Make the connections of the arms and legs with black string and let the pulling-string be also black. Tack the skeleton by the head to the blackboard. The figure, having been cut out is of course painted black, like the board.
Now to perform: Produce the board showing only the side upon which there is nothing. Request that the lights may be reduced about half, and take position at a little distance from the company. With a piece of chalk make one or two attempts to draw a figure; rub out your work as being unsatisfactory; turn the slate; the black figure will not be perceived; touch the edge of the cardboard figure with the chalk, filling up ribs, etc., taking care that nothing moves while the drawing is progressing. Then manipulate with the fingers. By pulling the string below the figure it will of course kick up its legs and throw about its arms, to the astonishment of everybody.
Pitching Cards at a Hat. Borrow a gentleman’s hat and try to throw a pack of cards from a distance of two or three feet, throwing the cards in one at a time.
Peanut Guessing. Fill a dish with peanuts, and let each one guess how many are contained in it; the one who guesses nearest wins.
Peanut Shelling. Give each contestant ten peanuts, and at a signal let all begin to shell them, removing also the inner skin. The one who finishes first, without breaking a kernel, wins. If one breaks into more than the two natural divisions of the nut, another peanut must be shelled in its place.
Peanut-rolling. Place peanuts across one side of the room at interval of about three feet. Give each contestant a toothpick. At a given word they all commence to roll the peanuts across the room with the toothpicks. The one who first gets his peanut across the room is the victor. Another row of contestants then take their places in the same way. After all are through the victors in the different contests have a final contest.
The Peanut Hunt. Peanuts are previously hidden in every conceivable place in the rooms to which the guests have access. The finder of the greatest number receives a prize.
Progressive Peanut Party. This is played exactly as all other progressive games. Arrange tables to seat four, choose partners, and provide score cards.
In the centre of each table, place a bowl containing one hundred peanuts in the shell, and lay a long, new, common hat-pin at each place. At the head table have a bell. Before being seated to play, each guest is to have the right hand securely tied down to the side by a ribbon or fancy cord. When ready to commence, a player rings a bell at the head table, and all begin to spear nuts from the bowl; when the bowl is empty at the head table, the bell is rung and all count to see how many nuts they have, the two having made the best score, progress, first replacing the nuts into the bowl ready for the next game; the cards are then punched according to the score and the game proceeds.
Five hundred may be the score limit, the one who first gets the five hundred winning; or it may be decided to have the game end when the players at the head of the table return to that table, or at least two of them.