Cassell's Book of In-door Amusements, Card Games, and Fireside Fun

by Various

THE SCHOOLMASTER.

Among stirring games one that is always a success when played with energy is that called The Schoolmaster. The one of the party who volunteers to be master of the ceremony places himself in front of his class, who are all seated in a row. If agreeable, he can examine his subjects in all the different branches of education in succession, or he may go from one to the other indiscriminately. Supposing, however, he decides to begin with natural history, he will proceed as follows:—Pointing to the pupil at the top of the class, he asks the name of a bird beginning with C. Should the pupil not name a bird beginning with this letter by the time the master has counted ten, it is passed on immediately to the next, who, if successful, and calls out "Cuckoo" or "Crow," &c., in time, goes above the one who has failed.

Authors, singers, actors, or anything else may be chosen, if the schoolmaster should think proper, as subjects for examination; but, whatever may be selected, the questions must follow each other with very great rapidity, or the charm of the game will be wanting.