Or the questioner may ask such questions as “Is its hair long?” “Does it wear short sleeves?” and so on, and all the conflicting answers will tend to prolong the game to any desired extent.
The Game of “Turtle.” Here is a game for boys who have good, strong muscles. It is called “turtle.” Any number may play, and the game commences by all sitting in a row resting their chins on their knees, and each holding his left ankle with his right hand, and his right ankle with his left hand. This is a very difficult position to keep. At a given signal, the turtles start for a goal a short distance away. It is the object of the game for the turtles to waddle to the goal and back to the starting point without removing their hands from their feet. The winner is, of course, the one who returns to the starting point first.
The Game of “Empty Hands.” Some member of the household produces a quantity of small cards. The number is not quite sufficient to “go round” the company, an intentional feature of the game. Four persons find themselves empty-handed when the bell rings. This bell is a signal for the passing, the object being to find some one without a card and rid one’s self of the one in hand by passing it on. No one to whom a card is offered is allowed to refuse it, unless, of course, he already holds one. If empty-handed he is obliged to receive the unwelcome gift and try to get rid of it as quickly as possible.
Each time the bell rings which occurs at irregular intervals, making it impossible to calculate, the passing ceases, and all having empty hands win a point to count towards the final prize. The boy or girl having most points when the passing is over, receives a prize.
Simon Says. The players are arranged in a line, the player who enacts Simon standing in front. He and all the others clench their fists, keeping the thumb pointed upwards. No player is to obey his commands unless prefaced with the words, “Simon says.” Simon is himself subjected to the same rules. The game commences by Simon commanding, “Simon says, ‘Turn up,’” on which he turns his thumb upwards, followed by the other players. He then says “Simon says, ‘Turn down,’” and brings his hands back again. When he has done so several times, and thinks that the players are off their guard, he merely gives the word, “Turn up,” or “Turn down,” without moving his hands. Some one, if not all, is sure to obey the command, and is subject to a forfeit. Simon is also subject to a forfeit, if he tells his companions to turn down, if the thumbs are already down, or vice versa. With a sharp player enacting Simon, the game is very spirited.
The simplicity of this game constitutes its chief charm, as the very fact of its being so simple, sometimes leads to inattention on the part of some of the players, which is sure to result in their being caught.
Passing Bean-bags. Make twelve or fifteen bags, six inches square, of bed-ticking, and loosely fill them with beans which have been washed and dried to remove the dust.
Appoint two leaders, who choose sides, arranging the sides in lines facing each other, with a small table at each end of each line.
The bean-bags being equally divided, each leader deposits his share upon the table nearest him. Then, at a given signal, seizing one bag at a time with one hand, with the other he starts it down the line, each player passing it to the next, until all the bags reach the last, who drops them upon the table at his end of the line. When all the bags have reached this table, the last player, seizing each in turn, sends them back up the line to the leader, who drops them upon his table. Whichever side first succeeds in passing all the bags down the line and back, wins the round. It takes five rounds to make a game, so that three out of five must be successful for the winning side.
Buzz. This is a simple little game that needs no preparation, but can be started in a moment when there is danger of dullness. A large company can play equally as well as a small. The leader instructs the company that they will now proceed to count in regular order until they come to seven, any multiple of seven, or any number having seven in it, when they will substitute the word “buzz” for that number. Should they fail to do this they will be dropped from the circle. This will continue until every one has blundered. When the higher numbers are reached it takes one quick in quantities to follow it. Given properly it goes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, buzz, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, buzz, 15, 16, buzz, 18, 19, 20, buzz, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, buzz, buzz, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, buzz, etc.