No. 1. "I pack my grandfather's trunk with a pair of spectacles."

No. 2. "I pack my grandfather's trunk with a pair of spectacles and a silk hat." No. 3. "I pack my grandfather's trunk with a pair of spectacles, a silk hat and a dime novel." And so on, each person repeating all the articles already mentioned, besides adding a new one.

If any one fails to repeat the list correctly, he drops out of the game, which is continued until the contents of the trunk are unanimously declared too numerous to remember.

LOCATION

Location is geographical in character. Two captains are chosen. They choose sides until the party is equally divided. One captain begins the game by calling the name of a city. He then counts thirty. Before he has finished counting, his opposite opponent must tell where the city is located. If his answer be correct, he in turn names a place, and the second player in the opposite row must locate it before he counts thirty. Should any player fail to answer before thirty is counted, or answer incorrectly, he or she must drop out. When there is only one player left on either side, that one gets the prize.

PREDICAMENTS

Predicaments are thought out. The more ridiculous they are the better.

They are written on sheets of paper. Each person has to write his idea of the best way out of a predicament. Then the papers are collected and read. Prizes are given if the hostess so desires.

PROGRESSIVE PUZZLES

Provide as many small, square cards as there are guests; also several pairs of scissors. The party seats itself in a circle. The cards and scissors are given out. Then each player cuts his card twice across, so as to make four pieces. The straight cuts must intersect each other.

After the first cut, the pieces must be held together until the second cut has been made.

A player mixes his pieces and pa.s.ses them to his right-hand neighbor.

When the leader gives the signal, all the players put together the four pieces they have. The one who first succeeds calls out "ready."

Then all stop and pa.s.s the cards on again. The successful player is given a mark on a tally card. The game goes on until a half hour has pa.s.sed. The person receiving the most marks is ent.i.tled to a prize, or may become the leader, as preferred.

MIRTH

The leader for this game must have a contagious laugh. He throws a handkerchief into the air; when he does this, all must laugh heartily, until the handkerchief lies upon the ground, then the laughing must stop immediately. The player laughing after the handkerchief touches the ground is "out." This also happens to the one laughing too soon.

The one left alone at last is the winner, and may become leader.

CRAMBO

Each player in the party is given two slips of paper and a pencil. On one slip he writes a question. This may be serious or absurd, as he wishes. On another paper he writes a word, this being a noun--either proper or common. The questions being mixed are distributed--the words likewise. The players write verses answering the questions and containing the words received.

AUCTION

_Needed: Twenty, or more, packages, wrapped in paper._

Auction may be made a very merry game. It depends upon the auctioneer, however, to make the sales interesting; any articles may be chosen, though dolls, Teddy bears, etc., are suggested. The articles are catalogued. They are paid for with the beans given to the players with the catalogues.

BEAST, BIRD OR FISH

The players sit round in a circle, and one player, who is "it," points to some one, and says either "beast," "bird," or "fish." He then counts ten as quickly as possible. The person pointed to must name some "beast," "bird," or "fish" (whichever he was asked), before ten is reached. If he fails he must give a forfeit.

THE ROTATION OF THE GLOBE

When you next chance to eat an egg for breakfast, do not fail to try the following experiment. It is one which always succeeds, and is productive of much amus.e.m.e.nt to the company.

Moisten slightly with water the rim of your plate, and in the center paint with the yolk of the egg a sun with golden rays. By the aid of this simple apparatus, you will be in a position to ill.u.s.trate, so clearly that a child can comprehend it, the double movement of the earth, which revolves simultaneously round the sun and on its own axis.

All that you have to do is to place the empty half-sh.e.l.l of your egg on the rim of the plate, and keeping this latter duly sloped, by a slight movement of the wrist as may be needful, you will see the eggsh.e.l.l begin to revolve rapidly on its own axis, at the same time traveling round the plate. It is hardly necessary to remark that the egg-sh.e.l.l will not travel uphill, and the plate must therefore be gradually shifted round, as well as sloped, so that the sh.e.l.l may always have an inch or two of descending plane before it.

The slight cohesion caused by the water which moistens the plate counteracts the centrifugal force and so prevents the eggsh.e.l.l falling off the edge of the plate.

ADVICE

Pencil and paper having been given the players, each writes a piece of advice and folds his paper. He pa.s.ses it to his neighbor, who before opening it, tells whether he thinks the advice good or bad. If he guesses correctly, he scores a point. The game goes on this way, each at the table taking a turn, when new advices are written and pa.s.sed along. This is done as many times as the hostess desires. The one getting the most points is winner.

WORDS

Each player receives a pencil and paper. He is then told to make as many words as he can from a given word of fifteen letters, or more.

It is surprising how many words can be thus made. The winner is the one fashioning the greatest number of words. A book is given him as a prize.

CHAPTER III

GAME OF WORDS--PRINCE OF INDIA--EXCHANGE--SHADOW BUFF--TAILLESS DONKEY --THROWING THE HANDKERCHIEF

FLAGS OF ALL NATIONS

You can learn the colors of the flags of all nations by referring to a large dictionary, or to a book on flags. The flags are drawn with colored crayons, or painted in water colors, on a large water-color card, or a sheet of water-color paper. Large cards with numbers down the sides are given to each player, with a pencil. The card of flags is then hung where all can see it, and half an hour is allowed for all to guess the countries to which the flags belong. The answers are written on the individual cards, and the papers are signed with the names of the players.

A prize is given to the player who has the greatest number of correct answers.

ANOTHER GAME OF WORDS

The players, each of whom is supplied with paper and pencil, are divided equally into two sides, and the leader, having selected a word, suppose "notwithstanding," each party sets to work to see how many different words they can make of the same letters. (Thus from the word above suggested may be made "not, with, stand, standing, gin, ton, to, wig, wit, his, twit, tan, has, had, an, nod, tow, this, sat, that, sit, sin, tin, wink, what, who, wish, win, wan, won," and probably a host of others.) A scrutiny is then taken, all words common to both parties being struck out. The remainder are then compared, and the victory is adjudged to the one having the largest number of words.

GRAMMATICAL GAME

This is played by each person drawing, say, twenty letters haphazard, and trying to form them into a phrase or sentence, the palm of merit being awarded to the player who, at the same time, produces the most coherent phrase, and also succeeds in using the greatest proportion of the letters a.s.signed to him.

MENAGERIE

This is a very funny game if the ringmaster keeps up a running fire of witty remarks. He stands in the circle of animals--otherwise guests--and, whip in hand, shows off his animals, and their tricks, singly, and in groups. The lion roars, as well as performs; the dog barks, and performs the tricks he is told to show off; the canary warbles its song; the bee buzzes; the donkey brays, balks and kicks, etc. At the end of the performance there is a grand circus parade, with music.

PRINCE OF INDIA

The players are numbered from one upward.

The leader stands in front of them and says: "The Prince of India has lost his pearl. Did you find it, number seven?" Upon this, number 7 replies, jumping to his feet quickly:

"I, sir, I?"

The leader replies, "Yes, you, sir!"

Number 7 says: "Not I, sir!"