THANKSGIVING PARTY
=Apple, Orange and Pumpkin Games=
WE must have six little yellow pumpkins for our new Thanksgiving game,
but we may hunt high and low, far and near, for real ones the required
size, and not find them, because natural pumpkins are much too large.
So we shall have to make oranges and apples into
=Little Pumpkins=
[Illustration: Fig. 79.—Stand an apple on a square of paper.]
Select apples about two inches in diameter, all as near of a size as
possible and preferably somewhat flattened at top and bottom. Cut
a square of orange-colored tissue paper and stand an apple, stem
uppermost, on its centre (Fig. 79). Bring one side of the tissue paper
up to the top of the apple and take a wee plait in the paper, at the
same time smoothing it up from the bottom of the apple (Fig. 80). Make
several more plaits and bring the nearest corner of the paper up to the
apple top. Continue plaiting the tissue paper around the apple (Fig.
81) while constantly smoothing it up from the bottom and over the apple
until the apple is completely covered and all the edges and corners of
the orange-colored paper are folded and brought together at the top
of the apple (Fig. 82). Hold the covered apple in your left hand and
with your right hand twist the ends of the tissue paper around the stem
(Fig. 83).
[Illustration: Fig. 80.—Take a plait in the paper.]
[Illustration: Fig. 81.—Bring the nearest corner of the paper to the
top of apple.]
[Illustration: Playing the Pumpkin Game.]
[Illustration: Fig. 82.—Constantly smooth it up from the bottom until
the apple is covered.]
[Illustration: Fig. 83.—Twist the ends of the paper around the stem.]
[Illustration: Fig. 84.—Wind the long end of the thread tightly around
the apple.]
[Illustration: Fig. 85.—Pinch a square of green tissue paper over the
stem.]
Examine the apple and make sure there are no raised ridges in the paper
and that the entire covering lies flat and smooth. Tie one end of a
piece of brown thread around the base of the stem. Wind the long end of
the thread once tightly around the apple, giving it a twist around the
stem to secure it in place (Fig. 84). The thread must pass across the
exact centre of the blossom end of the apple. As you wind the thread
turn the fruit and watch the thread that it may not swerve either to
this side or that. A second time wind the thread around the apple,
making the first encircling thread band double. Cross this double band
with another double band, marking the apple into quarters, secure the
thread about the stem, and again wind it around the apple, dividing two
opposite quarters each into two pieces.
[Illustration: Fig. 86.—Tie a thread around the base of the stem.]
[Illustration: Fig. 87.—A little yellow pumpkin.]
Divide all the quarters in the same way, then pinch a small square of
bright green tissue paper over the covered stem (Fig. 85), smooth it
down close and tight and tie a thread around the base (Fig. 86). Bend
the extreme end of the stem until it curls, and the result will be a
cunning little yellow pumpkin (Fig. 87). Fig. 88 shows how the cross
threads should meet at the centre of the blossom end of the fruit.
[Illustration: Fig. 88.—Shows how the cross threads should meet.]
An ordinary pastry-board about twenty-six inches long and nineteen
inches wide must do duty for
=The Game Court=
(Fig. 89). Find the centre of the board by running two straight lines
diagonally across from corner to corner, the spot where the two lines
meet and cross marks the centre of the board (Fig. 90). Make a small
circle two inches in diameter around centre spot, surround this circle
with a larger circle seven inches in diameter. Erase the diagonal lines
within the circles and run straight lines radiating outward midway
between the diagonal lines from the edge of the larger circle across
the face of the pastry-board. With four more lines cut off the four
corners of the court, number the divisions as in Fig. 91, and the game
court will be finished.
[Illustration: Fig. 89.—A pastry-board for the Game Court.]
[Illustration: Fig. 90.—Run two straight lines from corner to corner.]
[Illustration: Fig. 91.—The Game Court is finished.]
Stand the little pumpkins, at equal distances apart, on the larger
circle of the court, and on the small circle stand a natural, large,
round apple without tissue paper cover.
=The Game=
may be played by any number. The object of the game is to spin the
apple so that it will hit one or more of the surrounding pumpkins and
roll or shove them on to the highest marked divisions of the game-court.
Each player is allowed only one trial at a time, turns being taken
successively by the different players. The spinning of the apple
must always be started on the small central circle where the apple
is stationed. When the apple rolls off the board the player may have
another trial; if the apple rolls off on the second trial she simply
loses her turn, there being no other penalty. When a pumpkin lands
on one of the dividing lines it counts ten against the player. Often
an apple will strike several pumpkins, sending them off on different
divisions. Every pumpkin then counts the number in the division on
which it stops; sometimes more than one pumpkin will land in the
same division, and each pumpkin so landing counts the number in that
division. When the apple sends but one pumpkin, the player scores
merely the number of that one division on which it lands. After each
play the pumpkins must be replaced in the circle ready for the next
player.
Five rounds constitute a game and the highest record scored wins. When
played by sides there must be an equal number of players on each side.
The side making the highest score wins the game.
For the next game let all the players sit on the floor in a ring and by
the light of only wee pumpkin lanterns tell a
=Rapid-Transit Thanksgiving Story=
The leader must begin the tale, which may or may not be original. He
must speak for only a few minutes, then stop, when his right-hand
neighbor, without hesitation, must take up the story and carry it
on for a few moments. In this way the story goes the round, each
right-hand player in turn telling his part. Every player has the
privilege of making his portion of the tale original, even though the
preceding part may not be so. It is also the privilege of every one
to change the story to a dream, or a fairy tale. Quotations may be
introduced, verses recited, or snatches of song sung; in fact, the
oftener the story is twisted and turned the greater the interest; but
there must always be some connection between the part being told and
that which has gone before. The entire romance must be finished before
the light in the wee pumpkins burns out. If a player should fail to
continue the story when his turn comes, he must pay a forfeit, and when
the story is finished, redeeming the forfeits adds to the fun.
If many guests are present, divide them into small groups for the
rapid-transit story.
Make a miniature
=Pumpkin Lantern=
for each girl and boy present. Take a symmetrical apple which stands
firm and steady on the blossom end. Select the best side for the face,
and with the small blade of a penknife cut on it a crescent with ends
turned upward for the mouth. Cut a triangle for the nose, two small
squares for eyes, and two short crescents, points turned upward, for
eyebrows (Fig. 92).
Turn the apple over and cut an opening in the back as shown at Fig.
93. Be extremely cautious not to break or tear the edges of the apple
skin while cutting the features and back opening. With the small blade
of the penknife inserted at the back opening cut away the inside of
the apple little by little, taking great care not to drive the knife
far enough into the apple to puncture the skin. When you reach the
core, screw the large blade of the knife around until the core is
sufficiently broken to allow of being cut away without danger of
injuring the apple skin by accidental stabs.
[Illustration: Fig. 92.—Cut features in the miniature pumpkin.]
[Illustration: Fig. 93.—Cut an opening at the back.]
After most of the inside has been removed turn the apple around and
look at the features; if you cannot yet see daylight through them,
insert the small blade from the outside of the apple, through each
feature in turn, and by degrees cut away the meat, without enlarging
the openings of the different features. Should this prove ineffectual,
again turn to the back of the apple and work from the inside, removing
more of the contents and making the layer of apple thinner next to
the skin. Then once more try through the features from the outside.
This time the result should be distinctly clear openings for all the
features. You cannot help smiling when you look at the apple now, for
you see such a comical little face.
[Illustration: Fig. 94.—Cut a section from a candle.]
[Illustration: Fig. 95.—Make the bottom larger than the top.]
Cut a short section from an ordinary wax candle (Fig. 94), shave down
the sides, making the bottom heavier and larger than the top (Fig.
95). Run a pin through the centre of the candle from bottom to top;
then pull it out. Fit the candle inside on the centre of the bottom of
the apple, hold it in place while you run the pin up from the outside
of the apple, through the skin and into the pinhole in the centre of
the little candle. The pin should hold the candle firmly in place;
if it does not do so, pull the pin out and see what is the matter;
possibly the candle needs hollowing out a trifle at the base in order
to fit the slight rise in the apple on which the candle stands. Put
on your thinking cap, examine and _make_ the candle stand absolutely
straight and firm.
[Illustration: Fig. 96.]
[Illustration: Fig. 97. Orange Lanterns.]
Manufacture all the other individual pumpkin lanterns in the same way,
and when story-telling time arrives set a lantern in front of every
girl and boy in the circle and light the candle in each little pumpkin.
The effect will be charming and inspiring for the story-tellers.
Oranges with all the pulp extracted also makes very pumpkin-like
lanterns when cut in a similar way to the apple lanterns (Figs. 96 and
97).
Anything may be given as
=A Forfeit=
and the forfeits are redeemed in the good old way. The leader is
blindfolded and seated. A girl or boy stands back of the leader, and,
taking one of the forfeits, holds it over her head, while repeating
these words, “Heavy, heavy hangs over your head.” The leader replies
with the question: “Fine or superfine?” If the forfeit belongs to a
girl, the answer is “superfine,” if to a boy, “fine.” The same player
adds, “What shall the owner do to redeem it?” The leader names a
penalty, such as, kneel to the prettiest, bow to the wittiest, or, look
angry, then smile your sweetest. The leader may inflict one of these,
or any other, making the penalty as funny as she desires, but it must
never cause a player to feel in the least uncomfortable, for every girl
and boy should be given just as good a time as possible, that all may
return to their homes from the Thanksgiving games happy and pleased
with their evening’s fun.