“The first charm is
A Piece of Lava
brought from Mt. Pelee in a witch’s pocket (Fig. 58). If you will all kindly slip both of your hands through openings directly opposite you in the witch screen (Fig. 59), you may have the pleasure of passing the lava from one to another. Receiving and giving the lava according to rule means a successful year, but woe to the one who drops it, for to him will come disappointment.”
After you have made your little speech, sit down and, hidden by the screen, take from a tray at your side a hot potato (Fig. 58), which has been in the oven only long enough to become thoroughly heated; place it in the hand at the head of the line with the words, “I give you the charmed lava; pass it on.” Though the girls and boys may not see what they have, they can assuredly feel it, and there comes in the fun, for each in turn will be sorely tempted to drop the hot potato and yet not dare to do so, and no hint being given, the next neighbor will in turn be equally startled. When the lava reaches the last player, some one back of the screen at that end must receive the precious object and store it away on a tray.
As soon as the hot lava is disposed of, arise and tell the company that the next charm is a piece of
Wonderful Japanese Crystal
(Fig. 60). It will enable them to see and understand everything more quickly and clearly; it will also gain new friends and delightful surprises. To drop the crystal brings dulness of comprehension, no friends and no surprises. Use a piece of ice for this. The third charm is a rare natural history specimen, called
The Baby Porcupine
(Fig. 61). The little creature signifies difficulties successfully overcome, but if dropped the fortune will be reversed. The porcupine is in reality a chestnut bur.
A Harmless Serpent
forms the fourth charm; it renders all girls and boys proof against fear of wild animals, and imparts the faculty of taming and making pets of many inhabitants of the forest, but the charm will be lost with one failing to pass it on its way. The serpent is a snake made of soft dough.
One of the best fairy gifts is
A Treasure from the Great Blue Sea
It means a joyous ocean voyage to new and beautiful lands, but if dropped, the player will encounter storms and perils. Hand the first player a slippery raw oyster.
When all the charms have been tested, announce that before returning the treasures to the witches you will place them on exhibition; then turn back the witch screen and let the girls and boys gather around the tray of queer charms, where they can laugh and exchange comments to their hearts’ content. The effect of the witch screen may be enhanced by using a breadth of brilliant-red muslin and pasting on it black moons, stars, cats, etc. Erect at each end of the screen a comic pumpkin lantern head, with white paper fastened on the inside over the features to light them up, instead of a real light placed inside. Slide each pumpkin head on the end of a pole, and rest the pumpkin firmly on four long, strong nails driven in around near the top of the pole. The lower end of each pole may be steadied and supported by being inserted in a hole bored through the centre of a heavy piece of plank, where it must form a very tight fit; or you can sink the pole into a deep pail of stones and earth. If it is possible to have the only light in the room placed back of the screen, the effect produced will add to the mystery and enchantment. Make all decorations as funny as you like, but avoid anything grotesquely unpleasant. Let every item be agreeable, from the least to the most important arrangement for the evening’s fun.
A very pretty way of telling fortunes is with
Fairy Airships
made of feathers. Take as many fluffy feathers as there are girls and boys in the party and paste on each feather a prophecy written on a bit of paper, such as:
Put all the fairy airships into a pasteboard box-lid, which you have previously punched full of holes, and, standing on a stool or chair, hold the box-lid high in the air while you slowly and impressively say to the company: “These fairy airships will decide your fate regarding marriage. Will you marry?” At the word “marry” launch the ships of fate by fanning vigorously under the box-lid with a large palm-leaf fan, which will send the ships flying in every direction; as they sail through the air each player must endeavor to catch one before it falls.
When order has been restored and all have their airships, each girl and boy in turn must read aloud the prophecy brought by the fairy vessel.
All the party will enjoy the
Blarney Stone Game
Place a large, clean stone on a doily-covered fancy plate which rests on a table in the centre of the room, and tell your guests that a certain spell cast on the famous Blarney Stone in Ireland caused the virtues of that wonderful stone to be transmitted to the stone in the very room where they stand, and that if a girl or boy, when blindfolded, can walk up to the table and kiss the Hallowe’en Blarney Stone, she or he will ever after be jolly and happy and prove a most agreeable companion. Then tie a handkerchief across the eyes of each of the players in turn and let them walk up to and try to kiss the stone before the witches come to take away the magic spell, which they will do long before the clock strikes twelve at midnight.
During the evening be sure to try fortunes by the
Fortune Jingle
On different sheets of paper write one of the following verses:
Place each verse in a separate envelope and hang all on a string stretched and tied to the backs of two chairs. Distribute squares of paper each marked with a number beginning at number one. The player receiving number one has first choice of envelopes from the line. Two brings second choice, and so on. When all missives have been taken and the signal given for opening the envelopes, the player receiving verse one reads aloud, “One is good fortune”; immediately after the person with number two reads, and the other verses follow in numerical succession, every envelope bringing its gift to the recipient.
Have Titania’s Stage Ready
that she may not be kept waiting, for queens and fairies will brook no delay (Fig. 62). Find a wooden box 18½ inches long by 13 inches wide or larger (Fig. 63). With a heavy hammer or a hatchet pry up and knock off the top and one of the long sides (Fig. 64). The open side forms the front of the roofless stage.
The coloring of the stage should be a light sage green. If possible, procure this color in cartridge wallpaper wider than the stage. With a string measure the distance across the back wall of stage from top to bottom (A to B Fig. 64), continue the measurement in the same straight line across the floor of the stage from back B to front C. After allowing five extra inches for turning the paper over the top edge of the back wall A and front edge of floor C, cut the length according to measurement. To make the strip of green paper the required width measure the exact distance across the inside back wall from side wall D to side wall E, then fold the paper evenly along each lengthwise edge, making it the width needed; unfold and adjust the paper against the back wall over its top edge and over the floor of the stage. Cut short slits on each side of the paper where the floor and wall meet, that the extra width may lie flat up against the side walls. Bend the top edge of the paper over the top of the back wall, again slashing a little on each side to make it fit top edge of wall. In the same way bend the paper over the front edge of the floor; see that the paper lies perfectly smooth, then fasten it in place with small tacks, using three tacks on the outside at the back, one at each corner and one in the middle; two tacks where floor and wall meet, and three underneath front of floor. Measure the side walls, cut paper to fit and fasten the paper on the walls with as few tacks as possible.
When the inside papering is finished, cover the outside of the stage with pretty cretonne. Make four inside wings, two for each side of the stage, to represent the foliage of trees. Cut two like Fig. 65, from paper of a darker green than the walls of the stage and reverse one of them that they may face each other. Then make two wings, like Fig. 66, from paper of a lighter green than the walls, and reverse one of these also. The walls of the stage with the two sets of wings will make three different tones of green forming the background. Cut the wings long enough to extend up as high or higher than the side walls of the stage. Bend each strip lengthwise at dotted line and paste the bent margin of one wing from Fig. 65 on each side wall, running the wing up from the floor to the top of the wall about four inches from the back wall. In the same manner fasten the wings (Fig. 66) on each side wall three inches in front of the first or back wing (Fig. 67).
Cut the arch (Fig. 68) of stiff pasteboard. The cover of a pasteboard box will do. Make the arch long enough to span the space across the front of the stage and let the lower edge of the curve in the centre of the arch be five and a half inches higher than its two ends (see dotted line, Fig. 68). Cover both sides of the arch with green paper, gluing it on only along the edges. Tack the ends of the arch to the top of the two side walls (Fig. 69).
Cut two pieces of pasteboard like Fig. 70, making each six inches wide and almost as high from floor of stage as is the top of the centre of the arch. Paper these also with green, both front and back. Tack one piece of the pasteboard on the front edge of each side wall of the stage, allowing it to extend out from and beyond the side wall (Fig. 71). Bore a hole with a gimlet through the centre of the back wall of the stage five inches up from the inside floor, and your stage will be finished.
Make Titania
(Fig. 72) of light-weight cardboard. When finished she should be ten inches in height from her toes to the top of her head. Fig. 73 is the diagram of the body and arms, measuring three and five-eighths inches from top of head to lower edge of body. Cut the two upper portions of the legs (length two and one-half inches, greatest width one inch) from Fig. 74, and the two lower portions (length three and three-eighths inches) from Fig. 75. Join the two parts of each leg together, according to the dots, with a strong thread and needle, and fasten with a knot on front and back, so that the two pieces will be strung upon the same thread and sandwiched between two knots of the thread. Attach the legs to the body in the same manner. The small circles A, A on the doll’s body (Fig. 73) give the exact spots where the thread should pass through, and the curved line above each letter shows where the upper edge of the top part of the leg should reach. Dot B marks the point on the upper part of the leg (Fig. 74) where the thread goes through, joining the leg to the body. Have all the joints of the doll securely fastened and only loose enough to move easily.
Find a pretty head in some old paper or advertisement, cut it out and gum it on the pasteboard head. Remember, though, that the printed head must not be of very heavy paper, as the upper part of the doll should be lighter in weight than the lower, otherwise the figure will not balance. If you cannot find a head in colors, you must paint the printed black-and-white one; give the face, neck and arms a flat wash of light-pink water-color paint; color the lips and cheeks red, the eyes blue and the hair brown. Make the long stockings a darker pink than the light flesh tones, and paste slippers of gilt paper on the feet.
Puncture a hole with a coarse needle through the centre of the belt-line (C, Fig. 76). For
Titania’s Costume
make a skirt of plain white tissue paper. Cut it sixteen inches wide and three and a half inches long, after creasing the skirt by gathering up the fulness with your fingers and drawing the skirt lengthwise from top to bottom through your partially closed hand. Gather the top of the skirt with thread and needle, and fasten it on the doll, then slit up each side from the lower edge to allow of the free motion of the doll’s limbs.
Make the dress of pink chiffon. Cut the dress skirt three and three-fourth inches long and one yard wide, press it in knife-blade plaits, running up and down, then gather and tie it on the doll over the white tissue-paper skirt. Do not attempt to hem any portion of the clothing, as the object is to keep it all light and airy. Fashion the waist of a smooth strip of pink chiffon tied with narrow pink ribbons at the shoulders and brought down to the belt-line into a point back and front, and sewed in place. Form a silver girdle of the tinsel ruching used on Christmas trees; place the tinsel around the Queen’s waist, allowing the two free ends to hang down over the front of the dress. Glue a little of the same tinsel around the front of her dark hair, where it will shine like a crown of diamonds. Make Titania daintily hold up and out each side of her dress. Do this by stretching out the sides of the dress skirt and gumming the material to each wrist.
Cut a scarf of pink chiffon four inches wide and sixteen inches long, fasten one end in each hand of the fairy Queen and let the scarf fall in a graceful loop.
Queen Titania’s Wings
must be of the pink chiffon cut shawl shape, two sides straight and one bias (Fig. 77). Plait the bias edge (Fig. 78) and gum the wings in place on the Queen’s shoulders at the back.
Take a needle threaded with black thread, two or three yards long; run the needle through the centre of the belt-line of the dressed fairy at the point C (Fig. 76); then thread it through the gimlet hole at the back of the stage and tie a button on the end of the thread which extends outside of the back wall. Pull the thread on the inside of the stage until the button lies tight up against the outside of the back wall. Allow sufficient length of thread to bring the Queen within about three inches of the front edge of the stage, then make a knot in the thread immediately back of and another in front of the Queen to prevent her from slipping either forward or backward. Tie the long, loose end of the thread on a small empty spool, that it may be wound up and kept from tangling when not in use.
Place the Stage on a Chair
facing the light and, carrying the thread in your hand, take your station two yards or more away from and in front of the stage; then practise moving Titania by means of the thread until you can make her glide, pose and dance in many graceful attitudes. She will lean to the right and to the left, will stand on her toes, then curtsey, making her dress touch the floor; she will move gently and slowly, again faster and faster until her feet seem to fairly twinkle over the stage floor; she will pass back and forth almost as if floating from side to side of the stage, or stand in the centre and dance. Titania is ever fascinating, beautiful and graceful in all her movements. Ask some one to play on the piano while you make the fairy Queen dance and she will keep time to the music. When you have learned to make Titania dance her prettiest invite your friends in to see the little fairy.
Apple, Orange and Pumpkin Games
Little Pumpkins
Select apples about two inches in diameter, all as near of a size as possible and preferably somewhat flattened at top and bottom. Cut a square of orange-colored tissue paper and stand an apple, stem uppermost, on its centre (Fig. 79). Bring one side of the tissue paper up to the top of the apple and take a wee plait in the paper, at the same time smoothing it up from the bottom of the apple (Fig. 80). Make several more plaits and bring the nearest corner of the paper up to the apple top. Continue plaiting the tissue paper around the apple (Fig. 81) while constantly smoothing it up from the bottom and over the apple until the apple is completely covered and all the edges and corners of the orange-colored paper are folded and brought together at the top of the apple (Fig. 82). Hold the covered apple in your left hand and with your right hand twist the ends of the tissue paper around the stem (Fig. 83).
Examine the apple and make sure there are no raised ridges in the paper and that the entire covering lies flat and smooth. Tie one end of a piece of brown thread around the base of the stem. Wind the long end of the thread once tightly around the apple, giving it a twist around the stem to secure it in place (Fig. 84). The thread must pass across the exact centre of the blossom end of the apple. As you wind the thread turn the fruit and watch the thread that it may not swerve either to this side or that. A second time wind the thread around the apple, making the first encircling thread band double. Cross this double band with another double band, marking the apple into quarters, secure the thread about the stem, and again wind it around the apple, dividing two opposite quarters each into two pieces.
Divide all the quarters in the same way, then pinch a small square of bright green tissue paper over the covered stem (Fig. 85), smooth it down close and tight and tie a thread around the base (Fig. 86). Bend the extreme end of the stem until it curls, and the result will be a cunning little yellow pumpkin (Fig. 87). Fig. 88 shows how the cross threads should meet at the centre of the blossom end of the fruit.
An ordinary pastry-board about twenty-six inches long and nineteen inches wide must do duty for
The Game Court
(Fig. 89). Find the centre of the board by running two straight lines diagonally across from corner to corner, the spot where the two lines meet and cross marks the centre of the board (Fig. 90). Make a small circle two inches in diameter around centre spot, surround this circle with a larger circle seven inches in diameter. Erase the diagonal lines within the circles and run straight lines radiating outward midway between the diagonal lines from the edge of the larger circle across the face of the pastry-board. With four more lines cut off the four corners of the court, number the divisions as in Fig. 91, and the game court will be finished.
Stand the little pumpkins, at equal distances apart, on the larger circle of the court, and on the small circle stand a natural, large, round apple without tissue paper cover.
The Game
may be played by any number. The object of the game is to spin the apple so that it will hit one or more of the surrounding pumpkins and roll or shove them on to the highest marked divisions of the game-court.
Each player is allowed only one trial at a time, turns being taken successively by the different players. The spinning of the apple must always be started on the small central circle where the apple is stationed. When the apple rolls off the board the player may have another trial; if the apple rolls off on the second trial she simply loses her turn, there being no other penalty. When a pumpkin lands on one of the dividing lines it counts ten against the player. Often an apple will strike several pumpkins, sending them off on different divisions. Every pumpkin then counts the number in the division on which it stops; sometimes more than one pumpkin will land in the same division, and each pumpkin so landing counts the number in that division. When the apple sends but one pumpkin, the player scores merely the number of that one division on which it lands. After each play the pumpkins must be replaced in the circle ready for the next player.
Five rounds constitute a game and the highest record scored wins. When played by sides there must be an equal number of players on each side. The side making the highest score wins the game.
For the next game let all the players sit on the floor in a ring and by the light of only wee pumpkin lanterns tell a
Rapid-Transit Thanksgiving Story
The leader must begin the tale, which may or may not be original. He must speak for only a few minutes, then stop, when his right-hand neighbor, without hesitation, must take up the story and carry it on for a few moments. In this way the story goes the round, each right-hand player in turn telling his part. Every player has the privilege of making his portion of the tale original, even though the preceding part may not be so. It is also the privilege of every one to change the story to a dream, or a fairy tale. Quotations may be introduced, verses recited, or snatches of song sung; in fact, the oftener the story is twisted and turned the greater the interest; but there must always be some connection between the part being told and that which has gone before. The entire romance must be finished before the light in the wee pumpkins burns out. If a player should fail to continue the story when his turn comes, he must pay a forfeit, and when the story is finished, redeeming the forfeits adds to the fun.
If many guests are present, divide them into small groups for the rapid-transit story.
Make a miniature
Pumpkin Lantern
for each girl and boy present. Take a symmetrical apple which stands firm and steady on the blossom end. Select the best side for the face, and with the small blade of a penknife cut on it a crescent with ends turned upward for the mouth. Cut a triangle for the nose, two small squares for eyes, and two short crescents, points turned upward, for eyebrows (Fig. 92).
Turn the apple over and cut an opening in the back as shown at Fig. 93. Be extremely cautious not to break or tear the edges of the apple skin while cutting the features and back opening. With the small blade of the penknife inserted at the back opening cut away the inside of the apple little by little, taking great care not to drive the knife far enough into the apple to puncture the skin. When you reach the core, screw the large blade of the knife around until the core is sufficiently broken to allow of being cut away without danger of injuring the apple skin by accidental stabs.
After most of the inside has been removed turn the apple around and look at the features; if you cannot yet see daylight through them, insert the small blade from the outside of the apple, through each feature in turn, and by degrees cut away the meat, without enlarging the openings of the different features. Should this prove ineffectual, again turn to the back of the apple and work from the inside, removing more of the contents and making the layer of apple thinner next to the skin. Then once more try through the features from the outside. This time the result should be distinctly clear openings for all the features. You cannot help smiling when you look at the apple now, for you see such a comical little face.
Cut a short section from an ordinary wax candle (Fig. 94), shave down the sides, making the bottom heavier and larger than the top (Fig. 95). Run a pin through the centre of the candle from bottom to top; then pull it out. Fit the candle inside on the centre of the bottom of the apple, hold it in place while you run the pin up from the outside of the apple, through the skin and into the pinhole in the centre of the little candle. The pin should hold the candle firmly in place; if it does not do so, pull the pin out and see what is the matter; possibly the candle needs hollowing out a trifle at the base in order to fit the slight rise in the apple on which the candle stands. Put on your thinking cap, examine and make the candle stand absolutely straight and firm.
Orange Lanterns. |
Manufacture all the other individual pumpkin lanterns in the same way, and when story-telling time arrives set a lantern in front of every girl and boy in the circle and light the candle in each little pumpkin. The effect will be charming and inspiring for the story-tellers. Oranges with all the pulp extracted also makes very pumpkin-like lanterns when cut in a similar way to the apple lanterns (Figs. 96 and 97).
Anything may be given as
A Forfeit
and the forfeits are redeemed in the good old way. The leader is blindfolded and seated. A girl or boy stands back of the leader, and, taking one of the forfeits, holds it over her head, while repeating these words, “Heavy, heavy hangs over your head.” The leader replies with the question: “Fine or superfine?” If the forfeit belongs to a girl, the answer is “superfine,” if to a boy, “fine.” The same player adds, “What shall the owner do to redeem it?” The leader names a penalty, such as, kneel to the prettiest, bow to the wittiest, or, look angry, then smile your sweetest. The leader may inflict one of these, or any other, making the penalty as funny as she desires, but it must never cause a player to feel in the least uncomfortable, for every girl and boy should be given just as good a time as possible, that all may return to their homes from the Thanksgiving games happy and pleased with their evening’s fun.