Games for All Occasions

by Mary E. Blain

One of the players is asked to go outside whilst the company think of some person in the room, and on his return he has to guess of whom the company has thought.

The players then arrange themselves in a circle, and agree each to think of his or her right-hand neighbor; it is best to have a girl and boy alternately, as this adds much to the amusement.

The one outside is then called in, and commences to ask questions. Before replying, the player asked must be careful to notice his or her right-hand neighbor, and then give a correct reply. For instance, supposing the first question to be: "Is the person thought of a boy or a girl?" the answer would possibly be "A boy"; the next person would then be asked the color of the complexion, the next one the color of the hair, if long or short, etc., to which questions the answers would, of course, be given according to the right-hand neighbor.

Nearly all the answers will contradict the previous ones, and something like this may be the result: "A boy," "very dark complexion," "long yellow hair," "wearing a black Eton jacket," "with a dark green dress," "five feet high," "about six years old," etc. When the player guessing gives the game up, the joke is explained to him.

"JACK'S ALIVE"

A match or small piece of wood is lighted and when well afire blown out. It is then passed from one player to another with the words, "Jack's alive," and may be handed about so long as a live spark remains. The trick is to dispose of Jack while he is still alive but no player needs to take him unless the words, "Jack's alive" are quoted. Jack may not be handed along after he is dead but the player in whose hands he dies must pay a forfeit or have a mustache drawn on his face with the end of the burned stick.

THE MENAGERIE

To each member of the company is given the name of a bird or animal by the "Keeper" who is to relate a story of adventure in which the names of the birds and animals are frequently mentioned. At the mention of the word the member of the company bearing that name is to imitate the noise made by the creature named. Failing to do so promptly or imitating the noise of a creature assigned to some one else he or she is required to pay a forfeit. The "keeper" may demand the delinquent player's seat instead of a forfeit and assume his menagerie name while the unseated one becomes the "keeper" and must continue the story.

THE MINISTER'S CAT

This game is very similar to that of "I love my love." Each of the players must describe the minister's cat, going right through the alphabet to do so. "The minister's cat is an angry cat," says one; "an anxious cat," says another; and so on until everyone has used an adjective beginning with "A." Then they take the "B's." "The minister's cat is a big cat," and so on.