As the word fagot means a bundle of twigs, it suggests an open fire. Therefore home and hearth are indispensable environment.
There should be just as many twigs as there are girls and boys. The idea being that each should draw a twig from the bundle as his name is called. And they are called by the hostess according to the letters of the alphabet. Whosever name therefore commences with A, should draw the first twig. Having drawn the twig, A puts it on the open fire and at once commences to tell a story. As long as the twig lasts, A must continue to talk, but when it is burned he must stop, and as twigs are apt to burn very rapidly when toward the end, the story is not infrequently wound up in a jiffy. As soon as A has finished, the next name is called and that person does exactly as did the first one, only he must tell a different story. And so on until everybody has taken his turn.
THE HUNTER.
This very lively game is played by both boys and girls, and the more, of course, the merrier. The hunter must be a boy, and to decide which boy, it is best to count out. Use for counting the old rhyme,
Ana, mana, mona, mike,
Bassa, lona, bona, strike,
Hare, ware, frown, stack,
Halloka, balloka, wee, woe, why, whack.
Whoever is fortunate enough to have the word “whack” counted to him is out, and then the rhyme must be repeated over and over, and finally the hunter is left. It now becomes his duty to name the rest of the company as his equipments as sportsman, and also as his game; for example, pointer, setter—two species of hunting dogs—and shot, belt, powder, gun, powder-flask, rifle, cartridge, rabbit, squirrel, partridge, kingfisher, etc., etc.
Put two rows of chairs back to back. There should be one chair less than there are players. This done, each one of the company except the hunter takes a chair. The hunter, standing before the rest of the players, then sings, to the tune of “I Love a Sixpence,”