The key is that each hour, from 1 to 12 o'clock has been named according to the letters of the alphabet in rotation, from A to K, The leader, in answering, must be very careful to begin each answer with the letter indicating the chosen hour; thus in the above the assistant noticed that each answer began with "d," and "d" being the fourth letter, four o'clock was the time chosen. Only the exact hours must be chosen. As the different players think they understand the game, they may take the assistant's place, and many ludicrous mistakes will be the result until the game has been explained to all.
IT.
One of the players who does not know the game is sent out of the room. While he is gone, the others are supposed to be thinking of some person whom he is to guess when he comes in, but it is arranged that each one describes his right hand neighbor when asked any questions. It is more amusing if the circle is composed of boys and girls alternating.
The player is called in, having been told beforehand that he is to guess what person the company thought of and that that person is "It."
He begins by asking "Is it in this room?" "Yes." "Is it a boy?" "Yes." "Is his hair long or short?" "Very long," and so on, until the information he has obtained may be the following: "A boy, very long hair, pink waist, blue eyes, has a beard, very stout, about 6 feet tall, about 8 years old." The player, astonished at such information, may keep up guessing, until, by closely questioning each one, he guesses correctly. If he cannot guess, it is explained to him who "It" is.
HOW, WHEN, WHERE.
One of the players leaves the room while the others select some word with two or three meanings, which is to be guessed. Suppose the word "trunk" is thought of. When the player is summoned in he asks each one in turn "How do you like it?" The answers may be "full of clothes," "when the outside is brown," (meaning a tree trunk), "shut up in a cage," (referring to an elephant's trunk).
The next time around the question is "When do you like it?" and the answers may be, "When I'm going away," "When I'm in the country," "When I visit the Zoo."