Games For All Occasions Part 14

"Fine feathers make fine birds."

"Marry in haste, repent in leisure."

"The empty vessel makes the greatest sound."

"Make the best of a bad bargain."

"Out of sight, out of mind."

"Safe bind, safe find."

"Half a loaf is better than no bread."

"A rolling stone gathers no moss."

"One good turn deserves another."

"Look before you leap."

"Faint heart never won fair lady."

"A friend in need, is a friend indeed."

"A bad workman quarrels with his tools."

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

"A cat may look at a king."

"Aching teeth are ill tenants."

"A creaking door hangs long on the hinges."

"A drowning man will catch at a straw."

"After dinner sit a while, after supper walk a mile."

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Each player is furnished with a pencil and two slips of paper. On the first slip a question must be written. The papers are then collected and put into a bag or basket.

Then the players write an answer on their second slip. These are put into a different bag, and the two bags are then well shaken and handed round to the company.

Everyone draws a question and an answer, and must then read the two out to the company.

The result is sometimes very comical; for instance:--

Question: "Do you like roses?"

Answer: "Yes, with mustard."

Question: "Where are you going to this summer?"

Answer: "I am very much afraid of them."

Question: "Do you like beef?"

Answer: "Yes, without thorns."

Question: "Do you like spiders?"

Answer: "To Switzerland."

RUTH AND JACOB

One player is blindfolded, the rest dance in a circle around him till he points at one of them. This person then enters the ring, and when the blind man calls out, "Ruth," answers, "Jacob," and moves about within the circle so as to avoid being caught by the blind man and continues to answer, "Jacob," as often as the blind man calls out, "Ruth." This continues until "Ruth" is caught. "Jacob" must then guess who it is he has caught; if he guesses correctly, "Ruth" takes his place, and the game goes on; if he guesses wrongly, he continues to be "Jacob."

RHYMES

A number of slips of paper are pa.s.sed among the players and each one is asked to write upon one of the papers, two words which will rhyme. These papers are collected and in turn read aloud, the players then writing short stanzas employing the rhyming words. It is amusing to note in what very different ways the same set of words is treated by the various players. The usual forfeits may be claimed if the players fail to write the rhyme in a given time.

SKETCHES

Each player is asked to draw a haphazard line on a piece of paper. The line may be anything he wishes and does not need to suggest or resemble any object. The papers are collected and again distributed. Any player getting his own drawing may exchange with any one he wishes. Each player must draw the picture of some object, using in its composition, the original haphazard line.

TRAVELER'S ALPHABET

The players sit in a row and the first begins by saying, "I am going on a journey to Athens," or any place beginning with A. The one sitting next asks, "What will you do there?" The verbs, adjectives, and nouns used in the reply must all begin with A; as "Amuse Ailing Authors with Anecdotes." If the player answers correctly, it is the next player's turn; he says perhaps: "I am going to Bradford." "What to do there?" "To Bring Back Bread and b.u.t.ter." A third says: "I am going to Constantinople." "What to do there?" "To Carry Contented Cats." Any one who makes a mistake must pay a forfeit.

THOUGHT READING

This is a very good game, which always causes considerable amus.e.m.e.nt, and if skilfully carried out will very successfully mystify the whole company.

It is necessary that the player who is to take the part of thought-reading should have a confederate, and the game is then played as follows.

The thought-reader, having arranged that the confederate should write a certain word, commences by asking four members of the company to write each a word upon a piece of paper, fold it up in such a manner that it cannot be seen, and then to pa.s.s it on to him. The confederate, of course, volunteers to make one of the four and writes the word previously agreed upon, which is, we will suppose, "Hastings."

The thought-reader places the slips of paper between his fingers, taking care to put the paper of his confederate between the third and little finger; he then takes the folded paper from between his thumb and first finger and rubs it, folded as it is, over his forehead, at each rub mentioning a letter, as H. rub, A. rub, S.T.I.N.G.S., after which he calls out that some lady or gentleman has written "Hastings." "I did,"

replies the confederate.

The thought-reader then opens the paper, looks at it, and slips it into his pocket; he has, however, looked at one of the other papers.