Chapter 4

A slip of paper and a pencil is given to each player, who must then write a number of adjectives upon it. The slips are collected and given to the principal player, who has undertaken to read out a short story, substituting the adjectives on the slips for those already in the story. The adjectives must be taken as they come and not picked out to suit the story. The result is sometimes very laughable; as for instance--"The pretty rhinoceros is a very amiable animal. It is very attractive in its habits, and lives near lakes or rivers. Its delicate skin is so soft that special bullets are needed to pierce it, etc."

"ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, OR MINERAL?"

This is a capital game for a large party, for it is both instructive and amusing. One player is selected who has to guess what word or sentence the remainder of the company has chosen. He goes out of the room, and when the subject has been decided upon, returns and asks a question of each of the company in turn. The answer must be either "Yes" or "No," and in no case should more words be used, under penalty of paying a forfeit. The first important point to be found out is whether the subject is "Animal," "Vegetable," or "Mineral." Supposing, for instance, the subject chosen is a cat which is sleeping in the room by the fire, the questions and answers might be like the following:--"Is the subject chosen an animal?" "Yes." "Wild animal." "No." "Domestic animal?" "Yes." "Common?" "Yes." "Are there many to be seen in this town?" "Yes." "Have you seen many this day?" "Yes." "In this house?" "No." "Have you seen many in the road?" "Yes." "Do they draw carts?" "No." "Are they used for working purposes?" "No." "Is the subject a pet?" "Yes." "Have they one in the house?" "Yes." "In this room?" "Yes." "Is it lying in front of the fire at the present time?" "Yes." "Is the subject you all thought of the cat lying in front of the fire in this room?" "Yes." The subject having been guessed, another one is chosen and the game proceeds.

ACTING RHYMES

For this game, half the players go outside the door, whilst those who stay in the room choose a word of one syllable, which should not be too difficult. For instance, suppose the word chosen be "Flat," those who are out of the room are informed that a word has been thought of that rhymes with "Cat," and they then have to act, without speaking, all the words they can think of that rhyme with "Cat." Supposing their first idea be "Bat," they come into the room and play an imaginary game of cricket. This not being correct, they would be hissed for their pains, and they must then hurry outside again. They might next try "Rat," most of them going into the room on their hands and feet, whilst the others might pretend to be frightened. Again they would be hissed. At last the boys go in and fall flat on their faces, while the girls pretend to use flat-irons upon their backs. The loud clapping that follows tells them that they are right at last. They then change places with the audience, who, in turn, become the actors.

THE BIRD-CATCHER

To play this game you must first decide which one of you is to be the Bird-catcher; the other players then each choose the name of a bird, but no one must choose the owl, as it is forbidden. All the players then sit in a circle with their hands on their knees, except the Bird-catcher, who stands in the center, and tells a tale about birds, taking care to specially mention the ones he knows to have been chosen by the company. 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. The way to play it is as follows. The players sit in a circle and begin to count in turn, but when the number 7 or any number in which the figure 7 or any multiple of 7 is reached, they say "Buzz," instead of whatever the number may be. As, for instance, supposing the players have counted up to 12, the next player will say "13," the next "Buzz," because 14 is a multiple of 7 (twice 7)--the next player would then say "15," the next "16" and the next would of course say "Buzz" because the figure 7 occurs in the number 17. If one of the players forgets to say "Buzz" at the proper time, he is out. The game then starts over again with the remaining players, and so it continues until there is but one person remaining. If great care is taken the numbers can be counted up to 70, which, according to the rules before mentioned, would of course be called Buzz. The numbers would then be carried on as Buzz 1, Buzz 2, etc., up to 79, but it is very seldom that this stage is reached.

BIRDS, FRUITS AND FLOWERS

In this game every one in the company has to describe in a riddle, first a bird, then a fruit, and finally a flower. The others must guess. Whoever guesses the most is the winner of the game.

Here are examples of the riddles:

BIRD. Although a bird I am part of a plant. STORK. (Stalk).

FRUIT. Although a single specimen, I am really two. PEAR.

FLOWERS. Although usually white, I am always described as rose colored in hue. PINK.

CITIES

Materials required.--As many sheets of paper and pencils as there are players.

The players seat themselves round a table, and each one is provided with a sheet of paper and a pencil. The hostess then asks them to write at the head of the paper the name of the town in which they were born. A time limit of fifteen minutes is then given them in which to make up a sentence, each word of which must begin with the letters composing the name of the town. The sentence must be either suggestive, or descriptive of the town which each has written on his or her paper. For example:--

Town--Chicago.

Sentence--Came home in carriage after going out.

THE COOK WHO DOESN'T LIKE PEAS

One of the players commences the game by saying to his neighbor, "I have a cook who doesn't like peas (p's); what will you give her for dinner?" The person addressed must avoid the letter P in his answer. For instance, he may answer, "Artichokes," "Onions," "Cabbage," and "Carrots," but he must not say "Spinach," "Asparagus," "Potatoes." The question is then asked of the second player, and so on until all have replied. If a player mentions a word containing the letter P he has to pay a forfeit.

CONSEQUENCES

One of the most popular games at a party is certainly "Consequences"; it is a very old favorite, but has lost none of its charms with age. The players sit in a circle; each person is provided with a half sheet of notepaper and a pencil, and is asked to write on the top--(1) one or more adjectives, then to fold the paper over, so that what has been written cannot be seen. Every player has to pass his or her paper on to the right-hand neighbor, and all have then to write on the top of the paper which has been passed by the left-hand neighbor (2) "the name of the gentleman"; after having done this the paper must again be folded and passed on as before; this time must be written (3) one or more adjectives; then (4) a lady's name; next (5), where they met; next (6), what he gave her; next (7), what he said to her; next (8), what she said to him; next (9), the consequence; and lastly (10), what the world said about it.

Be careful that every time anything has been written the paper is folded down and passed on to the player on your right.

When every one has written what the world says, the papers are collected and one of the company proceeds to read out the various papers, and the result may be somewhat like this:--

(1) The horrifying and delightful (2) Mr. Brown (3) met the charming (4) Miss Philips (5) in Westminster Abbey; (6) he gave her a flower (7) and said to her: "How's your mother?" (8) She said to him: "Not for Joseph;" (9) the consequence was they danced the hornpipe, and the world said: (10) "Just what we expected."

CROSS QUESTIONS AND CROOKED ANSWERS

To play this game it is best to sit in a circle, and until the end of the game no one must speak above a whisper.

The first player whispers a question to his neighbor, such as: "Do you like roses?"

This question now belongs to the second player, and he must remember it.

The second player answers: "Yes, they smell so sweetly," and this answer belongs to the first player. The second player now asks his neighbor a question, taking care to remember the answer, as it will belong to him. Perhaps he has asked his neighbor, "Are you fond of potatoes?" And the answer may have been, "Yes, when they are fried!"

So that the second player has now a question and an answer belonging to him, which he must remember.

The game goes on until everyone has been asked a question and given an answer, and each player must be sure and bear in mind that it is the question he is asked, and the answer his neighbor gives, which belongs to him.

At the end of the game each gives his question and answer aloud, in the following manner.

"I was asked: 'Do you like roses?' and the answer was 'Yes, when they are fried!'"

The next player says: "I was asked: 'Are you fond of potatoes?' and the answer was: 'Yes, they are very pretty, but they don't wear well.'"

THE CURATE

A player is chosen to represent "The Curate." The other players are assigned such names as printer, plumber, jeweler, butcher, druggist, shoemaker, etc. "The Curate" starts the game by saying,

"Mr. Butcher (or any other name) I called to see you this morning but you were not at home."

The Butcher: "I had just gone over to the jeweler's."

Curate: "And what business had you at the jeweler's?"

(The jeweler is the next to speak but he must not do so until the question is answered.)

"I went to get a bracelet for Mrs. Butcher."

The Jeweler: "I was not at home for I had gone to the printer's."

The Curate: "And what was your business at the printer's?"

(The printer is the next to speak but he must not do so until the question is answered.)

The game may be made very interesting by bringing into it little personal references and bits of innocent scandal, as

"I was at the jeweler's to help Mr. ---- select a ring for Miss ----."

DEFINITIONS

A subject is given to the company by the "teacher" and those joining in the game are each to define the subject in as terse a manner as possible, in epigram or verse, written on a slip of paper. The cards are then signed, turned in and the "teacher" reads the definitions. Then the company are to decide which one of the definitions has the greatest merit. For instance, the word "Friendship" is given and the answers might run like these:

"A feather from love's wing."

"The greatest of boons."

"Something akin to glue," etc.

Or the word "Gold" might evoke:

"That which I have not."

"The root of all evil."

"What goes to the plumber," etc.

EARTH, AIR, FIRE AND WATER

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 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 "Water," something that lives in the water; but if "Fire" is called, the player must keep silence. Always remember not to put birds in the water or animals or fishes in the air; be silent when "Fire" is called, and answer before ten can be counted. For breaking any of these rules a forfeit must be paid.

THE FARMYARD

This game, if carried out properly, will cause great amusement. One of the party announces that he will whisper to each person the name of some animal, which, at a given signal, must be imitated as loudly as possible. Instead, however, of giving the name of an animal to each, he whispers to all the company, with the exception of one, to keep perfectly silent. To this one he whispers that the animal he is to imitate is the donkey.

After a short time, so that all may be in readiness, the signal is given. Instead of all the party making the sounds of various animals, nothing is heard but a loud bray from the one unfortunate member of the company.

THE FORBIDDEN LETTER

The idea of this game is to try how many sentences can be spoken without containing a certain letter which has been agreed upon. Supposing, for instance, the letter "f" is not to be introduced, the first player might ask: "Is this a new game to you?" The second player could answer: "Oh, no! I played it years ago when quite a youngster."

He would perhaps turn to the third player, and ask: "You remember it, do you not?" The third player might answer: "Yes, but we used to play it differently." This player, having used a word with an "f" in it, must pay a forfeit and remain out.

The answers must be given at once, without hesitation, and the player who avoids for the greatest length of time using a word containing the forbidden letter wins the game.

THE FORBIDDEN VOWELS

The players seat themselves and are questioned by the leader of the game and must answer without bringing in a word containing a forbidden vowel. Say the vowel "a" is forbidden, the leader asks--"Are you fond of playing the piano?" The answer "Yes, very much," would be correct as the words do not contain the letter "a." But if the answer were--"Yes, and I am fond of singing too," the speaker would have to pay a forfeit. Any vowel may be forbidden, or if the players choose to make the game very difficult, two vowels may be forbidden. Say "a" and "e" are forbidden, and the question is, "Will your father be late home?" "I do not know" would be a correct answer.

FORTUNE TELLING

The Fortune Teller must provide the person who is to have his or her fortune told with a piece of paper and a pencil and then proceed to say:

1. Write "Yes" or "no."

2. "State a gentleman's or a lady's name." (If a lady's fortune is to be told she must write a gentleman's name and vice versa.)

3. "Give a number."

4. "Length of time."

5. "Yes or no."

6. "Yes or no."

7. "Yes or no."

8. "A color."

9. "A color."

10. "Yes or no."

11. "Yes or no."

12. "A shape."

13. "A measure."

14. "A sum of money."

15. "A sum of money."

16. "A virtue."

17. "A profession."

18. "The name of a place."

19. "A lady's or gentleman's name."

20. "The name of a place."

21. "A number."

22. "Yes or no."

23. "State a time."

When these have all been written down, the Fortune Teller proceeds to read out the list of questions he has, with the answers corresponding in number. Below is appended the list of questions, which, of course, must not be shown to the person whose fortune is being told until he or she has written the answers.

1. Have you a lover?

2. What is his or her name?

3. How old is he or she?

4. How long have you known him or her?

5. Does he or she know you love him or her?

6. Is your affection returned?

7. Have you or has he proposed?

8. What color is his or her hair?

9. What color are his or her eyes?

10. Is he or she handsome?

11. Is he or she conceited?

12. What shape is his or her nose?

13. What size is his or her mouth?

14. What is his or her fortune?

15. How much will he or she allow you?

16. What is his or her chief virtue?

17. What is his or her profession?

18. Where did you first meet?

19. What is your rival's name?

20. Where do you intend to live?

21. How many other proposals have you had, or made?

22. Will the marriage be a happy one?

23. When will you be married?

THE GAME OF CONVERSATION

To play this game successfully two of the company privately agree upon a word that has several meanings. The two then enter into a conversation, which is obliged to be about the word they have chosen, whilst the remainder of the company listen.

When a member of the party imagines that he has guessed the word, he may join in the conversation, but if he finds he is mistaken, must immediately retire.

To give an illustration: Supposing the two players who start the conversation decide upon the word box. They might talk about the people they had seen at the theatre and the particular part of the house in which they were sitting. Then they might say how nice it looked in a garden, and one might mention that it grew into big trees. Perhaps one of the company might imagine that he had guessed the word correctly and join in, when the conversation would be immediately changed, and the two would begin to converse about a huge case in which a very great number of things were packed away. By this time possibly the person who joined in the conversation will leave off, completely mystified.

If, however, the word should be correctly guessed, the person guessing it chooses a partner, and they together select a word, and the game begins again.

GUILTY OR INNOCENT?

One of the company gets himself up to represent the old man of the woods, the rest take the names of various animals, such as lion, tiger, leopard and so on.

The players seat themselves round the room, and the old man standing in the centre tells them that some of their number have committed a crime and he is about to question them, in order that he may discover the guilty ones. He then begins--"Now, Mr. Lion, where have you been hunting, and what have you eaten to-day?" "I hunted in the forest and caught an antelope." "Then you are twice guilty and must pay two forfeits," says the old man; and the lion must pay his forfeit without being told the crime he has committed. The old man passes on to a Polar Bear. "Where did you hunt and what have you eaten?" he asks.--"I hunted in the water and had a fine fish to eat." The Polar Bear is pronounced innocent. The real game is that no animal may bring in the letter "o" either in their hunting ground or the food they eat. "Forest" and "Antelope" both have an "o" in them, so the lion has to pay two forfeits whereas "Water" and "Fish" having no "o" the bear was declared innocent. The great fun is for the old man to keep the secret of "guilty" or "innocent" to himself; but even if the other players know the secret, it is very difficult not to make a slip, as the answers must be given promptly.

When the game is over the players must pay for their forfeits in any way the old man decides.

GUESSING GROCERIES

Into bits of muslin should be tied samples of groceries--tea, coffee, starch, rice, beans, spices, etc. The players are allowed one guess for each sample, depending entirely upon the sense of feeling, and the one guessing the largest number correctly is given a prize. The hostess should have the samples numbered in order to keep count of the guesses. One young lady has a lot of pretty little silk bags filled with these samples and uses them again and again, and they always bring the same amount of fun.

GOSSIP

The leader writes out a short story. It may be a bit of gossip, a newspaper incident or anything he wishes, it should however be rather excitable in character. He reads the story over, that he may whisper it to one of his neighbors without the aid of the paper. The neighbor listens attentively and in turn whispers it to another neighbor, and it is whispered from one to the other until everyone has heard it. The last person to whom the story was told is asked to relate it and then the person who originated the story is asked to read his written copy. It will be almost unbelievable how the facts of the story have changed in the telling. Scarcely ever will the story be accurate in any particular.

HOW? WHEN? WHERE?

One of the players goes out of the room and the players decide upon an object. Let us suppose that the word chosen is chest. The word being agreed upon, the other player is called in. The game is for this player to guess the word by asking the three questions "How do you like it? When do you like it? Where do you like it?" of each person until the word is guessed. For instance, one player is asked:

"How do you like it?"

"Full of gold coins."

"When do you like it?"

"When I am traveling."

"Where do you like it?"

"In a safe place where robbers cannot find it."

And so the game goes on until the guesser knows the word. If he fails to guess it after asking every one of the players the three questions, "How do you like it? When do you like it? Where do you like it?" he must pay a forfeit. The guesser next time is the person who, in making his answer gave away the word decided upon.

"I LOVE MY LOVE WITH AN A"

To play this game it is best for the players to arrange themselves in a half-circle round the room. Then one begins: "I love my love with an 'A,' because she is affectionate; I hate her with an 'A,' because she is artful. Her name is Alice, she comes from Aberdeen, and I gave her an apricot." The next player says: "I love my love with a 'B,' because she is bonnie; I hate her with a 'B,' because she is boastful. Her name is Bertha, she comes from Bath, and I gave her a book." The next player takes "C," and the next "D," and so on through all the letters of the alphabet.

IT

One of the players is asked to go outside whilst the company think of some person in the room, and on his return he has to guess of whom the company has thought.

The players then arrange themselves in a circle, and agree each to think of his or her right-hand neighbor; it is best to have a girl and boy alternately, as this adds much to the amusement.

The one outside is then called in, and commences to ask questions. Before replying, the player asked must be careful to notice his or her right-hand neighbor, and then give a correct reply. For instance, supposing the first question to be: "Is the person thought of a boy or a girl?" the answer would possibly be "A boy"; the next person would then be asked the color of the complexion, the next one the color of the hair, if long or short, etc., to which questions the answers would, of course, be given according to the right-hand neighbor.

Nearly all the answers will contradict the previous ones, and something like this may be the result: "A boy," "very dark complexion," "long yellow hair," "wearing a black Eton jacket," "with a dark green dress," "five feet high," "about six years old," etc. When the player guessing gives the game up, the joke is explained to him.

"JACK'S ALIVE"

A match or small piece of wood is lighted and when well afire blown out. It is then passed from one player to another with the words, "Jack's alive," and may be handed about so long as a live spark remains. The trick is to dispose of Jack while he is still alive but no player needs to take him unless the words, "Jack's alive" are quoted. Jack may not be handed along after he is dead but the player in whose hands he dies must pay a forfeit or have a mustache drawn on his face with the end of the burned stick.

THE MENAGERIE

To each member of the company is given the name of a bird or animal by the "Keeper" who is to relate a story of adventure in which the names of the birds and animals are frequently mentioned. At the mention of the word the member of the company bearing that name is to imitate the noise made by the creature named. Failing to do so promptly or imitating the noise of a creature assigned to some one else he or she is required to pay a forfeit. The "keeper" may demand the delinquent player's seat instead of a forfeit and assume his menagerie name while the unseated one becomes the "keeper" and must continue the story.

THE MINISTER'S CAT