Now suppose we make believe, for a time, there is such a person as Fortune, and one of you shall play her part, and we will have a game of “Fortune’s Wheel,” which will be very appropriate and interesting for June 21st. At one end of the lawn we will mark off as many spaces, six feet square, as there are players, not counting Fortune.
Fortune’s Wheel
Rope or twine tied to the fence at the back, and to stakes driven into the ground in front, as seen in the illustration, will mark the boundaries nicely, and we will tie some small flags or bright-colored streamers to the tops of the stakes to make them look pretty. These spaces we will call stalls. About ten yards from the stalls, and directly in front of them, we must stretch a rope, tying it to stakes or trees, so that Fortune shall be kept within bounds.
Now bring your rolling-hoop, and we will turn it into Fortune’s wheel by tacking two tapes across it, as shown in the diagram. In the centre, where the tapes cross, we will tie a little bag, which is to hold a gift.
Simple little toys, bonbons, and cake, only one at a time, however, are the gifts Fortune’s wheel will carry.
Come, little girl, whoever is to be Fortune, whip out your handkerchief and tie up your eyes, for Fortune must be always blindfolded; then stand by the rope, which will keep you from going too far away.
The rest of you scamper off and take your places, each one in a stall.
Now, Fortune, walk up and down a little that you may not know exactly where you are; then, standing so that you can reach the rope with your hand, take your wheel and strike it hard, sending it down toward the other players.
Whoever catches Fortune’s wheel may have the gift it carries, but no one must go beyond his stall to reach it. The wheel must enter a stall before it can be caught by the player in that stall, and when it enters a stall and falls to the ground before being caught, the player whose stall it is in must change places with Fortune, become Fortune, and roll the wheel. When the wheel stops before reaching the stalls and does not enter any of them it must be carried back to Fortune, who will roll it again.