My Book of Indoor Games Part 17

Yes, without thorns.

To Switzerland.

DUCK UNDER THE WATER

Each child chooses a partner and stands opposite to her, so that two long lines are formed. Each couple hold a handkerchief between them, as high as they can lift their arms, so as to form an arch. The couple standing at the top of the lines run through the arch without letting go their handkerchief, and station themselves at the bottom of the lines, raising their handkerchief again so as to continue the arch.

This is done by each couple in succession until all have had a turn.

Whoever breaks the arch or drops the handkerchief must pay a forfeit.

WONDERMENT

It is necessary that two only 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 to name, through a closed door, 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, Rug, 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 skillful there is no need for the trick to be discovered.

"MOTHER, MOTHER, THE POT BOILS OVER"

A number of children choose one of their number to be "mother" and another to be the witch. One child represents the pot, and the others are named after the days in the week, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc. If there are too many children they might be called after the months.

The mother first names the children, next she takes the pot and pretends to put it on the fire. She tells the eldest daughter that she is going to wash, and that she must take great care of her brothers and sisters while she is away, and on no account to let the old witch into the house. She is also to look after the dinner and see that the pot does not boil over. The mother then goes away, and the eldest daughter pretends to be very busy.

The child who is supposed to be the witch knocks at the door, and asks if she may come in and get a light for her pipe. She must pretend to be very old and walk with a stick.

"Come in," says the eldest daughter; "what do you want?"

"To light my pipe at your fire."

"Very well, but you must not dirty the range."

"Certainly not; I'll be very careful."

While the eldest daughter pretends to look on the shelf for something, the witch puts her dirty shoe on the range, catches hold of Monday (the youngest child) and runs off with him. The child who is the pot now makes a hissing noise and pretends to boil over. The daughter calls out:

"Mother, mother, the pot boils over."

"Take a spoon and skim it."

"Can't find one."

"Look on the shelf."

"Can't reach."

"Take the stool."

"The leg's broken."

"Take the chair."

"The chair's gone to be mended."

"I suppose I must come myself."

The mother comes in from the washtub, drying her hands.

"Where's Monday?" she asks.

"Please, mother, some one came to beg for a light for her pipe, and when my back was turned she took Monday."

"Why, that was the witch."

The mother pretends to beat the eldest daughter, tells her to be more careful another time, and goes back to the washtub. The game then goes on as before, and each time the witch comes she takes away a child, until at last even the eldest daughter is taken. The pot boils over for the last time and then the mother, finding all her children gone, goes to the witch's house to find them, when this conversation ensues:

"Is this the way to the witch's house?"

"There's a red bull that way."

"Then I'll go this way."

"There's a mad cow that way."

But the mother insists upon going into the witch's house to look for her children. The witch generally hides the children behind chairs.

The mother stoops over one child: "This tastes like Monday," she says, but the witch replies: "That! it is a barrel of pork."

"No, no," says the mother, "it is my Monday, and there are the rest of the children." The children now jump out and they and their mother begin to run home; the witch runs after them, and whoever she catches becomes witch, while the witch becomes the eldest daughter.

THE ANTS AND THE GRa.s.sHOPPER

Lots are drawn in order to decide who shall be the gra.s.shopper; the ants then seat themselves in a circle, while the gra.s.shopper writes on a piece of paper the name of a grain or food which a gra.s.shopper might be supposed to like. He puts this in his pocket and then addresses the ants:

"Dear friends, I am very hungry; would any of you kindly give me some food?"

"I have nothing but a grain of barley," says the ant spoken to.