Part 6 (1/2)

The leader begins by saying the first sentence, which is repeated by each player in turn. The leader in every case adds the new line, which is repeated by the other players in succession. Anyone making a mistake or omission drops out of the contest. As the ranks grow thinner, the players are required to repeat the sentences more rapidly, and no time for hesitation allowed. The one who makes no mistake is ent.i.tled to a prize.

The sentences are as follows:

1. One old ox opening oysters.

2. Two tall Turks twirling twisted turbans.

3. Three tinkering tailors totally tired.

4. Four fat Frenchmen fanning a fainting fly.

5. Five funny farmers feeding feathered fowls.

6. Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.

7. Seven shy soldiers shooting salted salmon.

8. Eight eccentric Englishmen exhibiting educated elephants.

9. Nine nimble n.o.blemen nibbling nasturtiums.

10. Ten tipsy tailors toddling timidly together.

TRADES

Each player must choose a trade and pretend to be working at it. For instance, if he is a tailor he must pretend to sew or iron; if a blacksmith, to hammer, and so on. One is the king, and he too, chooses a trade. Everyone works away as hard as he can until the king suddenly gives up his trade, and takes up that of some one else. Then all must stop, except the one whose business the king has taken, and he must start with the king's work. The two go on until the king chooses to go back to his own trade, when all begin working again. Any one who fails either to cease working or to begin again at the right time, must pay a forfeit.

A somewhat more elaborate and livelier game of Trades is played by each boy in the party choosing a trade which he is supposed to be carrying on.

The leader must invent a story, and standing in the middle, must tell it to the company. He must manage to bring in a number of names of trades or businesses; and whenever a trade is mentioned, the person who represents it must instantly name some article sold in the shop.

THINK OF A NUMBER

In this game the leader tells one of the players to think of any number he likes, but not to say it aloud. He next tells him to double it; this done, the player is told to add eight to the result, and then halve it.

After doing this he must halve the whole, and from what is left take away the number first thought of. If correctly worked out the answer will be four, which is just half the number which the leader told the player to add after the original number was doubled. For instance, we will suppose the number thought of to have been twenty. When doubled, the result will be forty. The player then adds eight, which gives him a total of forty-eight. He halves this, and has twenty-four left. When he has taken away the number first thought of (twenty) he has a total of four--which is half the number the leader told him to add in the beginning of the game.

THIS AND THAT

A confederate is necessary for this trick. The one performing the trick goes out of the room and the confederate agrees with the audience to touch a certain article. The person outside is recalled and his confederate begins to question him. ”Did I touch this music book?” ”No.”

”Did I touch this table?” ”No.” ”Did I touch this knife?” ”No.” ”Did I touch that fork?” ”Yes.” The secret consists in saying the word ”that”

before the article touched, instead of ”this.”

WHAT AM I DOING?

The players seat themselves in a row and the leader of the game takes his place behind them, beginning at the top of the row. He makes some absurd gesture and then asks the person behind whom he is standing ”What am I doing?” If the player replies incorrectly, and he generally does, he is doomed to stand up and imitate in silence the gesture he could not guess, until he has leave to sit down.