"THE WHAT-DO-YOU-THINK?"
The exhibitor begins, in proper showman style: "Ladies and gentlemen, I have the pleasure of exhibiting to your notice the celebrated 'What-do-you-think?' or Giant Uncle-Eater. You have all probably heard of the Ant-Eater. This is, as you will readily perceive, a member of the same family, but more so! He measures seven feet from the tip of his snout to the end of his tail, eight feet back again, five feet around the small of his waist, and has four feet of his own, making twenty-four in all. In his natural state he lives chiefly on blue-bottle flies and mixed pickles, but in captivity it is found that so rich a diet has a tendency to make him stout, and he is now fed exclusively on old corks and back numbers of some daily paper. His voice, which you may perhaps have an opportunity of hearing (here the 'What-do-you-think?' howls dismally), is in the key of B fiat, and is greatly admired. People come here before breakfast to hear it, and when they have heard it, they assure us that they never heard anything like it before. Some have even gone so far as to say that they never wish to hear anything like it again,"' etc. The "What-do-you-think?" is manufactured as follows: The performer, who should have black kid gloves on, places on his head a conical paper cap, worked up with the aid of the nursery paint box into a rough semblance of an animal's head. This being securely fastened on, he goes down on his hands and knees and a shaggy railway rug (of fur, if procurable) is thrown over him and secured round his neck, when the animal is complete.
THE KNIGHT OF THE WHISTLE
This is a capital game for everybody but the victim, and produces much fun. Some one who does not know the game is chosen to be Knight of the Whistle, and is commanded to kneel down and receive the honor of knighthood, which the leader (armed with a light cane, the drawing- room poker, or other substitute for a sword) confers by a slight stroke on the back. While placing him in position, opportunity is taken to attach to his back, by means of a bent pin or otherwise, a piece of string about a foot in length, to which is appended a small light whistle. Having been duly dubbed, in order to complete his dignity, he is informed that he must now go in quest of the whistle, which will be sounded at intervals, in order to guide him in his search. Meanwhile the other players gather in a circle round him, making believe to pass an imaginary object from hand to hand. The victim naturally believes that this imaginary object must be the long-lost whistle, and makes a dash for it accordingly, when the player who happens to be behind his back blows the actual whistle and instantly drops it again. Round flies the unhappy knight, and makes a fresh dash to seize the whistle, but in vain. No sooner has he turned to a fresh quarter than the ubiquitous whistle again sounds behind his back.
If the game is played smartly, and care taken not to pull the cord, the knight may often be kept revolving for a considerable period before he discovers the secret.
"HE CAN DO LITTLE."
This is another "sell" of almost childish simplicity, but we have seen people desperately puzzled over it, and even "give it up" in despair.
The leader takes a stick (or poker) in his left hand, thence transfers it to his right, and thumps three times on the floor, saying: "He can do little who can't do this." He then hands the stick to another person, who, as he supposes, goes through exactly the same performance; but if he does not know the game, is generally told, to his disgust, that he has incurred a forfeit, his imitation not having been exact.
The secret lies in the fact that the stick, when passed on, is first received in the left hand and thence transferred to the right before going through the performance.
"THROWING LIGHT."
Two of the company agree privately upon a word (which should be one susceptible of two or three meanings), and interchange remarks tending to throw light upon it. The rest of the players do their best to guess the word, but when any of them fancies he has succeeded, he does not publicly announce his guess, but makes such a remark as to indicate to the two initiated that he has discovered their secret. If they have any doubt that he has really guessed the word, they challenge him, i.e., require him to name it in a whisper. If this guess proves to be right, he joins in conversation, and assists in throwing light on the subject; but if, on the other hand, he is wrong, he must submit to have a handkerchief thrown over his head, and so remain until by some more fortunate observation he shall prove that he really possesses the secret.
We will give an example. Mr. A. and Miss B. have agreed on "bed" as the word, and proceed to throw light upon it, alternating upon its various meanings of a place of repose, a part of a garden, or the bed of a river.
Miss B. I don't know what your opinion may be, but I am never tired of it.
Mr. A. Well, for my part, I am never in a hurry, either to get to it or to leave it.
Miss B. How delightful it is after a long, tiring day!
Mr. A. Yes. But it is a pleasure that soon palls. The most luxurious person does not care for too much of it at a stretch.
Miss B. Oh, don't you think so. In early spring, for instance, with the dew upon the flowers!
Mr. A. Ah! you take the romantic view. But how would you like it beneath some rapid torrent or some broad majestic river?
Miss C. (thinks she sees her way, and hazards a remark). Or in a sauce?
Mr. A. I beg your pardon. Please tell me in a whisper what you suppose the word to be?
Miss C. (whispers) Fish! What! isn't that right?
Mr. A. I am afraid you must submit to a temporary eclipse. (Throws her handkerchief over her face.)
Mr. A. to Miss B. You mentioned spring, I think. For my own part, I prefer feathers.
Mr. D. (rashly concludes, from the combination of "spring" and "feathers," that spring chickens must be referred to). Surely you would have them plucked?
Mr. A. (looks puzzled). I think not May I ask you to name your guess?
Oh, no, quite out. I must trouble you for your pocket handkerchief.
Miss B. It is curious, isn't it, that they must be made afresh every day?
Mr. A. So it is; though I confess it never struck me in that light before. I don't fancy, however, that old Brown, the gardener, makes his quite so often.
Miss B. You may depend that he has it made for him, though.
Miss C. (from under the handkerchief). At any rate, according as he makes it, his fate will be affected accordingly. You know the proverb?
Mr. A. (removing the handkerchief). You have fairly earned your release. By the way, do you remember an old paradox upon this subject, "What nobody cares to give away, yet nobody wishes to keep?"
Miss E. Ah! now you have let out the secret. I certainly don't wish to keep mine for long together, but I would willingly give it away if I could get a better.
Miss B. Tell me your guess. (Miss E. whispers.) Yes, you have hit it.
I was afraid Mr. A.'s last "light" was rather too strong.
And so the game goes on, until every player is in the secret, or the few who may be still in the dark "give it up" and plead for mercy. This, however, is a rare occurrence, for, as the company in general become acquainted with the secret, the "lights" are flashed about in a rash and reckless manner, till the task of guessing becomes almost a matter of course to an ordinarily acute person.