DO YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT THE GAME OF TAG?
The poet Pope says, "The proper study of mankind is man." If he did
not mean this to include boys, then I don't quite agree with him, for
I have found boys and girls, too, be it said, as a rule, far more
interesting as objects of study than the average grown-up.
I have always liked these stanzas from Hood's fine poem, "The Dream of
Eugene Aram": "'Twas in the prime of summer time, An ev'ning calm
and cool, When four and twenty happy boys Came bounding out of
school; There were some that ran, And some that leapt, Like
troutlets in a pool.
"Like sportive deer, they cours'd about,
And shouted as they ran,
Turning to mirth all things of earth,
As only boyhood can."
If the boys had not already decided on a game, it would be safe to
wager that the first thing they started off with was the old and ever-
popular game of tag.
I have seen boys, and girls, too, playing tag among the Indian tribes
of Arizona. The young and ever lightly-clad Mexicans delight in it,
and the Chinese and Japanese youngsters never grow weary of a game
needing so little in the way of equipment, and which is so easily
started, but not so easy to give up, when the spirit of the game has
taken full possession of the players.
Although so simple, there is never monotony in tag. If you don't like
one form you can try another, and there are certainly a lot to choose
from. One can have brick, wood, iron, tree or any other kind of object
tag, the principle being that so long as the pursued has his hand on
the object decided on in advance, he cannot be touched.
In what is known as "Cross Tag," the boy who starts the game tags
another, who at once starts in pursuit. Now, if another boy darts
across "its" path this second boy becomes the object of pursuit, and
so he continues until he has made a capture and is free to join the
field.
PRISONER'S BASE
One of the oldest, and I think the most general and popular of tag
games, is called now, as when I was a boy, "Prisoner's Base."
In this game the two leaders choose sides. This done, two objects--
they may be walls, trees or posts that stand some distance opposite
each other--are used as goals. Before these goals, the two armies are
drawn up in opposing lines. Then the captains, or it may be others,
lead off.
One of these defies the other to meet him. After this the armies
charge, but the purpose of each is to avoid being tagged by the other
side, while it tries to tag or touch as many of the opponents as it
can.
Every boy touched is regarded as a prisoner and must go to the base
provided for the purpose, which is usually the goal of the other side,
where he must remain till the game ends or he is released.
The prisoner is guarded, but if he can escape and reach his own side,
without being touched, he is free, or if one of his own side succeeds
in touching him, he gains his liberty.
When all of one side are prisoners the game is over, and the winners
deserve their success, for they have had to fight hard for it.
THE WOLF
Another variation of tag is called "The Wolf" in some places, and in
others, "When do you eat?" But no matter the name, it is good sport.
This is how to do it. A good sized piece of paper--any paper that
shows a pencil mark will do--is torn into as many bits as there are
boys. Each bit is marked with a number, showing some hour of the day.
After every player has his marked paper, there must be one piece left.
The last piece is marked with a number the same as that on one of
those already given out.
There are only twelve hour marks on the clock, but if there are more
than twelve players, the extras can be given by half hours, like half-
past one.
Now, under one of the hour or duplicate numbers, mark a cross like X.
No one but the marker knows the numbers. Each boy, as he draws, looks
at his own number, but he must keep it a secret. The numbers must be
drawn from a hat, without looking. The undrawn paper belongs to the
marker, and he is the boy who holds the hat.
The boy who has drawn the paper marked with the X is "it," and so is
regarded as the wolf. He goes off some distance, while the huddled
"sheep," as the other players are called, decide what time of day they
shall each represent.
When all is ready the wolf calls out in chilling, hungry voice:
"I eat no meat but woolly sheep,
My appetite is good; I thirst,
I think, their blood to drink,
If caught within my wood!"
On hearing this, the sheep set up cries of fear and run to form a
circle about the wolf. If the ring is not complete before he gets
through the rhyme, he is free to seize any boy who is not holding the
hands, on either side, of two other boys.
If the ring is formed and no sheep captured, the sheep circle about
the wolf, chanting this song:
"Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! with the brown ear,
Tell us what hour you dine
On one of the sheep assembled here!"
The wolf selects his own hour. If he answers "One o'clock," the sheep
bearing that number darts out of the ring with the wolf after him. If
this sheep circles the ring three times without being caught, he is
safe and takes his old place. The same hour cannot be selected again
until all the others have been called.
When the wolf guesses the number corresponding to his own, he does not
have to pursue, for his double becomes the wolf, and he is changed
into a sheep.
After the game has gone on so far that the number of each is pretty
well known, the boys can change numbers without the knowledge of the
wolf, and this adds greatly to the sport.
BULL IN THE RING
Another variation of tag is popularly known as "Bull in the Ring." The
bull or "it" is a position to be sought after in this game. The bull
can be selected in any one of the ways I have suggested, or in any
other way that may be decided on.
When all is ready, the boys form a ring by joining hands, with the
bull penned in the center.
This done, the bull seizes a pair of the grasped hands, and asks:
"What is this lock made of?" One of the boys replies, "Steel." "Steel
is strong. What is this lock made of?" asks the bull, as he grasps
another pair of hands. "Bronze," may be the answer. "And this?"
"Copper." The next reply, "I can break copper!" shouts the bull.
He then makes a feeble effort to break through, or it may be that he
is doing his best, but he knows he cannot get out in that way.
Suddenly he wheels and makes a dash for a part of the ring which he
thinks is weakest. If he gets through he dashes away, with the others
at his heels, and the first boy that tags him is "it" for the next
game.