In choosing a judge of forfeits, it is necessary to select a person of quick perceptions and ready wit. The judge must be prompt in giving his decisions, and they who redeem their forfeits must be as expeditious as possible. Promptness is necessary to the success of all games. The following list of forfeits, collected from various sources, may assist the judge:
Let the judge give out a line with which the one who owns the forfeit shall make another line to rhyme, no matter how absurdly.
Laugh first, sing next, then cry, and lastly whistle.
Place your hands behind you and guess who touches them; you are not to redeem your forfeit till you guess right.
Stand with your heels and back close to the wall, then stoop without moving your feet, and pick up the forfeit.
Say “Quizzical, quiz, kiss me quick,” nine times without a mistake.
Ask the person who owns the forfeit, what musical instrument he likes best; then require him to give an imitation of it.
Ask the person what animal he likes best; then require him to imitate it, either by action or sound.
If a gentleman, he must put on a lady’s bonnet, and imitate the voice and manner of the lady to whom it belongs. If a lady, then she must take a gentleman’s hat and imitate his manner, (sometimes these imitations are very humorous. The use of some word or expression habitually employed by the person imitated adds largely to the sport.)