is called, when all have to change places, and the "Postman" is then almost sure to gain a seat.

THE DWARF

[Ill.u.s.tration]

This is a most amusing game if well carried out. The two performers must be hidden behind two curtains in front of which a table has been placed.

One of the performers slips his hands into a child's socks and little shoes. He must then disguise his face, by putting on a false mustache, painting his eyebrows, sticking pieces of black court plaster over one or two of his teeth, which will make it appear as though he has lost several teeth. This, with a turban on his head, will prove a very fair disguise. The second performer must now stand behind the first and pa.s.s his arms round him, so that the second performer's hands may appear like the hands of the dwarf, while the first performer's hands make his feet. The figure must, of course, be carefully dressed, and the body of the second performer hidden behind the curtains.

The front player now puts his slippered hands upon the table and begins to keep time, while the other performer follows suit with his hands.

The dwarf can be used either to tell fortunes, make jokes, or ask riddles, and if the performers act their parts well, the guests will laugh very heartily.

HOW, WHEN, AND WHERE

One of the company goes out of the room, while the others choose a word to be guessed, one with two or three different meanings being the best.

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We will suppose that the word "Spring" has been thought of. When the person who is outside the room is recalled, he (or she) asks each one in succession: "How do you like it?" The answers may be "Dry" (meaning the season), "Cold and clear" (a spring of water), "Strong" (a watch-spring), and "High" (a jump). The next question is: "When do you like it?" The answers may be: "When I am in the country," "When I am thirsty," "When my watch is broken."

The next question is: "Where do you like it?" and the answers may be: "Anywhere and everywhere," "In hot weather," "In the clock." The game is to try and guess the word after any of the answers, and if right, the player last questioned takes the place of the one who is guessing; if wrong, the questioner must try again.

OLD SOLDIER

Old Soldier is a game for young children, and though it seems very simple, yet there is a good deal of fun in it. One of the children pretends to be an old soldier, and goes round begging of each of the other players in turn, saying that he is "poor, and old, and hungry,"

and asking what they will do for him or give him. In answering the Old Soldier, no one must say the words: "Yes," "No," "Black," or "White,"

and he must be answered at once without hesitation. Any one who does not reply at once, or who uses any of the forbidden words, must pay a forfeit.

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BOB MAJOR

Two of the players sit down, and a cloth, large enough to prevent their seeing anything, is put over their heads. Then two other persons tap them on the head with long rolls of paper, which they have in their hands, and ask, in feigned voices, "Who bobs you?" If either of those who have been tapped answers correctly, he changes places with the one who has tapped him.

DUMB CRAMBO

Divide the company into two equal parts, one-half leaving the room; the remaining players should then select a word, which will have to be guessed by those outside the door. When the word has been chosen--say, for instance, the word "will"--the party outside the room are told that the word they are to guess rhymes with "till." A consultation then takes place, and they may think that the word is "ill." The company then enter and begin to act the word "ill," but without speaking a word. The audience, when they recognize the word that is being performed, will immediately hiss, and the actors then retire and think of another word.

Thus the game goes on until the right word is. .h.i.t upon, when the company who have remained in the room, clap their hands. The audience then change places with the actors.

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. Every one 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE SCHOOLMASTER

This is always a favorite game. One of the players is chosen schoolmaster, and the others, ranged in order in front of him, form the cla.s.s. The master may then examine the cla.s.s in any branch of learning. Suppose him to choose Geography, he must begin with the pupil at the head of the cla.s.s, and ask for the name of a country or town beginning with A. If the pupil does not reply correctly before the master has counted ten, he asks the next pupil, who, if he answers rightly--say, for instance, "America," or "Amsterdam," in time, goes to the top of the cla.s.s. The schoolmaster may go on in this way through the alphabet either regularly or at random, as he likes. Any subject--names of kings, queens, poets, soldiers, etc.--may be chosen.

The questions and answers must follow as quickly as possible. Whoever fails to answer in time, pays a forfeit.

RULE OF CONTRARY

This is a simple game for little children. It is played either with a pocket-handkerchief, or, if more than four want to play, with a table-cloth or small sheet. Each person takes hold of the cloth; the leader of the game holds it with the left hand, while with the right he makes pretense of writing on the cloth while he says: "Here we go round by the rule of contrary. When I say 'Hold fast,' let go; and when I say 'Let go,' hold fast." The leader then calls out one or other of the commands, and the rest must do the opposite, of what he says. Any one who fails must pay a forfeit.

SIMON SAYS

Seat yourselves in a circle and choose one of the company to be the leader, or Simon. His duty is to order all sorts of different things to be done, the funnier the better, which must be obeyed only when the order begins with "Simon says." As, for instance, "Simon says: 'Thumbs up!'" which, of course, all obey; then perhaps comes: "Thumbs down!"

which should not be obeyed, because the order did not commence with "Simon says."

Each time this rule is forgotten a forfeit must be paid. "Hands over eyes," "Stamp the right foot," "Pull the left ear," etc., are the kind of orders to be given.

THE BIRD-CATCHER

To play this game you must first decide which one of you is to be the Bird-catcher; the other players then each choose the name of a bird, but no one must choose the owl, as it is forbidden. All the players then sit in a circle with their hands on their knees, except the Bird-catcher, who stands in the center, and tells a tale about birds, taking care to specially mention the ones he knows to have been chosen by the company. As each bird's name is called, the owner must imitate its note as well as he can, but when the owl is named, all hands must be put behind the chairs, and remain there until the next bird's name is mentioned. When the Bird-catcher cries "All the birds," the players must together give their various imitations of birds. Should any player fail to give the cry when his bird is named, or forget to put his hands behind his chair, he has to change places with Bird-catcher.

FRENCH ROLL

A good many children may play at this game. One player is called the buyer, the rest form a line in front of him and take hold of each other. The first in this line is called the baker, the last the French roll. Those between are supposed to be the oven. When they are all in place the buyer says to the baker, "Give me my French roll." The baker replies, "It is at the back of the oven." The buyer goes to fetch it, when the French roll begins running from the back of the oven, and comes up to the baker, calling all the while, "Who runs? Who runs?"

The buyer may run after him, but if the French roll gets first to the top of the line, he becomes baker, and the last in the line is French roll. If, however, the buyer catches the French roll, the French roll becomes buyer, and the buyer takes the place of the baker.

THE GARDEN GATE