Entertainments for Home, Church and School Part 11

SHAKESPEAREAN ROMANCE

One of Shakespeare's plays is selected, and as many questions are arranged in connection with it as the writer can think of. These are given to the players.

Example: About what time of the month were they married?

Answer: Twelfth-Night.

Of whom did they buy the ring?

Answer: Merchant of Venice.

In what kind of a place did they live?

Answer: Hamlet.

PARODIES

Pencils and paper are given the guests, and a subject for the parody is given. This may be a poem or a story, as selected by the hostess.

The parodies are collected and read. The company decides which is the best one. To this one a handsome copy of the poem or story is given.

LONDON

On a large, oblong slate draw with a slate pencil a diagram, as follows: Horizontal lines every two inches across the narrow part of the slate.

Pieces of paper are blown over the diagram toward the top of the slate; or beans or pieces of chalk may be subst.i.tuted for the paper. One of these is called a "chipper." If you use beans, snap them over the diagram with the fingers. Where the "chipper" stops, draw a mark to represent a small round "o." This depicts a man's head. The "chipper,"

having been returned to the starting point, is again snapped over the diagram. This continues until the player has marked a head in each of the s.p.a.ces; or should his chipper land a second time in a s.p.a.ce in which he has already marked such a head, he makes a larger round "O"

under the head, to represent the body of a man. The third time it lands in this place he makes a downward stroke for a leg, and the fourth time, one for a second leg, which completes the man. Should three complete men be so drawn in one s.p.a.ce, the player, without shooting again, draws what are called "arms," that is, a horizontal line from the figure across the s.p.a.ce to the outside limit. This occupies the s.p.a.ce completely and keeps the other players out of it. He continues to play until his "chipper" lands on a line. If this goes beyond the diagram, the player is "out." Each player takes a turn. He can start, or complete men, in any s.p.a.ce not occupied with three armed men, even though the former player may have started men in the s.p.a.ce or have completed two of them. A player can build only on his own men. The one drawing the largest number of s.p.a.ces with three armed men is the winner.

CHESS

Chess is a game which can only be played by two persons at the same time. The requisites are a board consisting of 64 squares of alternate black and white, and 32 pieces of wood, ivory, bone or other composition, which are technically known as "men." The board is so placed between the players that a white square is on the extreme right of each. The "men" are called black and white, there being an equal number of each. One player takes the white and another the black. Each division of 16 is composed of a king (the capture of which is the issue of the game), a queen, 2 rooks or castles, 2 bishops, 2 knights, and 8 p.a.w.ns. In commencing the game, the rooks are placed on the corner squares, next to them on each side a knight, next to the knights on each side a bishop, and then the king and queen. If white, the queen is placed on the remaining white square, if black, on the remaining black square, and thus both queens face each other. It is the same with the kings. The 8 p.a.w.ns are placed on each side on the squares immediately in front of the pieces.

The player has the privilege of moving his king into any vacant square adjacent to one he is occupying, provided it is not already taken by a piece belonging to his opponent, but he can go no farther. The queen can be moved in any direction up, down, backwards, forwards, as long as there is no piece to block her. The same can be done with the rook or castle, except that it cannot be moved diagonally--The bishop can only be moved diagonally, in a backward or forward direction. The move of the knight is a combination of the rook's shortest move, followed by the bishop's shortest move. It is not hindered by intervening p.a.w.ns or pieces. The p.a.w.n can only be moved one square at a time, and that in a forward direction. Another p.a.w.n in front of it stops its progress.

A p.a.w.n has the power of capturing an opposite p.a.w.n in either of the adjacent squares in advance and diagonally to the right or left of it when it moves into the square of the one captured. The king is never captured. When a piece or p.a.w.n attacks him he is said to be in check and the opposite player cries out "Check"! The attacked king is freed from check by moving him to an adjacent square not occupied by a piece or p.a.w.n of the opposite side, or else by opposing some piece to defend him from the check. If the player cannot resort to either of these tactics to save his king he is "checkmated" and loses the game.

CHAPTER XIII

OUTDOOR GAMES FOR ADULTS

LAWN TENNIS--POLO--HOCKEY--GOLF--ARCHERY--RING TOSS--LAWN BOWLS

LAWN TENNIS

A lawn tennis court is a plot of level ground about 26 yards by 9 yards, divided into sections. A net standing 3 1/2 feet high is drawn across the middle and attached to two posts outside the court on each side about three feet. The players stand on opposite sides of the net; the one who first delivers the ball is called the server and the other the striker-out. At the end of each game they reverse places. The server wins a stroke if the striker out "volley" the service, that is, he strike the ball before it touches the ground; or if the ball is returned by the striker-out, so that it drops outside his opponent's court, the latter wins the stroke.

The striker-out wins if the server serves two consecutive "faults,"

which consist in sending the ball to the net or outside the lines; or if the server fail to return the ball in play, the striker-out wins.

Either player loses a stroke if the ball touch him in the act of striking, if he touches the ball with his racket more than once, if he touch the net or any of its supports while the ball is in play, or if he "volley" the ball before it has pa.s.sed the net.

The player winning the first stroke gets a credit score of 15; for the second he gets 30; for the third 40, and if he wins the fourth he has the game. Six games in succession ent.i.tle the winner to a _Set_.

For a three-handed or four-handed game the Court requires to be 12 yards in width. In a three-handed game the single player serves every alternate game. In the four-handed game the pair who have the right to serve in the first game shall decide which partner shall do so and the opposing pair shall decide in like manner for the second game. The partner of the player who served in the first game shall serve in the third, and the partner of the player who served in the second game shall serve in the fourth, and the same order is to be observed in all the succeeding games of the set. If one partner of a double team strikes at a ball and does not touch it, his partner still has the right to return it. A player or different member of a team may strike at a ball as often as he pleases, for it is still in play until hit. The server must wait until the striker-out is ready for the second service as well as the first, and if the striker-out claims to be not ready and makes no effort to return the second service, the server cannot claim the point, even though the service was good. If a player's racket touches the net after the ball has struck the latter he does not loose a point.

The ball is always in play until it has struck the ground outside of the Court or has touched the inside ground _twice_. A ball is "dead"

the instant it strikes the ground outside of the Court, and the point must be scored against the side sending the ball there, no matter what happens _after_ the ball touches the ground.

In selecting a site for a lawn tennis court select a level field. Lay it out north and south, if possible so as to prevent the rays of the sun from blinding the players. The court may, or may not, be gra.s.sy.

As a general rule, sand courts are preferred. Level the court carefully, so there will be no gradient or inequality in it. To make a foundation, use stones pounded into place, and add top-soil to a depth of seven inches or more. The ground should be often watered and rolled. Sand is usually mixed with clay for a top soil, as the sand is likely to give under the running feet. In the case of a gra.s.sy court it should be constantly clipped and in addition rolled once or twice a week to keep the ground hard and even.

POLO

Polo is a game played from horseback in a large, level field. There is a goal at each end of the field in the center, the posts ten feet high and 24 feet apart. The teams are generally four a side, but when possible a greater number may play. The regular game in this country for teams of four is of four periods of 15 minutes of actual play each.

To win a goal counts one, and the team having the largest score at the end wins the match.

The equipment for the game besides the goal posts (which are generally of wood or papier-mache to prevent serious accidents) are the b.a.l.l.s and mallets. The b.a.l.l.s are of willow 3 1/8 inches in diameter, and weigh 5 ounces. The mallet sticks are of rattan cane, and from 4 to 4 1/2 feet long, set into square heads beveled at the sides and about 8 inches long and 2 wide. The handles are leather-wrapped to insure a good grip. As to the ponies, no blinkers are used, so that they may have a clear sight of the field. No rowels or spurs are permitted. The animals have to be trained for the purpose.

Each of the four players of a side has certain rules to obey governing his position. It is for Number 1 to watch the opposing back, to ride him off and clear the way for his own side when they have the ball going towards the goal. All his energies must be directed to obtaining a clear field for his side. He requires a fast pony to do the work.

The position of Number 2 is the most independent and the player is called the "flying man" of the team. He must be an adept in "dribbling"

out the ball so as to get a fair hit at it. As it comes to him from his side players his part is to race with it, hitting as he gallops, and in this way make the goal if he can.

It is the duty of Number 3 to help his back when the latter is being hard pressed and be ready to exchange places with him when the back gets an opportunity to make a run with the ball.

Number 4 is the real back, for all the others are in front of him and consequently his is the most important position. He must have a s.h.i.+fty pony well trained to riding work. He has to defend the goal, and therefore must be an expert "backhander," that is, quick to send back the ball to the opposing rank when it comes in the direction of his goal. It is the place of the back to knock in when the ball goes over the end line. When he is sure of the half-back player on his side he may go up into the game and make a leading attack himself, but it is nearly always well for him to avoid meeting the ball, for if he misses, the goal is left defenceless.

On the whole, pony polo is an intricate game, and while it is not the sport of kings, it is only adapted to the people of leisure with whom time and money are not an object.

HOCKEY

To play hockey a level field is required about 100 yards long and 50 yards wide. The s.p.a.ce is marked out in whitewash lines and small flags are placed at each corner. The long lines are called _side_ lines, and the shorter ones _goal_ lines. Across the center, 50 yards from either goal, is the center line. This divides the ground in half. These halves are again equally divided by 25-yard lines. Five yards inside each line is marked a dotted line, parallel with the side line, and which is called the five-yard line.

In the middle of each goal line and 4 yards apart are placed the goal posts, which are uprights 7 feet high, with a horizontal bar from one to the other. Fifteen yards in front of each goal is drawn a line 4 yards long, parallel to the goal line; the ends of this line are brought round in curves to meet the goal line and the s.p.a.ce thus inclosed is called the "striking circle."

The stick and b.a.l.l.s are the main requisites of hockey. The sticks are made of hickory. The better kind have ash blades and cane handles, such handles giving a spring which sends a clean drive without giving a jar to the hands. The b.a.l.l.s used are about the size and weight of the average baseball.

Nowadays it is customary to have nets behind the goal posts, so that it may be definitely determined if there is any dispute whether the ball went clean through between the goal posts or past the outside of either.

Hockey requires 22 players, 11 on each side, consisting of 5 forwards, 3 half-backs, 2 full-backs and a goal-keeper. The center forward stands in the middle of the ground. On her right about 10 yards distant stands the inside right; the right wing stands between the 5-yard line and the side line; the inside left and the left wing stand on the left of the center forward. The half-backs stand 15 yards behind the forward.

The center half takes her place directly in line with the center forward; the right half covers the two right forwards, while the left half covers the two left forwards. Behind, on the 25-yard line, stand the fullbacks, right and left; the goalkeeper stands between the goal posts about a foot in front of the goal line.

The two center forwards start the game by "bullying off" the ball in the center of the field; the ball is placed on the center line while the two forwards stand with a foot on either side of the line facing each other and standing square to the side line; then the center halves and left and inside forwards on the blowing of the whistle for the "bully," close up in order to keep watch, each one ready to take the ball should it come in her direction. When one of the center forwards gets the ball she tries to pa.s.s it out to either of her own inside players, who endeavors to "dribble" it up the field until she is encountered by an opposition player, at which juncture, by a quick stroke she pa.s.ses it out to the wing player. It is in this manner, by keeping a straight course and a.s.sisted by their halfbacks that the forwards by pa.s.sing and "dribbling" get the ball into the "striking circle," and when they get it that length it is not a difficult matter to score a goal.

GOLF

In golf the player strikes a ball in the endeavor to send it to a particular spot. He is not met with opposition in such endeavor, as in other ball games, his opponent having also a ball which he, too, is trying to put into the same spot with fewer strokes. This spot into which the player tries to put his ball is a small hole in the earth about 4-1/4 inches in diameter, and the instruments he uses for doing so are exceedingly varied.

The game commences by a player hitting off from a marked line called the teeing-ground, the ball in the direction of the first hole. In a regular golf course there are generally 18 holes, their distance apart varying from about 100 yards to 500 yards. The smoothly kept grounds near the holes is called the "putting-greens," and beside each "putting-green" is a marked teeing-ground. After the ball has been struck from the "tee" the player must not touch it with his hand until it is driven into the next hole, out of which he may then take it and "tee" it on the teeing ground in a good position for the drive-off to the next hole.

As the holes are widely separated and the ground in many places uneven and broken up, the ball will be driven into many positions, it will lie in the gra.s.s, in sand pits or bunkers, and in all kinds of holes and hollows in the rough surface, therefore it will be readily understood that the distance the ball is sent will vary with the stroke.