messengers, lest they weigh down the

kite.

CALICO KITES.

Calico has many advantages over paper as a covering for kites; it is not

so liable to be torn, is not damaged by wet, and may be sewn on the

framework much more neatly than paper can be pasted. Being much heavier

than paper, it is, however, only suited for large kites. A portable

calico kite may now be procured at most of the toy-shops. The framework

of this kite is formed of two slender pieces of wood, which turn on a

common centre in such a manner that they can either be shut up, so that

one piece lies flat upon the other, or opened out into the form of a

cross. The calico covering is attached to this cross by means of tapes.

This portable kite can be rolled up and carried to the field without

inconvenience.

FANCY KITES.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Ingenious boys now and then take a hint from the Chinese, and so shape

and paint their kites that they resemble different animate and

inanimate objects. The “officer kite,” which has the figure of a soldier

painted on it, and the “hawk kite,” which rudely represents a flying

hawk, are common forms of fancy kites. A very funny effect may be

produced by painting a kite like a sailor, and attaching moveable arms,

instead of the ordinary tassel wings, to the shoulders. We present our

readers with a few suggestive forms, which are quite novel. All fancy

kites should be painted with the most glaring colours, and the figures

on them drawn as coarsely as possible, as they are intended to be seen

at a great distance.

[Illustration: A HIGH FLYER.]

[Illustration: MARBLES]

In ancient times, when we were boys, and indulged in the luxury of

marbles, they were very different from their present form. They were

made of stone, nicely polished, and some of them, called “alleys,” of

the purest marble. Many of the stone marbles were beautifully

variegated, and now and then a fancy pet was treasured under the name of

“taw,” which had somewhat the virtues of a talisman, for to “lose it or

to give it” were “such perdition,” as Othello says, as could never be

exceeded. Of late years, marbles, like all other matters, have undergone

considerable change. Foreign marbles have been introduced, prodigiously

cheaper, it is true, than our old English marbles, but infinitely worse;

and various kinds of “patent marbles” have had their day. Some of these

go by the name of Dutchmen, others are called Frenchmen, and others

again Chinamen, while it is not quite impossible to procure some right

old English marbles, which, if they can be procured, are still the best.

We would advise all marble players to procure these, if they can, as

“marbles” is a royal game, and ought to be duly honoured.

[Illustration: HOW TO HOLD YOUR TAW.]

_How to Shoot your Marble._--The art of holding a marble to shoot it

properly seems to be lost among our London boys, who are generally

content to throw one marble at another, or if they shoot it to hold it

in the turn of the fore-finger, forcing it out by the thumb, which is

placed behind it. This, in our boyish days, was held to be a very

illegitimate way of proceeding, derogatory to the true marble-player,

and bore the dishonourable appellation of “fulking,” and any one who

made it his rule to hold a marble in such a manner was looked upon as a

charlatan, or almost a cheat. The true way to hold your taw is to place

it between the point of the forefinger and the first joint of the thumb,

and to propel it from the nail of the thumb with strong muscular force;

and so great was the skill attained by many boys, that they would

sometimes strike a marble at five yards’ distance, and frequently shoot

one to six or seven.

BOUNCE EYE.

This game is played by several players, each of whom puts down a marble

in a small ring. One player then stands in a perpendicular position over

the cluster of marbles, and, taking his own bounce in his hand, lets it

fall from his eye on to the heap, and those forced out of the ring by

this method are considered won. If he does not succeed in this, and his

marble falls within the ring, it belongs to the common stock, and is

there impounded.

CONQUEROR.

There is a game called “Conqueror,” which is extensively played in some

places. A piece of hard ground, and free from stones, is chosen for the

spot. The first player lays his marble on the ground, and the second

throws his own at it with all his force, and endeavours to break it. If

he succeeds, his marble counts one, and the vanquished player lays down

another marble. If two players have marbles that have already vanquished

others, the “Conqueror” counts all the conquered of the other party in

addition to his own. For example, suppose A, being conqueror of twenty,

breaks B, also a conqueror of twenty, A counts forty-one, _i. e._ twenty

of his own, twenty for the vanquished belonging to B, and one for B

itself.

Nuts, chestnuts, and other similar objects are also employed in this

game, only they are fastened to a string, and swung against the

opponent, instead of being thrown.

DIE SHOT.

[Illustration]

This is a very good game, and requires both skill and caution. It is

played by elevating a die upon a marble, whose sides are slightly ground

down, so that it will stand firmly, and firing at it from an offing,

which is generally at a distance of about four feet from it. The

die-keeper undertakes to pay to the shooter who knocks down the die the

number which falls uppermost, receiving one marble from each player as

he shoots.

EGGS IN THE BUSH.

This game is a great improvement upon odd or even. Dick asks Tom to

guess the number of “eggs in the bush”--that is, the number of marbles

in his closed hand. If Tom can guess the right number, he takes all; but

if he is out in his reckoning, he pays Dick as many marbles as will make

up or leave the exact number. Suppose Dick has six marbles in his hand;

now, if Tom should guess either four or eight, he would have to forfeit

two marbles to Dick, because four is two less, and eight is two more,

than the exact number. The players hold the “eggs in the bush”

alternately.

INCREASE POUND.

In most respects resembles Ring taw, the variations being, that if

before a marble is shot out of the ring one player’s taw is struck by

another’s (excepting his partner’s), or if his taw remains within the

ring, he puts a shot in the pound, continues in the game, and shoots

again from the offing before any of his companions. If his taw is struck

after one or more marbles have been driven out of the ring, if he has

taken any shots himself, he gives them to the player who struck him,

puts a taw in the ring, and shoots from the offing, as before. If,

however, he has not won any marbles during the game, before his taw is

struck, he is “killed” and put out of the game; he is likewise out if,

after any shots have been struck out, his taw gets within the pound--if

it remains on the line it is nothing. He then puts the marbles (if he

has won any) into the circle, adding one to them for the taw struck, and

shoots again from the offing. In case he cannot gain any shots after his

taw gets “fat,” as remaining in the ring is termed, he is killed, and

out for the rest of the game. When only one marble remains in the ring,

the taw may continue inside it without being “fat.” Each player seldom

puts more than one marble in the ring at the beginning or a game.

KNOCK OUT, OR LAG OUT.

[Illustration]

This game is played by knocking marbles against a wall, or perpendicular

board set up for the purpose; and the skill displayed in it depends upon

the player’s attention to what is called in mechanics the resolution of

forces: for instance, if an object be struck against the wall at A from

the mark at B, it will return again to B in a straight line; if it be

sent from C to A, it will, instead of returning to C, pass off aslant to

D, and its course will form the angle C A D; the angle of incidence

being equal to the angle of reflection.

The game is played by any number of players: the first player throws his

marble against the wall, so that it may rebound and fall about a yard

distant from it; the other players then, in succession, throw their

marbles against the wall, in such a way as to cause them to strike any

of those already lagged out, and the marble struck is considered won by

the owner of the taw that strikes it, in addition to which the winner

has another throw. When only two boys play, each successively throws out

till one of the “laggers” is struck, and he who strikes takes up all.

LONG TAW.

[Illustration]

Long taw is played by two persons in the following manner. One boy

places his marble on the ground at A, the other at B; then both retire

to the spot C. The first boy now shoots at B from a line marked at C. If

he strikes it, he takes it and shoots at A; if he strikes A, he then

wins the game. If, however, he misses B, the second boy then shoots at

B; if he strikes it, he can then either shoot at the first boy’s taw at

the place at which it lies, or he can shoot at A. If he hits his

opponent’s taw, he is said to kill him, and wins the game, or if he

shoots at A, and hits it. The boy who hits the last shot has the

privilege of shooting at the taw of the other, provided it has not

already been killed. If he hits it, the taw is taken, or the owner must

pay one, and the game ends; and if he misses it, the game is then at an

end also. Long taw is a game seldom played by London boys, but is very

common in the different English counties.

NINE-HOLES, OR BRIDGE BOARD.

This game is played by means of a piece of board cut into the form of a

bridge, having nine arches, and just large enough to let the marbles

pass through, as in the subjoined diagram. One of the players undertakes

to be “bridge-keeper,” and the stipulation usually made is, that he

should receive one for every unsuccessful shot, and pay to those who

shoot their marbles through the arches the numbers standing over them.

The place from which the players shoot their marbles is generally about

four feet from the bridge.

[Illustration]

ODD OR EVEN.

One player extends his closed hand containing some marbles, and asks his

opponent to guess whether their number is odd or even. Should he guess

wrong, he forfeits a marble, and his questioner tries him with another

lot; but should he guess right, the first player must pay him a marble,

and take a turn at guessing.

PICKING THE PLUMS.

[Illustration]

This game consists in each player placing a marble on a line drawn upon

the ground thus, and the whole shooting at them in succession from a

mark about four feet off. The order of the shots is determined

beforehand, by pitching at a marble from a six-feet offing, those

nearest being first, second, third, and fourth in order, as the marbles

lie. The marbles knocked off the line are won by the respective

shooters.

THE PYRAMID.

[Illustration]

In this game a boy generally sits upon the ground, with his legs open

wide, and, making a small circle, places in it three marbles at the

three points of a triangle, and the fourth on the top of them, so as to

form a small pyramid. A distance of about four feet is then chosen as

the point to shoot from, and the other players shoot at the pyramid.

Those that strike it have all the marbles they knock out of the ring;

but if they miss, they lose their shots.

RING TAW.

[Illustration]

Ring taw is a game requiring skill and judgment, and is a most excellent

game. It is played as follows. Two rings are drawn upon the ground, a

small one, six inches in diameter, enclosed by a larger one, six feet in

diameter. Into the small ring each player puts a marble, called “shot.”

The players then proceed to any part of the large ring, and from thence,

as an offing, shoot at the marbles in the centre. If a player knocks a

marble out of the ring he wins it, and he is entitled to shoot again

before his companions can have a shot. When all the players have shot

their marbles, they shoot from the places at which their marbles rested

at the last shot. If the shooter’s taw remain in the small circle, he is

out, and has to drop a marble in the ring, and he must put in besides

all the marbles he had previously won in that game. It is a rule, also,

that when one player shoots at and strikes another’s taw, the taw so

struck is considered dead, and its owner must give up to the striker of

the taw all the marbles he may have previously won during the game. The

game is concluded when all the marbles are shot out of the ring, or all

the taws are killed.

SPANS AND SNOPS, AND BOUNCE ABOUT.

This consists of one boy laying down his taw, and, giving a distance,

his antagonist shoots at it; if he misses, the first boy shoots at the

taw of the second, till one is struck, which the striker claims. Bounce

About is the same game played by throwing large marbles instead of

shooting smaller ones, he who strikes the other’s bounce being the

winner.

TEETOTUM SHOT.

[Illustration]

This is played on the same conditions as Die Shot. A teetotum is set

spinning by the keeper, and, when in motion, any player is allowed to

shoot at it, upon the payment of one marble, receiving, if he strikes,

turns over, and stops the teetotum, as many marbles as are indicated on

the side that falls uppermost. This is a very skilful game, and requires

good shots.

THREE-HOLES.

This game is played by making three holes in the ground, about a yard

and a half or two yards asunder. About two yards from the first hole a

line is drawn. The right to shoot first is decided by chance. The first

shooter now knuckles down at the line, and endeavours to shoot into the

first hole. If he does this he proceeds to the second, then to the

third, and wins the game; but this rarely occurs. If he misses the first

hole, the other players shoot their taws, and if neither of them enter

the hole, the first shot immediately does so; and then he has the

privilege either of proceeding to the second hole, or of killing the

other men by shooting at and hitting them, when they must either give up

their taws or drop one. Sometimes a player will kill all his antagonists

in succession without proceeding to any hole except the first, and thus

wins the game; at other times the game may be won by any of the players

killing their antagonists during any period of the game. It is a rule

that no one can “kill a taw” till he has been in the first hole.

[Illustration]

TIPSHARES, OR HANDERS.

This game is played by two or more players. To play it, a hole, of the

diameter of three inches, is first made on a smooth or level piece of

ground, and a line is marked at about seven feet from it. Each boy puts

down two, three, or four marbles, as may be agreed upon, and then the

whole party bowl for their throws, by retiring to three times the

distance already marked from the hole, and bowling one marble to it; the

order of throws being determined by the nearness that each boy’s marble

approaches the hole. When this is settled, the first thrower takes all

the marbles in his hand, and throws them in a cluster towards the hole.

If an even number falls in, such as 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, he wins all; but if

an odd number falls in, he loses all.

[Illustration: “MARBLES ARE OUT”]

[Illustration: TOPS]

The peg-top appears to be a modern invention, but the whip-top is of

great antiquity, it having been used in remote times by the Grecian

boys; it was well known at Rome in the days of Virgil, and in England as

early at least as the fourteenth century, when its form was the same as

it is now. Strutt, in his “Sports and Pastimes of the People of

England,” relates the following amusing anecdote of Prince Henry, the

eldest son of James I., which he met with in an old manuscript at the

British Museum: “The first time that the prince went to the town of

Stirling to meet the king, seeing a little without the gate of the town

a stack of corn in proportion not unlike to a top wherewith he used to

play, he said to some that were with him, ‘Lo, there is a goodly top!’

Whereupon one of them saying, ‘Why do you not play with it then?’ he

answered, ‘Set you it up for me and I will play with it.’”

THE HUMMING-TOP.

These cannot easily be made, but can very easily be purchased by those

who are so lucky as to have the money. They are made hollow, having at

their crown a peg, round which is wound a string; this, being pulled

through a kind of fork, gives motion to the top, and sets it

spinning--the fork and the string being left in the spinner’s hand. In

spinning the top, care should be taken to wind the string firmly and

evenly on the peg; and when it is pulled out, neither too much nor too

little force should be used, and a firm and steady hand should be

employed, while the top should be held in a perpendicular position. The

string should be drawn with a steadily increasing force, or the top will

not hum properly.

[Illustration]

PEG-TOP.

There are various kinds of Peg-tops, and they also vary in shape, some

being much rounder than others. Those are the best which are shaped like

a pear. There is also great variety as regards the shape and size of the

peg, which in some tops is short and thick, in others long and tapering.

Again, tops are made of different kinds of wood, some being made of

deal, others of elm, some of yew-tree, and others of boxwood. These last

are the Boxers so highly prized. Some of the very best tops are made of

lignum vitæ, with long, handsome pegs.

[Illustration]

SPANISH PEG-TOP.

[Illustration]

The Spanish peg-top is made of mahogany. It is shaped somewhat like a

pear; instead of a sharp iron peg, it has a small rounded knob at the

end. As it spins for a much longer time than the English peg-top, and

does not require to be thrown with any degree of force in order to set

it up, it is extremely well adapted for playing on flooring or pavement.

THE WHIP-TOP.

Whip-top is a capital sport when played by two persons; and is played by

first whirling the top into motion by turning it sharply with both

hands, and then by flogging it till its motion becomes very rapid. When

two persons play whip-top, the object should be for each to whip his top

to a certain goal, he who reaches it first being the victor.

CHIP-STONE.

This game is played by two boys, in the following manner: Two lines,

about six feet apart, are marked upon the ground, which ought to be

smooth and hard. Some small stones are then procured and placed midway

between the lines; they should not be larger than a small bean, and the

black and polished ones are the most sought after. The tops are now set

up spinning on the ground, and the players, being each provided with a

small wooden spoon, dexterously introduce them under the pegs of the

spinning tops, and then, with the top still spinning in the spoon, throw

the point of the peg against the stone, so as to chip it out of bounds;

he who does this the soonest being the victor. While the top continues

to spin, he may take it up with the spoon as many times as he can, and

when it spins out he must again wind up, pursuing the same plan till he

“chips out.”

_Directions._--In winding up the top do not wet the end of the line too

much, and take care to lay it closely and evenly within the grooves. In

throwing the top from you, the line must be pulled in with a peculiar

jerk of the hand, which practice alone can give. The string button

should be held close in the hand, between the last two fingers of the

hand. There is what is called an “underhand” way of spinning a top,

_i. e._ by holding it peg downwards, throwing it in a straight line

forward, and withdrawing the string; but as we dislike everything

underhand, we shall not recommend this practice any more than we shall

the Spanish tops, which are spun after this method.

[Illustration]

PEG-IN-THE-RING.

This game may be played by any number of boys. A ring about a yard in

diameter is first marked on the ground, and another ring surrounding

the first, and at a yard’s distance from it, is also marked. The players

must stand on this ring, and from it throw their tops. One player begins

by throwing his top spinning into the ring, and while it is there

spinning the other players are at liberty to peg at it as quickly as

they can. If none of them hit it while it is spinning, and if it rolls

out of the ring, the owner is allowed to take it up, and having wound

it, to peg at the others which may be still spinning in the circle.

Should any of the tops, when they cease spinning, fall within the ring,

they are considered dead, and are placed in the centre of the circle for

the others to peg at. The player who succeeds in striking any of the

tops out of the circle claims those so struck out. In some places each

player may ransom his top with a marble.

Sleeping tops are exposed to much danger in the play, for they offer a

fair mark to the “pegger,” and often get split, when the “peg” is taken

by the splitter as his trophy. Long-pegged tops are the best for the

game, for they lie more upon their sides after their fall, and, before

the spinning entirely ceases, are the more likely to spin out of the

ring.

There is a way of making the top spring out of the ring directly it has

touched the ground. Only long-pegged tops will execute this feat. It is

done by drawing the hand sharply towards the body just as the top leaves

the string. When the manœuvre is well executed, the top will drive any

opponent that it strikes entirely out of the ring, while it does not

remain within the dangerous circle itself for more than a few seconds.

[Illustration: “TOPS ARE IN.”]

[Illustration: MISCELLANEOUS TOYS]

There are some out-door games played with toys which do not fall under

any of our previous headings. These games we now lay before our reader,

together with a description of the toys in common use.

THE APPLE MILL.

The Apple Mill is made by boring a hole in a nut, just large enough to

pass a thin skewer through; the kernel should then be extracted, and

another hole bored in the side of the nut, as A in the annexed figure. A

skewer should next be cut or thinned, leaving it large enough at the top

to form a head, as shown in the cut. A piece of string is then to be

tied to the skewer, and passed through the hole in the side of the nut

at A, and an apple stuck on the end of the skewer. The mill being now

complete in all its works, it should be twirled round in the same manner

as the humming top to wind up the string, holding the nut stationary

between the forefinger and thumb of the left hand; when this is done,

the string must be pulled out quickly, and the mill will immediately

spin round. When an apple cannot be procured, a small potato will serve

equally well.

[Illustration]

AUNT SALLY.

This amusing game is of a very simple character, consisting essentially

in throwing at a small object. Aunt Sally herself is composed of a head

and bust cut out of a solid block of wood, and generally carved with

negro features, and painted black. In the middle of her nose, or between

her lips, a hole is bored, into which is stuck a short pipe. To break it

is the object of the game. An iron rod serves to support the wooden

figure at a proper elevation from the ground; and when in gala costume,

Aunt Sally is usually arrayed in a mob cap and a petticoat. The mode of

playing the game is as follows:--

The iron rod is stuck in the ground, a pipe put into the old lady’s

mouth, and a line drawn upon the ground, at twelve, sixteen, or more

paces. At this line the players stand, and each is furnished with three

short cudgels, about eighteen inches in length, which they hurl at Aunt

Sally’s head, in hopes of hitting the pipe. The best plan is to throw

the cudgels underhand, giving them a rapid rotatory movement at the same

time. Some persons insert an additional pipe into each ear; but this is

an innovation, and leads to careless throwing. It is better to hang a

sheet, net, or large cloth behind Aunt Sally, in order to catch the

sticks, and save the trouble of continually fetching them from a

distance. Within doors, the iron rod is furnished with a loaded

pedestal.

[Illustration]

BATON,

Or, “Throwing Sticks.” This very popular game among the Greeks was by

them called Kyndalismos. It was played with short batons, and required

considerable strength and quickness of eye. With us the game is played

in much the same manner as the Greeks played it. A stick is fixed in a

kind of cup or hole, about six inches deep, in a loose moist soil, and

the players consist of the Keeper and Throwers. The Keeper places on the

top of the stick some article, such as an apple or orange, and the

Throwers endeavour to knock it off, by throwing at it with short thick

sticks, or batons; whoever succeeds in doing this claims the prize,

whenever it falls without the hole. The Thrower will soon find in his

play, that to hit the stick is of little importance, as from the

perpendicular line of gravity which the apple or orange will take in its

descent, it is almost certain to fall into the hole. The aim, therefore,

should be to strike the object from the stick. This game is very common

at fairs and similar places, and three sticks, with articles upon them,

are usually set up, but which offer no advantage to the throwers.

CAT.

Tip Cat, although not altogether a nice pastime, ought to be noticed

here. It is a dangerous game, and should be played with great caution on

the part of the players. It is a rustic game, well known, and generally

goes by the name of Cat. It is played with a cudgel or bludgeon,

resembling that used for trap-ball. Its name is derived from a piece of

wood called a “Cat,” of about six inches in length, and an inch and

half, or two, in diameter, diminished from the middle to both the ends,

being of the shape of a spindle or double cone; by this contrivance the

places of the trap and ball are at once supplied, for when the Cat is

laid upon the ground, the player with his stick tips it at one end by a

smart stroke, which causes it to rise in the air with a rotatory motion,

high enough for him to strike it as it falls, in the same manner as he

would a ball.

[Illustration]

There are various methods of playing the game of Cat. The first is

exceedingly simple, and consists in making a large ring upon the ground,

in the middle of which the striker takes his station. His business is to

beat the Cat over the ring; if he fails in so doing he is out, and

another player takes his place; if he is successful, he judges with his

eye the distance the Cat is driven from the centre of the ring, and

calls for a number at pleasure to be scored for the game: if the number

demanded be found, upon measurement, to exceed the same number of

lengths of the bludgeon, he is out; on the contrary, if it does not, he

obtains his call.

The second method of playing Cat is to make four, six, or eight holes in

the ground, in a circular direction, and as nearly as possible at equal

distances from each other, and at every hole is placed a player with his

bludgeon. One of the opposite party who stands in the field tosses the

Cat to the batsman who is nearest him, and every time the Cat is struck

the players are obliged to change their situations, and run once from

one hole to another in succession. If the Cat be driven to any very

great distance, they continue to run in the same order, and claim a

score of one towards the game every time they quit one hole and run to

another. But if the Cat be stopped by their opponents, and thrown across

between any two of the holes, before the player, who has quitted one of

them, can reach the other, he is out.

CAT AND MOUSE.

This sport, which is of French origin, is for two players only. Both

being blindfolded, they are tied to the ends of a long string, which is

fastened by a loose knot in the middle to a post, and, as the knot is

very slightly tied, the players are enabled to move about with facility.

The player who takes the part of the “mouse” scrapes two pieces of wood

together, so as to make a grating noise, and for which purpose the edges

of one of the pieces of wood are notched: the sound attracts the other

player, who represents the “cat,” and he immediately uses his utmost

efforts to catch his prey, by following the noise as well as he can, the

“mouse” at the same time struggling about, in order to escape being

caught.

KNOCK-’EM-DOWN,

[Illustration]

A similar game to Aunt Sally, but a simpler one, is made by scooping a

hole in the ground, and placing in it an upright stick; on the top of it

is placed a stone, or similar substance. The player then retires to a

distance, and flings at the stone with cudgels or balls, the latter

being preferable. If the stone falls into the hole, the player only

counts one towards the game; but if it falls outside the hole, he counts

two. This is a capital game for the seaside, and can be played upon the

sands. This game is almost similar to Baton.

PEA-SHOOTERS.

The pea-shooter is a tube of metal, through which a pea may be propelled

with great force by a puff of air from the mouth. The ordinary tin

pea-shooters sold in the shops are comparatively worthless. We should

advise the reader to procure a straight piece of brass tube from two to

four feet long, and get a brazier to tin one end of it, so that the

brass may not corrode when placed in the mouth. With such a tube peas,

pellets of clay, and other projectiles may be shot with great precision

to a considerable distance. The game of puff and dart is played with a

long brass tube, and a small dart having a needle point. The dart is

blown through the tube at a target, on which there are divisions bearing

different numbers.

QUOITS.

The game of Quoits is very excellent. It seems to have derived its name

from the ancient discus, and with us in the present day is a circular

plate of iron perforated in the middle, not always of one size, but

larger or smaller to suit the strength or convenience of the several

candidates.

[Illustration]

To play at Quoits an iron pin called a hob is driven into the ground

within a few inches of the top, and at the distance of eighteen or

twenty yards, as may be agreed upon, a second pin of iron is also fixed.

The players are generally divided into parties, and the players pitch

the quoits from hob to hob; those who pitch the nearest reckoning

towards the game. But the determination is discriminately made; for

instance, if a quoit belonging to A lies nearest to the hob, and a quoit

belonging to B the second, A can claim but one towards the game, though

all his other quoits be nearer to the hob than all the other quoits of

B, because one quoit of B being the second nearest to the hob, cuts out,

as it is called, all behind it. If no such quoit had interfered, then A

would have reckoned all his as one each. Having all cast their quoits,

the players walk to the opposite side, and determine the state of the

play. Then taking their stand there, throw their quoits back again, and

continue to do so alternately, till the end of the game. A quoit that

falls with its flat side upward does not count.

[Illustration]

NINE-PINS.

[Illustration]

This game, as its name denotes, is played by means of nine pins, which

are set up in a regular order, the aim of the players being to throw

down as many as possible in the fewest attempts. Each player is

permitted to throw three times at the pins, and if he can knock them all

down in two throws, it is called a “single,” and they are again set up

for his last throw; or, if he can knock them down in one throw, it is

called a “double,” and they are set up. A heavy wooden ball, called a

“bowl,” is used to throw at the pins.

SKITTLES.

[Illustration]

Skittles is played in a manner somewhat similar to the preceding game,

but the number of pins is only four. These are very large, and are

arranged on a square framework, so as to present one of the angles to

the player. The bowl used for playing this game is of the shape of a

cheese, and is usually made of lignum vitæ, as being very heavy and hard

wood. The game requires more bodily strength than nine-pins, as the bowl

must be thrown upon the skittles, and not rolled up to them.

The best play is to throw the bowl with a round-handed swing of the arm,

so as to strike the nearest skittle at the right of its upper third. The

ball then springs to the second skittle, and from this generally twists

to the third, while the fourth skittle is sent down by the roll of the

one first struck. It is very difficult to make this throw successfully,

and many players prefer driving down the first and third skittles with a

straightforward shoot, and then making their second ball spring across

from the second to the fourth. This latter stroke appears very

difficult, but is soon learnt; the great point being to throw the bowl

high, so that it may drop as perpendicularly as possible on the left of

the upper third of the second skittle. In the long run, the constant

repetition of this practice will overbalance occasional brilliancy of

play.

DUTCH-PINS.

[Illustration]

This game is nothing more than a modification of nine-pins; the pins

being higher, and the centre one bearing the name of king, and a crown

upon its head. The great point in this game is to strike the king out of

the board without knocking down any of the subjects. If this can be

done, the game is won. In all other cases, the king counts for no more

than any of his subjects.

THROWING THE HAMMER.

This is a good athletic sport, but the Hammer can scarcely be called a

toy. The hammer used by rustics is generally the sledge-hammer of the

blacksmith, with a head weighing some twelve or fourteen pounds. The

players are all single and do not join in parties, and the prize is

given to him who makes the greatest number of long throws in a dozen. It

does not merely require strength to throw the sledge-hammer, but a nice

calculation of the area which the Hammer has to pass over in its flight,

combined with the strength of the thrower.

THE BOOMERANG.[1]

[Illustration]

This instrument is a curved piece of wood, flat on one side, and

slightly rounded on the other. It is used by the natives of New South

Wales, who can throw it so dexterously as to kill a man behind a tree,

where he may have fled for safety. It should be held horizontally in

throwing it, and cast by bringing the arm backwards, and after making a

variety of curves it will come back again to the person who send it. If

skilfully thrown, it may be made to go in almost any direction the

thrower pleases.

[1] The instrument represented in the cut is the Australian boomerang.

Those used in England have a sharper curve.

THE SKIP-JACK, OR JUMP-JACK.

The skip-jack is manufactured out of the merry-thought of a goose, which

must, of course, be well cleaned before it is used. A strong doubled

string must be tied at the two ends of the bone, and a piece of wood

about three inches long put between the strings, as shown in the

marginal illustration, and twisted round until the string acquires the

force of a spring. A bit of shoemaker’s wax should then be put in the

hollow of the bone at the spot where the end of the piece of wood

touches, and when the wood is pressed slightly on the wax the jack is

set; it adheres but a very short time, and then springs forcibly up. The

skip-jack is placed on the ground with the wax downwards, and in some

parts of the country it is usual to call out, “Up, Jack!” or “Jump,

Jack!” just before it springs.

[Illustration]

THE SLING.

[Illustration]

The art of slinging, or of casting stones with a sling, is of very high

antiquity. We see it represented on the Nimroud monuments, and the feat

of the divine youth, David, is familiar to every one. In the earliest

times there were bands of slingers, and probably whole regiments of

them, and there is little doubt that the art of slinging preceded that

of archery. The former seemed, however, to belong to the Asiatic, as the

latter did to the European nations. Our Saxon ancestors, also, seem to

have been skilful in their manner of holding the sling. Its form is

preserved in several of their paintings, and the manner in which it was

used by them, as far back as the eighth century, may be seen in the

annexed cut. We have also sufficient testimony to prove, that men armed

with slings formed part of the Anglo-Norman soldiery.

[Illustration]

In country districts, slinging of stones is a common sport; and the

sling so used consists simply of a piece of leather cut into the

subjoined form, to which are affixed two cords, one having a loop. In

using it, leather is suffered to hang from the strong downwards; the

slinger places his little finger in the loop, and holds the other end in

his hand, and then putting the stone in the hole of the sling at A,

which prevents its falling, whirls the whole round for three or four

times, to obtain a strong centrifugal force, and suddenly letting go of

that part of the sling held in his hand, the stone flies forward with

inconceivable rapidity, making a twanging sound in the ear as it flies.

Slinging is a very good exercise for imparting strength to the arm, but

young slingers should be very careful where they send their stones, or

they may do much damage.

[Illustration]

If any of my readers may wish to construct a better kind of sling, they

may do it in the following manner:--Get a currier to cut a piece of very

strong buckskin leather in this shape, the centre being cut into bars.

Two long strips of the same leather are then cut of this shape,

[Illustration]

two cuts being made along them, so as to leave three leather cords.

These are plaited together, and the flat ends firmly sewn to the

centrepiece. The shape will then be this:

[Illustration]

A sling made on this principle will carry a stone of a pound weight. The

loop and point should be whipped with silk. The accuracy that can be

obtained with such a weapon is astonishing, only the missiles should

always be leaden bullets of the same weight--two or three ounces being

the best average weight. At the school where my boyhood was spent, we

used to send such bullets just over the weather-cock of one of the

loftiest spires in England, and stripped a chestnut-tree of its

blossoms. One year there was a solitary blossom on the top of the tree,

which defied our efforts for many days. The blossoms were soon knocked

off, but the green stalk resisted the blows for a long time. It was

battered to pieces, but bent to the strokes, and had to be knocked off

in fragments. I mention this to show the accuracy of aim that can be

attained by practice.

WALKING ON STILTS.

[Illustration]

Among the Swiss, and in several districts in the South of France,

walking on stilts is not only an amusing, but a useful, practice, as by

means of these crane-like legs men and women transform themselves into

the order of “Waders,” emulating the long-legged storks and herons, and

can cross over marshes and flooded grounds without wetting their feet.

Stilts are easily made, being nothing but a pair of poles, with a wooden

step at the sides for the feet to stand on. The poles are kept in their

proper place by the hands. A little practice will soon render a youth

“easy on his stilts,” and they may be made an amusing and healthy

exercise.

[Illustration]

THE SUCKER.

The sucker is a toy of the simplest construction imaginable; it is made

by merely cutting a circular piece out of some tolerably stout leather,

boring a hole in its centre, and then passing a string through the hole,

taking the precaution to make a large knot at the end of the string, to

prevent its being drawn completely through the hole. Before using the

sucker, it must be steeped in water until it becomes quite soft and

pliable. If its smooth, moist surface be now pressed so closely against

the flat side of a stone or other body, that the air cannot enter

between them, the weight of the atmosphere pressing on the upper surface

of the leather will cause it to adhere so strongly, that the stone, if

its weight be proportioned to the extent of the disc of leather, may be

raised by lifting the string. If the sucker could act with full effect,

every square inch of its surface would support about the weight of

fourteen pounds. The feet of the common house-fly are provided with

minute natural suckers, by aid of which the insect is enabled to run up

a smooth pane of glass and walk along the ceiling.

* * * * *

Our young readers will in all probability remark that we have laid but

little stress on games with toys, and that comparatively few toys have

been mentioned. We have done so intentionally, because the book is

written expressly for boys, and those, English boys. Now an English boy

always likes a toy that will _do_ something. For example, he cares not

one farthing for all the elegant imitations of guns in the world, as

long as he can have his pea-shooter; and the walnut stock, the

glittering decorations, and the burnished but useless barrel of the toy

gun, are nothing in his eyes, when compared with the plain tin barrel of

his beloved pea-shooter, which will throw a missile with rifle-like

accuracy of aim.

For these reasons, we have mentioned but very few toys, looking with

contempt upon those innumerable fabrications that find their place in

the windows of toy-shops, and in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred are

only purchased for the immediate gratification of spoilt children, who

unconsciously illustrate the real objects of toys, by pulling them to

pieces, and converting the fragments to unexpected uses.

[Illustration: END OF TOYS.]

EASY GAMES WITH TOYS.

INDOOR.

There are many elaborate toys which are not included under this head, as

they are always sold with printed directions for using them. The games

which follow are played with toys of the simplest construction, many of

which may be easily manufactured by the reader.

BATTLEDORE AND SHUTTLECOCK.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

This game is so well known as to require but little remark. The

Battledores may be purchased at the toy-shops, as may also be the Cocks;

but many of our young friends who know anything about carpentry may

easily make both for themselves. The Battledores can be cut out with a

key-hole saw into the subjoined shape. They should be about a quarter of

an inch thick, the handles about six inches long, and the “spades” of

about five inches long, and five broad. The Shuttlecock may be made by

cutting a piece of cork into the following form, and placing a small

brass nail at its lower end. The top should be plumed with five feathers

standing outwards from the rim, being fastened by a little gum into

small holes cut therein. The practice of the game is for two players to

beat the Cock backwards and forwards from one to the other, and the one

that lets it fall, by failing to strike it with his bat, is to give to

the other a pea, bead, pin, or some other small article. Some

foreigners, particularly the Chinese, play at this game with the toes,

hands, elbows, and other parts of the body, and will keep the Cocks up

in a most amusing manner, in the midst of many grotesque gestures.

BANDILOR.

This toy is simply a wheel or pulley of hard wood, having a very deep

groove, round which a strong but fine cord is wound. The player holds

the free end of the cord between his finger and thumb, gives a rapid

rotatory motion to the bandilor, by allowing it to fall towards the

ground; by a sudden jerk he now tightens the cord in the groove, and the

toy rises towards his hand. A little practice will enable any one to

keep the bandilor in motion for a considerable time by causing it to

rise and fall alternately.

CUP AND BALL.

A ball of ivory or hard wood is attached to a stem of the same

substance, having a shallow cup at one end and a point at the other. The

player holds the stem in his right hand, as shown in the figure; and,

having caused the ball to revolve by twirling it between the finger and

thumb of his left, he jerks it up and catches it either in the cup, or

upon the spike, to receive which a hole is made in the ball. We need

scarcely say that the latter feat can only be performed by a skilful

player. Cup and Ball was the favourite pastime at the court of Henry

III. of France.

[Illustration]

THE CUTWATER.

The Cutwater is a circular piece of sheet lead, notched like a saw round

the edge, and having two holes pierced in it at some distance from each

other, through which is passed a piece of string, the two ends being

afterwards tied together. The annexed figure shows this toy, and the way

it is to be held by the player. To set the Cutwater in action, the

double string must be alternately pulled and slackened. Every time the

string is relaxed the disc revolves, in consequence of the impetus it

has acquired from the previous pull; and every time the string is

tightened, it whirls round in an opposite direction, as the double

string is then untwisted. If the edge of this toy be dipped in water, it

may be made to sprinkle the bystanders and the player; hence its title

of “Cutwater.”

[Illustration]

FOX AND GEESE.

[Illustration]

Fifteen ordinary draughtsmen compose the flock of geese. The fox may

either be two draughtsmen placed one upon another, or any small object

which may be at hand. The game is played on a board marked as shown in

the annexed engraving. The fox is placed in the middle of the board, and

the geese on the points on one side of it, as shown in the illustration.

The game is to confine the fox to some spot on the board, so that there

shall be either the edge of the board or else two rows of men round him.

When the fox cannot escape, the game is done, and the player of the

geese wins; but when one of the geese is left on a point next to that

occupied by the fox, and is not supported by another goose behind, or by

the edge of the board, the fox can take it, and by jumping over its head

to the next space, he may, perhaps, escape the persecutions of some of

the others, as all the geese are compelled to move forwards towards the

end of the board that was unoccupied at the commencement of the game.

The fox is allowed to move either backwards or forwards. Neither fox nor

goose must be moved more than one space at a time. If the fox neglects

to take when he has a chance, he is huffed, and one of the captured

geese is restored to the back of the board. The fox should avoid getting

into the lower square of the board if possible, as he will find it

difficult to extricate himself from a position which can be so easily

blockaded.

[Illustration]

There is another method of playing fox and geese on a chessboard;

namely, with four white men, representing the geese, and one black one,

representing the fox.

The geese are ranged on the four white squares nearest one player, and

the fox may be placed where his owner pleases. The best place for him is

that marked in the diagram, as he can manœuvre in a very puzzling way.

The geese can only move forward, and the fox moves either way. The

object of the geese is to pen up the fox so that he cannot move, and the

fox has to break through.

If the game is properly played, the geese must win, the secret being to

keep them all in line as much as possible. The fox tries to prevent this

plan from being followed up; and if he can succeed in doubling the

geese, or getting one to stand before another, he is nearly sure to pass

through them.

GOOSE.

To play at Goose a board must be made containing sixty-three circles,

placed so as to form some resemblance to the shape of a goose, and

numbered consecutively. Two dice and a box, and as many counters as

there are players, are required. Each player in turn throws the dice,

and according to the number he throws, so he reckons, counting from No.

1, and placing his counter on the number he obtains. The player who

first reaches sixty-three wins the game. But mark; he must throw

sixty-three exactly, or else he has to count the surplus number back

from sixty-three. For instance, suppose when at sixty he throws eight,

this makes sixty-eight, five over sixty-three. The player must,

therefore, take five back from sixty-three, and leave his counter at

fifty-eight. The game is called Goose from the fact that a goose is

usually drawn on every fourth and fifth ring; and the player who lands

on one of these, scores double the number he has just thrown. Several

obstacles occur, however, on the journey. On one ring is drawn a bridge,

to pass which a toll of one counter must be paid. A little farther on is

an inn, where the player halts for two turns and pays two to the pool;

but if he fall into the pond, the unfortunate wight has to stay there

until another player tumbles in too, when he is allowed to proceed on

his journey. The last hindrance is a gloomy prison, in which the same

rule holds good, except that the relieving party, instead of going on as

in the case of the pond, remains in durance vile until somebody else

enters the prison-house. Other obstacles may be inserted at the players’

option.

HEAD, BODY, AND LEGS.

One player takes an oblong piece of paper, and having divided it into

three equal parts by folding, he sketches a comic _head_, either with

pen or pencil, in the upper space; he then doubles the paper over, and

hands it to another, who draws a _body_ in the middle compartment, folds

the paper over once more, and passes it to a third, who completes the

figure by drawing a pair of _legs_ in the lower space. The player who

draws the head, must continue the neck a little way into the middle

space, and he who sketches the body must just commence the legs in the

lower compartment; this arrangement insures the connexion of head, body,

and legs. Our first illustration shows how the paper is to be folded

over for drawing the different parts of a figure. Each player should be

provided with a pen or pencil, and a few pieces of paper; having drawn a

head, he should fold his sketch in a proper manner and pass it to his

right-hand neighbour; in this way a number of figures may be finished

simultaneously. A knowledge of drawing is not expected of any player, as

the crudest notion of a head, a body, or a pair of legs, will fully meet

the requirements of the game. Those who have never played at Head,

Body, and Legs, can have no idea of the absurd combinations that spring

from the independent labours of the different players; thus, a man’s

body will sometimes get joined to a donkey’s head, and be supported by

the legs of an ostrich.

[Illustration]

KNUCKLE-BONES.

This game is played with five little bones from a sheep’s trotter. One

player tosses up the knuckle-bones, sometimes one at a time, sometimes

all together, and catches them either in the palm or on the back of his

hand, according to certain rules. Should he fail to perform one of the

tricks properly, he must hand the bones to his opponent, who attempts to

go through the same series of manœuvres with them. When the first player

regains the bones through the unskilful play of his adversary, he once

more attempts the feat he failed to accomplish before, and if he

succeeds he tries to pass through the subsequent stages of the game. The

player who first arrives at the end of the regulated series of tricks

wins the game. It would be impossible to give the reader a clear idea of

the manner of performing each trick without the aid of diagrams. In

almost every school may be found an experienced player at knuckle-bones,

whose directions will be of more value than any remarks we can make,

though we were to devote a couple of pages to this pastime. In some

parts of England a similar game, called “Jackstones,” is played with

small round pebbles.

MERELLES, OR NINE MEN’S MORRIS.

[Illustration]

This is an ancient English game, and ought not to be laid aside; so we

resuscitate it for the benefit of young England. It used to be played in

England on the ground with stones, but may be played best on a table

indoors. The form of the merelle-table, and the lines upon it, as it

appeared in the fourteenth century, are here represented. These lines

are still the same. The black spots at every angle and intersection of

the lines are the places for the men to be laid upon. The men are

different in form and colour, for distinction sake. The manner of

playing is briefly thus: Two persons, having each of them nine pieces,

or men, lay them down alternately, one by one, upon the spots; and the

business of either party is to prevent his antagonist from placing three

of his pieces so as to form a row of three without the intervention of

an opposing piece. If a row be formed, he that made it is at liberty to

take up one of his competitor’s pieces from any part he thinks most to

his advantage; excepting he has made a row, which must not be touched if

he have another piece upon the board that is not a component part of

that row. When all the pieces are laid down, they are played backwards

and forwards in any direction that the lines run, but can only move from

one spot to another at one time. He that takes all his antagonist’s

pieces, is the conqueror.

PAPER DART.

[Illustration]

To form this dart you must take an oblong piece of paper, and fold it

down the middle lengthwise; then double each of the lower corners up to

the middle crease, and fold the doubled paper over to the same mark; you

must now turn each folded side outwards, and your dart will resemble the

annexed figure. The paper dart, when thrown from the hand, rarely hits

the object aimed at, as it generally makes a graceful curve in passing

through the air. Boys sometimes amuse themselves by fighting sham

battles with these harmless weapons.

THE POPGUN.

[Illustration]

The best Popguns are made of a strong straight piece of elder-tree,

which ought to be cut from an inner branch, and should be about six

inches long. The pith of this should be pierced out by an iron ramrod

fitting the hole; and when the inside is made thoroughly smooth by

rubbing the rod up and down, it is ready for use. The pellets are made

with moistened tow--brown paper is a nasty thing to put into the mouth,

and we shall never advise the use of it. When the pellet is prepared, it

should be laid over the mouth of the gun in such a quantity as to

require squeezing and plugging in. The first pellet should be driven

through the gun to its other end; the second pellet is to be driven in,

in a similar manner to the first, and then it is forced through the gun:

the air between the pellets being incompressible beyond a certain point,

forces out the lower pellet with a loud “pop;” hence the the term

“Popgun,” which has been applied to them. Popgun-playing is not a very

healthy exercise, the pressing of the rammer against the pit of the

stomach frequently leading to derangement of that organ. To prevent

this, the lad who plays at popgun should have a small round board slung

over his neck by a string, hanging as low as the pit of his stomach,

like a “conductor’s ticket,” against which he should press the handle of

his ramrod when he fires off his popgun.

PUSH-PIN.

This trifling game is usually played by two boys. Each player places a

pin on the table, and then endeavours to push one pin across the other

with his finger-nail; should he succeed, both pins become his property.

At starting, the pins must be placed head to head, and the players push

alternately. Sometimes each player puts down two, three, or even more

pins.

SCHIMMEL.

To play this amusing game, which is of German origin, it is necessary to

be furnished with five cards, on which are painted the figures of a

white horse, an inn, a bell, a hammer, and a bell and hammer; with eight

little ivory cubes marked on one side only, six numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

6, and the other two marked, one with a bell and the other with a

hammer; with a box for throwing the dice, a hammer for disposing of the

cards by auction, and a proportionate quantity of counters for the

players. The cards, dice-box, and auctioneer’s hammer, are shown in the

annexed illustration. Any youth who can draw may easily prepare the

cards; the cubes may be procured from an ivory-worker’s and may be

marked with ink. The game can be played by as many persons as are

present. The counters are to be distributed by one of the players who

holds the office of cashier, their value having been previously

determined upon by the players. This being done, twelve are to be

deposited by each player in the pool. The cashier then disposes of the

five cards separately to the highest bidders, the produce of which is

also to be placed in the pool. The white horse is by far the most

valuable card, and therefore fetches the highest price in counters. The

inn ranks next, and is usually purchased by the most speculative player,

as its value depends upon circumstances. The bell and the hammer

generally fetch the same number of counters, these cards being equally

valuable, and the card upon which both bell and hammer are painted

fetches about half the number that is given for one of the single

figures. The bidders are not bound to confine themselves to the number

of counters dealt out to them at the beginning of the game; should they

exceed it, they may pay the remainder of the debt by instalments out of

their receipts in the course of the game.

[Illustration]

Each person is at liberty to purchase as many cards as he may think

proper.

The dice are then to be thrown by the players alternately, beginning

with the holder of the white horse, any one being allowed to dispose of

his throw to the highest bidder. When all blanks are thrown, each of the

players pays one to the holder of the white horse, and he pays one to

the inn. If with the blanks the bell, or hammer, or the bell and hammer

together are thrown, the possessor of the card so thrown pays one to the

white horse.

When numbers accompany the bell, hammer, or bell and hammer, the cashier

is to pay the counters, to the amount of numbers thrown, to the holder

of such card, from the pool; but if numbers are thrown unaccompanied,

the cashier then pays to the thrower.

When the pool is nearly empty there arises an advantage to the inn, for

if a player throws a figure greater than the quantity contained in the

pool he pays the overplus to the inn; thus: suppose 4 are in the pool,

if the players throws 10, he is to pay 6 to the inn; and if 2 are

thrown, those 2 are paid to him from the pool, and so on till a figure

is thrown which clears the pool, and so concludes the game.

If all blanks are thrown after the inn begins to receive, the players

pay nothing, but the owner of the white horse pays one to the inn; and

should the bell, &c. be thrown with the blanks, the holder of that card

pays one to the inn; and if numbers accompany the bell, &c. the holder

of that card must pay to the inn the number thrown above those remaining

in the pool. Nuts are sometimes used as counters, and the players keep

their winnings. Sometimes the cashier receives a halfpenny or a penny a

dozen for the counters, and when the game is finished the receipts are

divided among the players according to their winnings. Those who do not

hold cards frequently find themselves richer at the close of the game

than their speculative companions, whose winnings do not always exceed

the price paid for their cards.

SPELICANS.

Spelicans are made of thin pieces of ivory cut into different forms,

some being like spears, others saws, bearded hooks, &c.; of some of the

patterns there are duplicates, whilst of others only one. Each pattern

has a value assigned to it, the lowest being five, and the highest

forty; the numbers do not run in regular succession--as five, six,

seven, eight--but irregularly, as five, sixteen, twenty-five. Hooks,

made of bone, are used pointers.

The game is played as follows:--One player should take up all the

spelicans in a bundle, and holding them at a little height from the

table, let them fall down in a confused heap on it; each player must

then try alternately to take away a spelican from the heap without

moving any of the others, and this it is generally very easy to

accomplish at the first, for the top ones are mostly unconnected with

the rest, but as the players proceed it requires some tact to jerk them

out, with the help of the hook, made pointed for that purpose. The

player who, at the entire removal of the heap, has the greatest number

of spelicans, wins the game. Should any of the spelicans, while being

removed shake the others, they must be put back into the heap again. It

is usual in some places, instead of each player removing a spelican

alternately, for one to continue lifting up the spelicans until he

happens to shake one, when another player takes his turn until he in

like manner fails, when another tries his fortune; and so the game

continues, until all the spelicans are withdrawn.