_Harry._--A lion.

_John._--Tom?

_Tom._--Beauty.

_John._--You, William?

_William._--An oak-tree.

_John._--Alfred, it is your turn.

_Alfred._--A beautiful woman.

_John._--Andrew?

_Andrew._--Hope.

_John._--Arthur?

_Arthur._--A hedgehog.

_John._--Ben?

_Ben._--A rose.

_John._--And you, Cecil?

_Cecil._--A vine.

_John._--My thought was a rose; so now, Charles, tell me why a rose is like a young girl.

_Charles._--Because it is loveliest when only half-blown.

_John._--And why a queen?

_James._--Because the rose is the queen of all flowers.

_John._--Harry, why is a rose like a lion?

_Harry._--Because it is one of the emblems of England.

_John._--And why, Tom, is it like beauty?

_Tom._--Because it soon fades.

_John._--William, why is it like an oak?

_William._--Because both spring from the earth.

_John._--And you, Alfred; why is a rose like a beautiful woman?

_Alfred._--Because its fragrance often remains after the charms are faded.

_John._--Andrew, why is a rose like hope?

_Andrew._--Because in returning sunshine it forgets the past storm.

_John._--Arthur, why is a rose like a hedgehog?

_Arthur._--Because its thorns defend it from a rough grasp.

_John._--You, Ben, having fixed upon the same thing as myself, must pay a forfeit. Cecil, why is a rose like a vine?

_Cecil._--Because in old times they were both considered essential to a banquet. I can think of nothing better.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EASY GAMES WITH TOYS, OUTDOOR.]

EASY GAMES WITH TOYS.

OUTDOOR.

[Ill.u.s.tration: b.a.l.l.s]

CATCH BALL.

This is very simple play. The ball is thrown into the air by one player, the others standing round him. He calls out the name of the player, for whom the ball is thrown. If it be caught by the player so called, before the ball reaches the ground twice, he scores a point; if any of the other players catch it, they score a point, and the other loses one.

DOUTEE-STOOL.

This is a variety of the above game. A certain number of stools are set up in a circular form, and at a distance from each other, and every one is occupied by a single player; when the ball is struck, which is done, as before, by the hand, every one of them is obliged to alter his situation, running in succession from stool to stool; and if he who threw the ball can regain it in time to strike any of the players before he reaches the stool to which he is running, he takes his place, and the person touched must throw the ball, until he can in like manner return to the circle.

EGG-HAT.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

All the players engaged in this favourite pastime must place their caps on the ground, close to the wall, in such a manner that a ball may be easily pitched into them. A line being marked on the ground about fifteen feet from the wall, one of the players takes his station at it, and begins the game by throwing the ball into one of the caps; the moment this is done all the boys run away, excepting the one into whose cap the ball is thrown, who immediately runs to take it out, and endeavours to strike one of the fugitives by throwing the ball at him; if he can do so, the one struck has a small stone, called "an egg,"

placed in his cap, and has to take his turn at pitching the ball. Should the thrower fail to hit one of the boys as they are running away, an "egg" is put into his cap, and he has to pitch the ball into the caps again. If a player fails to throw the ball into a cap, he earns an "egg," but continues throwing until he succeeds. When a player gets three "eggs" in his cap, he is out. When all the players but one have been struck out, he is considered the winner, and the punishment of the losers then commences; one of them standing near the wall bounces the ball at it with all his force, and next stands with his back to the wall, stretching out his right arm, and placing the back of his hand quite close to the wall, while the winner, standing where the ball fell, takes aim, and throws the ball at the said loser's hand three times: each of the losers likewise receives the same punishment from him. In some places it is usual, when one boy gets out, for him to bounce the ball against the wall, and all the other players, standing at the spot where the ball first touched the ground, to have their three b.a.l.l.s at his back, as he stands with his face to the wall. Should the ball in rebounding swerve either to the right or left, a line must be drawn, from the spot where it falls, to a place directly in a straight line from the boy at the wall; thus, suppose A is the boy who has just bounced the ball, which instead of going direct to B, has deviated from the straight line A B to C, a line should be drawn from C to B, and the winner should stand at the latter.

FEEDER.

[Ill.u.s.tration]