more skillful and interesting when played with a "beetle," a small
cylindrical sack about twenty inches long, stuffed with cotton, and
resembling in general proportions a policeman's club.
All but one of the players stand in a circle with hands behind their
backs. The odd player runs around the outside carrying the beetle,
which he drops in the hands of any player in the circle. That player
immediately turns to chase his right-hand neighbor, beating him as
much as he can find opportunity for while he chases him around the
circle and back to his place. It is obviously to the interest of this
neighbor to outrun the beetle and escape a buffeting.
The one holding the beetle then takes the place of the first outside
player, that one joining the ring. The new beetle man, in turn, runs
around on the outside and drops the beetle in any hands which he
chooses.
The sport of this game depends on the alertness of the
players, as not only the one who receives the beetle but his
right-hand neighbor must know when and where the beetle lands,
and turn quickly for the chase. The player running around the
outside will add to the zest of the game by trying to deceive
the ring players as to where he is going to place the beetle,
quickening or slowing his pace, or resorting to other devices
to keep them on the alert.
WHO GOES ROUND MY STONE WALL?
_10 to 30 or more players._
_Indoors; out of doors._
There are two ways of playing this game. The one first
described is better suited to schools and general playground
conditions; the second is quite distinct, and may have better
sport for parlor use.
The players stand in a circle, numbering preferably twenty or less,
with a little space between each two players, and not holding hands.
They represent a sheepfold, but later, as each is chosen from the
circle, he takes the part of a sheep. One player is chosen to be Jacky
Lingo, who walks around outside of the circle. Another, who is the
shepherd or owner of the sheep, stands in the center of the circle.
The owner says, "Who goes round my stone wall?" The outside player
answers, "Nobody; only little Jacky Lingo."
"Pray don't steal any of my fat sheep."
Jacky Lingo answers: "Unless I take one-by-one, two-by-two,
three-by-three! Follow me!"
As Jacky Lingo says his last line, he taps three different players on
the back, one for "one-by-one," another for "two-by-two," and a third
for "three-by-three." If a large number be playing, he may tap two for
each count instead of one, making six in all. As the players are
tapped, they step out from the sheepfold and line up back of Jacky
Lingo, each one in the line placing his hands on the shoulders of the
one next in front. This is continued until all the players are taken
by Jacky Lingo, who then runs off around the ground with them. The
owner goes after them, faces Jacky Lingo, and says, "Have you seen
anything of my black sheep?"
"Yes; I gave them a lot of bread and butter and sent them up there"
(pointing to left or right).
"Then what have you got behind you?"
"Only a few poor black sheep."
"Well, let me see! Here's my black sheep!"
The owner then tries to catch the sheep, and this Jacky Lingo tries to
prevent. Any sheep in the line may be touched by the owner, and when
so touched he steps out of the line and stands aside until all are
caught.
VARIATION.--When played indoors or on the turf, the game may be played
by the owner being blindfolded and taking a position on hands and
knees--"all fours." The dialogue is the same as given above, and the
gathering in of the sheep by Jacky Lingo the same, except that the
players do not line up behind him. They simply stray over the ground
when he takes them from the fold. When all are scattered in this way,
they begin to cry, "Baa-a! baa-a!" and the owner, still on all fours
and blinded, tries to catch them. The first one caught becomes
shepherd the next time.
WINK
_9 to 25 players._
_House party._
An uneven number of players are required for this game. Enough chairs
are placed in a circle to allow one chair to each two players and one
for the odd player, that is, half as many chairs as there are players,
with one player over. A player sits in each chair, all facing inward.
Behind each chair stands a second player, who acts as guard. There
should be one empty chair with a guard behind it. This odd player
winks at some one sitting in the circle, who at once tries to slip out
of his chair without being tagged by his guard and take his place in
the empty chair. He may not go if he be tagged by his guard. The
object of the guards should be to avoid being the keeper of an empty
chair, and therefore the one who has to wink. The players try to evade
the vigilance of the guards by the quickness and unexpectedness of
their movements. The guards may not keep their hands on their
prisoners, but must have them hanging at their sides until they see
their players winked at. They may not dash around the sides of the
chairs which they guard, but must stay all the time behind them.
Nodding the head may be used instead of winking, but is more apparent
to the guards.
WOLF
_5 to 30 or more players._
_Out of doors._
This is an admirable hide and seek game where there are many hiding
places, as in a village or the country.
One player is chosen for the wolf, who goes off and hides. The rest of
the players are sheep, with one of their number as leader. A place is
chosen for a pen where the sheep must stay and blind their eyes while
the wolf is hiding. This pen may be a tree or rock or a square or
circle drawn on the ground. The leader counts one hundred, to give the
wolf time to hide. The sheep then start out, but must all follow their
leader "like sheep," looking for the wolf in each place where the
leader may search for him. This game differs from most other hiding
games in that the searchers are the ones who have to flee for safety
when the hider is discovered. As soon as the wolf is spied, the leader
cries:--
"All my sheep
Gather in a heap;
For I spy the woolly, woolly wolf!"
The sheep at once stand still until the wolf has taken a jump toward
them, which he must do before he may chase them; but immediately that
the wolf has made his leap, the sheep all turn and run for the sheep
pen, the wolf following. As the wolf may not run until he hears the
word "wolf" at the end of the leader's lines, the latter often
tantalizes the wolf by saying, "I spy the woolly, woolly--lamb!" or
"the woolly, woolly--cat!" or names any other animal he chooses, with
a pause before the name, to prolong the suspense of the impatient
wolf, finally ending up with "the woolly, woolly--wolf!"
Any sheep tagged by the wolf becomes a wolf and joins the wolf the
next time, hiding either in the same den with him or in a separate
den. When there is more than one wolf, the leader halts his sheep
whenever he spies a wolf, whether it be the original wolf or not, and
all of the wolves join in the chase when the sheep run back to the
pen. The game ends when all of the sheep have been caught.
The wolf has several resources at his command for catching sheep in
addition to a simple chase. If at any time while in hiding he spies
the sheep before they spy him, and considers their position in
relation to the goal advantageous to himself, he may call, "Stand your
ground, three feet!" whereupon the sheep must instantly stand still
and then take three steps toward the wolf and stand again until he
jumps toward them, when the chase for the sheep pen begins. The wolf
may also exercise considerable finesse by running directly for the pen
if he be in a position to reach it quicker or more directly than by
chasing the sheep. Should he reach the pen first, he may then tag the
sheep as they run in. One sheep may act as a decoy to engage the
attention of the wolf while the others run into the pen.
WOOD TAG
_3 to 30 or more players._
_Out of doors; gymnasium._
This is a game of tag. When there are more than thirty players, it is
desirable to have two or more who are It, or taggers. The players
venture as near as possible to the one who is It, taunting him by
crying, "Ticky, ticky, touch wood!" Any player may seek immunity from
being tagged by touching a piece of wood. No growing thing, however,
such as a tree or shrub, is to be considered as wood. No player may
stay very long in any place of safety, and the moment his hand or foot
be taken from the wood he is liable to be tagged. A player who is not
near wood may gain a few minutes' respite by calling out "Parley!" but
he must stand perfectly still in the place where he then is, the
tagger being able to tag him if he makes the slightest move of any
part of his body. When such a player decides to run again, he calls
out, "Parley out!"
This game affords opportunity for a great deal of sport through the
making of false starts and the daring approach to the one who is It,
who, in turn, may make sudden and unexpected sorties in different
directions.
Like Iron Tag, this game is very ancient, and has evidently
come from an old superstition that to touch iron or some other
particular substance gave immunity from the spell of evil
spirits.
WRESTLING
(See "_Contests for Two_" under "Feats and Forfeits.")
YARDS OFF
_3 to 30 or more players._
_Out of doors._
This is a form of I Spy or Hide and Seek, and seems indigenous
to New York. All players properly caught by the spy become
prisoners, but may be freed in a prescribed way. The procedure
which gives time for hiding is also distinctive.
Two players are chosen, one to be It and one for stick thrower. All
the players stand grouped around a goal, and the stick thrower throws
a stick as far away from the goal as he can. As soon as the stick
touches the ground, all of the players, including the thrower, but not
the one who is It, scatter and hide. The one who is It must walk to
the stick (never run), take it up, bring it back, and stand it up,
resting against the goal. He then starts to hunt for the hidden
players. He must run back and touch the goal for any player whom he
discovers, saying, "One, two, three, for--!" naming the player. Any
one caught in this way becomes a prisoner at the goal. Any player who
has not been detected by the spy may run in to the goal at any time
and throw the stick away, whereby all of the prisoners, _i.e._ those
who have been spied and previously caught, become free and hide again.
Whenever this freeing of prisoners happens, the spy must return to the
goal, walk to the stick, pick it up, walk back with it to the goal
again, and go on with the play as before. This continues until the spy
has touched the goal for all of the players, though they need not all
be prisoners at once. Any player spied who reaches the goal before the
spy, is thereafter free; _i.e._ out of the game. The last one caught
becomes spy for the next game.
QUIET GAMES
QUIET GAMES
NOTE.--The games in this division are not necessarily noiseless
or lacking in movement; but are distinguished from the active
games largely by the lack of chasing or other vigorous
exercise.
AUTHOR'S INITIALS
_2 to 60 players._
_Parlor; schoolroom._
Each player is given a piece of paper on which is written various
series or groups of words, each group descriptive of some author, and
each word beginning with one of his initials in regular order. The
player wins who guesses the largest number of authors. The following
are suggested; others may be devised:--
1. Juveniles firmly conquered (James Fenimore Cooper).
2. Name honored (Nathaniel Hawthorne).
3. Bright humor (Bret Harte).
4. One wholesome humorist (Oliver Wendell Holmes).
5. Really lasting stories (Robert Louis Stevenson).
6. Cheerful laborer (Charles Lamb).
7. Tender, brilliant author (Thomas Bailey Aldrich).
8. Heroism wisely lauded (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow).
9. Just, gentle writer (John Greenleaf Whittier).
10. Poetry bridged skyward (Percy Bysche Shelley).
11. Clever delineator (Charles Dickens).
12. Rare brain (Robert Browning).
13. Weird imagination (Washington Irving).
"B" GAME
_5 to 30 or more players._
_House party._
Each player is given a sheet of paper with numbered questions prepared
like the following list. The answer to each question is to be written
opposite it, and must consist of the letter B as an initial and added
to it the number of letters designated, the whole conforming to the
definition given. The following examples will illustrate:--
1. B and one letter, meaning to exist.--Be.
2. B and two letters forming a sack.--Bag.
3. B and three letters forming a storehouse.--Barn.
4. B and three letters, side of a stream.--Bank.
5. B and three letters, a young creature.--Baby.
6. B and three letters, a bag of goods.--Bale.
7. B and three letters, without hair.--Bald.
8. B and three letters, a surety.--Bond.
9. B and three letters, timber.--Beam.
10. B and three letters, a vegetable.--Beet.--Bean.
11. B and three letters, a poet.--Bard.
12. B and three letters, a drink.--Beer.
13. B and three letters, a globule.--Bead.
14. B and three letters, part of a bird.--Beak.
15. B and three letters, a vessel.--Boat.
16. B and four letters, an appendage.--Beard.
17. B and four letters, a tree.--Beech.
18. B and four letters, to commence.--Begin.
19. B and four letters, a strand.--Beach.
20. B and four letters, a receptacle.--Basin.
21. B and four letters, a kind of meat.--Bacon.
22. B and five letters, a combat.--Battle.
23. B and five letters, a hound.--Beagle.
24. B and five letters, a signal.--Beacon.
25. B and five letters, a cup.--Beaker.
26. B and eight letters, a demon.--Beelzebub.
The player wins who answers correctly the largest number. This game
may be devised for any initial letter.
BARGAIN COUNTER
_5 to 30 or more players._
_House party._
Each player is provided with a paper and pencil. The following is
either written on the papers in advance, or by the players from
dictation, minus the underscoring. Each player is then required to
find in the text the names of twenty-five textiles that may be
purchased in a dry goods store, none to be mentioned twice, indicating
each by underscoring. The player wins who has the largest number
correct.
Dolly Varden, immaculately dressed, sat in the window ledge and heard
from the church near by the mellow chords of the organ dying slowly
away. Her silken hair was well drawn back from her forehead low and
broad. Clothed as she was in pink and green, she made one think of the
spring. She was considered musical; I considered her brilliant in
every way. I was before the dresser, getting ready to go out, and
taking a forkful of cold slaw now and then, or some mock duck. "I want
to send a line north, Henrietta," said Dolly, bringing ham sandwiches;
for she saw I felt hungry. She then wrote this letter: "I marvel,
veterans, if you pause in your good work for lack of cash, merely as
is represented. You should canvas for a book or paper, Caleb, some
handy volume, possibly a duodecimo. Hairsplitting terms like this I do
not often employ, but, blessings on the head of Cadmus! linguists must
sometimes use their hands as well as their wit, weed gardens, if need
be, but spare the mullein, for it seems to me like a flower. Always
remember that, though the light burns dim, it yet will burn."
BEAST, BIRD, OR FISH
_10 to 30 or more players._
_Parlor; gymnasium; playground; schoolroom._
The players stand or are seated, preferably in a circle. One player
stands or sits in the center with a soft ball, made by crushing paper
or knotting up a handkerchief. This is thrown at one of the players by
the one in the center, who says quickly, "Beast, bird, or fish!" then
repeats one of these classes and immediately counts ten, whereupon the
player who has been hit by the ball must name some beast or bird or
fish, according to the class last named by the thrower. This must be
done before the latter has finished counting ten. For instance, the
thrower will say as he throws, "Beast, bird, or fish!--Bird!"
whereupon the player hit by the handkerchief must name a bird while
the thrower counts ten. This must not be a repetition of any bird
previously named in the game. Should the player who is hit by the ball
fail to meet the requirements, he changes places with the thrower.
Should he succeed, the thrower repeats the game by hitting some other
player.
IN THE SCHOOLROOM this game may be played with all the players but one
in their accustomed seats.
An old English form of this game substitutes the words "Fire, air, and
water," for "Beast, bird, and fish," the players being required to
name some animal that lives in the air or water when those elements
are named, but to keep silence when fire is named. In this form the
game is supposed to be a survival of fire worship.
BUZZ
_5 to 30 or more players._
_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom; parlor._
This is a quiet game, as distinguished from those requiring much
muscular activity. One of the players starts the game by saying "One";
the next says "Two," the next "Three," etc., until the number "Seven"
is reached, when the word "Buzz" is substituted for it. The next
player says "Eight," and so on up to a multiple of seven, such as
fourteen, twenty-one, twenty-eight, etc., on each of which the word
"Buzz" should be used instead of the right number. The word "Buzz" is
also substituted for any number in which the word seven occurs, even
though it should not be a multiple of seven, such as seventeen,
twenty-seven, thirty-seven, etc. When seventy is reached, the counting
proceeds as "Buzz-one," "Buzz-two," etc., and seventy-seven is
"Buzz-buzz."
Whenever a player says a number instead of "Buzz," or says "Buzz" in
the wrong place, or calls out a wrong number, he must pay a forfeit
and start the game over again by saying "One."
The game may also be played by having each player who misses drop from
the game. Where this is done, and the player retains his seat but is
silent, the game becomes even more confusing for the players who
remain.
CAKE SALE
_Any number._
_Parlor._
Each player is given a card or sheet of paper prepared with the
following questions, or they may be dictated at the time. The one wins
who has the largest number of answers correct.
What kind of cake would you buy for--
1. Sculptors? (Marble cake.)
2. Politicians? (Plum cake.)
3. Geologists? (Layer cake.)
4. Advertisers? (Cream puffs.)
5. Dairymen? (Cream cake.)
6. Milliners? (Ribbon cake.)
7. His Satanic Majesty? (Angel's food.)
8. Babies? (Patty cakes.)
9. Lovers? (Kisses.)
10. The betrothed? (Bride's cake.)
11. Gossips? (Spice cake.)
12. Carpenters? (Plain (plane) cake.)
13. Idlers? (Loaf cake.)
14. Pugilists? (Pound cake.)
15. One who lives on his friends? (Sponge cake.)
16. Dynamiters? (Raisin cake.)
17. Invalids? (Delicate cake.)
18. Convalescents? (Sunshine cake.)
19. "Boodlers"? (Dough-nuts.)
20. Those who sample all these too much? (Stomach ache.)
CAT PARTY
_5 to 30 or more players._
_House party._
Each player is provided with a sheet of paper on which are written the
following questions. Each question is to be answered with a word, of
which the first syllable is cat. The player wins who writes the
largest number of correct answers, the list of answers being read by
the host or hostess at the close of the time allowed for the game.
Examples of questions are given below:--
1. What sort of cat is allowed in a library? (Catalogue.)
2. What sort of cat makes you think of reflected sounds?
(Catacoustics.)
3. What sort of cat unites well with a toilet article? (Catacomb.)
4. What sort of cat requires a physician's attention? (Catalepsy.)
5. What sort of cat is feared by soldiers? (Catapult.)
6. What sort of cat is bad for the eyes? (Cataract.)
7. What sort of cat is to be dreaded? (Catastrophe.)
8. What sort of cat is allowed on the table? (Catsup.)
9. What sort of cat goes to Sunday school? (Catechism.)
10. What sort of cat do girls most detest? (Caterpillar.)
11. What sort of cat makes small boys weep? (Cat-o'-nine-tails.)
CRAMBO
_10 to 30 players._
_House party._
Each player is provided with two slips of paper, and also with another
full sheet of paper and a pencil. On one of the slips he writes a
question. This may be as serious or absurd as fancy dictates. On the
other slip of paper he writes a word, either a common or proper noun.
The slips containing the questions are then collected in a box or hat,
and those containing the nouns in another receptacle. The questions
are thoroughly mixed and passed around, each player drawing one. The
same is done with the nouns.
Each player must then write a verse which shall answer the question
and contain the word that he has drawn, no matter how irrelevant they
may be. A time limit is generally given for this performance, varying
with the facility of the players.
The following may serve as examples. The author recalls a very grave
banker, not suspected of humor, who drew the question, "How long
should you roast a leg of mutton?" The word drawn was "Finger." He
wrote:--
"To roast the mutton, let it linger
Longer than to roast your finger."
Another business man drew the question, "What is the difference
between doughnuts and sponge cake?" The word was "Youth." He wrote:--
"Sponge cake is delicate and sweet to the taste,
While doughnuts are tough as thunder;
And the youth who partakes of the first in haste
Will tackle the latter with wonder."
The game may be made more difficult by each player writing on a third
slip of paper a verb or an adjective, these to be collected and
redistributed with the nouns and questions.
CROSS QUESTIONS
_10 to 60 players._
_Parlor; schoolroom._
All but one of the players sit in two rows facing each other, those
directly opposite each other being partners. The odd player walks
around the rows behind the others, asking questions of any player
facing him from the farther row. The question must be answered, not by
the player addressed, but by his partner or _vis-a-vis_, who sits with
his back to the questioner.
Any player answering a question addressed directly to him, or failing
to answer one addressed to his partner, or giving an incorrect answer
to a question, changes places with the questioner, or pays a forfeit,
as may have been decided on beforehand.
FOR THE SCHOOLROOM.--When played in the schoolroom, the adjacent rows
should form a group and face each other so as to leave free aisles
between the groups in which the questioners may walk, as shown in the
diagram of "Old Man Tag."
The game may be made to correlate with almost any subject in the
school curriculum, the questioner asking, for instance, for capital
cities, boundaries, mountains, etc., for geography; for dates or the
names of heroes in great events, for history; or even for brief
problems in mental arithmetic.
DUMB CRAMBO
_10 to 30 or more players._
_Parlor._
The players are divided into two parties. One party goes outside of
the room, and those remaining choose some verb, which is to be guessed
and acted by the other party. The outside party is then told some word
which rhymes with the chosen verb. They consult among themselves,
decide on a verb which they think may be the right one, enter the
room, and without speaking act out the word they have guessed. The
inside party must decide from this pantomime if the correct verb has
been guessed. If not, they shake their heads. If right, they clap
their hands. No speaking is allowed on either side. If the outside
party be wrong in their guess, they retire and try another word,
repeating this play until they hit upon the right word, when the two
sides change places.
FIND THE RING
_10 to 30 or more players._
_Parlor; gymnasium; schoolroom._
The players sit in a circle, holding in their hands a long piece of
string tied at the ends so as to form a circle large enough to go
around, a small ring having been put upon this string. One player is
chosen to stand in the center. The players who are seated then pass
the ring from one to another, the object being for the player in the
center to detect who has the ring. The other players will try to
deceive him by making passes to indicate the passage of the ring when
it really is not in their vicinity. When the player in the center
thinks he knows who has the ring, he calls out the name of that
player. If right, he sits down, and that player must take his place in
the center. This game may be played by the players repeating the
following lines as the ring is passed around the circle:--
"Oh, the grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up the hillago,
And marched them down again.