This is played exactly like the thimble game. Put a confectioner’s ostrich egg in full sight, and at a signal every one begins to look for it. When it is seen, the finder signifies the fact by sitting down, and this continues until all are either seated or give up. The hostess inquires of the first one who sat down where the egg is, and the answer is given in a whisper. If correct, it may be retained as a favor, if not, the egg must be drawn for.
The hiding must be cleverly managed, so that while the egg is in sight, it is, however, in an unexpected spot, and where it cannot be handled. Then, too, there should be a bogus egg, made from tissue paper, closely resembling the confectioners egg. Many will mistake the egg.
Basket Eggs.
Put two baskets at the end of a room, each basket lined with wadding, and containing a dozen of eggs. Opposite these baskets on the other side of the room, have two empty ones lined in a similar manner. Two persons step forward, and at the ringing of a bell start to put the dozen of eggs, without cracking, into the empty basket, the one who succeeds first being victor.
The Game of Cluck.
Perhaps this is the jolliest game of all, and it is essentially for boys. Whoever gives the party should ask each of his friends to bring a chicken—a real live chicken—and if he is sure he would not recognize her when with a barnyard of others, he must tie a ribbon around her neck; he must also bring some hard-boiled eggs. The court used should be surrounded with a high netting, and the centre of the court marked with a cross.
At a signal all the players, each with his fowl in his arms, must enter the court, and the host, going to the centre, now becomes auctioneer, and taking each offered fowl in turn, he loudly calls, “How many eggs am I bid for this chicken?”—two eggs, three, or whatever the number may be; no one must bid what he cannot pay, and the chicken is given to the boy offering the largest number, and the eggs are given to the previous owner of the chicken. He may put them wherever he pleases, only they must be somewhere within the netting.
The sale being over, the “cluck” commences, for it is now each one’s aim to recover his chicken, which can only be done by finding the requisite number of eggs given for her. This is much easier said than done, for the boys will have hidden them in their pockets and other peculiar places. Meanwhile the chickens, running in every direction, are very apt to “cluck” loudly.
The Bird’s Nest.
Put a bird’s nest in a room; hunt for it as you “Hunt the slipper,” only, instead of saying “warm, warmer,” and so on, you cluck, cluck, cluck soft or loud as the party goes towards or from the nest. Only one person hunts at a time; everybody else clucks.