Mary E. Blain

“ Some one at the piano plays a lively air, first fast, then slow, very loud, then low—while the children march around the chairs without touching them, keeping time with the music. When the music suddenly stops, all rush for a seat. A chair must be taken away each time the marching recommences—until but two chairs remain, when the excitement becomes intense. The one who at the moment that the music ceases has the good fortune to seat himself or herself in the one chair remaining wins the game and perhaps a prize. ”

“ GAMES FOR HALLOW-E'EN Hallow-e'en or Hallow-Even is the last night of October, being the eve or vigil of All-Hallow's or All Saint's Day, and no holiday in all the year is so informal or so marked by fun both for grown-ups as well as children as this one. On this night there should be nothing but laughter, fun and mystery. It is the night when Fairies dance, Ghosts, Witches, Devils and mischief-making Elves wander around. It is the night when all sorts of charms and spells are invoked for prying into the future by all young folks and sometimes by folks who are not young. ”

“ Two hazel-nuts are thrown into hot coals by maiden, who secretly gives a lover's name to each. If one nut bursts, then that lover is unfaithful; but if it burns with steady glow until it becomes ashes, she knows that her lover is true. ”

“ BOWLS One bowl is filled with clear water, another with wine, a third with vinegar, a fourth is empty. All are placed in line on table. Each person in turn is blindfolded, turned about three times, and led to table. A hand is put out and prophecy made by bowl touched. Water shows happy, peaceful life; wine promises rich, eventful, noble career; vinegar, misery and poverty; an empty bowl is a symbol of bachelor or spinster life. ”

“ Each guest is provided with a spoon with which to eat the potatoes; whoever gets the ring is to be married within a year; the thimble signifies single blessedness, while the dime prophesies riches or a legacy. ”

“ The game of enigmatical menus, as its name implies, is not only especially appropriate for Thanksgiving Day, but has the further merit of not requiring a great deal of preparation beforehand, and is therefore not too great a tax upon a busy woman's time. Before this greatest feast day of the year, the hostess is usually so fully occupied in planning the actual bill of fare, that a game which requires nothing more than pencils, and sheets of paper with the following riddles either plainly written or typewritten upon them, will be found a boon indeed. ”

“ As soon as brandy is aflame, all lights are extinguished, and salt is freely sprinkled in dish, imparting a corpse-like pallor to every face. Candied fruits, figs, raisins, sugared almonds, etc., are thrown in, and guests snap for them with their fingers; person securing most prizes from flames will meet his true love within the year. ”

“ If a maid wishes to know whom she is to marry, if a man of wealth, tradesman, or traveler, let her, on All-Hallow-e'en, take a walnut, hazelnut, and nutmeg; grate and mix them with butter and sugar into pills, and take when she goes to bed; and then, if her fortune be to marry a rich man, her sleep will be filled with gold dreams; if a tradesman, she will dream of odd noises and tumults; if a traveler, there will be thunder and lightning to disturb her. ”

“ The players sit in a circle and one of them asks the others: "What's my thought like?" One player may say: "A monkey"; the second: "A candle"; the third: "A pin"; and so on. When all the company have compared the thought to some object, the first player tells them the thought—perhaps it is "the Cat"—and then asks each, in turn, why it is like the object he compared it to.
"Why is my cat like a monkey?" is asked. The other player might answer: "Because it is full of tricks." "Why is my cat like a candle?" "Because its eyes glow like a candle in the dark." "Why is my cat like a pin?" ”

“ CYNIVER Each girl and boy seeks an even-leaved sprig of ash; first of either sex that finds one calls out cyniver, and is answered by first of opposite sex that succeeds; and these two, if omen fails not, will be joined in wedlock.
NAMING CHESTNUTS Roast three chestnuts before the fire, one of which is named for some lady (or gentleman) ; the other two, for gentlemen (or ladies) . If they separate, so will those for whom they are named; those jumping toward the fire are going to a warmer climate; those jumping from the fire, to a colder climate ”

“ In youth, that effervescent stage of human existence, "joy is unconfined." But in middle age and later life we are prone to stifle this wholesome atmosphere of happiness, with care and worry and perhaps, when a vexed or worried feeling has been allowed to control us, even forbid the children to play at that time. ”

“ Old Soldier is a game for young children, and though it seems very simple, yet there is a good deal of fun in it. One of the children pretends to be an old soldier, and goes round begging of each of the other players in turn, saying that he is "poor, and old, and hungry," and asking what they will do for him or give him. In answering the Old Soldier no one must say the words: "Yes," "No," "Black," or "White," and he must be answered at once without hesitation. Anyone who does not reply at once, or who uses any of the forbidden words, must pay a forfeit. ”

“ One of the players takes a stick in his left hand and thumps the floor with it, saying, "He can do little who can't do this." Then he hands the stick to another player, who will most probably use his right hand when holding the stick and thumping the ground. If he does he is told he has failed in the simple task, and the stick is handed to another. The game goes on until someone discovers that the secret of the trick is to copy the leader exactly, and therefore the stick must be held in the left hand. ”

“ PREFACE "A Merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance."
The desire to play and frolic seems to be a heritage of mankind. In infancy and early childhood this joy and exuberance of spirit is given full sway. ”

“ As soon as a girl is winked at, she tries to leave her seat, and take the vacant one, but if the boy behind her touches her before she leaves the seat, she cannot go. Each boy has to keep his eye on the one who is winking and on the girl in his chair, for if he is not watching, she may escape before he has time to touch her, and then it is his turn to do the winking and get a girl for his chair.
If the winking is done quickly it adds to the interest of the game. No boy can keep hold of a girl all the time ”

“ When the cat is in the circle, the players lower their arms so as to keep the enemy prisoner. The cat goes around meekly, crying "mew," while the rest dance around her. With a sudden "miaou!" she tries to break through any weak place in the chain of hands.
As soon as she escapes she tries to catch the mouse, who runs for safety into the ring again, hotly pursued. If the cat is so near as to follow the mouse into the ring, before her entrance can be prevented, or if she catches the mouse outside the circle, the mouse must pay a forfeit. ”

“ Why not reverse things and drown care and strife in the well-spring of joy given and received by reviving the latent spark of childhood and youth; joining in their pleasures passively or actively and being one of them at heart. ”

“ If any of the children succeed in being perfectly good children they are given a suitable prize by Santa Claus, and another Santa Claus chosen if it is desired to continue the game.
CHRISTMAS STOCKING
Paint or draw on a sheet the picture of a fireplace. Tack this to the wall and after providing each child with a small stocking and pin, blindfold them in turn, telling them to hang up their stocking at the mantel. Drop a small toy in the stocking of those who succeed before taking the handkerchief from their eyes. Those who fail may have one more turn after all have had a chance. ”

“ The leader replaces the eggs on the floor and the next player on each side takes the spoon and lifts the eggs from the floor and carries them to the basket and so on until all have had a turn.
A record is kept of the winners and the side having the greater number wins the game. This game may be changed slightly by someone timing the players with a watch, keeping track of the seconds and the one getting all the eggs into the basket in the shortest time receives a prize. ”

“ The chief participator in this game must be ignorant of the trick about to be played. He is told to kneel down whilst a lady knights him, naming him "Knight of the Whistle." During the process someone fastens a small whistle to his coat tails by means of a piece of ribbon. He is then bidden to rise up and search for the whistle. The hunt begins; all the players combine to deceive the searcher; they must blow the whistle whenever they can do so without being detected. When the searcher discovers the trick the game is, of course, at an end. ”

“ Any one who fails either to cease working or to begin again at the right time, must pay a forfeit.
A somewhat more elaborate and livelier game of Trades is played by each boy in the party choosing a trade which he is supposed to be carrying on.
The leader must invent a story, and standing in the middle, must tell it to the company. ”

“ At the fourth line they stop dancing and act the words that are sung. They pretend to scatter seed; then stand at ease, stamp their feet, clap their hands, and at the words: "Turn him round," each child turns round.
They then again clap hands and dance round, and when the words: "Open the ring and send one in," are sung the center child chooses a partner, who steps into the ring, and the two stand together while the other children sing the remaining verse, after which the child who was first in the centre joins the ring and the game is continued as before. ”

“ In going through this book of games the reader will find that the players for various reasons are penalized or required to pay a forfeit. When a player is so fined he must immediately surrender some pocketpiece or personal belonging as a pawn or security which may later be redeemed when "Blind Justice" passes the real sentence.
The players usually select some ready witted person to assume the part of Justice, another acts as Crier or Collector. Justice is blindfolded and the Crier holds the article over his head saying: "Heavy, heavy hangs over thy head." ”

“ The one who fails to obtain a seat has then to take the place of King, and the game is continued. [Pg 58]
TONGUE TWISTERS
The leader begins by saying the first sentence, which is repeated by each player in turn. The leader in every case adds the new line, which is repeated by the other players in succession. Anyone making a mistake or omission drops out of the contest. As the ranks grow thinner, the players are required to repeat the sentences more rapidly, and no time for hesitation allowed. The one who makes no mistake is entitled to a prize. ”

“ Few children think they will ever tire of playing games; but all the same, towards the end of a long evening, spent merrily in dancing and playing, the little ones begin to get too weary to play any longer, and it is very difficult to keep them amused. ”

“ This game is really for five players only, but, by a little arrangement, six or seven children can take part in the fun.
Four players take their places in the different corners of the room, and the fifth who is Puss stands in the middle. If a greater number of children wish to play, other parts of the room must be named "corners," so that there is a corner for everyone.
The fun consists in the players trying to change places without allowing Puss to get a corner. When they leave their corners, the player in the centre tries to get into one of them. ”