Any boy may start the game, by saying, “I am a greengrocer and I sell
O.” All of the children must now guess what the grocer would have for
sale that would commence with the letter O.
He means he has onions for sale. Whoever is the first to guess, whether
it is a girl or a boy, now becomes the greengrocer and uses the
same words as before, only substituting another letter. Perhaps the
greengrocer has cucumbers or carrots for sale; in that case he would
sell C.
This game is capable of a variety of changes, for example, “I am a
milliner, and I am going to put F on your hat.” All the girls must now
guess what a milliner could put on a hat that would commence with F,
and some one is not long in deciding that the milliner means “Flowers.”
The next milliner may say, “I am a milliner and I am going to put D
flowers on your hat.”
And all must think what varieties of flowers commence with the letter
D, and in a second some one calls out, “Daisies.”
This being correct, the one who has guessed becomes milliner.
In like manner a boy may say, “I am a New York jeweler, and I sell G,”
and all the players must think what a jeweler could offer for sale that
would commence with the letter G.
Soon a voice asks, “Is it Gold?” But that is not correct, this jeweler
is selling Garnets.
Or the game may be confined to a country. Example: “I am a Japanese
merchant and I sell S.”
The players must think what the merchant has for sale that comes from
Japan, and that commences with the letter S.
Thus with care this game may be played by a small child with as much
success as by an adult.