Chapter XI: Part II: Curiosities (3)

“It was now ‘Pack and off!’ Brown went to bid his friends good-bye, giving to each a parting gift. To an old schoolfellow he gave ——

“To Matilda Jane, a young lady who laid claim to his heart, he gave, with a kiss, ——

“Now, Matilda Jane would not be outdone, so she kissed him twice, and begged him to accept of ——

“Brown was perplexed, but he took the gift, and going home was saluted by the children, who shouted, ‘There goes a man with ——’

“That night he had wonderful dreams; he thought he was chased by ——

“And that he was trying to crowd into his carpetbag ——

“When a man came along and charged him with stealing ——

“He was enraged at this, and was about to pitch into the man, when he awoke, and found it all a dream, caused by his having eaten for supper ——

“He was early at the station, and on asking for a ticket, the clerk gave him ——”

And so on, in like manner. These last games, as a change from graver recreations, make a good deal of fun, particularly with young players.

THE COOK WHO DOESN’T LIKE PEAS.

The fun of this game depends on a fair proportion of the players not being acquainted with it. The leader begins, addressing the first player, “I have a cook who doesn’t like peas (_p’s_); what will you give her for her dinner?” The person addressed, if acquainted with the secret, avoids the letter _p_ in his answer, and, for example, says, “I will give her some walnuts.” The question is then asked of the second person, who, if unacquainted with the trick, is likely enough to offer some delicacy which contains the letter _p_; _e. g._, potatoes, asparagus, pork, apple-pie, pickled cabbage, peanuts, etc., etc. When this occurs, the offender is called upon to pay a forfeit, but the precise nature of his offence is not explained to him. He is simply told, in answer to his expostulations, that “the cook doesn’t like _p’s_.” When a sufficient number of forfeits has been extracted, the secret is revealed, and those who have not already guessed it are aggravated by being told over and over again that the cook did not like _p’s_, and if they would persist in giving them to her, they must, of course, take the consequences.

WORD-MAKING.

It is surprising what a fund of amusement may be derived by the children from four or five alphabets, printed on card-board, and then cut up into, say, half-inch squares, with a single letter on each. A double supply of vowels will be found an advantage. The most simple mode of using the alphabets is for one person to pick out the letters forming some word, _e. g._, “nevertheless,” and then hand them, well mixed together, to another player, who endeavors to discover what word they form.

Another game is played as follows.—The players, each of whom is supplied with paper and pencil, are divided equally into two sides, and the leader having selected a word, suppose “notwithstanding,” each party sets to work to see how many different words they can make of the same letters. (Thus from the word above suggested may be made “not, with, stand, standing, gin, ton, to, wig, wit, his, twit, tan, has, had, an, nod, tow, this, sat, that, sit, sin, tin, wing, what, who, wish, win, wan, won,” and probably a host of others.) A scrutiny is then taken, all words common to both parties being struck out. The remainder are then compared, and the victory is adjudged to the one having the largest number of words.

Sometimes the division into sides is dispensed with, and each player depends on himself. Another purpose for which the alphabets in question is used is that of forming _anagrams_, in the composition of which they are a very great assistance, but this is hardly simple enough for children. We are inclined to doubt whether the results obtained in this game bear a fair proportion to the labor involved; though it is unquestionable that once in a way an anagram is produced that is curiously appropriate. We may instance the following:

Telegraph, Great help,
Florence Nightingale, Flit on, cheering angel,
Astronomers, Moon starers.

A fourth Spelling Game is played by each person drawing, say twenty letters hap-hazard, and trying to form them into a sentence, the palm of merit being awarded to the player who at the same time produces the most coherent phrase, and also succeeds in using the greatest proportion of the letters assigned to him.

THE “YOUNG FOLKS’ CONCERT.”

The little players sit or stand round the room in a circle. The leader assigns to each some musical instrument, as harp, flute, violoncello, trombone, etc., and also selects one for himself. Some well-known tune is then given out, say “Yankee Doodle,” and the players all begin to play accordingly, each doing his best to imitate, both in sound and action, the instrument which has been assigned to him, the effect being generally extremely harmonious. The leader commences with his own instrument, but without any warning suddenly ceases, and begins instead to perform on the instrument assigned to one or other of the players. Such player is bound to notice the change, and forthwith to take to the instrument just abandoned by the leader, incurring a forfeit if he fails to do so.

MARY’S LITTLE LAMB.

This is a great favorite with the young folks. When everything else has become tiresome, some one starts the first line of the verse,

Mary had a little lamb,
Fleece as white as snow, etc.

All sing, and on the second verse being reached the last syllable _of the first line_ is dropped, then the next to the last, the third, the fourth and so on, until the line is totally omitted. The aim of the singers is to keep exact time, counting a beat for each omitted syllable, and any one whose voice breaks in when all should be silent, pays a forfeit. The same can be done with “John Brown’s Body,” repeating the first verse and omitting syllable after syllable at the end of the first line until there is nothing left to sing but the chorus.

FUNNY OUTLINES.

The artistic faculty of the young folks is in this case brought into requisition. Slips of paper being distributed, each young player marks on his slip a crooked line of any shape he or she pleases. The papers are then exchanged, and each has to draw some sort of figure, working in as part of the outline the crooked line already drawn by his neighbor.

The best plan in this game is to allow the line already drawn, if possible, to suggest some figure, and to work out that idea. It is of course understood that the works of art to be produced are only expected to be of the very roughest description. If there is a difficulty in dealing with the outline as it stands, the player is entitled to place it on its side, or even upside down, if he prefers it.

Thus a curve may suggest a swan, a square may give a hint of a house, a wave-line of a snake or an eel, a long sweeping curve may fit in as a horse’s back, or an irregular outline may afford an idea for a comical face. The sketches produced with strict regard to the conditions of the game will be found full of fun and novelty, if not characterized by any high degree of art.

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Transcriber’s Notes:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired.

Page 64, “initals” changed to “initials” (of their initials)

Page 65, for the text version the superscripted “d” was changed to “’d” (S’d be glad)

Page 67, repeated word “the” removed from text. Original read (If the the sermon has begun)

Pages 99 and 103, the illustration caption is the section header for the next problem.

Page 134, “Where” changed to “Were” (Were you very sorry)

Page 170, “villian” changed “villain” (leaves of the villain)

Page 173, “o” changed to “to” (adapted to the cone)

Page 205, “gallaries” changed to “galleries” (and other galleries)

Page 230, “quart” changed to “quarter” (to contain a quarter)

Page 250, “noisest” changed to “noisiest” (O the noisiest of all)

Page 274, “liftle” changed to “little” (noxious little creature)

Page 287, “surrround” changed to “surround” (surrounded by pill-boxes)

End of Project Gutenberg's How to Behave and How to Amuse, by G. H. Sandison