Part 7 (2/2)

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The players seat themselves in a circle on the floor, having chosen one of their number to remain outside the circle. The children seated on the floor are supposed to be cobblers, and the one outside is the customer who has brought his shoe to be mended. He hands it to one of them, saying:

”Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe; Get it done by half-past two.”

The cobblers pa.s.s the shoe round to each other as quickly as they can, taking care that the customer does not see which of them has it. When the customer comes to fetch it he is told that it is not ready. He pretends to get angry and says he will take it as it is. He must then try to find it, and the cobbler who has it must try to pa.s.s it to his neighbor without its being seen by the customer. The person upon whom the shoe is found must become the customer, while the customer takes his place in the circle on the floor.

FLYING

This game requires for the leader a person who can tell a story or make a little amusing speech. Each one who plays must place the right hand upon the left arm. The leader then tells a story, during the telling of which whenever he mentions any creature that can fly, every right hand is to be raised and fluttered in the air to imitate the action of flying. At the name of a creature that does not fly, the hands must be kept quiet, under pain of a forfeit. Thus:

The little wren is very small, The humming-bee is less; The ladybird is least of all, And beautiful in dress.

The pelican she loves her young, The stork its parent loves; The woodc.o.c.k's bill is very long, And innocent are doves.

In Germany they hunt the boar, The bee brings honey home, The ant lays up a winter store, The bear loves honeycomb.

THE BLIND MAN'S WAND

This is another way of playing Blind Man's Buff, and is thought by many to be an improvement on that game.

The player who is blindfolded stands in the center of the room, with a long paper wand, which can be made of a newspaper folded up lengthways, and tied at each end with string. The other players then join hands and stand round him in a circle. Some one then plays a merry tune on the piano, and the players dance round and round the blind man, until suddenly the music stops; the blind man then takes the opportunity of lowering his wand upon one of the circle, and the player upon whom it has fallen has to take hold of it. The blind man then makes a noise, such as, for instance, the barking of a dog, a street cry, or anything he thinks will cause the player he has caught to betray himself, as the captive must imitate whatever noise the blind man likes to make. Should the blind man detect who holds the stick, the one who is caught has to be blind man; if not, the game goes on until he succeeds.

JUDGE AND JURY

The company should be seated in two lines facing each other, and one of the party should then be elected to act as judge. Each person has to remember who is sitting exactly opposite, because when the judge asks a question of any one, it is not the person directly asked who has to reply, but the person opposite to the judge. For instance, if the judge, addressing one of the company, asks: ”Do you like apples?”

the person spoken to must remain silent, while the person who is opposite to him must reply before the judge can count ten; the penalty on failing to do this is a forfeit. A rule with regard to the answers is that the reply must not be less than two words in length, and must not contain the words: ”Yes,” ”No,” ”Black,” ”White,” or ”Gray.” For the breaking of this rule a forfeit may also be claimed.

”HANDS UP!”

[Plate 3]

The company in this game must divide, one-half taking seats on one side of the table, and the other half on the other side; the players on one side being called the ”guessers” and the players on the other side being called the ”hiders.” A b.u.t.ton or any small object is produced, and the hiders have to pa.s.s it from hand to hand, under the table, so that those sitting opposite may not know who holds it. When it is hidden, one of the guessers cries out, ”Hands up!” Immediately the hiders must place their closed hands on the table; the guessers have then to find out which hand holds the b.u.t.ton. If successful, the hiders take their turn at guessing. The person in whose hand the b.u.t.ton is found must pay a forfeit.

LODGINGS TO LET

The company sit in a circle, and a player stands in the center. There is one spare chair, and the game is for this player to get possession of a vacant seat. When the game begins, every one moves as quickly as possible to the chair next beside him or her, and as this is done all the time, it is difficult for the person who is looking for ”lodgings”

to find a place by slipping in among them, and his attempts will cause much amus.e.m.e.nt.

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