The game as here given is played in Brooklyn, N.Y. The same game is played in the South under the title of "Ham, ham, chicken, ham, bacon!" the word "bacon" being the signal for the run, any player starting without hearing it having to join the center players.
BLIND BELL
5 to 100 players.
Parlor; gymnasium; playground.
All the players but one are blindfolded and scatter promiscuously. The one who is not blindfolded carries a bell loosely in one hand, so that it will ring with every step. If desired, this bell may be hung around the neck on a string or ribbon. The blindfolded players try to catch the one with the bell, who will have to use considerable alertness to keep out of the way. Whoever catches the bellman changes places with him.
Where there are over twenty players, there should be two or more bellmen. This is a capital game for an indoor party.
BLIND MAN'S BUFF
10 to 30 or more players.
Parlor; gymnasium; playground.
One player is chosen to be blindfolded and stands in the center. The other players join hands and circle around him until the blind man claps his hands three times, whereupon the circle stops moving and the blind man points toward the circle. The player at whom he points must at once step into the circle, and the blind man tries to catch him, and when caught must guess who the player is. If the guess be correct, they change places. If not correct, or if the blind man has pointed at an empty space instead of at a player, the circle continues and the game is repeated. The player who is called into the circle will naturally try, by noiseless stepping, dodging, etc., to give the blind man some difficulty in catching him, but when once caught must submit without struggle to examination for identification.