Mary E. Blain

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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?" ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ As each bird's name is called, the owner must imitate its note as well as he can, but when the owl is named, all hands must be put behind the chairs, and remain there until the next bird's name is mentioned. When the Bird-catcher cries "all the birds" the players must together give their various imitations of birds. Should any player fail to give the cry when his bird is named, or forget to put his hands behind his chair, he has to change places with Bird-catcher.
BUZZ
This is a very old game, but is always a very great favorite. The more the players, the greater the fun. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ It will be seen that there are three ways of losing a "life." First, the player may lay down a letter, and on being challenged be unable to give the word. Secondly, he may himself challenge another player who is not at fault. ”

“ 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." ”

“ Why is a washer-woman like a navigator?—Because she spreads her sheets, crosses the line, and goes from pole to pole.
Why is an author the queerest animal in the world?—Because his tale comes out of his 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. ”

“ To play this game seat yourselves in a circle, take a clean duster or handkerchief, and tie it in a big knot, so that it may easily be thrown from one player [Pg 85] to another. One of the players throws it to another, at the same time calling out either of these names: Earth, Air, Fire, or Water. If "Earth" is called, the player to whom the ball is thrown has to mention something that lives on the earth, as lion, cat; if "Air" is called, something that lives in the air ”

“ If there doesn't seem to be anything to be thankful for, there was a Christmas hundreds of years ago which gave us One who comprised and radiated everything to be thankful for, so let us rejoice in memory of that Christmas and be merry and cheerful and glad. ”

“ This is an excellent party game. One of the company goes outside the room, whilst the remainder of the players decide amongst themselves which of them he shall kneel to. When this is settled upon, the person who is outside is allowed to enter, and he kneels in front of whom he thinks is the right one. If he should make a correct guess, the company clap their hands, and the person to whom he knelt goes outside. If, however, the guess is an incorrect one, the company hiss loudly, and the guesser has to go outside, come back, and try again. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ CAT AND MOUSE
All players form a ring, joining hands, except one called the Mouse, whom they enclose within the circle, and one who is on the outside who represents the cat. They then dance around, raising their arms at intervals. The cat watches the chance to spring into the circle at one side, and the mouse dashes out at the other—public sympathy being [Pg 36] with the mouse, his or her movements are aided when possible. ”