Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 26

"Your feet are too dirty."

The mother grows angry at this, pushes her way into the house, and calls her children. The witch is supposed, prior to this, to have cooked the children, made them into pies, and put them in a row, naming them apple pie, peach pie, etc. They stand or sit with their faces or heads covered.

The mother approaches them and says, "You have some pies?" The old witch says, "Yes, some very nice apple pie." The mother proceeds to taste the apple pie and says, "This needs more sugar." The witch pretends to stir in more sugar, whereupon the mother tastes again and says, "Why, this tastes exactly like my child Monday!" Monday thereupon uncovers her face and says, "It is Monday!" The mother shakes her and says, "Run away home!" which she does.

This is gone through with each pie in turn, the mother finding them in need of more salt or longer cooking or some other improvement before she discovers in each case one of her children. When all have been sent home, the mother, joined by the children, chases and catches the witch.

This is one of the oldest traditional games, of which many versions are given by Mrs. Gomme and Mr. Newell, both from Great Britain and America. Several incidents here given the present writer has gathered directly from players of the game.

According to Mrs. Gomme, the game probably ill.u.s.trates some of the practices and customs a.s.sociated with fire wors.h.i.+p, wors.h.i.+p of the hearth, and ancient house ritual. The magic pot boils over when anything is wrong and as a warning to the mother that she is needed. The incident of the witch taking a light from the hearth is very significant, as, according to an old superst.i.tion, the giving of a brand from a hearth gave the possessor power over the inmates of the house. The sullying of the hearth by the old witch in blowing the ashes has also an ancient significance, as fairies were said to have power over inmates of a house where the hearth or threshold had been sullied.

MY LADY'S TOILET

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Parlor; schoolroom._

This a French form of a game known in America as Spin the Platter.

Each of the players is named for some article of My Lady's toilet, such as her gown, necklace, evening coat, slippers, bracelet, etc. All sit in a circle except one, who stands or crouches in the center and spins a plate or tray, at the same time saying, "My Lady wants her necklace;" or names some other article of the toilet. The player representing the article thus named must rush to the center and catch the plate before it stops spinning and falls to the ground. If successful, the player takes the place of the spinner. If unsuccessful, she returns to her place and pays a forfeit, which is redeemed at the end of the game. The speaker should name the different articles while carrying on a flow of narrative, as, for instance: "My Lady, being invited to a ball at the king's palace, decided to wear her _blue gown_. With this she called for her _silver slippers_, her _white gloves_, her _pearl necklace_, and a _bouquet_ of roses. As the evening was quite cool, she decided to wear her _white opera coat_,"

etc. The speaker will make several opportunities for introducing mention of the ball, and whenever she says anything about the ball, all the players must jump up and change places, the spinner trying to secure one for herself in the general confusion. One odd player will be left without a place, and she becomes spinner. When boys are playing, they may appropriately take the parts of carriage, horses, footmen, the escort, etc.

NUMBERS CHANGE

(See also _Exchange_.)

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Parlor; playground; gymnasium; schoolroom._

The players stand in a large circle and are numbered consecutively.

One player takes his place in the center. He calls two numbers, and the players whose numbers are called must change places while the center player tries to secure one of their places. The one who is left without a place changes places with the center player.

FOR THE SCHOOLROOM.--This game may be adapted by selecting two players as chasers, who take their places in the front of the room. These players are not blindfolded, as in the parlor form of the game. All of the other players are seated, having been numbered. The teacher calls two numbers, when the players bearing those numbers must rise at once and exchange seats, the two chasers trying to catch them before they can get to their seats.

When a game is played under these circ.u.mstances, it is not permissible for the chaser to take a vacant seat; he must catch the player who is running for it. No player, having once left his own seat, may return to it, but must keep up the chase until he is caught or reaches the seat for which he is running.

This game gives opportunity for some very lively chasing, with good running and dodging up and down the aisles. As in all running games in the cla.s.s room, the seated players should keep their feet out of the aisles.

For young children it may be found desirable to have only one chaser. It generally adds to the interest of the game to have a general exchange of seats at the opening of the game, immediately after the numbers have been a.s.signed, and before the chasing is commenced, as then the person who calls the numbers is at a loss to know how near or distant those called may be in relation to each other, and this element adds much to the sport of the game.

OBSERVATION

_5 to 60 players._

_Parlor; schoolroom._

This game is a test of visual memory. When played in a parlor, all the players are seated except one, who pa.s.ses around a tray or a plate, on which are from six to twenty objects, all different. These may include such things as a key, spool of thread, pencil, cracker, piece of cake, ink bottle, napkin ring, small vase, etc. The more uniform the size and color of the objects the more difficult will be the test.

The player who carries the tray will pa.s.s at the pace of an ordinary walk around the circle, giving each player an opportunity to look at the objects only so long as they are pa.s.sing before him. It is not allowable to look longer than this. The observer must then at once write down on a slip of paper the names of as many of the objects as he can remember. The player wins who writes correctly the longest list.

It is sometimes more convenient to have the articles on a table and the players all pa.s.s in a line before them.

IN THE SCHOOLROOM.--The objects should be placed on the teacher's desk, so s.h.i.+elded that pupils cannot see them except as they march past the desk. This they should do, returning at once to their seats and writing the list. Used in this way, the game may be made to correlate with nature study, the objects to be observed being gra.s.ses, sh.e.l.ls, leaves, stones, woods, etc.

ODD MAN'S CAP

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

Twelve players make the best-sized group for this game; where there are more players, they should be divided into small groups. All but one of the players stand in a circle with considerable s.p.a.ce between each two. The odd man stands in the center. Each player is provided with a stick about two feet in length; canes or wands may be used as a subst.i.tute, but the shorter sticks are better; they may be whittled from branches or bits of wood, and should not be pointed at the ends.

The odd man tosses his cap or a cloth bag toward the circle. The players endeavor to catch it on their sticks, and keep it moving from one to another, so as to evade the odd man, who tries to recover his property. Should he succeed, he changes places with the one from whom he recovered it. The sticks must be kept upright in the air. A dropped cap may be picked up only by hand, not on a stick. The sticks must always be held upright. An old stiff hat, or a cap or bag wired around the edge to keep it spread open, makes the best game.

This game holds the interest of the players intently and is full of sport.

OLD BUZZARD

_5 to 30 or more players._

_Playground._

This is one of the old dramatic games, probably better known in America than any other of this type.

One player is chosen to represent the "Old Buzzard"; another player represents a hen, and the remainder are chickens. All the players circle around the buzzard, saying in chorus:--

"Chickany, chickany, crany crow; I went to the well to wash my toe; And when I came back a chicken was gone."

The hen finishes by asking alone, "What o'clock is it, old buzzard?"

The buzzard crouches on the ground during the repet.i.tion of the verse, going through the pantomime of building a fire with sticks, and in answer to the question may name any hour, as eight o'clock, nine o'clock, ten o'clock. So long as the buzzard does not say twelve o'clock, the players continue to circle around, repeating the verse, the final question being asked each time by a different player, until the buzzard finally says, "Twelve o'clock!" When this occurs, the ring stands still, and the following dialogue takes place between the buzzard and the hen:--

_Hen._ Old buzzard, old buzzard, what are you doing?

_Buz._ Picking up sticks.

_Hen._ What do you want the sticks for?