ORCHESTRA
This is a very noisy game. The conductor names his players for instruments, and tells them in pantomime how to play. He then orders them to tune up. They do so, producing a terrible discord. Then the baton is waved by the conductor, and the musicians imitate the sounds of their instruments, while also imitating the movements assigned them by the conductor. The result is very funny.
CHARLEY OVER THE WATER
A player becomes "Charlie." He stands in the center; the others form a circle about him, and dance, repeating the rhyme:
"Charlie over the water,
Charlie over the sea,
Charlie caught a black-bird,
He can't catch me."
When the verse is ended, all the players try to stop before Charlie can tag them. If they succeed in doing this, Charlie remains in the ring and the verse is repeated, etc. The tagged one takes his place and he enters the ring.
JACK BE NIMBLE
"Jack, be nimble,
Jack, be quick,
Jack jumped over the candlestick."
A candlestick is placed on the floor. The players in turn jump over it, using both feet in so doing. Any other object may be substituted for the candlestick. One of the players sings the verse and when the last line is reached the jump is made.
MARY'S LITTLE LAMB
This is a great favorite with the young folks. When everything else has become tiresome, some one starts the first line of the verse:
Mary had a little lamb,
Fleece as white as snow, etc.
All sing, and on the second verse being reached the last syllable of the first line is dropped, then the next to the last, the third, the fourth, and so on, until the line is totally omitted. The aim of the singers is to keep exact time, counting a beat for each omitted syllable, and any one whose voice breaks in when all should be silent, pays a forfeit. The same can be done with "John Brown's Body," repeating the first verse and omitting syllable after syllable at the end of the first line until there is nothing left to sing but the chorus.
THE SNAIL
Holding hands, the children form a line, singing the following words; they wind up in a spiral, following the first child, who is the largest one, and represents the snail's head. The others huddle together to form the shell into which the snail creeps. The motion is slow, for the saying "creeps like a snail," is proverbial.
Hand in hand you see us well,
Creep like a snail into his shell,
Ever nearer, ever nearer,
Ever closer, ever closer.
Very snug indeed you dwell,
Snail, within your tiny shell.
Hand in hand you see us well,
Creep like a snail out of his shell,
Ever farther, ever farther,
Ever wider, ever wider,
Who'd have thought this tiny shell,
Could have held the snail so well?
With the last verse the creeping out of the shell is accomplished.
OATS, PEAS, BEANS
A circle is formed. One player stands in the center. After singing the first four lines, all drop their hands. After this they imitate the motions suggested by the song. At the end of the verse they turn around several times, and then, joining hands, sing the chorus, standing still, for the last two lines. Then the one in the center chooses "one in," and returns herself to the circle. The game goes on as before.
Oats, peas, beans and barley grows,
Oats, peas, beans and barley grows,
Nor you nor I nor nobody knows,
How oats, peas, beans and barley grows,
Thus the farmer sows his seed, Thus he stands and takes his ease, Stamps his foot and clasps his hands, And turn around to view his lands.
A-waiting for a partner, A-waiting for a partner, So open the ring and choose one in, Make haste and choose your partner.
Now you're married you must obey.
You must be true to all you say.
You must be kind, you must be good,
And keep your wife in kindling wood.
MULBERRY BUSH
The players stand in a circle clasping hands, and circle round, singing the first verse. In the second and alternate verses, the action indicated by the lines is given in pantomime. In all verses the players spin around rapidly, each in her own place, on the repetition of the refrain, "So early in the morning."
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush,
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
So early in the morning!
This is the way we wash our clothes,
We wash our clothes, we wash our clothes,
This is the way we wash our clothes,
So early Monday morning.
This is the way we iron our clothes,
We iron our clothes, we iron our clothes,
This is the way we iron our clothes,
So early Tuesday morning.
This is the way we scrub the floor,
We scrub the floor, we scrub the floor,
This is the way we scrub the floor,
So early Wednesday morning.
This is the way we mend our clothes,
We mend our clothes, we mend our clothes,
This is the way we mend our clothes,
So early Thursday morning.
This is the way we sweep the house,
We sweep the house, we sweep the house,
This is the way we sweep the house,
So early Friday morning.
Thus we play when our work is done,
Our work is done, our work is done,
Thus we play when our work is done,
So early Saturday morning.
ITISKIT, ITASKET
All the players but one stand in a circle with clasped hands; the odd player, carrying a handkerchief, runs around on the outside of the circle, singing:
Itiskit, itasket,
A green and yellow basket;
I wrote a letter to my love
And on the way I dropped it.
Some one of you has picked it up
And put it in your pocket;
It isn't you—it isn't you—
The last phrase is repeated until the player reaches one behind whom he wishes to drop the handkerchief, when he says, "It is you," and immediately starts on a quick run around the circle. The one behind whom the handkerchief was dropped picks it up and at once starts around the circle in the opposite direction, the object being to see which of the two shall first reach the vacant place. The one who is left out takes the handkerchief for the next round.
Should a circle player fail to discover that the handkerchief has been dropped behind him until the one who has dropped it has walked or run entirely around the circle, he must yield his place in the circle to the handkerchief man, changing places with him.
FARMER IN THE DELL
The players stand in a circle. One of their number is in the center. He is the farmer in the dell. At the singing of the second verse, where the farmer takes a wife, the center player beckons to another, who goes in and stands by her. The circle keeps moving while each verse is sung, and each time the player last called in beckons to another; that is, the wife beckons one into the circle as the child, the child beckons one for the nurse, etc., until six are standing in the circle. When the lines, "The rat takes the cheese," are sung, the players inside the circle and those forming it jump up and down and clap their hands in a grand confusion, and the game breaks up.
The farmer in the dell,
The farmer in the dell,
Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!
The farmer in the dell.
The farmer takes a wife,
The farmer takes a wife,
Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!
The farmer takes a wife.
The wife takes a child,
The wife takes a child,
Heigh-o! the cherry-oh!
The wife takes a child.
The child takes a nurse, etc.
The nurse takes a cat, etc.
The cat takes a rat, etc.
The rat takes the cheese, etc.
The succeeding verses vary only in the choice in each, and follow in this order.
THE KING OF FRANCE
The King of France with forty thousand men
Marched up the hill and then marched down again.
The players stand in two rows or groups facing each other. Each group has a leader, who stands in the center and represents a king leading his army.
The game or play is a simple one of imitation, in which the players perform in unison some action first indicated by one of the leaders.
The leaders of the two groups take turns in singing the verse, at the same time marching forward during the first line of the verse, and back again to their places during the second line, illustrating the action that is then to be taken by all. The verse is then sung by both groups while advancing toward each other and retreating, performing the movements indicated by the leaders. The movements illustrated by the leaders may be anything suitable to an army of men, the words describing the movement being substituted for the line, "marched up the hill," thus:
The King of France with forty thousand men Waved his flag and then marched down again.
The following variations are suggested, each of which indicates the movements to go with it:
Gave a salute, etc.
Beat his drum, etc.
Blew his horn, etc.
Drew his sword, etc.
Aimed his gun, etc.
Fired his gun, etc.
Shouldered arms, etc.
Pranced on his horse, etc.
It is scarcely necessary to say that a real flag and drum add much to the martial spirit of the game, and if each soldier can have a stick or wand over his shoulder for a gun, the esprit de corps will be proportionately enhanced.
LONDON BRIDGE
London bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
London bridge is falling down,
My fair lady!
Build it up with iron bars,
Iron bars, iron bars,
Build it up with iron bars,
My fair lady!
Iron bars will bend and break,
Bend and break, bend and break,
Iron bars will bend and break,
My fair lady!
Build it up with gold and silver, etc.
Gold and silver will be stolen away, etc.
Get a man to watch all night, etc.
Suppose the man should fall asleep? etc.
Put a pipe into his mouth, etc.
Suppose the pipe should fall and break, etc.
Get a dog to bark all night, etc.
Suppose the dog should meet a bone? etc.
Get a cock to crow all night, etc.
Here's a prisoner I have got, etc.
What's the prisoner done to you? etc.
Stole my hat and lost my keys, etc.
A hundred pounds will set him free, etc.
A hundred pounds he has not got, etc.
Off to prison he must go, etc.
Two of the tallest players represent a bridge by facing each other, clasping hands, and holding them high for the others to pass under. The other players, in a long line, each holding the other by the hand or dress, pass under the arch while the verses are sung alternately by the players representing the bridge and those passing under, those forming the arch singing the first and alternate verses and the last "Off to prison." As the words
"Here's a prisoner I have got,"
are sung, the players representing the bridge drop their arms around the one who happens to be passing under at the time. The succeeding verses are then sung to "Off to prison he must go." During this last one the prisoner is led off to one side to a place supposed to be a prison, and is there asked in a whisper or low voice to choose between two valuable objects, represented by the two bridge players, who have previously agreed which each shall represent, such as a "diamond necklace" or a "gold piano." The prisoner belongs to the side which he thus chooses. When all have been caught the prisoners line up behind their respective leaders (who have up to this time been the holders of the bridge), clasp each other around the waist, and a tug of war takes place, the side winning which succeeds in pulling its opponent across a given line.
Where a large number of players are taking part, say over ten, the action may be made much more rapid and interesting by forming several spans or arches to the bridge instead of only one, and by having the players run instead of walk under. There is thus much more activity for each player, and the prisoners are all caught much sooner.
SINGING GAMES FOR SMALL CHILDREN
MOON AND MORNING STARS
This is a Spanish game. A player represents the moon; the rest are stars. The moon is placed in the shadow of a tree or house.
The morning stars dance about a child, standing on a chair with extended arms, to represent the sun just risen. The stars dance around the sun, occasionally going quite near the moon; while doing this, they sing
O moon and morning stars,
O the moon and morning stars
Who dares to tread—oh,
Within the shadow?
The moon tries to catch a star, and the one caught becomes the moon.
WEE BOLOGNA MAN
Two to forty players. The leader recites:
I'm a wee Bologna Man;
Always do the best you can
To follow the wee Bologna Man.
While doing this he imitates an instrument of an orchestra. The others imitate him.
This game may be varied, the Bologna man imitating animals or birds, or making any sound he wishes to make, or he can hop and croak like a frog, or imitate the motions and noise of an angry cat, or the like.
DRAW A BUCKET OF WATER
This game is played in groups of four. Two players face each other, clasping hands at full arms' length. The other two face each other in the same way, with their arms crossing those of the first couple at right angles. Bracing the feet, the couples sway backward and forward, singing the following rhyme:
Draw a bucket of water,
For my lady's daughter.
One in a rush,
Two in a rush,
Please, little girl, bob under the bush.
When the last line is sung the players all raise their arms without unclasping the hands, and place them around their companions, who stoop to step inside. They will then be standing in a circle with arms around each other's waists. The game finishes by dancing in this position around the ring, repeating the verse once more.