IN THE PLAYING FIELDS
$Nickie, Nickie, Night.$--Before the period when lucifer matches came
into general usage and were manufactured at a moderate price, our
grandparents relied on the flint, the steel, and the tinder-box to
produce fire. These implements have been very completely dealt with by
various writers and illustrators, who have given us some idea of the
importance they were to every household.
To the student, and to the curious who desire a more tangible
acquaintance, we may remark that a very fine collection of
tinder-boxes, flints, and steels can be seen both at the British Museum
and at the Guildhall Museum of the City of London.
A very favourite boys' game, in the earlier part of the nineteenth
century, which necessitated the possession of at least a flint and
steel, the game being played in the after-dark of evening, was somewhat
similar to the modern game of "Touch." The game was called "Nickie,
Nickie, Night," and admitted any number of players. A boy was elected
to the position of "Nickie," and he could only retain this position by
fleetness of foot and dexterity in avoiding his pursuers, the pursuers
being formed by the remaining number of players. The game was played in
any open locality, and "Nickie" being allowed a start of perhaps thirty
to forty seconds, disappeared into the darkness, shouts of "Nickie!
Nickie! Night! show your light! show your light!" resounding from the
waiting boys, whereupon Nickie struck a few sparks from his flint
and steel, indicating to the others his position; these at once tore
off in his direction; while he, as quickly and silently as possible,
changed his locality to elude capture. Having baffled his pursuers,
Nickie would, if a good player, again quickly chink flint and steel,
drawing off the boys in a new direction; and so the game would continue
amidst the greatest excitement, fun, and laughter; Nickie, like a
Will-o'-the-Wisp, darting here, there, and everywhere, greeted with
shouts of "Nickie! Nickie! Night! show your light!" until, being
ultimately captured, he gave way to a new Nickie, and took his place
amongst the pursuers.
[Illustration]
Our illustrations of flint and tinder-box are selected from numerous
patterns; in many cases--older readers will probably remember the
immense variety of these--the tinder-box was round, and the steel
consisted of an old file stuck in a wooden handle, the flint being
frequently picked up from among the stones in the roadway.
[Illustration]
$How to make a Kite.$--Take a lath, A, B, which should be three feet
long and about an inch wide. One of the ordinary laths used by builders
will be quite suitable if one of the lighter ones is selected, and if
care is taken to choose a straight one. Next take a cane or other piece
of light flexible wood, and bind the centre of it tightly at the point
G an inch below A. Bend the cane into a semi-circle and connect C and
D with string. If this has been done properly the distance from C to
D will be two feet. Now connect D B C with string and the frame will
be ready. Many years ago it was possible to cover a kite with ordinary
newspaper, but the paper that is used now is not strong enough, and it
is better to use calico. Place the frame upon the calico and cut round
the frame with scissors, not close to the frame, but leaving a margin
of calico. Turn this over string and cane and stitch it in position.
This may be done with a sewing machine. At E midway between H G bore a
hole with a pricker, and another at F, which is the same distance from
H as E is. String a foot long should connect E and F, and this is kept
in position by having knotted ends so that the ends cannot pass through
the holes at E and F. This string will not be tight, but will hang
loosely. At C and D tassels about eight inches long may be fixed.
The tail is made by folding paper. Take a number of pieces about five
inches long and four broad, and fold them as though you were making
spills for the lighting of candles. How long the tail should be is a
matter for experiment. Try it with forty and a tassel at the end, and
you will see afterwards when you try to fly the kite if that is the
right length and weight. Attach your long flying line now to the string
that connects E and F, about four and a half inches below E.
Choose a breezy day and ask someone to face the wind and hold the
kite aloft. Keeping the line tight, run a few yards in the face of
the wind to give the kite a start upon its upward journey. Now is the
time to see if the tail is too heavy or too light. If the kite labours
upwards and shows a tendency to come straight down, tail first, then
it may be inferred that the tail is too heavy, and by reducing the
number of "chickens" as they are called in some parts of the country,
and by taking from the tassel the kite may be relieved of its too
heavy burden. If, on the other hand, the tail is not heavy enough, the
kite will plunge madly from side to side and will dive downwards head
foremost, demanding more "chickens" or a heavier tassel. The kite may
be flown in the dark with a Chinese lantern where the tassel is.
[Illustration]
$Rackets.$--A racket ground is in the form of a parallelogram, not
less than fifty yards long and twenty-five broad. Sometimes a wall of
a garden may be adapted by fixing boards and net-work along the top,
if there is space enough below. The wall should be painted black, and
the ground be divided into four equal divisions, distinctly marked. The
flooring of the court should be paved. The divisions are, two close to
the wall, A and B, and two in front of them, C and D. These divisions
are occupied by those who play the game. The wall should be marked by a
broad line of white paint E at forty-two inches from the ground, and
above this line each ball should strike. The ball weighs one ounce,
and should be white. When it becomes dirty its whiteness is renewed
by dipping it into a bag of chalk, so that it may be seen against the
black wall. The game may be played by two or more players. When it is
played by four, one stands in each of the compartments, A, B, C, D;
those near the wall being called in-hand, and those furthest from it
out-hand players. When two play, each player has two of the divisions,
and the one who takes the A and B is called in-hand player, and the
other out-hand player. Having decided who is to begin the game, the
in-hand player nearest the wall strikes his ball against the wall; if
it strikes under the line, goes over the wall, does not rebound into
the out-hand spaces, or goes beyond the racket ground, the striker is
out, and the out-hand player takes his place; but if the player is
successful, and the ball rebounds into the out-hand spaces, and as it
rises is sent back to the wall, to rebound into one of the in spaces,
the game proceeds. In a close-court game the "server" who serves the
ball properly above the line but not into his adversary's court is
allowed three trials before his "hand" is out. The game is, that the
in-player should send the ball in such a manner against the wall that,
on its rebound, the opposite player, or players, shall be able to pick
it up or strike it. When this happens, he who struck the ball counts
one point, or an ace, and the play proceeds until one player or players
scores eleven, or fifteen, as the players decide.
This game may be played either in an open court, that is in a court
with only one wall, against which the game is played, or in a closed
court surrounded by four walls. Sometimes there is an ordinary high
front wall, and a smaller back wall, omitting the side walls. The
close-court game is the best, but the expense compels many to adopt the
open-court game.
$Fives$.--This game needs a high wall, free from abutments, and under
it a smooth, dry, paved ground. A line is drawn on the wall, about
three feet from the ground; another line is drawn upon the ground
itself about 10 feet from the wall, A; and two others are drawn on
each side as boundaries, B, C. The player needs a ball of tightly-sewn
leather and a fives-bat. This has a long handle, and an oval bowl of
wood. The ball is hard, capable of bouncing, small and white. The
game may be played by two or four people; in the last arrangement,
two on each side. The game may be played either single-handed or with
partners. When it is played with partners, the players toss up for
first innings. The first player takes the ball, and strikes it against
the wall with his bat above the line on the wall, and so that it may
fall outside the line on the ground. The other then strikes it, and the
players continue to hit it against the wall, either before it comes to
the ground or at the first rebound, until one of them missing it, or
driving it out of bounds, or beneath the wall-line, loses or goes out.
The ball may fall anywhere within the side boundaries, after being once
struck up by the player who is in. The game is usually fifteen, but is
sometimes extended to twenty-five. This is bat-fives, and is not unlike
rackets, except that it may be played in any open court, and that
another kind of bat and a larger ball are used. Fives was originally
played with the hand, instead of a racket.
$Prisoners' Base.$--Appoint the two best players captains, and let
them choose their men alternately. Next mark the homes and prisons.
Two semicircles are drawn, large enough to hold the two sides, the
distance between the semicircles being about twenty yards. These are
the "homes," or "bounds." Twenty yards in front of these, two other
semicircles, of a rather larger size, are drawn. These are the prisons,
and the prison of each party is in a line with the enemy's home.
Having settled which side shall commence the game the captain of that
side orders out one of his own side who must run at least beyond the
prisons before he returns. As soon as he has started, the Captain of
the other side sends out one of his men to try to touch him before
he can regain his own home. If this is accomplished, the successful
runner is permitted to return home while the boy who has been touched
must go to the prison belonging to his enemies' side; from which he
cannot move until someone from his own side releases him, by evading
the enemy and touching him. This is not easy, because in order to
reach the prison, the player must cross the enemy's headquarters. It
is allowable for the prisoner to stretch his hand as far towards his
rescuer as possible, but he must keep some part of his body within the
prison; and if a number of prisoners are captured, it is sufficient
for one to remain within the prison, while the rest, by joining hands
make a line towards the boy who is trying to release them. When this is
done, both the prisoner and his rescuer return home, no one being able
to touch them until they have reached their home and started off again.
The game, however, is not only confined to the two originally sent out.
As soon as a captain sees his man in difficulty he sends out a third,
who is in his turn pursued by another from the other side; each being
able to touch any who have preceded, but none who have left their home
after him. The captains direct, and hold themselves ready in case of an
emergency, and the side wins which imprisons the whole of the boys upon
the other side.
$French and English.$--Choose two sides in the usual way. One side
takes hold of one end of a stout rope, and the other side of the other
end. A line is made midway between the sides, each strives to pull the
other over it, and those who are so pulled over, lose the game.
Two captains should be appointed, and each should have a code of
signals to communicate with his own side, that he may direct them when
to stop, when to slacken, or when to pull hard.
In this game sometimes a good captain may win even when he has an
inferior team. For instance, if he sees all the boys are pulling their
hardest, the captain of the other side sees that his opponents are
leaning back too much, that is they are trusting to their weight rather
than to their strength. He gives the signal to slacken, when down go
the enemy, and are then dragged over the line with the greatest ease.
If the enemy begins to be tired a united and sudden tug will generally
bring them upright, and once moved, the victory is easily gained. No
knots are to be allowed on the rope, nor is the game won, unless the
whole side has been dragged over the line.
$Fight for the Flag.$--A game played from a mound, and any number
may play. Each party chooses a captain, and having done this, divide
themselves into attackers and defenders. The defending party provide
themselves with a small flag, which is fixed on a staff on the top of
the mound, and then arrange themselves round it so as to defend it from
the attacks of their opponents, who advance towards the hillock, and
try to throw down those who oppose them. Those who are so thrown on
either side, are called "dead men," and must lie quiet till the game is
finished. This happens either when all the attacking party are dead,
or when the flag has been carried off by one of them. The player who
carries off the flag is called the knight, and is chosen captain for
the next game.
$Hop-Scotch.$--A game played by hopping on one foot and kicking an
oyster-shell or piece of tile or stone from one compartment to the
other, without placing the lifted foot, except in one case, upon the
ground, and without allowing the shell or tile to rest on any of the
lines. A diagram is first drawn consisting of twelve compartments, each
being numbered, and at its further end the picture of a plum pudding
with knife and fork. In commencing the game, the players take their
stand at the place marked by A, and throw for innings. He who can go
nearest to the plum in the centre of the pudding, plays first.
[Illustration]
The winner begins by throwing his shell into No. 1; he then hops into
the space, and kicks the tile out to A; he next throws the tile into
No. 2, kicks it from No. 2 to No. 1, and thence out. He then throws it
into No. 3, kicks it from 3 to 2, from 2 to 1, and out. He next throws
it into No. 4, kicks it from 4 to 3, from 3 to 2, from 2 to 1, and out;
and so he goes on till he has passed the cross and comes to No. 7, when
he is allowed to rest, by standing with one foot in No. 6 and the other
in No. 7; but he must go on hopping before he kicks the tile home. He
then passes through the beds 8, 9, 10 and 11, as he did those of 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, etc., and so on, till he gets to plum pudding, when he may
rest, and placing his tile on the plum, he is required, while standing
on one foot, to kick it with such force as to send it through all the
other beds to A at one kick. If one player throws his tile into the
wrong compartment, or when he is kicking it out, he loses his innings,
as he does also if the tile or his foot at any time rests on a line, or
if he kicks his tile out of the diagram.
We give also diagrams for simpler forms of the game.
$Turnpike.$--Although turnpike-keepers upon the roads have long since
been abolished, there is no reason why the game of turnpike, played
with hoops, should be played no longer. Any number of boys may play,
but we will suppose there are six. One should have a hoop and the
others will then be turnpike-keepers. These take two stones or two
bricks and place them about two inches apart upon the ground. We may
call each pair of stones or bricks the toll-bar, and each toll-bar
should be some distance from the others. It is the task of the boy with
the hoop to pass between the stones without touching them, and if he
goes through the five then he turns and comes through them again from
the other side, and so on until he fails. If he touches a toll-bar then
the keeper of the bar takes that hoop, and he who had hitherto been
driving the hoop becomes the keeper of that particular toll-bar at
which he failed. If the hoop driver touches his hoop with his hands, or
allows it to fall he must give it to the nearest toll-bar keeper and
take his place while the toll-bar keeper becomes a hoop driver. Each
keeper must stand upon that side of his toll-gate which is towards the
right hand of the hoop driver, so that when the hoop driver returns he
must cross to the other side of his toll-bar. If he is on the wrong
side the hoop driver need not trouble to pass through his toll-bar at
all. If the boys prefer it there may be more hoop drivers and fewer
toll-bar keepers.
$Posting.$--Places called posting-stations are formed at regular
intervals in a large circle or oval, and at each place a player takes
his stand. Every player, except the hoop driver, has charge of one of
these stations. Suppose there are seven players--A, B, C, D, E, F, and
G, and that G holds the hoop. The other six players having taken their
places, G 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 hoop. G stops at the posting-station, while A runs the hoop to B,
who takes charge of it, and delivers it to C. C trundles the hoop to D;
D takes it to E; E to F, and F conveys it to the first player, G. In
this way the game continues, until all the players have worked round
the circle five or six times. The game is rendered more boisterous
by increasing the numbers of players, and having two or three hoop
drivers. Do not touch the hoop with your hands, and do not let the hoop
fall.
$Fox.$--One player is called Fox, and he has a den where none of the
players may annoy him. The other players arm themselves with knotted
handkerchiefs, and wait for Reynard's appearance. He is also armed with
a knotted handkerchief, and hops out of his den. When he is out, the
other players attack him with their handkerchiefs, and he endeavours to
strike one of them without putting down his other foot. If he puts down
his foot he has to run back as fast as he can, without the right to
strike the other players, who flog him the whole way. If, however, he
succeeds in striking one without losing his balance, the one so struck
becomes Fox; and, as he has both feet down, is thrashed to his den.
$Drop Ball.$--A line must be drawn three feet from the wall at which
this game of ball is to be played. The player must kneel outside this
line, and never cross it; if the ball falls inside the line it is
reckoned a miss. Each time the player throws up the ball and catches it
it counts a point. There are many ways of playing this game.
1. Throwing the ball and catching it before it touches the ground.
2. Clapping the hands after throwing, before the ball touches the
ground.
3. Putting one knee to the ground before catching the ball.
4. Putting one knee to the ground and clapping the hands before
catching the ball.
5. Circling round on one heel before catching the ball.
6. Circling round on one heel and counting 1, 2, 3, or any number
agreed upon, before catching the ball.
7. Strike the player nearest you before catching the ball.
There should not be too many players, for they would have to wait too
long for a turn.
$Jingling.$--The game should be played on soft grass inside a large
circle, enclosed with ropes. The players should not exceed ten. All
except one of the nimblest, who is the jingler, have their eyes
blindfolded with handkerchiefs. The jingler holds a bell in his hand,
which he is obliged to keep ringing. The aim of the jingler is to elude
the pursuit of his companions, who follow him by the sound of the bell
within the boundaries of the rope, for he is forbidden to pass beyond
it. If he be caught in the time allotted for the game, generally twenty
minutes, the player who caught him wins the match; if they are not able
to take him, he is proclaimed the victor.
$The Fugleman.$--The Fugleman places himself in a prominent place,
and arranges the other boys before him in a line. He then begins with
grotesque gestures, which all the boys are compelled to copy. Those who
are seen to laugh are immediately ordered to stand out of the line, and
when half the number of players are so put out, the others are allowed
to ride them three times round the playground, while the Fugleman with
a knotted handkerchief beats the steeds from behind.