Chapter 8

Chapter 84,233 wordsPublic domain

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.

When it is convenient to play this game out of doors or in a very large room place six or more rows of six eggs each on each side of the room or lawn, with a player (provided with a spoon) behind each row. At a given signal all start to pick up the eggs with their spoons, and the one finishing first wins for his side.

HEN AND CHICKENS

A leader is chosen for the "hen" and the remainder of the children are "chickens," except one who is supposed to be a chicken hawk.

They stand in a row behind one another and grasp the skirts or coat-tails of the child ahead and then they march along with the "hen" at the head of the line.

The "hawk" stands from six to sixteen feet away (the distance depends on the size of the players and the space to play in, the larger each are the greater the distance may be) watching the parade for a short time, then begins to flop his wings (moves arms in imitation of flying) and calls out, "How many chicks have you?" The "hen" replies, "four and twenty, shoo! shoo!" The "hawk" shouts, "That's too many. I'll take a few," and then runs after the children trying to touch or "tag" them. The "hen," of course, tries to protect them by getting them under her wing--when the "chicks" stoop they are supposed to be under their mother's wing and cannot be caught. The children must not let go of each other's skirts or coat-tails (except when caught, then the captured one steps out of the line and the line is closed up.) The hen and chickens may run around as much as they like, only they must keep together by holding on to each other's clothes. The game continues until the hawk has caught the hen and chickens--then a different player is chosen for the hawk and the hen.

AN EGG HUNT

Hide colored Easter eggs or small candy eggs in various places, in corners, behind curtains, bric a brac, etc., etc. Provide each child with a small basket or paper bag and at a signal they start to hunt for the hidden eggs. Allow a certain length of time for the hunting and reward the one who finds the most eggs with a large candy egg.

BOWLING

Get ten small toy ten-pins or use wooden clothes pins. Stand them upon end about six or eight inches apart in a line across the room. Use five colored eggs for the balls. A player kneels on one knee at a distance of four feet from the ten-pins and rolls the eggs, one after another toward the ten-pins, knocking down as many as he can. Then another player rolls the eggs and so on until all have taken a turn. Count is kept and the person knocking down the most ten-pins is the winner and receives a "Panorama egg" or some other appropriate prize.

=MAY DAY=

May Day was one of the chief festivals of ancient times and also in more modern times. The Romans held the "Floralia" or festivals in honor of Flora, the Goddess of Flowers, from April 28th to the First of May. The Celts and English used to celebrate May Day extensively. But time makes many changes and as the years increase this custom has decreased, so that in some parts of the country the present generation know May first only as moving day instead of a festival of flowers.

MAY POLE DANCE

If this entertainment is to be out-of-doors a long pole is erected in the center of the lawn; or fastened into a solid base and set in the center of the room if desired for indoor amusement.

Procure a very light weight wheel about twenty inches in diameter. Wind bright colored bunting or ribbon around the wheel and spokes and attach various flowers and blossoms singly and in clusters to the cloth, letting some hang down as vines and festoons. Place the hub over top of May Pole. Insert in the top of hub three pennants of red, white and blue and stalks of flowers. Natural flowers should be used if possible but paper or artificial ones may be substituted.

Attach from ten to twenty bright colored narrow streamers or ribbons to the May-pole underneath the hub; braid these in and out around the May pole intertwining garlands of flowers for a distance of about twelve inches and fasten streamers securely in place. Supply each child with a basket or bouquet of flowers.

The end of each streamer is given to a girl and boy alternately. The girls hold the ribbon in the left hand and the boys hold the ribbon in the right hand. They spread out into a circle the ribbons or streamers at full length the children standing sideways from the May-pole, the girls facing one direction and the boys facing the opposite direction. The music starts up and the children dance around in a circle. The boys pass on the outside first letting their ribbons pass over the heads of the girls, then the girls pass at the outer edge of the circle letting their ribbons pass over the heads of the boys, and so on until the ribbons are braided around the May-pole, and then they are unwound in the same manner if desired.

MAY-DAY FETE

A Japanese fete is suitable for a May Day affair, especially for a large affair where house and grounds can be utilized. The hostess who wishes to carry out the Japanese idea correctly will study a book on Japanese customs. She will find it an easy matter to make her grounds attractive on this idea. Cross two long bamboo fishing poles over the gate and hang two fancy lanterns therefrom. Make a path from gate to house by setting up wooden pedestals surmounted by lanterns (this is the approach to the Japanese temples); suspended. Outline the veranda with the lanterns, suspend large ones in doors and windows, and burn red fire in dark corners of the lawn. Have fans passed by small boys in Japanese costume. Have all waiters in the house dressed as Japanese waiters.

In fixing up the house, take into consideration the Japanese love for flowers and that they have several floral feasts. The flowers can be made from paper. Let one room represent the cherry blossoms, the great flower of Japan. Use the pink cherry blossoms everywhere, against the walls, from chandelier and in the hair of the ladies. Serve cherry ice and small cakes decorated with candied cherries, and cherry phosphate or punch in this room. The wisteria is another flower which is cultivated in great quantities in Japan. This room should be in lavender, and if it is impossible to secure the wisteria for a pattern, show Japanese photographs or have Japanese tableaux, a reading from "Madame Butterfly," or "The Japanese Nightingale," and give tiny fans tied with violet ribbon in this room. In August the Japanese have their feast of the lotus and the pond lily can be used in decoration of one room. Have everything here green and white. Use the water-lily and its broad leaves in a frieze around the room and in a wreath about the table. For the table decoration use tiny dwarf plants in odd jardiniers surmounting an "island" made of rocks. Mirrors can be used about the base of this rocky pile and a miniature garden laid out with tiny shells, white pebbles, and the sprigs. The Japanese delight in making these miniature landscape gardens in the smallest possible space; the dwarf trees, but a few inches high, are the wonder of tourists.

In this room serve white sandwiches tied with red ribbons. These may be chicken, Neufchatel cheese, chopped almonds and Brazil nuts, peanuts, lettuce with white mayonnaise. Serve white ice cream, in scarlet tissue cups, and cake. Decorate the squares of white cake with round red candies in imitation of the flag of Japan. The imperial flag is the gold ball on a red field, the national flag a red sun on a white field and the man-of-war flag, a red sun with rays on a white field. Iced tea may be served in this room.

A fancy dress party, each person representing a flower would be a pretty idea for May Day. Dancing, according to history, was the favorite pastime on this occasion and would be very appropriate at the present time.

VARIEGATED ROSES

Pass pencils and slips of paper to the guests with the following written on each paper:--

1. (A Symbol of purity.) 2. (What has been done with a newspaper.) 3. (A pronoun.) 4. (A product of Japan.) 5. (A braying fellow.) 6. (A state of insanity.) 7. (A rose without a thorn.) 8. (A verdant growth found on old trees.) 9. (A native of Africa.) 10. (Pertaining to the U. S. and a synonym of lovely.)

Tell the guests that the questions represent some kind of a rose or a word whose last syllable has the sound of rose. A suitable prize is given the person who has the correct answers in a limited time.

The "roses" represented are (1) white rose; (2) red rose; (3) heroes; (4) tea rose; (5) jack rose; (6) wild rose; (7) tuberose; (8) moss rose; (9) negroes; (10) American beauty rose.

RING AROUND A ROSY

The children take hold of hands and form a circle; except one who stands in the center of the ring. They circle around singing this little verse

Ring Around a Rosy A pocket full of posy The one who stoops last Wants to be your Beau-sy

When the verse is ended the children in the circle stoop quickly and the last one down must join the child in the center of the ring. The circle of children go around again singing the same ditty. The last child to stoop this time joins the one who went into the circle the previous time and the child who has remained through the two verses steps out and joins the children in the circle.

DROP THE FLOWER

This is played the same as drop the handkerchief except a flower is used instead of a handkerchief and the verse is a trifle different. The song runs thus--"A tisket a tasket a green and yellow basket. I sent a bouquet to my love and on the way I dropped it, etc., etc."

=FOURTH OF JULY=

Fire crackers and fire works seem to have first place in the celebration of our Glorious Fourth, but a few games and amusements of a patriotic nature or connected in some way with the symbols of the day may not come amiss.

WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY

The players are seated in a row or circle except the leader who is seated in the center of the group. The leader begins the game by asking the first one "What will you do for your country." The player must reply immediately with a word beginning with the letter "A" such as admire it, adore it, aid it, act for it, etc., etc. If he does not reply promptly he must pay a forfeit or he must pay a forfeit if he uses a word which would show disloyalty to his country such as antagonize it, abhor it, etc. etc.

The same question is put to each player to answer with a word beginning with the letter "A." Then ask the first player again, "What will you do for your country." This time the reply must begin with the letter "B" such as battle, beg, bawl or be brave for it. The next time use the letter "C" and so on through the alphabet.

RALLY ROUND THE FLAG

The children take hold of hands and form a circle, except one who is standard bearer and stands in the center of the circle holding an American flag having a staff about four feet long, which is pointed so it can be easily stuck into the ground. The children all sing,

The Union Forever, Hurrah boys, Hurrah! Down with the traitor, Up with the star; While we rally 'round the flag, boys, rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.

When the children sing, "Hurrah boys, Hurrah," they wave their right hands high in the air. As they sing "Down with the traitor" all stoop to the ground. As they sing "Up with the star" all jump up and the child in the center raises the flag and waves it until the last line is sung, when he places the flag in the ground. As the children begin to sing the third line of the verse, "While we rally round the flag, etc.," they join hands and circle around until the verse is finished, when they drop hands and run. While the child in the center counts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, halt. If the standard bearer sees any child's feet move after he cries "halt," he has the privilege of tagging that child, who is then an ally of the standard bearer and helps tag the other children he sees moving. If a child can reach the flag and touch it without his movements being seen by the standard bearer or his allies he is free. When all have gained freedom or been caught the game is finished and may be repeated if desired, choosing a different standard bearer.

TORPEDO HUNT

Hide a lot of small paper torpedoes in various places around the lawn. Give each child a paper bag and at a signal, which is the explosion of a torpedo, they begin to hunt for the hidden torpedoes. The one finding the most is given a small flag which the children salute by firing off their torpedoes.

THE FLAG OF THE FREE

With water colors or crayons sketch the American flag on white cards omitting the stars. Give each guest a card and forty-six tiny mucilaged stars. Wave a flag as a signal to begin placing the stars on the blue of the flag. Ring a bell at the end of five or six minutes and award a small silk flag or a fire cracker candy box filled with candy to the one having his flag the most complete.

BATTLES OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR FOURTH OF JULY

Try the following: What battle of the United States is

1. A fortified place, to perform and a walking stick?

2. An English coin and the act of directing attention?

3. A royal weight?

4. A teutonic village?

5. Two intoxicants?

6. A feminine proper name and a Roman garment?

7. Inclosures for domestic animals?

8. An English city and a village?

9. What railway porters expect, a consonant and a kind of boat?

10. The village of a female ruler?

11. A male bovine and what people do when it chases them?

12. The residence of "Portia" in the "Merchant of Venice?"

13. A vegetable and a range of hills?

14. An ancient city of Greece?

15. Beautiful forest trees?

16. A number and table utensils?

17. To propel, a forest tree, and a body of land surrounded by water?

18. A judicial officer's village?

19. A dear fortification?

20. A range of hills for burial purposes?

Answers:

1. Battle of Fort Du Quesne. 2. Crown Point. 3. Princeton. 4. Germantown. 5. Brandywine. 6. Saratoga. 7. Cowpens. 8. Yorktown. 9. Tippecanoe. 10. Queenstown. 11. Bull Run. 12. Belmont. 13. Pea Ridge. 14. Corinth. 15. Fair Oaks. 16. Five Forks. 17. Roanoke Island. 18. Chancellorsville. 19. Richmond. 20. Cemetery Ridge.

FLAGS OF ALL NATIONS

Drape the red, white and blue bunting from tree to tree and nail to the trees flags of sixteen different countries; the flags to be numbered. Provide each guest with a card containing as many numbers as there are flags. The guests are requested to fill out the cards with the names of countries the flags represent, and are allowed fifteen minutes in which to do this. He who correctly fills his card in the shortest time is given a prize. Flag stickpins, bon-bon boxes representing flags, or some patriotic book would be appropriate.

It is surprising how few are familiar with the flags of different nations.

=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.

In getting up a Hallow-e'en Party everything should be made as secret as possible, and each guest bound to secrecy concerning the invitations.

Any of the following forms of invitations might be used.

+-----------------------------------------------+ | Miss Ethel Jones will expect to see you | | at her Hallow-e'en Party Wednesday, Oct. | | 31st, at 8 o'clock. She begs that you will | | come prepared to participate in the mysteries | | and rites of All Hallow's Eve, and to wear | | a costume appropriate to the occasion. | +-----------------------------------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------+ | On Wednesday, Oct. 31st, at 8 o'clock, I | |shall celebrate Hallow-e'en and hope that you | |will come and participate in the mysteries | |and rites of All Hallow's Eve, so come prepared| |to learn your fate. | +-----------------------------------------------+

The room or rooms in which most of the games are to be played should be decorated as grotesquely as possible with Jack-o'-lanterns made from apples, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, etc., with incisions made for eyes, nose and mouth and a lighted candle placed within.

Jack-o'-lanterns for the gas jets may be made of paste board boxes about the size of a shoe box. Cut holes for eyes, nose and mouth in all four sides of the box and cover the holes with red or green tissue paper. A black box with the openings covered with red tissue paper or vice versa or white and green make good combinations.

Cut a hole in the bottom of the box just large enough to fit over the gas jet, turning the gas low enough to not burn the box.

In addition to this Jack-o'-lanterns made from pumpkins, etc., should be placed around on tables, mantles, corners, etc.

A skull and cross bones placed over the door entering the house would be very appropriate. The hall should be in total darkness except for the light coming from the Jack-o'-lanterns of all shapes and sizes in various places.

Autumn leaves, green branches, apples, tomatoes and corn should also play an important part in the decorations. Black and yellow cheese cloth or crepe paper makes very effective and inexpensive decorations.

The dining room should be decorated with autumn leaves, golden rod, yellow chrysanthemums, strings of cranberries, etc. For a table center piece a large pumpkin could be used with the top cut off and partly filled with water in which a large bunch of yellow chrysanthemums or golden-rod could be placed. Bay leaves can be scattered over the table.

Another idea for a center piece is a large pumpkin Jack-o'-lantern, the top cut in large points with small chocolate mice in the notches and scampering down the sides of the pumpkin (held in place by long pins or a little glue) and over the table.

Place Cards representing pumpkins, black cats, witches' hats, witches, brownies, etc., are appropriate.

If one is not an artist in water color painting, some of the cards could be cut from colored bristol board or heavy paper. The witches' hats of black or brown paper with a red ribbon band; the cats of black paper showing a back view may have a red or yellow ribbon necktie; the pumpkins of yellow paper with the sections traced in ink or notched a trifle and black thread drawn between the notches.

Any of these designs could be used for an invitation for a children's party, by writing on the reverse side: "Will you please come to my party on Wednesday, October 31st" with the name and address of the little host or hostess, using white ink on black paper.

The dining-room should also be in total darkness, except for the light given by the Jack-o'-lanterns, until the guests are seated, when they should unmask. The supper could be served in this dim light or the lights turned up and the room made brilliant. After the supper is over and while the guests are still seated a splendid idea would be to extinguish all the lights and to have one or more of the party tell ghost stories.

Have a large pumpkin on a stand or table from which hang as many ribbons as there are guests. Have one end of the ribbon attached to a small card in the pumpkin on which may be a little water color sketch of pumpkin, apples, witch, ghost or other appropriate design together with a number. Have red ribbon for the girls and yellow ribbon for the boys, with corresponding numbers. Let each guest draw a ribbon from the pumpkin and find their partner by number.

Another suggestion is to have the hall totally dark with the door ajar and no one in sight to welcome the guests. As they step in they are surprised to be greeted by some one dressed as a ghost who extends his hand which is covered with wet salt.

The following games and tests of fate and fortune will furnish entertainment for children small and children of a larger growth. Of course, prying into the future with these tests at any other time, they may not prove infallible, but on the Eve of All Saint's Day, when all the elves, the fairies, goblins and hob-goblins are at large playing pranks and teasing and pleasing, why should they not "come true."

APPLE SEEDS

Name two wet apple seeds and stick them on forehead. First seed to fall indicates that the person for whom seed is named is not a true lover.

APPLE PARING

Each guest, receiving apple and knife, is requested to peel apple without breaking; then swing paring around head, and let it drop to floor. The letter formed is initial of future mate's name. Or, you may hang your paring over door--the first of opposite sex to pass under will be your mate.

APPLE-SEED TEST

Cut an apple open and pick out seeds from core. If only two seeds are found, they portend early marriage; three, legacy; four, great wealth; five, sea voyage; six, great fame as orator or singer; seven, possession of any gift most desired.

BLIND NUT SEEKERS

Let several guests be blindfolded. Then hide nuts or apples in various parts of room or house. One finding most nuts or apples wins prize.

BARREL-HOOP

Suspend horizontally from ceiling a barrel-hoop on which are fastened alternately at regular intervals apples, cakes, candies, candle-ends. Players gather in circle and, as it revolves, each in turn tries to bite one of the edibles; the one who seizes candle pays forfeit.

RAISIN RACE

A raisin is strung in middle of thread a yard long, and two persons take each an end of string in mouth; whoever, by chewing string, reaches raisin first has raisin and will be first wedded.

HALLOW-E'EN SOUVENIR GAME

Suspend apples by means of strings in doorway or from ceiling at proper height to be caught between the teeth. First successful player receives prize. These prizes should be Hallow-e'en souvenirs, such as emery cushions of silk representing tomatoes, radishes, apples, pears, pickles; or pen-wipers representing brooms, bats, cats, witches, etc.

CANDLE AND APPLE

At one end of stick 18 inches long fasten an apple; at the other end, a short piece of lighted candle. Suspend stick from ceiling by stout cord fastened in its middle so that stick will balance horizontally; while stick revolves players try to catch apple with their teeth. A prize may be in center of apple.

TRUE-LOVER TEST

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. Sometimes it happens, but not often, that both nuts burn steadily, and then the maiden's heart is sore perplexed.

RING AND GOBLET

Tie wedding-ring or key to silken thread or horsehair, and hold it suspended within a glass; then say the alphabet slowly; whenever ring strikes glass, begin over again and in this way spell name of future mate.