downward. In turn each player takes up a letter at random and puts it
face upward in the middle of the table. The object of the game is to
make words out of these letters. Directly a player sees a word he
calls it out, and taking the letters places them in front of him,
where they remain until the end of the game, when each player counts
his words and the owner of the greatest number is the winner. If,
however, a word has been chosen which, by the addition of another
letter or so from the middle of the table, can be transformed into a
longer word, the player who thinks of this longer word takes the
shorter word from the other player and places it before himself. Thus,
A might see the word "seat" among the letters, and calling it out,
place it before him; and then B, noticing another "t," might call out
"state," and adding it to A's word, take that to himself. If, however,
A then detected an "e" in the middle and called out "estate" the word
would be his again. These losses and reconquests form the chief fun of
the game. An "s" at the end of a word, forming a plural, is not
allowed.
Patience, or Thirteens
Many games of "Patience" can be played as well with numbered cards as
with ordinary playing cards. It does not matter much what size they
are, but for convenience, in playing on a small table, they may as
well be about an inch wide and two inches long, with the number at the
top. Thus:--
+------------+
| |
| 12 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
+------------+
A "Patience" set consists of four packs of cards each containing four
sets of thirteen cards numbered from 1 to 13. These can be made at
home perfectly well, and a little bag to hold each pack should also be
made. The simplest game is to arrange the four sets in their right
order. One player empties her four bags into a basket, shakes them up,
and calls them out as she picks them out (at random). The others, who
have the cards spread before them, then arrange them in four rows as
well as may be, until a 1 is called and there is a chance to begin
packing the others upon it. With inexperienced players five rows are
sometimes allowed. We do not give other games of "Patience," for two
reasons. One is that it is not exactly a children's game, and the
other, that it is one of the games which can be properly taught only
by personal instruction. Varieties of "Patience" are very numerous,
and good books can be had on the subject.
Snap
There can be no real need to describe "Snap," but perhaps it may be
useful to have the rules in print here in case of any dispute. A pack
of "Snap" cards is dealt round, any number being able to play; and the
game begins by the players taking their cards one by one from their
hands and in turn laying them face upward on the table before them. If
a card is turned up similar to a card already on view on the table,
the player who turns it up or the player who owns the similar card
cries "Snap," and the cards go to the player who says "Snap" first. As
it is sometimes difficult for the players to distinguish which says
"Snap" first, it is well to have an umpire. In the case of an
undoubted dead-heat the game should go on as if nothing had happened.
The player who won the cards gathers up also into his hand all the
cards which were before him and continues the game. When a player has
transferred all his cards from his hand to the table he waits until
his turn comes and then takes them into his hand again. This is a very
exciting moment, because, if his top card were snapped, then he would
lose everything.
In good "Snap" packs there are several sets of cards which are
intentionally made nearly but not absolutely alike, and it is very
common to say "Snap" by mistake when one of these turns up. In that
case the cards of the player who cried "Snap" are placed in the middle
of the table, where they stay until some one turns up a card exactly
like the top one and "Snap Centre" is called, when both the centre
pack and the pack in front of the turner-up belong to the player who
cried "Snap Centre." It may of course be the turner-up himself, but is
very likely somebody else, because whereas under ordinary conditions
only the owners of similar cards may cry "Snap," when there are cards
is the middle too any one may cry "Snap Centre." (In some houses any
one may cry "Snap" all through the game, but that is not the best
way.)
When a player has lost all his cards he is out of the game until there
are cards in the middle again, when an opportunity comes of
snap-centring them and getting into play again. The game goes on until
one player has all the cards.
Grab
In "Grab," a very rowdy variety of "Snap," a cork is placed in the
middle of the table. The rules are the same as in "Snap," except that,
instead of saying "Snap," you snatch for the cork; in the case of
"Snap Centre," snatching and saying "Centre" too.
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 amusement if the player who reads
it substitutes 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 Hitters 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 Titters 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
Japanese ----, a piece of exquisite workmanship; while Miss
Titters produced from her pocket a brown paper parcel which
turned out to contain a very choice ----, an heirloom in the
Titters 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 assembled, 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 noble ----, 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 class 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 passes 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, butterflies, 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
Another old game of this kind is "P's and Q's." The players sit in a
circle and one stands up and asks them each a question in turn. The
question takes this form, "The King of England [or France, or Germany,
or Africa, or Russia, or India, whatever country it may be] has gone
forth with all his men. Tell me where he has gone, but mind your P's
and Q's." The player who is addressed must then reply, naming, in
whatever country is mentioned, some town that does not begin with P or
Q or with any letter before P in the alphabet. Thus, if the question
refers to England, he may say "Salisbury" but not "Bristol," "Redruth"
but not "Oxford"; or to France, "Toulon" but not "Lyons," "Versailles"
but not "Dieppe."
The game is capable of improvement or, at least, of variety. For
instance, instead of P's and Q's, the questioner may say, "Mind your
K's and L's," or instead of ruling out all letters before P, all
letters after Q may be stopped. And one need not confine the game to
geography, but may adapt it to include animals, or eatables, or books.
The Elements
The players sit in a circle, and the game is begun by one of them
throwing a rolled-up handkerchief to another and at the same time
calling out the name of one of the four elements--air, water, earth,
or fire. If "Air" is called, the player to whom the handkerchief is
thrown must at once mention some creature that flies. Having done so
she throws the handkerchief to some one else, calling perhaps "Earth,"
whereupon that player must mention an animal that inhabits the earth.
And so on. The same animal must not be mentioned twice, and when
"Fire" is called, the player to whom the handkerchief is thrown must
keep silence until she throws it on again. Sometimes each player,
after throwing the handkerchief and calling the element, counts ten as
the limit of time in which the answer must be given. If it is longer
in coming, or if something is mentioned which has been mentioned
before, then a forfeit follows.
Suggestions
This is a game which people either dislike or like very much. The
players sit round the fire or table, and one of them begins by naming
an article of any kind whatever, such as watering-pot. The word
"watering-pot" will immediately suggest something to the next
player--say "gardener." He therefore says "gardener." The next is
perhaps reminded by the word "gardener" of a bunch of violets she saw
the gardener carrying that morning, and she therefore says "violets";
the next at once recollects finding violets when she was in the
country last spring, and she therefore says "Vermont." Thus the game
goes on for, say, ten rounds, by which time, as we have seen already,
the minds of the players have been carried miles away from the
original watering-pot which set them at work. It is now necessary to
trace the series of suggestions back to watering-pot again. This is
done by the last player mentioning, not the last thing that he thought
of, but the thing which suggested that to him. (Thus, the player next
him may have said, in the last round, "an apple-core," which may have
suggested to him "Tom Sawyer." He would not, however, when the task of
retracing begins, say "Tom Sawyer," because to repeat your own words
is too easy, but "an apple-core" and the next player, going backward,
in his turn would repeat the word which suggested "an apple-core" to
him.) The second part of the game, retracing the suggestions, is
naturally more difficult than the first.
In this game two things are very important. One is, that silence
should be maintained; the other, that the word you give should be
suggested to you only by the previous player's remark. Also it is more
fun to be quite honest about it, and really say what was first
suggested, instead of making a choice.
Quotation Games