Part 13 (1/2)

Proverbs

One or two players go out. The others sit in line and choose a proverb having as many words as there are players. Thus, if there were eight players, ”They love too much who die for love” would do; or if more than eight, two short proverbs might be chosen. Each player having made certain what his word is, the others are called in. It is their duty to find out what proverb has been fixed upon, and the means of doing so is to ask each player in turn a question on any subject whatever, the answer to which must contain that player's word in the proverb. If the first round of questions does not reveal the proverb, they go round again and again.

Shouting Proverbs

In this game, instead of answering questions one by one, when the guesser or guessers come in the players at a given signal shout the words which belong to them at the top of their voice and all together.

The guessers have to separate the proverb from the din.

Acting Proverbs

This is a very simple acting game. The players should divide themselves into actors and audience. The actors decide upon a proverb, and in silence represent it to the audience as dramatically as possible. Such proverbs as ”Too many cooks spoil the broth,” and ”A bad workman quarrels with his tools,” would be very easy--almost too easy if any stress is laid upon guessing. But, of course, although the guessing is understood to be part of the fun, the acting is the thing.

Acting Initials

Two players go out. The others choose the name of a well-known person, public or private, the letters of whose name are the same in number as the players left in the room. Thus, supposing there are seven persons in the room, the name might be d.i.c.kens. The letters are then distributed; each player, as soon as he knows which letter is his, selecting some well-known living or historical character beginning with the same letter, whom he has to describe or personate. To personate is more fun than to describe. The players seat themselves in the right order to spell the name, and the other two are called in.

When they are ready the first player, D, is called on to describe or impersonate his letter; and so on in the right order.

Acting Verbs, or Dumb Crambo

In this game the company divides into two. One half goes out, and the one that remains decides upon a verb which the others shall act in dumb show. A messenger is then despatched to tell the actors what the chosen word rhymes to. Thus, if ”weigh” were the verb fixed upon, the messenger might announce that it rhymes to ”day.” It is then well for the actors to go through the alphabet for verbs--bay, bray, lay, neigh, pay, prey, pray, play, stay, say; and act them in order. When the word is wrong the spectators hiss, but when right they clap. If the word chosen has two syllables, as ”obey,” notice ought to be given.

Guessing Employments

A very simple game. One player goes out. The others decide on some workman to represent, each pretending to do some different task belonging to his employment. Thus, if they choose a carpenter, one will plane, one will saw, one will hammer, one will chisel, and so on.

Their occupation has then to be guessed. It is perhaps more interesting if each player chooses a separate trade.

Stool of Repentance

One player goes out. The others then say in turn something personal about him--such as, ”He has a pleasant voice”; ”His eye is piercing”; ”He would look better if he wore a lower collar.” Those remarks are written down by one of the party, and the player is called in and placed on a chair in the middle. The recorder then reads the remarks that he has collected, and the player in the middle has to name the persons who made them.

Eyes

A sheet, or a screen made of newspapers, is hung up, and two holes, a little larger than eyes and the same distance apart, are made in it.

Half the players retire to one side of it, and half stay on the other.

They then look through the holes in turn, while those on the opposite side try to name the owner of the eyes. The game sounds tame, but the difficulty of recognition and the false guesses made soon lead to laughter.

Making Obeisance

This is a trick. Those in the company who have never played the game go out of the room. One of the inside players, who is to represent the potentate, then mounts a chair and is covered with a sheet which reaches to the ground. At the point where it touches a shoe is placed, the toe of which is just visible. In the potentate's hand is a sponge full of water. One of the players outside is then invited in; he is told to kneel down and kiss the toe; the potentate on the chair leans forward a little to bring his sponge immediately over the subject's head; and a shower-bath follows. Then another subject is admitted, but after a while there is enough water on the floor to make them suspicious.

Mesmerism