Games for Everybody Part 10

WHAT AM I?

One of the players is sent out of the room. The rest decide upon the name of some animal which he is to guess.

When he returns the players question him in turn, imitating the habits of the animal chosen and asking questions as if he were that animal.

For instance, the animal chosen is tiger. The questions may be, "Do you scratch?" "Are your claws sharp?" "Do you howl at night?"

etc. The player thinking they have named him a cat answers, "Yes," and says, "Am I a cat?" When answered in the negative, the players still question him until he finally guesses tiger. The player whose question betrayed the name of the chosen animal then takes his place and the game continues as before.

NEEDLE THREADING.

Procure several large jars. Stand these on their sides. Only men can contest for this, as ladies are supposed to be expert needle-threaders.

Four or five men contest at a time. Each sits on a jar with his feet crossed in front. The leader hands each a needle and thread. Allow five minutes for the contest.

The jars, being on their sides, will roll around, and as the contestants have their feet crossed, it is a difficult task to remain still long enough to thread the needle. Those who succeed deserve some sort of prize.

CONFUSIONS.

The players are provided with pencil and paper. Each player selects the name of some animal, fish, or bird, and mixes the letters so as to spell other words. For instance, if one chooses elephant, the words might be "pent heal"; if monkey, "o my ken," while mackerel may be "mere lack."

Allow five minutes for making the "confusion," no letter can be used twice, and words must be formed. Then the hostess rings the bell and each player in turn reads his "confusion" to the rest who guess what his chosen word is. Each puzzle is carefully timed. The one whose puzzle takes longest to guess is the winner, therefore, each person must mix the letters as much as possible.

Sides may be chosen if preferred, the players taking turn alternately, the side which has taken the least time to guess the puzzles is the victorious side.

VERBAL AUTHORS.

The players sit in a circle. One is chosen as judge and he keeps tally. Each player in turn, rises, and names some well-known book.

The first one to call out the name of the author scores a point. The game continues until the interest ceases or the store of literary knowledge is exhausted. The player having the most points is the winner.

This game may be played in another way. Instead of calling out the author as the book is named, provide each guest with pencil and paper and announce that as a book is named, each player must write down the author and the name of some character in that book.

Examples:

"The Taming of the Shrew"-- Wm. Shakespeare--Petruchio.

"Nicholas Nickleby"-- Chas. d.i.c.kens--Mr. Squeers.

"Ivanhoe"-- Sir Walter Scott--Rebecca.

PIN DOLL BABIES.

Any number may play this game. If there are men and women it is more amusing.

Divide the company into groups of five or six. Each group sits around a table upon which are pins, needles and thread, scissors, for each player but no thimbles, and strips of tissue paper, colored and white.

The hostess hands each guest a large wooden clothes-pin which is to be dressed as a doll, using the tissue paper for dresses and hats.

All begin to work at a given signal and the hostess allows a certain length of time for the dressmaking. There is much merriment, as it is nearly as awkward for the ladies to sew without a thimble as it is for the men to use a needle.

When the time is up, these doll-babies are arranged in line for inspection. Two judges are appointed to decide upon the best and the worst. Prizes are awarded.

BUILDING SENTENCES.

The hostess begins by saying one word and announces that each word of the sentence must begin with the initial letter of the given word. The player to her right gives the second word, the next player, the third, and so on, until the sentence is complete only when it reaches the hostess.

Each player must be careful not to give a word which with the others completes the sentence, as the hostess is the only one who is supposed to finish it--but sometimes it seems as though all the words of that letter have been taken; if this is the case, the player who finished the sentence must pay a forfeit or drop out of the game.

Suppose there are nine players and number one says "An," number two "Angry," number three "Ape," number four "Ate," number five "Apples"; thus number five is out or pays a forfeit as the sentence is completed and there are still four more to play. Thus the sentence might have been "An angry ape ate attractive, audacious, ancient April apples."

This sentence is absurd, but the more ridiculous, the greater the fun.

For the second turn the player to the right of the hostess begins, using a word beginning with another letter and so on, until each player has started a sentence.

GEOGRAPHY.

Select two leaders from the company. Each leader chooses players for his side. The sides stand opposite each other. One leader begins by giving the name of some river, mountain, lake, city or town, state or country, located in any part of the world, that begins with the letter A, the other leader answers back with another geographical name commencing with A. The two leaders continue with the letter A until they can think of no more names, then, they commence with B, and so on, until every letter of the alphabet has been used.

The players on the opposite sides simply help their leader with the names, as soon as one thinks of a name it is pa.s.sed up to the leader to help him. No place can be named twice. The side that stands up the longest wins.

Another way to play this game is as follows. Having chosen the sides as before, one leader begins by naming any place, lake, river, etc., commencing with any letter; the leader on the other side then follows with a name commencing with the last letter of the previous name; then the player next to the leader on the opposite side follows with a name commencing with the last letter of that name and so on, each player has a turn as it goes from side to side. Suppose the leader names Was.h.i.+ngton, the next New York, and so on. Thirty seconds is allowed to think of a name, if he fails in that, he must drop out. Any one may be challenged to locate the place which he has named. The side which has kept up the longest, is the champion.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF--?

Predicaments of the worst kind are thought of and written on pieces of paper. These are handed among the guests, who write out an answer, telling the best way out of the difficulty. Each question begins with "What would you do if--?"