How is the silence broken? By the voice of the little boy hunting for his father.
What do the words of the tune he is singing constitute? The rules of the game. The one hiding must respond "Coo-ee" each time the one searching calls.
Where is his father? In a "leafy nook" in the woods.
What does the question "Shall I let him pass?" seem to indicate? That his father hesitates for a moment to reveal himself.
What does he do, however? He gives the boy the signal—a "low, soft whistle". He cannot "let him pass".
What is shown in the last long line of the stanza? That the man enters into the spirit of the game with the same zest as the boy.
What feeling exists between the two? A feeling of perfect good-fellowship and affection.
Explain, "you're it". Your turn to hunt, mine to hide.
What further rules of the game are given here? (Every boy and girl will know these.)
What change in feeling is there between the first two stanzas and the last two? A sudden transition from gaiety and light-heartedness to sorrow.