This is a noisy game. All the actors in the play must take seats around the room, while some one or two of the number must be chosen to give out the parts. The persons so chosen whisper in the ear of each one the name of some animal he is to imitate. When all are ready and the signal is given by one chosen for the purpose, each one commences to utter sounds in imitation of the animal named to him. Those who fail must pay some penalty. It cannot be called a “concord of sweet sounds,” but such a game will give life to a too quiet company on a stormy Winter evening.
QUAKER MEETING.
Those who join the game take seats around the room, and one or more whispers in the ear of each one some witty or absurd thing for him to do. All must be quiet who are not playing. When all are ready, one person claps his hands, and the first one must proceed to do what he was told; the others must not speak or laugh, on penalty of a forfeit. Each one in turn must act his or her part. It must all be in pantomime. When all are through, each person must turn and shake hands with his or her neighbor, saying: “Friend, how dost thee do?” It is important in this game that the one who gives the parts should be full of humor and of quick perceptions, so as to adapt the game to the persons playing. The parts assigned may be of endless variety. One person may be ordered to play a mock bravura on a table for a piano; another to gaze in admiration of himself in a mirror and arrange his dress and hair; another to act the scornful belle, while a gentleman acts the urgent but despairing lover; one to dance a hornpipe, another to make a speech by gestures, another to make grimaces in the face of every one in the company, another to pretend terror and fright from some imaginary animal, etc.
RESEMBLANCES.
One of the company taking part in this amusement rises, and addressing his or her neighbor, proposes the following question: “What does my thought resemble?” The person interrogated replies as he or she pleases; then the questioner adds: “In what way does the object you designate resemble that which I am thinking of?” If, as frequently occurs, there exists no affinity, no resemblance between the two, a pawn must be given by the person interrogated. Here is an example:
Mary.—Tell me, Alice, what does my thought resemble?
Alice.—A windmill.
Mary.—I thought of Rogers’ poetry; what resemblance is there between his poems and a windmill?