Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium

A leader who can be very brisk in movement and resourceful in ideas stands in front of the other players and repeats this verse rapidly, imitating each time he repeats the verse some one action characteristic of the members of a band. For instance, the first time he may go through the pantomime of playing a fife; the next time, without any pause between, he may imitate the beating of a drum; the next, playing a fiddle, trombone, flute, cymbals, triangle, imitate the drum major, etc. All of the other players follow his movements.

The sport will depend largely upon the rapidity of the time and the vivacity that is put into the movements.

FOR THE SCHOOLROOM.—The head players in the different lines of seats should take turns in being the Bologna Man, and the movements should be such as will afford effective exercise. For instance, the first player will stand and repeat the verse while hopping on one foot, the entire class joining in the hopping. The moment he is through, the leader of the next row should jump up, face the class, and repeat the verse, going through some other motion, such as hopping on the other foot; he, in turn, to be succeeded by the next leader, etc. Many gymnastic movements will suggest themselves, such as jumping on both feet, jumping forward down the aisle frog fashion, jumping high in place, running in place, stretching the arms out sideways and bending sideways like a walking beam, whirling both arms around like a windmill, taking a dance step, etc.

WHIP TAG

10 to 30 or more players.

Playground; gymnasium.

This game may be played with a knotted towel, though it is perhaps more skillful and interesting when played with a "beetle," a small cylindrical sack about twenty inches long, stuffed with cotton, and resembling in general proportions a policeman's club.

All but one of the players stand in a circle with hands behind their backs. The odd player runs around the outside carrying the beetle, which he drops in the hands of any player in the circle. That player immediately turns to chase his right-hand neighbor, beating him as much as he can find opportunity for while he chases him around the circle and back to his place. It is obviously to the interest of this neighbor to outrun the beetle and escape a buffeting.

The one holding the beetle then takes the place of the first outside player, that one joining the ring. The new beetle man, in turn, runs around on the outside and drops the beetle in any hands which he chooses.

WHO GOES ROUND MY STONE WALL?

10 to 30 or more players.

Indoors; out of doors.

The players stand in a circle, numbering preferably twenty or less, with a little space between each two players, and not holding hands. They represent a sheepfold, but later, as each is chosen from the circle, he takes the part of a sheep. One player is chosen to be Jacky Lingo, who walks around outside of the circle. Another, who is the shepherd or owner of the sheep, stands in the center of the circle.

The owner says, "Who goes round my stone wall?" The outside player answers, "Nobody; only little Jacky Lingo."

"Pray don't steal any of my fat sheep."

Jacky Lingo answers: "Unless I take one-by-one, two-by-two, three-by-three! Follow me!"

As Jacky Lingo says his last line, he taps three different players on the back, one for "one-by-one," another for "two-by-two," and a third for "three-by-three." If a large number be playing, he may tap two for each count instead of one, making six in all. As the players are tapped, they step out from the sheepfold and line up back of Jacky Lingo, each one in the line placing his hands on the shoulders of the one next in front. This is continued until all the players are taken by Jacky Lingo, who then runs off around the ground with them. The owner goes after them, faces Jacky Lingo, and says, "Have you seen anything of my black sheep?"

"Yes; I gave them a lot of bread and butter and sent them up there" (pointing to left or right).

"Then what have you got behind you?"

"Only a few poor black sheep."

"Well, let me see! Here's my black sheep!"

The owner then tries to catch the sheep, and this Jacky Lingo tries to prevent. Any sheep in the line may be touched by the owner, and when so touched he steps out of the line and stands aside until all are caught.

VARIATION.—When played indoors or on the turf, the game may be played by the owner being blindfolded and taking a position on hands and knees—"all fours." The dialogue is the same as given above, and the gathering in of the sheep by Jacky Lingo the same, except that the players do not line up behind him. They simply stray over the ground when he takes them from the fold. When all are scattered in this way, they begin to cry, "Baa-a! baa-a!" and the owner, still on all fours and blinded, tries to catch them. The first one caught becomes shepherd the next time.

WINK

9 to 25 players.

House party.

An uneven number of players are required for this game. Enough chairs are placed in a circle to allow one chair to each two players and one for the odd player, that is, half as many chairs as there are players, with one player over. A player sits in each chair, all facing inward. Behind each chair stands a second player, who acts as guard. There should be one empty chair with a guard behind it. This odd player winks at some one sitting in the circle, who at once tries to slip out of his chair without being tagged by his guard and take his place in the empty chair. He may not go if he be tagged by his guard. The object of the guards should be to avoid being the keeper of an empty chair, and therefore the one who has to wink. The players try to evade the vigilance of the guards by the quickness and unexpectedness of their movements. The guards may not keep their hands on their prisoners, but must have them hanging at their sides until they see their players winked at. They may not dash around the sides of the chairs which they guard, but must stay all the time behind them.

Nodding the head may be used instead of winking, but is more apparent to the guards.

WOLF

5 to 30 or more players.

Out of doors.

This is an admirable hide and seek game where there are many hiding places, as in a village or the country.

One player is chosen for the wolf, who goes off and hides. The rest of the players are sheep, with one of their number as leader. A place is chosen for a pen where the sheep must stay and blind their eyes while the wolf is hiding. This pen may be a tree or rock or a square or circle drawn on the ground. The leader counts one hundred, to give the wolf time to hide. The sheep then start out, but must all follow their leader "like sheep," looking for the wolf in each place where the leader may search for him. This game differs from most other hiding games in that the searchers are the ones who have to flee for safety when the hider is discovered. As soon as the wolf is spied, the leader cries:—

The sheep at once stand still until the wolf has taken a jump toward them, which he must do before he may chase them; but immediately that the wolf has made his leap, the sheep all turn and run for the sheep pen, the wolf following. As the wolf may not run until he hears the word "wolf" at the end of the leader's lines, the latter often tantalizes the wolf by saying, "I spy the woolly, woolly—lamb!" or "the woolly, woolly—cat!" or names any other animal he chooses, with a pause before the name, to prolong the suspense of the impatient wolf, finally ending up with "the woolly, woolly—wolf!"

Any sheep tagged by the wolf becomes a wolf and joins the wolf the next time, hiding either in the same den with him or in a separate den. When there is more than one wolf, the leader halts his sheep whenever he spies a wolf, whether it be the original wolf or not, and all of the wolves join in the chase when the sheep run back to the pen. The game ends when all of the sheep have been caught.

The wolf has several resources at his command for catching sheep in addition to a simple chase. If at any time while in hiding he spies the sheep before they spy him, and considers their position in relation to the goal advantageous to himself, he may call, "Stand your ground, three feet!" whereupon the sheep must instantly stand still and then take three steps toward the wolf and stand again until he jumps toward them, when the chase for the sheep pen begins. The wolf may also exercise considerable finesse by running directly for the pen if he be in a position to reach it quicker or more directly than by chasing the sheep. Should he reach the pen first, he may then tag the sheep as they run in. One sheep may act as a decoy to engage the attention of the wolf while the others run into the pen.

WOOD TAG

3 to 30 or more players.

Out of doors; gymnasium.

This is a game of tag. When there are more than thirty players, it is desirable to have two or more who are It, or taggers. The players venture as near as possible to the one who is It, taunting him by crying, "Ticky, ticky, touch wood!" Any player may seek immunity from being tagged by touching a piece of wood. No growing thing, however, such as a tree or shrub, is to be considered as wood. No player may stay very long in any place of safety, and the moment his hand or foot be taken from the wood he is liable to be tagged. A player who is not near wood may gain a few minutes' respite by calling out "Parley!" but he must stand perfectly still in the place where he then is, the tagger being able to tag him if he makes the slightest move of any part of his body. When such a player decides to run again, he calls out, "Parley out!"

This game affords opportunity for a great deal of sport through the making of false starts and the daring approach to the one who is It, who, in turn, may make sudden and unexpected sorties in different directions.

WRESTLING

YARDS OFF

3 to 30 or more players.

Out of doors.

Two players are chosen, one to be It and one for stick thrower. All the players stand grouped around a goal, and the stick thrower throws a stick as far away from the goal as he can. As soon as the stick touches the ground, all of the players, including the thrower, but not the one who is It, scatter and hide. The one who is It must walk to the stick (never run), take it up, bring it back, and stand it up, resting against the goal. He then starts to hunt for the hidden players. He must run back and touch the goal for any player whom he discovers, saying, "One, two, three, for—!" naming the player. Any one caught in this way becomes a prisoner at the goal. Any player who has not been detected by the spy may run in to the goal at any time and throw the stick away, whereby all of the prisoners, i.e. those who have been spied and previously caught, become free and hide again. Whenever this freeing of prisoners happens, the spy must return to the goal, walk to the stick, pick it up, walk back with it to the goal again, and go on with the play as before. This continues until the spy has touched the goal for all of the players, though they need not all be prisoners at once. Any player spied who reaches the goal before the spy, is thereafter free; i.e. out of the game. The last one caught becomes spy for the next game.

QUIET GAMES

QUIET GAMES

AUTHOR'S INITIALS

2 to 60 players.

Parlor; schoolroom.

Each player is given a piece of paper on which is written various series or groups of words, each group descriptive of some author, and each word beginning with one of his initials in regular order. The player wins who guesses the largest number of authors. The following are suggested; others may be devised:—

1. Juveniles firmly conquered (James Fenimore Cooper).
2. Name honored (Nathaniel Hawthorne).
3. Bright humor (Bret Harte).
4. One wholesome humorist (Oliver Wendell Holmes).
5. Really lasting stories (Robert Louis Stevenson).
6. Cheerful laborer (Charles Lamb).
7. Tender, brilliant author (Thomas Bailey Aldrich).
8. Heroism wisely lauded (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow).
9. Just, gentle writer (John Greenleaf Whittier).
10. Poetry bridged skyward (Percy Bysche Shelley).
11. Clever delineator (Charles Dickens).
12. Rare brain (Robert Browning).
13. Weird imagination (Washington Irving).

"B" GAME

5 to 30 or more players.

House party.

Each player is given a sheet of paper with numbered questions prepared like the following list. The answer to each question is to be written opposite it, and must consist of the letter B as an initial and added to it the number of letters designated, the whole conforming to the definition given. The following examples will illustrate:—

1. B and one letter, meaning to exist.—Be.
2. B and two letters forming a sack.—Bag.
3. B and three letters forming a storehouse.—Barn.
4. B and three letters, side of a stream.—Bank.
5. B and three letters, a young creature.—Baby.
6. B and three letters, a bag of goods.—Bale.
7. B and three letters, without hair.—Bald.
8. B and three letters, a surety.—Bond.
9. B and three letters, timber.—Beam.
10. B and three letters, a vegetable.—Beet.—Bean.
11. B and three letters, a poet.—Bard.
12. B and three letters, a drink.—Beer.
13. B and three letters, a globule.—Bead.
14. B and three letters, part of a bird.—Beak.
15. B and three letters, a vessel.—Boat.
16. B and four letters, an appendage.—Beard.
17. B and four letters, a tree.—Beech.
18. B and four letters, to commence.—Begin.
19. B and four letters, a strand.—Beach.
20. B and four letters, a receptacle.—Basin.
21. B and four letters, a kind of meat.—Bacon.
22. B and five letters, a combat.—Battle.
23. B and five letters, a hound.—Beagle.
24. B and five letters, a signal.—Beacon.
25. B and five letters, a cup.—Beaker.
26. B and eight letters, a demon.—Beelzebub.

The player wins who answers correctly the largest number. This game may be devised for any initial letter.

BARGAIN COUNTER

5 to 30 or more players.

House party.

Each player is provided with a paper and pencil. The following is either written on the papers in advance, or by the players from dictation, minus the underscoring. Each player is then required to find in the text the names of twenty-five textiles that may be purchased in a dry goods store, none to be mentioned twice, indicating each by underscoring. The player wins who has the largest number correct.

Dolly Varden, immaculately dressed, sat in the window ledge and heard from the church near by the mellow chords of the organ dying slowly away. Her silken hair was well drawn back from her forehead low and broad. Clothed as she was in pink and green, she made one think of the spring. She was considered musical; I considered her brilliant in every way. I was before the dresser, getting ready to go out, and taking a forkful of cold slaw now and then, or some mock duck. "I want to send a line north, Henrietta," said Dolly, bringing ham sandwiches; for she saw I felt hungry. She then wrote this letter: "I marvel, veterans, if you pause in your good work for lack of cash, merely as is represented. You should canvas for a book or paper, Caleb, some handy volume, possibly a duodecimo. Hairsplitting terms like this I do not often employ, but, blessings on the head of Cadmus! linguists must sometimes use their hands as well as their wit, weed gardens, if need be, but spare the mullein, for it seems to me like a flower. Always remember that, though the light burns dim, it yet will burn."

BEAST, BIRD, OR FISH

10 to 30 or more players.

Parlor; gymnasium; playground; schoolroom.

The players stand or are seated, preferably in a circle. One player stands or sits in the center with a soft ball, made by crushing paper or knotting up a handkerchief. This is thrown at one of the players by the one in the center, who says quickly, "Beast, bird, or fish!" then repeats one of these classes and immediately counts ten, whereupon the player who has been hit by the ball must name some beast or bird or fish, according to the class last named by the thrower. This must be done before the latter has finished counting ten. For instance, the thrower will say as he throws, "Beast, bird, or fish!—Bird!" whereupon the player hit by the handkerchief must name a bird while the thrower counts ten. This must not be a repetition of any bird previously named in the game. Should the player who is hit by the ball fail to meet the requirements, he changes places with the thrower. Should he succeed, the thrower repeats the game by hitting some other player.

IN THE SCHOOLROOM this game may be played with all the players but one in their accustomed seats.

An old English form of this game substitutes the words "Fire, air, and water," for "Beast, bird, and fish," the players being required to name some animal that lives in the air or water when those elements are named, but to keep silence when fire is named. In this form the game is supposed to be a survival of fire worship.

BUZZ

5 to 30 or more players.

Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom; parlor.

This is a quiet game, as distinguished from those requiring much muscular activity. One of the players starts the game by saying "One"; the next says "Two," the next "Three," etc., until the number "Seven" is reached, when the word "Buzz" is substituted for it. The next player says "Eight," and so on up to a multiple of seven, such as fourteen, twenty-one, twenty-eight, etc., on each of which the word "Buzz" should be used instead of the right number. The word "Buzz" is also substituted for any number in which the word seven occurs, even though it should not be a multiple of seven, such as seventeen, twenty-seven, thirty-seven, etc. When seventy is reached, the counting proceeds as "Buzz-one," "Buzz-two," etc., and seventy-seven is "Buzz-buzz."

Whenever a player says a number instead of "Buzz," or says "Buzz" in the wrong place, or calls out a wrong number, he must pay a forfeit and start the game over again by saying "One."

The game may also be played by having each player who misses drop from the game. Where this is done, and the player retains his seat but is silent, the game becomes even more confusing for the players who remain.

CAKE SALE

Any number.

Parlor.

Each player is given a card or sheet of paper prepared with the following questions, or they may be dictated at the time. The one wins who has the largest number of answers correct.

What kind of cake would you buy for—

1. Sculptors? (Marble cake.)
2. Politicians? (Plum cake.)
3. Geologists? (Layer cake.)
4. Advertisers? (Cream puffs.)
5. Dairymen? (Cream cake.)
6. Milliners? (Ribbon cake.)
7. His Satanic Majesty? (Angel's food.)
8. Babies? (Patty cakes.)
9. Lovers? (Kisses.)
10. The betrothed? (Bride's cake.)
11. Gossips? (Spice cake.)
12. Carpenters? (Plain (plane) cake.)
13. Idlers? (Loaf cake.)
14. Pugilists? (Pound cake.)
15. One who lives on his friends? (Sponge cake.)
16. Dynamiters? (Raisin cake.)
17. Invalids? (Delicate cake.)
18. Convalescents? (Sunshine cake.)
19. "Boodlers"? (Dough-nuts.)
20. Those who sample all these too much? (Stomach ache.)

CAT PARTY

5 to 30 or more players.

House party.

Each player is provided with a sheet of paper on which are written the following questions. Each question is to be answered with a word, of which the first syllable is cat. The player wins who writes the largest number of correct answers, the list of answers being read by the host or hostess at the close of the time allowed for the game.

Examples of questions are given below:—

1. What sort of cat is allowed in a library? (Catalogue.)
2. What sort of cat makes you think of reflected sounds? (Catacoustics.)
3. What sort of cat unites well with a toilet article? (Catacomb.)
4. What sort of cat requires a physician's attention? (Catalepsy.)
5. What sort of cat is feared by soldiers? (Catapult.)
6. What sort of cat is bad for the eyes? (Cataract.)
7. What sort of cat is to be dreaded? (Catastrophe.)
8. What sort of cat is allowed on the table? (Catsup.)
9. What sort of cat goes to Sunday school? (Catechism.)
10. What sort of cat do girls most detest? (Caterpillar.)
11. What sort of cat makes small boys weep? (Cat-o'-nine-tails.)

CRAMBO

10 to 30 players.

House party.

Each player is provided with two slips of paper, and also with another full sheet of paper and a pencil. On one of the slips he writes a question. This may be as serious or absurd as fancy dictates. On the other slip of paper he writes a word, either a common or proper noun. The slips containing the questions are then collected in a box or hat, and those containing the nouns in another receptacle. The questions are thoroughly mixed and passed around, each player drawing one. The same is done with the nouns.

Each player must then write a verse which shall answer the question and contain the word that he has drawn, no matter how irrelevant they may be. A time limit is generally given for this performance, varying with the facility of the players.

The following may serve as examples. The author recalls a very grave banker, not suspected of humor, who drew the question, "How long should you roast a leg of mutton?" The word drawn was "Finger." He wrote:—

Another business man drew the question, "What is the difference between doughnuts and sponge cake?" The word was "Youth." He wrote:—

The game may be made more difficult by each player writing on a third slip of paper a verb or an adjective, these to be collected and redistributed with the nouns and questions.

CROSS QUESTIONS

10 to 60 players.

Parlor; schoolroom.

All but one of the players sit in two rows facing each other, those directly opposite each other being partners. The odd player walks around the rows behind the others, asking questions of any player facing him from the farther row. The question must be answered, not by the player addressed, but by his partner or vis-a-vis, who sits with his back to the questioner.

Any player answering a question addressed directly to him, or failing to answer one addressed to his partner, or giving an incorrect answer to a question, changes places with the questioner, or pays a forfeit, as may have been decided on beforehand.

FOR THE SCHOOLROOM.—When played in the schoolroom, the adjacent rows should form a group and face each other so as to leave free aisles between the groups in which the questioners may walk, as shown in the diagram of "Old Man Tag."

The game may be made to correlate with almost any subject in the school curriculum, the questioner asking, for instance, for capital cities, boundaries, mountains, etc., for geography; for dates or the names of heroes in great events, for history; or even for brief problems in mental arithmetic.

DUMB CRAMBO

10 to 30 or more players.

Parlor.

The players are divided into two parties. One party goes outside of the room, and those remaining choose some verb, which is to be guessed and acted by the other party. The outside party is then told some word which rhymes with the chosen verb. They consult among themselves, decide on a verb which they think may be the right one, enter the room, and without speaking act out the word they have guessed. The inside party must decide from this pantomime if the correct verb has been guessed. If not, they shake their heads. If right, they clap their hands. No speaking is allowed on either side. If the outside party be wrong in their guess, they retire and try another word, repeating this play until they hit upon the right word, when the two sides change places.

FIND THE RING

10 to 30 or more players.

Parlor; gymnasium; schoolroom.

The players sit in a circle, holding in their hands a long piece of string tied at the ends so as to form a circle large enough to go around, a small ring having been put upon this string. One player is chosen to stand in the center. The players who are seated then pass the ring from one to another, the object being for the player in the center to detect who has the ring. The other players will try to deceive him by making passes to indicate the passage of the ring when it really is not in their vicinity. When the player in the center thinks he knows who has the ring, he calls out the name of that player. If right, he sits down, and that player must take his place in the center. This game may be played by the players repeating the following lines as the ring is passed around the circle:—

This game may be played out of doors around a bush, in which case the player who is It must circle around the outside of the ring formed by the other players instead of standing in the center.

FLOWER MATCH

2 to 10 players.

Out of doors.

The players each gather a handful of meadow bloom—blossoms and grass indiscriminately, not selecting the contents of the bunch. All sit down in a group. The first player lays out one from his pile, say a buttercup. All of the players around the circle try to match this, that is, each one who has buttercups lays all of them in a pile with that of the first player, who appropriates the entire pile when this has gone around the circle. Then the next player lays out something which all must try to match. The one wins who has the largest number of grasses or blossoms all counted together at the end. Different sorts of grasses and leaves count in this game as well as different kinds or colors of blossoms.

GRASS BLADE

2 to 10 players.

Out of doors.

Each child gathers a handful of grass, the soft, flexible grass blades being best for the purpose. The players are all seated in a group. One child makes a loop of a blade of grass by holding the two ends in his hand. Another child loops a blade of grass through this and the two pull; the one whose grass blade breaks loses, and the two pieces as trophies are given to the successful player, who then matches his grass blade with the next, and so on around the circle until his grass blade breaks, when he loses his turn and the next player has a similar turn. The one wins who has the greatest pile of trophies at the end.

HANDS UP—HANDS DOWN

10 to 60 players.

Schoolroom.

This is a schoolroom adaptation of Up Jenkins, and is designed especially for use as children assemble in a class room before the opening of the school session. The only material required is a small paper or worsted ball of a size that may be hidden in the clinched hand.

The players are divided into two groups, each group seated, partly facing the other (indicated by arrows in the diagram) with a captain standing before each side at C.

The side starting the game is given a small ball of paper or worsted, and at the command of the captain of the opposing side the players pass the ball rapidly from one to another. Each player makes the motion of passing, so as to deceive the opposing group as to the whereabouts of the ball.

The captain and players of the opposing group meanwhile keep a sharp lookout for the ball without leaving their seats.

After a short time of passing, the captain, who started the passing (Group B, diagram) calls suddenly, "Hands up!" and immediately all passing in Group A must cease, and all hands must be raised high overhead and tightly clinched, so the player having the ball, when the passing ceased, may not disclose the fact.

The B captain again gives a sudden command of "Hands down!" Immediately all hands are brought down softly on the desk in front of each player of Group A, hands wide open, palms downward, and again the player with the ball tries to hide it under his hand.

The players of Group B, who think they know who has the ball, raise their hands. No player may speak unless called by his captain. When called, he may say, "Under J.'s right hand" (or left hand, as the case may be). J. raises the right hand, and if the guesser be mistaken, places that hand in his lap, it being thereafter out of commission, so to speak. No other player of Group A moves a hand. Should the ball be found under the hand raised, the opposing group, i.e. Group B, receives as many points as there are hands left upon the desks. Otherwise, the search continues, the captain of Group B asking players of his group to order a hand raised, or orders it himself, until the ball is discovered. Group B now takes the ball and passes it from one to another, and Group A gives commands through its captain. The side making a score of three hundred points wins. A side loses ten points when a player talks or calls for a hand to be raised without the permission or call of the captain.

HEN ROOST

5 to 30 or more players.

Parlor; schoolroom.

Each of the players except one chooses a word, which should be the name of some object, and in answering any questions put to him in the game he must introduce this word which he has chosen into each answer. The odd player takes the place of questioner. He may ask one or more questions of each player, as he sees fit, the dialogue taking any turn he chooses, the following being suggestive of the general tone of it:—

The questioner says: "I heard that you got into the hen roost yesterday. How did you get in?"

Answer: "With the dictionary."

To the next player: "What did you find there?"

Answer: "A horse."

To the next player: "What did you give him to eat?"

Answer: "A sofa pillow," etc.

Any player who laughs, or who fails to answer promptly or correctly to the question, must change places with the questioner. Forfeits may also be required if desired.

HORNS

5 to 60 players.

Indoors; out of doors; schoolroom.

This game is played very much like "Simon says." It is a quiet game that may be played with all of the players seated, their forefingers placed on their knees or on a table or desk in front of them. One who is leader says:—

"All horns up!"

"Cat's horns up!" or

"Cow's horns up!"

whereupon he lifts his own forefingers, pointing upward. Should he name an animal that has horns, all of the players lift their fingers in similar manner, but should he name an animal such as a cat, that has no horns, any player that lifts his fingers in imitation of the leader is out of the game.

INITIALS

5 to 30 or more players.

House party.

For this game it will be necessary to prepare slips of paper, one for each player. At the head of the paper are written the initials of some person who will be present; under this a series of questions which the player drawing the paper is to answer. The papers are put in a box or hat and drawn by the players, or held in the hand with the initials concealed and drawn in that way. A certain time may be allowed, if desired, for the answering of the questions.

The answers must be written in each case immediately below the question, must consist of only as many words as there are initials at the top of the sheet, and the words of the answer must begin with the initials in their proper order. For example:—

1. To whom does this paper belong? (Henry B. Brown.)
2. What is his character? (Horrid, but bearable.)
3. What kind of hair has he? (Heavy, burnished brown.)
4. What kind of eyes has he? (Heavenly, bright blue.)
5. What books does he prefer? (Handsomely bound biographies.)
6. What animals does he prefer? (Howling big bears.)
7. What is his chief occupation? (Hammering bulky boxes.)
8. What do you surmise regarding his future? (He'd better beware.)
9. What does he think of the opposite sex? (Hebes! Bright beauties!)
10. What does he think of the world in general? (He's becoming bewildered.)

LEAF BY LEAF

Any number of players.

Out of doors; indoors.

A basket of leaves is provided, no two of the leaves being alike. These may be leaves from trees, shrubs, or plants, or flowers may be used in the same way.

The players are each provided with a card or slip of paper and a pencil, and are seated. One leaf is handed to the first player, who passes it on to the next, and so on until it has made the round of the group. Each player, in turn, if he can identify the leaf, writes the name of it on a card. Each leaf is thus passed.

The host or hostess then reads a correct list, naming the leaves in the order in which they were passed. The player wins who has the largest number correct.

This is an especially pleasing game for nature students.

LITERARY LORE

5 to 30 or more players.

House party.

Each player is given a sheet of paper on which the following questions are written. The player wins who writes correct answers to the largest number of questions. This game may be worked up from the writings of any poet or author. Examples are given from Tennyson and Longfellow. The answers are appended here, but in playing the game should be read by the host or hostess at the end.

1. What poem is it that sings down the vale?—The Brook.
2. What is the poem whose father is king?—The Princess.
3. The poem that honors a friend who is gone?—In Memoriam.
4. The poem that rules in the spring?—The May Queen.
5. The poem that lives in the depths of the sea?—The Mermaid.
6. The poem once baked in a pie?—The Blackbird.
7. The poem from which all its dwellers have gone?—The Deserted House.
8. The poem that is a good-by?—The Farewell.
9. The poem whose dress was tatters and rags?—The Beggar Maid.
10. The poem that lets in light?—The Window.
11. The poem in which we see castles in Spain?—The Day Dream.
12. The poem that sees in the night?—The Owl.

1. What poem is it that helps to shoe your horse?—The Village Blacksmith.
2. The poem that needs an umbrella?—The Rainy Day. An April Day.
3. The poem that carries you across?—The Bridge.
4. The poem that finds you weary?—The Day is Done.
5. The poem that keeps the time?—The Old Clock on the Stairs.
6. The poem that belongs to little people?—The Children's Hour.

LONDON

2 players.

Indoors; schoolroom; seashore.