Eleven guests going to celebrate the marriage of the Princess Baldroubadour with the Prince of Terra del Fuego, ten Italian dancing masters going to teach ten Arabian magpies, etc.

Twelve triumphant trumpeters triumphantly trumpeting the tragical tradition of Telemachus, eleven guests going to celebrate the marriage, etc.

The players sit in a circle; the one who is leader turns to the next player and says, "My lady's lapdog." This player turns to the one next him and repeats the phrase, which is thus handed around the circle.

When it gets back to the leader, the leader turns to his neighbor and adds an item to that previously mentioned, saying, "Two plump partridges and my lady's lapdog." This goes around the circle, when the leader says, "Three great elephants, two plump partridges, and my lady's lapdog," and so on, adding each time different items according to the formula given above. Any player failing to repeat the list correctly pays a forfeit.

VARIATION.--For younger players, the following list may be found better:--

A big fat hen.

Two ducks and a big fat hen.

Three wild geese, two ducks, and a big fat hen.

Four plump partridges, three wild geese, two ducks, etc.

Five pouting pigeons, four plump partridges, three, etc.

Six long-legged cranes, five pouting pigeons, etc.

Seven green parrots, six long-legged cranes, etc.

Eight screeching owls, seven green parrots, six long-legged, etc.

Nine ugly black turkey buzzards, eight screeching owls, etc.

Ten thousand domesticated chimney swallows, nine ugly black turkey buzzards, eight screeching owls, etc.

NAUGHTS AND CROSSES

_2 players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: NAUGHTS AND CROSSES]

A diagram is drawn on a slate, paper, or the ground, and consists of two vertical lines, crossed by two horizontal lines. One player chooses to write "naughts" (o) and the other "crosses" (x). The players take turns in marking a naught or a cross in one of the nine places provided by the diagram, the object being to get three naughts or three crosses in a row. This row may be either vertical, horizontal, or diagonal.

A score is kept of the games won by each player, and a third score is kept of the games played in which neither player wins.

This game may be played at the seash.o.r.e, on the playground, or wherever the diagram may be traced on the earth.

For school use it is an interesting diversion for pupils who a.s.semble early before a session opens, or who remain in over a rainy noontime.

NIMBLE SQUIRREL

_Any number of players._

_Schoolroom; parlor; playground._

This is a device for mental arithmetic. It is one of which children are very fond. As the play element may enter very largely into the fanciful suggestions used by the teacher, it seems in place in a book of games.

The teacher states her problem in a manner similar to the following:--

"There was a tree with fifty branches. A squirrel started on the first branch, jumped up three branches [to the fourth], came halfway down [to the second], went three times as high [sixth branch], fell halfway down [third branch], saw a dog, and ran to the top of the tree; fell to the ground and started over again; went up eight branches, jumped past three branches," etc., finishing up with, "How many branches from the top was he?"

This game has been found intensely interesting for children through the upper grades of the elementary schools.

PENNY WISE

_5 to 30 players._

_House party._

Each player is provided with a bright new penny (of design prior to 1909), a piece of paper, and a pencil. On the paper are written beforehand, or to dictation, the following requirements, of course without the answers. The player wins who has the largest number of correct answers.

Find on the penny the following:--

The name of a song.--America.

A privilege.--Liberty.

A part of Indian corn.--Ear.

A part of a hill.--Brow.

Something denoting self.--Eye (I).

Part of a door.--Lock (of hair).

A weapon of war.--Arrow.

An act of protection.--Shield.

A gallant.--Beau (bow).

A punishment.--Stripes.

Part of a plant.--Leaf.

A piece of jewelry.--Ring.

A nut.--Acorn.

A musical term.--Bar.

An occupation.--Milling.

A foreign fruit.--Date.

Tr.i.m.m.i.n.g for a hat.--Feather.

What ships sail on.--Sea (C).

A perfume.--Scent (cent).

A religious edifice.--Temple.

A messenger.--One sent (cent).

A method of voting.--Ayes and Noes (eyes and nose).