A person who understands the game proposes to another, who is ignorant of it, to be blinded with him and be “bobbed.” After being blindfolded they sit down in two chairs placed back to back. The one who knows the game then removes the bandage from his eyes and ties a knot in his handkerchief. The others join hands and go round them in a circle. The one not blindfolded carelessly hits the other with his handkerchief. The one struck of course, thinks himself hit by some one in the circle, and exclaims, “brother, I am bobbed.” The other says, “who bobbed you?” In answer he mentions the name of some one in the ring. They all call out, “you are wrong,” so he is bobbed till the fun is exhausted, he trying to guess the person who hit him and expecting to change places when he guesses correctly. The other pretends he is hit occasionally and calls out he is bobbed. It requires a good-natured person to take the joke pleasantly.
HOW DO YOU LIKE IT? WHEN DO YOU LIKE IT? AND WHERE WILL YOU PUT IT?
The difficulty of this game consists in guessing the meaning of two or more nouns, which sound alike but have different meanings, without any other help than the answers given to the above questions. It is played in the following manner. One of the company is sent out of the room and not recalled until her companions have agreed upon two words of similar sound, with which to puzzle her. When she comes in she asks, “How do you like it?” One answers, “very much indeed,” or “I don’t like it early in the morning;” another says, “It is too noisy;” another, “It is too fond of fine clothes,” &c. She then asks, “When do you like it?” One answers, “At all times;” another, “When I feel hungry for my dinner;” another, “I want it when walking alone;” another, “When I want some wood brought for my fire,” &c. Lastly she asks, “Where would you put it?” One says, “I would hang it;” another, “I would shut it up in a church-tower;” another, “I would take it to a ball-room,” &c.
From such answers a witty little girl may guess that belle was the chosen word, (belle, a fashionable lady, and bell, an instrument of sound.) Such as do not guess must pay a forfeit. Many words might be chosen for this game, such as hair, hare; reign, rain; date, a fruit and date a period of time; whip to strike with, and whip to eat; pear, pair; heir, air; ale, ail; mason a brick-layer, mason a member of a secret society; beer, bier; see and sea.
THE BIRD-CATCHER.
All who join this game must be seated in a circle, first choosing a bird-catcher, who takes his or her place in the centre. He can give the name of a bird to each person, or each can select one, but each one must represent some bird, and one of the number must personate an owl. The bird-catcher then tells a story, introducing the names of different birds. Every bird when mentioned must immediately make a chirrup, crow, screech or splutter, peculiar to its species. The slightest delay or mistake is punished by a forfeit. Each player, until the owl is mentioned, must rest his hands on his knees; but when the owl is called, each player must instantly clasp his hands behind him. The bird-catcher tries to seize the hand of one of the players before he raises it from his knee; if he succeeds, the person so caught must pay a forfeit or take the bird-catcher’s place, his name and place in the aviary being taken by the late officer. If he fails to entrap any one, he must pay a forfeit, and continue the story until he does, or has paid a certain number of forfeits; another then takes his place, either by lot or choice. The company must keep their hands behind them until some other bird is mentioned, when they must return them promptly. It is well to mention the owl twice in succession, but no one must change the second time; the owl must make his peculiar cry whenever he is mentioned. The following is a list of available birds, with sounds peculiar to them, taken from undoubted authorities:—
The Cock—“Cook a doodle doo.”
The Hen—“Cut, cut, cut, ca da cut.”