letters of the alphabet in the order of the blows. If he misses,
you might go over, pretending you had forgotten some word in your
incantations, as you can mumble to yourself when pounding. If your
confederate is a good mimic, it would add to the amusement of all to
mimic the sounds of the animal to appear to him.
I have seen this game differently performed. Your confederate, after
any word has been chosen, returns to the room, and you give assurance
that by your magical art you can inform him of the word. You then
take a cane and draw a large circle, and at the same time repeat any
absurd jingle or formula of words; then pretend to call up some ancient
spirit, and by your raps on the floor tell your confederate your first
letter. Then pretend to draw magical figures, and repeat anything you
think of; pretend to listen for an answer; then call up some different
spirit, and by your distinct raps express the second letter; and so on
until the word is finished. This game can be made very amusing.
THE WIZARD OF THE EAST.
THE principal performer attires himself in a robe, a paper cap,
spectacles, and other appointments necessary to the outfit of the
“Wizard of the East.” He is armed with a magic wand, by means of which
he is supposed to exercise his mysterious calling, and with which he
makes a circle on the ground, muttering at the same time the unearthly
words of some potent spell. After communing profoundly for some moments
with some imaginary familiar, he appears to have decided, and touches
one of his confederates with his wand, ordering him to go to the other
end of the room, and there blindfold his eyes. This order executed,
and the audience satisfied that the confederate is really blindfolded,
the wizard orders him to guess the person on whom his wand shall rest.
The wizard then proceeds to touch several persons lightly with the
wand, saying at each, “The wand moves,” and at length allows it to rest
on the shoulder of _the one who spoke last_ (the key to the trick),
exclaiming, “The wand rests.” The confederate will at once name the
person touched (who, also being a confederate, has purposely spoken
last). The latter takes the place of the person blindfolded, and the
wizard goes through with the same form; his confederate exciting them
to talk, he again touches the one who spoke last; the confederate names
him correctly, and the person touched is blindfolded in turn. Unless he
understands the game, he will have only chance to guide him, and will
rarely guess correctly. Those who fail, pay a forfeit. Sometimes one of
the confederates takes the place of the wizard, and further mystifies
the company. This game, though simple, often puzzles a room full.
TO BRING A PERSON DOWN UPON A FEATHER
THIS is a practical pun:—You desire any one to stand on a chair or
table, and you tell him that notwithstanding his weight you will
bring him down upon a feather. You then leave the room, and procuring
a feather you give it to him, and tell him you have performed your
promise, that you engaged to bring him down upon a feather, which you
have done, for there is the feather, and if he looks he’ll find down
upon it.
THE APPARENT IMPOSSIBILITY.
YOU profess yourself able to show any one what he never saw before,
what you never saw, and what no one ever saw, and which after you two
have seen, no one else ever shall see. After requesting the company to
guess this riddle, and they have professed themselves unable to do so,
produce a nut, and having cracked it, take out the kernel, and ask them
if they have ever seen it before; of course they answer no; you reply,
“Neither have I, and I think you will confess that nobody else has ever
seen it, and now no one shall see it again;” saying which, you put the
kernel into your mouth and eat it.
THE TURNED HEAD.
LET a lady be invested with as many wrappings as possible, but cloak,
shawl, scarf, &c., must be put on wrong side before, so as to present
the appearance of a “Turned Head.” She should be furnished with a muff,
which she must hold behind her as nearly as possible in the usual
manner, but her bonnet must be put on the proper way. Thus equipped she
must enter the room backwards and pass around it in that manner. This
can be used as a forfeit.
STATUARY.
STATUARY, when personated by intelligent ladies and gentlemen, can
be made very amusing. Some witty gentleman, well versed in statuary,
takes the part of showman. He first selects from the company those he
wishes to assist him, being careful to select only such as can best
control their countenances. After obtaining a number of sheets, he
takes possession of a parlor, shutting the rest of the company out. He
then arranges his assistants as statuary around the room as quickly
as possible, covering each one, or each group, with a sheet; then
throws open the door, and invites the company to a rare exhibition of
statuary. After making a grandiloquent speech he uncovers a group, and
gives as absurd a description as possible; so on through the whole.
As fun is the chief object, take for example some tall plain gentleman
and place him with bow in hand for Cupid. For Diogenes, take a large
wash tub and a boy in it, &c. Another diversion is to cover some ladies
and gentlemen all but one eye with a sheet; then let the company guess
who they are.
HE CAN DO LITTLE WHO CAN’T DO THIS.
ARRANGE yourselves in a circle. The one who knows the game takes a cane
in his left hand and pounds upon the floor with it, saying, “He can do
little who can’t do this,” and passes the cane with his right hand to
his right hand neighbor, who tries to do the same thing, but generally
fails. The catch consists in quickly changing the cane from the left
to the right hand before you pass it. Every one is then intent on your
manner of pounding the cane on the floor. Change hands as carelessly as
possible.
BROTHER! I AM BOBBED!
A PERSON who understands the game proposes to another, who is ignorant
of it, to be blinded with him and be “bobbed.” After being blindfolded
they sit down in two chairs placed back to back. The one who knows the
game then removes the bandage from his eyes and ties a knot in his
handkerchief. The others join hands and go round them in a circle. The
one not blindfolded carelessly hits the other with his handkerchief.
The one struck of course, thinks himself hit by some one in the circle,
and exclaims, “brother, I am bobbed.” The other says, “who bobbed you?”
In answer he mentions the name of some one in the ring. They all call
out, “you are wrong,” so he is bobbed till the fun is exhausted, he
trying to guess the person who hit him and expecting to change places
when he guesses correctly. The other pretends he is hit occasionally
and calls out he is bobbed. It requires a good-natured person to take
the joke pleasantly.
HOW DO YOU LIKE IT? WHEN DO YOU LIKE IT? AND WHERE WILL YOU PUT IT?
THE difficulty of this game consists in guessing the meaning of two or
more nouns, which sound alike but have different meanings, without any
other help than the answers given to the above questions. It is played
in the following manner. One of the company is sent out of the room and
not recalled until her companions have agreed upon two words of similar
sound, with which to puzzle her. When she comes in she asks, “How do
you like it?” One answers, “very much indeed,” or “I don’t like it
early in the morning;” another says, “It is too noisy;” another, “It
is too fond of fine clothes,” &c. She then asks, “When do you like
it?” One answers, “At all times;” another, “When I feel hungry for my
dinner;” another, “I want it when walking alone;” another, “When I want
some wood brought for my fire,” &c. Lastly she asks, “Where would you
put it?” One says, “I would hang it;” another, “I would shut it up in a
church-tower;” another, “I would take it to a ball-room,” &c.
From such answers a witty little girl may guess that belle was the
chosen word, (belle, a fashionable lady, and bell, an instrument of
sound.) Such as do not guess must pay a forfeit. Many words might be
chosen for this game, such as hair, hare; reign, rain; date, a fruit
and date a period of time; whip to strike with, and whip to eat; pear,
pair; heir, air; ale, ail; mason a brick-layer, mason a member of a
secret society; beer, bier; see and sea.
THE BIRD-CATCHER.
ALL who join this game must be seated in a circle, first choosing a
bird-catcher, who takes his or her place in the centre. He can give the
name of a bird to each person, or each can select one, but each one
must represent some bird, and one of the number must personate an owl.
The bird-catcher then tells a story, introducing the names of different
birds. Every bird when mentioned must immediately make a chirrup,
crow, screech or splutter, peculiar to its species. The slightest
delay or mistake is punished by a forfeit. Each player, until the owl
is mentioned, must rest his hands on his knees; but when the owl is
called, each player must instantly clasp his hands behind him. The
bird-catcher tries to seize the hand of one of the players before he
raises it from his knee; if he succeeds, the person so caught must pay
a forfeit or take the bird-catcher’s place, his name and place in the
aviary being taken by the late officer. If he fails to entrap any one,
he must pay a forfeit, and continue the story until he does, or has
paid a certain number of forfeits; another then takes his place, either
by lot or choice. The company must keep their hands behind them until
some other bird is mentioned, when they must return them promptly. It
is well to mention the owl twice in succession, but no one must change
the second time; the owl must make his peculiar cry whenever he is
mentioned. The following is a list of available birds, with sounds
peculiar to them, taken from undoubted authorities:—
The Cock—“Cook a doodle doo.”
The Hen—“Cut, cut, cut, ca da cut.”
The Chicken—“Peep, peep, peep.”
The Turkey—“Gobble, obble obble.”
The Duck—“Quack, quack, quack.”
The Canary—“Pretty Dick.”
The Magpie—“Jack wants his dinner.”
The Sparrow—“Chip, chip.”
The Whippowill—“Whip po will.”
The Parrot—“Pretty Poll; Poll wants cracker.”
The Curlew—“Pe-wit, pe-wit.”
The Crow—“Caw, caw, caw.”
The Goose—“Hiss—s—s.”
The Raven—“Cro-a-ak.”
The Snowbird—“Chick-adee-dee.”
The Owl—“To-wit, to-wit, to-whoo.”
These sounds of course can be varied to suit the idea of the performer.
Parrot and magpie can be made to speak as they wish. The raven may be
made to say, “Never more,” according to Poe’s poem. But the sounds
agreed upon at the beginning must not be changed during the game.
Some amusement can be gained by giving appropriate names to different
persons. The owl could be given to the most learned in the company.
The best singer, the nightingale, could be represented by a few bars
of Jenny Lind’s melodies. The magpie could be given to a great talker.
When all are ready the bird-catcher might commence in the following
manner:—
I went out the other morning with my gun and nets to catch a few birds.
I did not intend robbing a farm yard, but on the top of a railing I
saw a fine cock; (“Cock a doodle do,”) there was nobody looking and I
couldn’t resist it—when up came an enormous turkey. (“Gobble, obble,
obble.”) Oh! Oh! said I, a turkey, (“Gobble, obble, obble”)—well a
turkey (“Gobble, obble, obble”) is worth more than a little sparrow,
(“Chip, chip,”) and there is more to eat on it than on a curlew,
(“Pewit, pewit,”) and as I had made up my mind to steal a cock, (“Cock
a doodle do,”) why not a goose, (“His, s, s,”) or a turkey. (“Gobble,
obble, obble.”) I crept up to him, when all of a sudden a rascally
magpie (“Jack wants his dinner”) flew out of a bush, making such an
abominable noise that all the birds in the air (general cry without
moving the hands) took flight at once. Off went the turkey (“Gobble,
obble, obble”) on one side and the cock (“Cock a doodle do”) on the
other, scattering a flock of ducks. (“Quack, quack.”) There was not
a single bird in sight but the owl. (“To whit! to whit! to whoo.”)
All hands up. [A forfeit given either by the unlucky bird-catcher
who has not succeeded in catching a hand, or by a bird whose hand he
has caught; in either case, he who remains, or becomes bird-catcher,
continues.] As I was saying, the owl [dead silence except the sound of
the owl, all hands still behind] began making an extraordinary noise,
no doubt thinking himself the nightingale, [the nightingale sings a
bar from the “Daughter of the Regiment;” all hands down on the knees
immediately. Forfeits from those too late, or in too great a hurry
to replace them,] and all the birds in the air [general cry] flocked
round again to see what the matter could be. Up came the crow, (“Caw,
caw,”) the raven, (“Croak,” or “never more,” as agreed on) the wild
duck, (“Quack! quack!”) even the farmer’s parrot, (“Pretty Poll,”) in
fact, all the birds in the field, [dead silence.] “Oh! ho!” I said,
“now I shall put some salt on you,” when to my horror, the beast of an
owl—(“To whit, to whit, to whoo!”)—[all hands disappear as before,
and the bird-catcher darts forward to catch some one. Whenever the
bird-catcher says, “All the birds in the air”—every bird must answer
at once.]
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
ALL take partners and sit opposite each other. Then one person whispers
a different question in the ear of each on one side of the room, and
another gives an answer to each on the opposite side. The first couple
commence. One asks the question whispered to him, his partner gives the
answer whispered to her. Each couple take turn in giving the questions
and answers. A lady should direct the gentlemen, and a gentleman the
ladies. Each side asks the questions alternately, the side that first
asked the questions next making the answers.
THE MAGIC WAND.
THE magician, or the person who wields the wonderful wand, has a
confederate who retires from the room. In his absence, the company
(the magician being present) agree upon some piece of furniture or
other article, by which the powers of the wand are to be tested. He is
then called in and the magician points to various articles about the
room. Whenever he points to any article except the one agreed upon,
the confederate is sure to say “that is not it,” and he never fails
to designate the right article when the wand is pointed towards it.
This proceeding, which at first sight appears mysterious, is easily
explained. When the magician points to the article agreed upon by the
company he slightly changes the position of the forefinger of the hand
in which he holds the wand, or makes some slight gesture previously
agreed upon by him and his confederate. The confederate looks intently
at every article pointed out and pretends to be thinking deeply, while
the company are generally so intent on following his movements that
they do not notice the almost imperceptible motions of the magician.
If one of the company thinks he has detected the trick, he takes the
confederate’s place, and sometimes finds himself mistaken. If the
magician is a very mysterious personage he will be apt to magnetize the
confederate at the beginning of the game.
The “Black Art” is another form of the same game. The magician next
before pointing at the article agreed upon, points towards some
object of a black color, and in that way gives the information to his
confederate.
THE RHYMING GAME.
WHERE several are passing an evening quietly together, this game may
afford much amusement. It is played as follows: Each one of the company
writes a single word on a slip of paper; the more unusual and difficult
the word is to rhyme with, the more amusement it makes. These slips of
paper are placed in a hat, and each one of the company, in turn, draws
one, and then writes a couplet, in which the word drawn shall stand
at the end of a line, and the word at the end of the other line shall
rhyme with it. Of course, each may write as much more as he pleases.
Where the company are witty and ready, and have a faculty of making
verses easily, the game is a pleasant one. Epigrams on the company
present, puns and good-natured hits, add much to the fun in this game.
THE GAME OF TWENTY QUESTIONS.
THIS is one of the best of the games, though but little known. Such men
as Canning, Wyndham and Pitt have played it; the latter two, indeed,
were especially fond of it; so it does not lack recommendation. The
rules of the game and its description are briefly these:
Two persons (usually a lady and gentleman), chosen by the company,
privately fix upon an article or subject. Two others are then chosen to
discover the subject so agreed upon, and they must do this by asking
twenty questions as to its nature and qualities. A fifth person is
usually selected as umpire, who is made acquainted with the subject
fixed upon, and whose duty it is to see that all the questions are
fairly put and answered. The questions are to be put plainly, though in
the alternative, if desired, and the answers must be plain and direct.
The object of the thoughts must not be an abstract idea, or anything
so occult, or scientific, or technical, as to be beyond the reasonable
information of the company, but something well known to the present
day, or to general history. It may be, for example, any name of renown,
ancient or modern, or any well known work or memorial of art, but not
a mere event, as a battle, for instance. Of course, the discovery, if
made, is to be the fair result of mental inference from the questions
and answers, not of signs passing, or juggling of any description.
Mr. Pitt is said to have once succeeded in this game, when the subject
was _The stone upon which Walworth, Lord Mayor of London, stood, when
he struck down Wat. Tyler, in Richard II.’s time_!
In a game in which Mr. Canning was the questioner, the questions and
answers were as follows:—
_First._—Does what you have thought of belong to the animal or
vegetable kingdom?
_Answer._—To the vegetable.
_Second._—Is it manufactured, or unmanufactured?
_Answer._—Manufactured.
_Third._—Is it a solid, or a liquid?
_Answer._—A solid.
_Fourth._—Is it a thing entire in itself, or in parts?
_Answer._—Entire.
_Fifth._—Is it for private use, or public?
_Answer._—Public.
_Sixth._—Does it exist in England, or out of it?
_Answer._—In England.
_Seventh._—Is it single, or are there others of the same kind?
_Answer._—Single.
_Eighth._—Is it historical, or only existent at present?
_Answer._—Both.
_Ninth._—For ornament, or use?
_Answer._—Both.
_Tenth._—Has it any connection with the person of the king?
_Answer._—No.
_Eleventh._—Is it carried, or does it support itself?
_Answer._—The former.
_Twelfth._—Does it pass by succession? [Not answered, on account of
uncertainty; but, by agreement, the question was counted one in the
progress of the game.]
_Thirteenth._—Was it used at the coronation?
_Answer._—Yes.
_Fourteenth._—In the hall or abbey?
_Answer._—Probably, in both; certainly in the abbey.
_Fifteenth._—Does it belong specially to the coronation, or is it used
at other times?
_Answer._—It is used at other times.
_Sixteenth._—Is it exclusively of a vegetable nature, or is it not in
some parts a compound of a vegetable and a mineral?
_Answer._—Exclusively of a vegetable nature.
_Seventeenth._—What is its shape? [Objected to, as too particular;
withdrawn by the questioner and therefore not counted.]
_Seventeenth, repeated._—Is it decorated, or simple? [Objected to, but
objection not sustained.]
_Answer._—Simple.
_Eighteenth._—Is it used at the ordinary ceremonial of the House of
Commons or House of Lords?
_Answer._—No.
_Nineteenth._—Is it ever used by either House?
_Answer._—No.
_Twentieth._—Is it generally stationary, or movable?
_Answer._—Movable.
Answer, guessed correctly at the end of the twentieth question: “_The
wand of the Lord High Steward_.”
GAME OF PHOTOGRAPH.
ONE person is chosen to preside. He must see that each player is
provided with pencil and paper with which to write his replies to the
questions announced by the president. The questions are put in the
order here given, and the answers must be numbered to correspond with
the questions.
Questions.
1. What virtue do you most admire?
2. What vice do you most abhor?
3. Who is your favorite prose author?
4. Who is your favorite poet?
5. Who is your favorite poetess?
6. What book do you prefer?
7. What is your favorite amusement?
8. What is your favorite economy?
9. What is your favorite extravagance?
10. What is your favorite color?
11. What is your favorite hour?
12. What is your favorite art?
13. What is your favorite picture?
14. What is your favorite statue?
15. What is your favorite season?
16. What is your favorite flower?
17. What is your favorite aim of life?
18. Who is your favorite hero?
19. Who is your favorite heroine?
20. Which is your favorite summer resort?
21. What is your favorite weakness?
22. What is the sweetest word in the world?
23. What is the saddest word?
24. What is your favorite man’s name?
25. What is your favorite woman’s name?
26. What is your prevailing characteristic?
27. What is your favorite piece of music?
28. What is your favorite occupation?
29. Which do you prefer, wealth or a competency?
30. Which is your favorite animal?
When all the answers have been written, the papers are collected by the
President. No one is to see what answers have been written by any other
person. After shuffling them together, the President reads them aloud,
and each player guesses as to the authorship of each paper. Forfeits
are sometimes collected, and the game prolonged in that way. This game
cannot be well played except by persons who are well acquainted with
each other.
YORK AND LANCASTER, OR THE WAR OF THE ROSES.
THIS game is commenced by the choice of two Commanders, either by lot
or by vote. As it is necessary for the success of the game to select
the most skillful as the Commanders, each player should carefully
consider the merits of all the others before casting his vote. One
Commander is called Duke of York, and the other Duke of Lancaster. The
Commanders draw lots for the first choice of men, and each Duke selects
alternately a man from the players till the whole are drawn.
Each party marks out its fort by drawing semicircular lines; the forts
should be in line, twenty paces apart, and each of them sufficiently
large to hold easily one of the armies. Twenty paces in front of each
fort should be drawn a semicircle larger than the fort, which is called
the prison, the prisons and forts thus marking the four corners of a
square.
The two Dukes then draw lots to decide which shall commence the game.
If the Duke of York wins, he sends out one of his red-rose men, usually
a new player, who must run at least beyond the line of the prison
before he returns. As soon as he has started the other Duke sends out
one of his men to pursue, and, if possible, to touch the red-rose
runner before he can regain his own fort. If this is accomplished,
the successful runner returns to his fort, while the vanquished party
must go to the enemy’s prison, from which he cannot stir until some one
from his own side releases him, by touching him in spite of the enemy.
This is not an easy task, as in order to reach the enemy’s prison, the
player must pass by the enemy’s fort. It is allowable for the prisoner
to stretch his hand as far towards his rescuer as possible, but he must
keep his body within the bounds; and if several prisoners are taken, it
is sufficient for one to remain within the prison, while the rest, by
joining hands, make a chain towards the player who is trying to release
them. [The Commanders in the commencement of the game must decide if
they will allow this latter mode of escape.] When a rescue is thus
accomplished, both the prisoner and his rescuer return to their fort,
no one being allowed to touch them until they have reached then fort
and again started out.