The leader begins by saying the first sentence, which is repeated by each player in turn. The leader in every case adds the new line, which is repeated by the other players in succession. Anyone making a mistake or omission drops out of the contest. As the ranks grow thinner, the players are required to repeat the sentences more rapidly, and no time for hesitation allowed. The one who makes no mistake is ent.i.tled to a prize.

The sentences are as follows:

1. One old ox opening oysters.

2. Two tall Turks twirling twisted turbans.

3. Three tinkering tailors totally tired.

4. Four fat Frenchmen fanning a fainting fly.

5. Five funny farmers feeding feathered fowls.

6. Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.

7. Seven shy soldiers shooting salted salmon.

8. Eight eccentric Englishmen exhibiting educated elephants.

9. Nine nimble n.o.blemen nibbling nasturtiums.

10. Ten tipsy tailors toddling timidly together.

TRADES

Each player must choose a trade and pretend to be working at it. For instance, if he is a tailor he must pretend to sew or iron; if a blacksmith, to hammer, and so on. One is the king, and he too, chooses a trade. Everyone works away as hard as he can until the king suddenly gives up his trade, and takes up that of some one else. Then all must stop, except the one whose business the king has taken, and he must start with the king's work. The two go on until the king chooses to go back to his own trade, when all begin working again. Any one who fails either to cease working or to begin again at the right time, must pay a forfeit.

A somewhat more elaborate and livelier game of Trades is played by each boy in the party choosing a trade which he is supposed to be carrying on.

The leader must invent a story, and standing in the middle, must tell it to the company. He must manage to bring in a number of names of trades or businesses; and whenever a trade is mentioned, the person who represents it must instantly name some article sold in the shop.

THINK OF A NUMBER

In this game the leader tells one of the players to think of any number he likes, but not to say it aloud. He next tells him to double it; this done, the player is told to add eight to the result, and then halve it.

After doing this he must halve the whole, and from what is left take away the number first thought of. If correctly worked out the answer will be four, which is just half the number which the leader told the player to add after the original number was doubled. For instance, we will suppose the number thought of to have been twenty. When doubled, the result will be forty. The player then adds eight, which gives him a total of forty-eight. He halves this, and has twenty-four left. When he has taken away the number first thought of (twenty) he has a total of four--which is half the number the leader told him to add in the beginning of the game.

THIS AND THAT

A confederate is necessary for this trick. The one performing the trick goes out of the room and the confederate agrees with the audience to touch a certain article. The person outside is recalled and his confederate begins to question him. "Did I touch this music book?" "No."

"Did I touch this table?" "No." "Did I touch this knife?" "No." "Did I touch that fork?" "Yes." The secret consists in saying the word "that"

before the article touched, instead of "this."

WHAT AM I DOING?

The players seat themselves in a row and the leader of the game takes his place behind them, beginning at the top of the row. He makes some absurd gesture and then asks the person behind whom he is standing "What am I doing?" If the player replies incorrectly, and he generally does, he is doomed to stand up and imitate in silence the gesture he could not guess, until he has leave to sit down.

WONDERMENT

It is necessary that only two of the party should have a knowledge of this game, and then "wonderment" is sure to be the result.

The two players agree that a certain word shall be regarded as a signal word. As an ill.u.s.tration, imagine this word to be "and."

One of the players a.s.serts his belief that he is gifted with second sight, and states that he is able, through a closed door, to name any article touched by any person in sympathy with him, notwithstanding the said person may attempt to mystify him by mentioning a lot of other articles. He then chooses his confederate, as being one with whom he may be in sympathy, and goes outside.

The player in the room then proceeds to call out, perhaps as follows:--Table, Hearthrug, Piano, Footstool and Chair, Lamp, Inkstand.

He then places his hand on the back of a chair and asks: "What am I touching now?" the answer will, of course, be "Chair," because the signal word "and" came immediately before that article.

If the players are skilful there is no need for the trick to be discovered.

WINK

All the girls sit in a circle, and the boys stand outside, one boy behind each girl's chair. One chair is left vacant, but a boy stands behind it, and by winking at the girls one at a time, tries to get one for his empty chair.

As soon as a girl is winked at, she tries to leave her seat, and take the vacant one, but if the boy behind her touches her before she leaves the seat, she cannot go. Each boy has to keep his eye on the one who is winking and on the girl in his chair, for if he is not watching, she may escape before he has time to touch her, and then it is his turn to do the winking and get a girl for his chair.

If the winking is done quickly it adds to the interest of the game. No boy can keep hold of a girl all the time; he must only touch her when she starts to leave her place, and then if she is beyond arm's length he cannot call her back.

RIDDLES

Few children think they will ever tire of playing games; but all the same, towards the end of a long evening, spent merrily in dancing and playing, the little ones begin to get too weary to play any longer, and it is very difficult to keep them amused.

Then comes the time for riddles! The children may sit quietly around the room, resting after their romps and laughter, and yet be kept thoroughly interested, trying to guess riddles.

It is, however, very difficult to remember a number of good and laughable ones, so we will give a list of some, which will be quite sufficient to puzzle a roomful of little folk for several hours.

Why are weary people like carriage-wheels?--Answer: Because they are tired.

An old woman in a red cloak was pa.s.sing a field in which a goat was feeding. What strange transformation suddenly took place?--Answer: The goat turned to b.u.t.ter (b.u.t.t her), and the woman into a scarlet runner.

Why does a duck go into the water?--Answer: For divers reasons.

Spell "blind pig" in two letters? P G; a pig without an I.

Which bird can lift the heaviest weights?--The crane.

Why is a wise man like a pin?--He has a head and comes to a point.

Why is a Jew in a fever like a diamond?--Because he is a Jew-ill.

Why may carpenters reasonably believe there is no such thing as stone?--Because they never saw it.