Chapter 3

side, so no one knows which is which. Their score is added up.

The game continues until a certain number, 300 or 500, has been reached. The side scoring that number of points first is victorious.

WHO AM I?

As the guests arrive pin a card with a name of some noted author, statesman, or poet written on it, on their backs, so that every one can see it but themselves.

Of course, each person wants to know who he is, so the guests talk to each other as though they were the person whose name is on the other's back, but do not mention the name, and from the conversation, they have to guess who they are.

PROGRESSIVE PUZZLES.

The players are provided with pasteboard cards 2 inches square, and scissors. At a signal, given by the hostess, they must cut their cards in four pieces, the cuts must intersect in some place, but the card can be cut in any other way.

When the cards are cut and the four pieces mixed, they are passed to the player at the right, who has to put the four pieces together correctly.

A certain time is given for each puzzle and each time it is passed to the right, until each player has his own puzzle again.

TIT FOR TAT.

Plan to have an even number of guests invited, half ladies and half gentlemen.

Provide thick boards for each lady, also a hammer and paper of tacks, and for the men, plain hats (untrimmed) and material for trimming, also a paper of pins.

When all the guests arrive set them to work. The ladies have to hammer as many tacks in straight, in their boards as they can, during the allotted time, while the men trim their hats, choosing their material from that which is provided. When the time (which may be as long or as short as you wish) is up, the men put on their respective hats and pass before the ladies for inspection; the one having the best trimmed one receives a prize.

The men inspect the work of the ladies, and the one who has hammered the most tacks into her board "straight," receives a prize.

EYE-GUESSING.

Hang a sheet or screen in a doorway between two rooms and cut six holes, the size and shape of eyes, each pair a distance apart, in it, some up high and some down low.

Choose groups of four to go behind the sheet, the rest of the guests staying in the other room.

Three of the chosen four look through the holes at a time. The short ones can stand on chairs and look through the high pair, while the tall ones can stoop down, thus confusing those who have to guess who the pairs of eyes belong to.

A short time is given for guessing each group, and then the next set go out.

The guesses are written on slips of paper and after all the eyes have been "examined," the correct list is read by one who stayed behind the sheet all the time.

THE PRINCE OF WALES.

Any number can play this game. The players stand in a line around the room and number themselves, beginning with one, until each has a number.

The leader, who has no number and who has charge of the game, begins by saying--

"The Prince of Wales has lost his hat, all on account of No. 1, Sir;" then No. 1 says: "No, sir, not I, sir, No. 5, (or any number he wishes), sir." Then No. 5, repeats what No. 1 said, giving another number instead of 5; but if he fails to respond, then the leader says, "No. 5 to the foot, sir," and then all those who were below No. 5 move up one, and thus their number becomes one less.

The leader begins again and he must be very quick to send those to the foot, who fail to respond.

COMMERCE.

The guests are seated around a table, each one having a pile of fifty beans in front of him. The leader has two packs of playing cards, one of which is used for an auction sale, one card at a time being sold to the highest bidder, who pays for it in beans.

When all the cards of the first pack have been sold, the players arrange their cards and beans on the table ready for business.

The auctioneer then holds up the second pack and announces that he will call the cards off one at a time, and as he does so, the player who has the duplicate of that card must give it up to the auctioneer.

After each calling there is a little time allowed to buy or sell the cards, the object of the game being either to have more beans than any one else, or to have the duplicate card which is at the bottom of the second pack, thus causing a very exciting time as the second pile diminishes.

LAUGH A LITTLE.

The players sit in a circle with one in the middle for leader. The leader must be one who laughs heartily and is very quick.

He begins the game by throwing a plain, white handkerchief up in the air, as high as he can, and while it is in the air, everyone must laugh, but the minute it touches the floor, there must be perfect silence. The leader must catch those who are still laughing and send them from the ring.

The game goes on until every one is out of the circle. If there should happen to be one who doesn't laugh when the handkerchief is on the floor, he surely deserves a prize.

LOCATION.

Choose two leaders who select sides. One begins by calling the name of some town or place and then counts ten. While he is counting, the opposite opponent must answer where the place is. If he fails to answer before ten is counted, he must drop out.

Then the leader of the other side takes his turn, and challenges some player of the opposite side.

The side which stands up the longest, wins the game.

FASHION NOTES.

The names of various fashion papers, such as "The Delineator," "The Styles," "Le Bon Ton," "Ladies' Home Journal," are written on cards, which are cut so that it requires the two parts to know what the title is. Distribute these among the guests, who hunt for the corresponding part, thus getting their partners; crayon and paper is given out and the ladies are requested to draw and color a gown representing the one she has on, while the men are asked to write a description of the gown.

The drawings and descriptions are collected after time is allowed, and placed on a table for display.

Prizes may be awarded to the partners having the best drawing and description.

STRAY SYLLABLES.

Prepare long strips of paper on which the guests are requested to write several words of three or more syllables, leaving spaces between each syllable.

When this is done, cut up the words into the syllables and mix thoroughly. Then each player draws three syllables and tries to construct a word.

If a word can't be made of all three syllables, maybe it can be made of two, but if it is then impossible to construct a word, the player must wait until the rest draw three syllables again, and perchance he may be able to construct two words, using the syllables he could not use before.

The one constructing the most words, wins the game.

QUAKER MEETING.

All the guests sit in a circle and the leader begins by saying: "This is a very solemn occasion." He then twirls his thumbs and looks very solemn. Commencing with the player to the right of the leader, each one in turn repeats what he has said, very solemnly twirls his thumbs, and keeps twirling them, until each one has repeated it, and it is the leader's turn again.

He then says, "Sister Jane died last night," still twirling his thumbs. This goes around the circle as before. Then the player to the right of the leader says, "How did she die?" and he replies, "Like this," moving his right hand up and down. Thus each one tells his neighbor, and makes the motion just as the leader has done.

After each one has said this, still repeating the same question and answer, the leader moves his left hand up and down, too, thus both hands are going; the next time both hands and the right foot are moving; then both hands and both feet; next, hands, feet, and head, bobbing up and down; last, fall back in the chair uttering a hideous groan as if dead.

No one must laugh during the whole game; whoever does, must leave the circle.

MAGIC MUSIC.

One player is sent from the room and the rest decide upon something he must do when called in.

When this has been done he is summoned by magic music which is made by having one of the players strike on something which will make a noise. If there is a piano, so much the better, if not, a piece of metal or a bell will do.

As he nears the object which he is to find the music grows very loud, and faint when he is far away.

Suppose he is to take a flower from a vase, and give it to one of the players. As he nears the flowers, the music grows louder and louder, and if he touches one, it stops; then he knows he has to do something with it. If he smells it, the music grows faint, and he knows he is wrong. As he starts to give it to the players, the music varies until he has given it to the right one.

Someone else then leaves the room, and the game goes on as before.

PATCHWORK ILLUSTRATIONS.

For this game it is necessary for the hostess to collect a large number of pictures from magazines, advertisement pages or papers. These are placed in the center of a table around which the players are seated.

Each guest is provided with a paper at the top of which is written a quotation. The hostess announces that each player is to illustrate his or her quotation with the pictures provided. The pictures are pasted on the papers, and if necessary, a background can be made with pencil or pen and ink.

The papers are then arranged on a table for inspection and a prize is awarded for the best illustration.

BIOGRAPHY.

Provide the players with pencil and paper. The leader then announces that a biography is to be written, and the first thing to write is the name of some person in the room; the paper is folded over so the name cannot be seen and passed to the player at his left, who writes a date which is the birth date, and the name of some town; the paper is folded again and passed to the left and this time a sentence of ten words is written about early childhood--from one to ten years. Next, a sentence of same length telling of events between twenty and forty years; next, between forty and fifty years; date of death next, last, remark about this life. When all has been written, the folded papers are passed to the left again and each player reads his paper aloud.

The more ridiculous the sentences, the better the biography, and as no one knows what is under the folded parts, sometimes the date of death will be earlier than that of birth, or there will be a vast difference in time.

Example--Name, John Smith. Born, July 4, 1449, Boston. From 1 to 10 years, mischievous child, quarrelled with everybody, expelled from school, stole eggs.

From 20 to 40, stayed home, did dressmaking, became sickly, remained an old maid.

From 40 to 50, became a wealthy widower, left with three children to raise. Died January 1, 1860. Most remarkable man that ever lived in his little town.

ORCHESTRA.

Any number can play this game, the more the merrier. Each player is told to play some imaginary instrument. The leader with an imaginary baton, begins by humming some lively, familiar tune. The players follow with motions suitable to their instruments and sing the tune the leader is humming.

When the leader pretends to play some instrument, the player who has that imaginary instrument, must pretend he is leader and beat time with the baton, but as soon as the real leader changes the instrument or beats time again the player must continue with his own instrument.

The leader must be quick to change from one instrument to another and the players must be quick to follow him, for if they don't, they have to leave the orchestra until the piece is over.

WHO IS MY NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR?

Half of the company are blindfolded. They are led to a row of chairs arranged in the middle of the room, each sitting so there is a vacant chair behind him.

The other half, who are not blindfolded, very quietly take the vacant chairs and sit perfectly still.

The leader then announces that those not blindfolded are to sing when he gives the signal, and the blindfolded ones, who are to remain still, must listen attentively to their right hand neighbor and guess who he is.

Some familiar tunes must be chosen and the singers can disguise their voices if they choose. The leader begins by playing the tune on the piano and when he says "Sing," the victim singers begin while the blind victims listen.

One verse of the song will be enough for this medley and those whose voices have been recognized, exchange places with the blindfolded ones, while the others remain in the same place until the listener has guessed who he is. The game then goes on as before.

FIRE.

Choose two leaders from among the players. Each leader chooses his side. The sides sit opposite each other, the leader of one throws a ball to any one in the opposite side. As he does he says either, "Earth," "Air," "Water," or "Fire," and counts ten.

The person who caught the ball must answer before he finishes counting ten. If "earth" was called he must name some quadruped found therein; if "water," some fish must be named, or "air," the name of some bird; but if "fire" was called he must remain perfectly still.

If the players give a wrong answer or speak when they should be silent they are out, and the leader must throw the ball to some one else, but if the players answer correctly, it is their turn to throw the ball to someone in the opposite side, and the game goes on as before. The side whose players stand up the longest, wins the game.

THE MONTHS.

The leader need be the only one who understands this game. He asks, "What month are you going away in?" One player might answer "September." He then asks, "What will you wear?" "What will you take with you?" and "What will you do?" All the answers must be given with the initial letter of the month chosen. For instance, the answers to the above questions may be: 1st, "Silk stockings," 2d, "Sardine sandwiches," 3d, "See the sights."

The answers will probably be mixed as the players do not know the trick. Each one who misses pays a forfeit, and the leader questions the next player. When one or two do catch on, the more ridiculous they make their answers, the funnier the game.

BELL BUFF.

In this game all the players except one are blindfolded. This one is called the guide and has a small bell which he rings during the game.

All the blind men are led to one end of the room by the guide. He then takes his position a little distance from them and rings the bell, which is the signal for the game to begin.

The blind men grope around wildly for their guide who rings the bell all the time, but must move in different places, so as to escape the blind men who are hunting him. The blind men are only guided by the sound of the bell, and the guide must be very quick to change his positions or he will be caught by his pursuers.

The first blind man who catches the guide, exchanges places with him, and the game goes on as before.

POSTMAN.

The players sit in a circle; one is chosen for "postman," is blindfolded, and another is chosen for Postmaster.

The Postmaster gives each player the name of some city or town, and stands outside the ring so he can give orders.

The "postman" stands inside the circle and when the Postmaster says, "I have sent a letter from New York to San Francisco," the players having these names must exchange places, and he must try to capture one. If he succeeds he takes that one's place, the one caught then becoming "postman."

The Postmaster must exchange names very rapidly, and if a player should remain seated when his city is called, he has to be "postman."

If the Postmaster says, "general delivery," all exchange places, and the "postman" tries to secure a vacant place.

SPOONEY FUN.

All the players sit in a circle. One is chosen to be out. He is blindfolded and given a spoon (a large one) with which he is to feel. He stands in the middle of the circle, then is turned around three times and told to guess who the first person, which he touches with the spoon, is.

He advances cautiously until he touches someone. Then with the back of the spoon he feels the person all over. The players must keep perfectly quiet, disguising themselves if they see fit, as the collars and cuffs of the men will be felt very easily with the spoon.

As soon as the blindfolded one has guessed who the player is he was feeling, they exchange places and the game goes on as before, but if he fails to guess the first time, or has felt with his hand instead of the spoon he is out again and remains out, until he has guessed correctly.

CITIES.

Provide all the guests with pencil and paper. The hostess then requests that each write the name of the city in which he was born, and under that a sentence, descriptive of that city or containing something suggestive of it. The letters of the city form the words of the sentence and must follow in regular order.

Allow fifteen minutes for composing the sentences, then collect them, mix them up, and each player is given one. Thus each one has some other person's slip to read. The one who composed the best sentences deserves a prize.

Examples--City, New York.

Sentence--N-ow, E-very, W-all St., Y-ankee, O-wns, R-eal, K-ingdoms.

City, Chicago.

Sentence--Conflagration, H-igh, I-n, C-rowded, A-reas, G-rew, O-n.

GOING TO CHINA.

This is a catch game for those who have never played it. The leader begins by saying, "I'm going to sail for China next week, I would like to have you go, what will you take?" This question is asked every player and there are many different answers, but all cannot go, as they have not answered correctly.

The point is, if you wish to go sailing, you must take something which commences with the same letter as the initial of your last name. The leader then says, "You can go."

For example, suppose the player who is asked the question says she will take bananas. If her last name begins with B she can go, but if not, the leader says, "Lou cannot go this trip."

The game continues until every one has guessed the trick and they can all go.

A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS.

Provide each player with pencil and paper and a penny. The hostess explains that the answers to the following questions are things which are found on every penny.

The questions may either be written on the paper beforehand or the guests can write them as the hostess asks them. A prize may be awarded to the player whose paper contains the greatest number of correct answers.

1. An emblem of victory, (laurel wreath). 2. An emblem of royalty, (crown). 3. A South American fruit, (date). 4. A spring flower, (tulips, two lips). 5. A portion of a hill, (brow). 6. A portion of a river, (mouth). 7. A messenger, (one cent, sent). 8. A piece of armor, (shield). 9. Mode of ancient punishment, (stripes). 10. Means of inflicting it, (lashes). 11. Something to be found in school, (pupil). 12. Three weapons, (3 arrows). 13. An animal, (hare, hair). 14. A part of a stove, (lid). 15. Plenty of assurance, (cheek). 16. The first American settler, (Indian). 17. Part of a duck, (feathers). 18. A place of worship, (temple). 19. Two sides of a vote, (eyes and nose, ayes and noes). 20. The cry of victory, (won, one).

MISQUOTED QUOTATIONS.

Choose very familiar quotations from Longfellow, Shakespeare, Tennyson, or any well-known author or poet, and write them on slips of paper.

Change some of the words of the original, or even a whole line, and when each guest receives his slip he is requested to repeat the quotation correctly.

For example--"To be, or not to be; that is the question," may be written, "To be, or not to be: that is the problem."

LITERARY SALAD.

Salad leaves are prepared for this game by folding and twisting pieces of green tissue paper until they look like lettuce leaves. Then paste slips of white paper containing a quotation, on each leaf.

The participants of this salad are requested to guess the name of the author of their quotation. This may be played very easily at a church social where the leaves may contain Bible verses instead of quotations, and the players are asked to tell just where their verses are found, in what book and chapter.

BROKEN QUOTATIONS.

This is a good game to play at the beginning of a social gathering, as the guests have to mingle together and thus become better acquainted, and the stiffness of a formal gathering passes off.

The hostess has prepared familiar quotations which were written on paper and then cut in two or three parts and pinned in different places around the room.

The guests are requested to find as many quotations as they can during a certain length of time.

As the parts are scattered all over the room, it isn't as easy as it sounds to find the complete quotations. The person gathering the most quotations, deserves a prize.

PARCEL DELIVERY.

Packages of all shapes and sizes and securely wrapped up are prepared by the hostess who has numbered each one. The players are provided with pencil and slips of paper with numbers corresponding to the numbers on the parcels, arranged down one side.

The guests sit in a circle and the packages are passed from one to the other. Each one is allowed to feel the packages as much as he pleases, but no one must look inside.

As the packages are passed, the names, guessed by the sense of touch, are written opposite their appropriate numbers on the slips of paper.

After all the bundles have been passed, the hostess opens each one and keeps account of those who have guessed correctly, while those who have failed, are requested to read their guesses as this affords much amusement.

WHO ARE THEY?

Photographs of noted people, labelled with names that do not belong to them, are hung about the room. Each picture is numbered.

The guests, provided with pencil and paper, are given a certain length of time in which to guess the correct names, which are written opposite their corresponding numbers.

Familiar photographs such as Dickens, Shakespeare, Washington, Lincoln, Napoleon, etc., should be chosen.

SWAPS.

The guests are requested to bring something wrapped up in paper, which they wish to get rid of.

The hostess prepares a duplicate set of numbers, pinning one number on each parcel, as the guests pass by her. When she gives a signal (clapping hands or ringing a bell), the two persons having No. 1 pinned on their packages exchange them, those having No. 2, and so on, until all have exchanged or swapped. Then all open their packages, some may have received better things, while others may have a worse swap.

TALKING SHOP.

Partners may be chosen for this game by writing names referring to ladies on one set of papers like, "Judy," "Jill," "Juliet," and names referring to men on another set of papers like, "Punch," "Jack," "Romeo." Hand each guest a slip of paper with the name on it and each one hunts for his partner.

When all the partners are found, the leader announces that at a given signal all the ladies are to talk to their partners for five minutes about household affairs, shopping, or fashions. Each man listens attentively to his partner, and when the five minutes are up, he has to write a short account of her conversation, on paper, which the hostess provides. Five minutes is allowed for this.

Then the men talk to the ladies for five minutes about business affairs, stocks, law, building or medicine, and it is the ladies' turn to write a short composition of what she heard.

The papers are collected, the hostess reads them, and a prize is awarded to the best or most amusing account.

SIGHT UNSEEN.

Partners may be chosen in any way for this game. The host gives each pair a sheet of paper and pencil. The partners decide among themselves which one is the best artist, he or she (as the case may be) takes the pencil and paper, while the other receives some common object from the host.

The chairs must be arranged side by side, but facing in opposite directions, so the one who is to draw may not see the object his partner has. When the signal is given to begin, the one having the object describes it to his partner, who must draw it, from the description given.

After twenty minutes have passed, the drawings and their objects are collected, arranged side by side, and it is decided by vote which drawing is most like the object it represents.

A STUDY IN ZOOLOGY.

It will be necessary to have several sheets of silhouette paper (black on one side and white on the other), a large sheet of white cardboard, several pairs of scissors, and as many pencils as there are players, for this game.

Each player is handed a piece of silhouette paper, on the white side of which is written a number and the name of some animal. The players are handed pencils and requested to draw the animal, assigned to each, on the white side of the paper. The animals are then cut out and handed to the hostess. Fifteen minutes are allowed for this.

The hostess, having collected all the animals, pastes them back side out, on the sheet of cardboard, and writes a number corresponding to the one already on the animal, underneath each. The cardboard sheet is hung up where all can see and the players are handed pieces of paper with numbers arranged down one side, on which each player is to write opposite its corresponding number what each animal is supposed to represent.

A prize may be given to the one guessing the greatest number of animals correctly.

AUCTION SALE

Provide twenty or more bundles, all shapes and sizes, securely wrapped. Each bundle has a name on it suggestive of what is inside. For instance, "A pair of kids," may contain two kid hair curlers, "A bunch of dates," may be a calendar; "A diamond pin," a dime and a pin.

Each guest is given a bag containing fifty beans, no one can bid higher than fifty.

The auctioneer, who must be a witty person, who can carry on a lively bidding, stands by a table where the parcels are piled and carries on the sale until all the parcels are sold. The bundles are then opened by the purchasers and there is much merriment over the contents.

THE GENTEEL LADY.

The players sit in a circle. The leader begins by saying, "I, a genteel lady (or gentleman, as the case may be) always genteel, come to you, a genteel lady (or gentleman) always genteel (bows to the player on the right), from yonder genteel lady (or gentleman) always genteel (bows to player on left), to tell you that she has an eagle."

The next player repeats that word for word and adds something about the eagle, for instance, the last part may be, "to tell you that she has an eagle with silver beak." The next player may add, "golden claws," the next "emerald eyes," the next "purple feathers," and so on.

The players who repeat every word correctly, adding their description of the eagle, remain "genteel," but those who make a mistake become "horned" instead of "genteel."

The leader has charge of the "horns" which may be toothpicks or pieces of paper twisted up tight. For every mistake a "horn" is tucked in the player's hair. Each player repeats what the leader has said, but if the player next to him is "horned," he must substitute "horned" for "genteel" when referring to him.

When each one has repeated this tale, the players who have "horns," and there will be many, must pay a forefeit for every "horn" they have.

RHYMES.

Provide each player with slips of paper and pencil. The hostess then announces that each one is to write some question at the top of the paper, fold the paper over and pass it to the player at the left, who writes a noun, folds the paper over and passes it to the left again.

The players who then receive the slips are requested to write one or more stanzas of poetry containing the noun and question written at the top of the paper.

Allow fifteen minutes for this, then pass the papers to the left and they are then read in turn. A prize may be given to the one who wrote the best poetry.

Examples--

Question--Where did you get that hat?

Noun--Fair.

"Where did you get that hat?" Said Shortie to Mr. Fat, "I stole it from the Fair, When I was leaving there."

Question--Can you dance?

Noun--Day.

"May-day! let us away! Can you dance? Here's your chance, On this lovely May-day."

ART GALLERY.

Select copies of famous paintings, those familiar to every one, and hang them around the room.

Neither the name of the painting nor of the artist must be on it, only a number on each picture.

Provide the guests with pencil and paper and allow a certain length of time, according to the number of pictures, for guessing the names and artists.

HUNTING FOR BOOK-TITLES.

The hostess must prepare beforehand pictures, cut from magazine advertisements and miscellaneous articles, suggestive of the titles of books.

These are arranged around the room, some on tables, some on the wall, and in any place, so all the guests can see them. All the articles are numbered.

The guests are handed pencil and paper and the hostess announces that all the articles represent the title of some book and when guessed the names are to be written opposite their corresponding numbers. Allow half an hour for the hunt, and when the time is up the hostess reads the correct list and the player who has guessed the largest number correctly, deserves a prize.

Examples--A large bow of orange ribbon pinned on a curtain, immediately suggests "A Bow of Orange Ribbon," by Amelia Barr.

A picture of several boys suggests "Little Men," by Louisa M. Alcott.

A picture of Gen. Grant cut in half suggests "Half a Hero."