Chapter 9

Where there are more than ten players, it is desirable to have them separated into several groups. Each group has a leader, and lines up in rank (side by side), with the leader in the middle. One odd player stands in front of the line, facing it.

The odd player asks:-- "Have you seen my friend?"

The line answers, "No."

First player:-- "Will you go and find him?" "Yes." "Put your finger on your lips and follow me!"

The player in front then turns around and, with finger to his lips, runs to another part of the ground, all of the row falling in behind and following him, each player with finger on lips. When they have reached a new position, the first player stops with his back to the line, which re-forms in a new order under the direction of its leader, so that the players do not stand in the same relative positions as when the odd player faced the line. One player from the row selected by the leader now steps forward behind the odd player and says, trying to disguise his voice, "Guess who stands behind you!"

If the odd player guesses correctly, he retains his position, turns around, and the dialogue begins over again. If the guess be wrong, the one who is It changes places with the one whose name he failed to guess.

GYPSY

_5 to 10 players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

This is one of the traditional dramatic games, obviously an abbreviated form of _Mother, Mother, the Pot Boils Over!_

One player is selected for gypsy, and one for the mother. The others are children. The gypsy remains in hiding while the mother says to her children, pointing to the different ones in turn:--

"I charge my children every one To keep good house while I am gone; You and you, but specially you, Or else I'll beat you black and blue."

The mother then goes away and blinds her eyes. During her absence the gypsy comes in, takes away a child, and hides her. The gypsy repeats this until all of the children are hidden. The mother returns and finds her children gone, whereupon she has to find them. When all have been found and brought back home, all chase the gypsy.

HANG TAG

_10 to 100 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

One player is It, or chaser, and changes places with any other player whom he can touch (tag). In this form of the game, however, any player may escape being tagged by hanging from anything overhead which will enable him to lift his feet from the floor. When played out of doors, where there are trees, players will naturally jump to catch hold of the branches of the trees. In a playground or gymnasium pieces of apparatus may be used for the same purpose. A player is considered immune if, instead of hanging by his hands, he throws himself across some obstacle, such as a fence, which enables him to lift his feet from the ground.

The game is very uninteresting if players each choose a place and remain close to it in the intervals of the game; but it may be made full of sport if each will take risks and run from point to point, taunting the one who is It by going as near him as possible, or allowing him to approach closely before springing for the overhead support. The one who is It may not linger near any player to the extent of trying to tire him out in the hanging position, but must move rapidly from one to another.

A very interesting form of this game for the gymnasium allows no two players to hang from the same piece of apparatus; the last one taking possession has the right to remain hanging on the apparatus, the one before him being obliged to run at once for another place. This keeps the players moving and makes the game very lively.

TREE TOAD.--This is a form of Hang Tag played by the modern Greeks. It is played where there are trees, the players jumping to clasp the trunk of the tree as a means of lifting their feet from the ground when the branches are too high to reach. This makes a very funny, vigorous, and interesting form of the game, to be played in a grove or shaded lawn.

HAVE YOU SEEN MY SHEEP?

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; parlor; gymnasium; schoolroom._

The players stand in a circle. One walks around on the outside, and touching one of the circle players on the back, asks, "Have you seen my sheep?" The one questioned answers, "How was he dressed?" The outside player then describes the dress of some one in the circle, saying, for instance, "He wears a red necktie; he is dressed in gray and has low shoes." The one questioned then names the player whom he thinks this describes, and if right, at once begins to chase him around the outside of the circle. Each of the circle players must be very alert to recognize himself in the description given by the outside player, for immediately that he is named he must run around the outside of the circle, chased by the player who guessed, and try to reach his own place before being tagged. The one who gives the description does not take part in the chase. Should the runner be tagged before returning to his place, he must take the place of the questioner, running in his turn around the outside of the circle and asking of some player. "Have you seen my sheep?"

IN THE SCHOOLROOM.--The players remain seated, with the exception of the one who asks the first question of any player he chooses. This player at once stands, guesses the player described, and chases him around the room, the one chased trying to gain his seat before being caught. If caught, he becomes questioner; if not caught, the same questioner and guesser play as before.

HIDE AND SEEK

The following games of hiding and seeking will be found in alphabetical order:--

Hide and Seek I spy! Ring-a-lie-vio Run, Sheep, Run! Sardines Smuggling the Geg Ten Steps Yards Off

HIDE AND SEEK

_2 to 20 or more players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

This is a simple form of "I spy," played by very little children. One covers his eyes or blinds and the others hide. When securely hidden, they call "Coop!" and the one who is It goes in search of them. The call of "Coop!" may be repeated at the discretion of the hider. In this game the object is won when the searcher discovers the hidden players. There is no race for a goal as in "I spy."

HIDE THE THIMBLE

(Magic Music)

_5 to 60 players._

_Schoolroom; parlor._

One player is sent from the room; while absent, one of those remaining hides a thimble, a cork, or some small object which has been previously shown to the absent one. When the object is hidden, the absent player is recalled, and proceeds to hunt for the hidden object. While he is doing this, the others sing or clap their hands, the sound being very soft and low when the hunter is far away from the object, and growing louder as he approaches it. The piano music is desirable, but for schoolroom use singing is found to be more interesting for all, as well as often more practicable. For very little children hand clapping is pleasing and sometimes more easily used than singing.

HIGH WINDOWS

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

All of the players but one join hands in a circle. The odd player in the center runs around on the inside of the circle and hits one of the players with a wisp of grass, if the game be played out of doors, or tags him if played indoors. Both players then run out of the circle, it being the object of the player who was tagged to catch the odd player before he can run three times around the outside of the ring. As the runner completes his third time around, the players in the circle cry "High Windows!" and raise their clasped hands to let both of the players inside. Should the one who is being chased succeed in entering the circle without being tagged, he joins the circle and the chaser takes his place in the center. Should the chaser tag the pursued before he can circle the ring three times and dodge inside at the close, the chaser returns to the circle and the one caught goes again into the center.

It is permissible to vary the chase by running away from the immediate vicinity of the circle. Should the chase then become too long, the circle players may call "High Windows!" as a signal for the runners to come in. This call is made at the discretion of a leader, whether he be one of the circle players appointed for that purpose, or a teacher.

HILL DILL

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

Two parallel boundary lines are drawn from thirty to fifty feet apart; or the game is often played between the curbings of a street, which serve as boundaries. One player is chosen to be It, and stands in the center. The other players stand in two equal parties beyond the boundary lines, one party on each side. The center player calls out, "Hill, dill! come over the hill!" The other players then exchange goals, and as they run across the open space the one in the center tries to tag them. Any who are tagged assist him thereafter in tagging the others.

This game is not well adapted to very large numbers of players, as it brings two opposing parties running toward each other in the exchange of goals. It is especially suited to conditions where a very wide central field lies between the goals, thus giving opportunity for the players to scatter.

HIP

_5 to 30 or more players._

_Playground._

All of the players stand in an informal group. One of them is provided with a stick about the size of a broomstick and about two feet long. He throws this as far as he can, at the same time calling the name of one of the other players. The one who threw the stick, and all the others except the one whose name is called, then scatter in a run. The one who is called must pick up the stick, whereupon he becomes "Hip" and must chase the other players. Any player whom he catches he touches with the stick (pounding not allowed), and that player at once joins him in trying to catch the others. Any one caught by the second player, however, must be held by him until Hip can come and touch the prisoner with the stick, whereupon he also joins Hip's party. As the number of players with Hip increases, there may be some pretty lively "tussling" on the part of players who are caught, pending the arrival of Hip to touch them with the stick, as he may have several to reach in this way, and the interval may be considerable in which the captor must hold his victim. The game ends when all of the players have been touched by Hip.

HOME TAG

_4 to 60 or more players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

One player is It, or chaser, and changes places with any one whom he can touch (tag) outside of the safety places called homes. One or more such places are chosen to which the players may run at any time for safety. It is advisable to have these homes widely separated, as at opposite ends of the playground. If the players resort to these homes too frequently to make a good game, the chaser may call

"Three times three are nine; Who does not run is mine."

Whereupon every player must run out from his home or goal, or change places with the tagger.

HOPPING RELAY RACE

_10 to 100 players._

_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom._

A starting line is drawn on the ground, behind which the players stand in two or more single files, facing a goal. The goal should be ten or more feet from the starting line, and may consist of a wall, or a line drawn on the ground. At a signal the first player in each line hops on one foot to the goal, touches it with his hands (stooping for this if it be a line on the ground), and hops back to the end of his line, which should have moved forward to fill his place as he started. He takes his place at the rear end of the line. He tags the first player in the line as he passes him, and this player at once hops forward to the goal. Each player thus takes his turn, the line winning whose last player first reaches the rear of his line, and there raises his hand as a signal.

If the game be repeated, the hopping in the second round should be on the opposite foot.

FOR THE SCHOOLROOM.--This may be played in the class room by having an equal number of pupils in each row of seats. The players remain seated until it is their turn to hop, each hopping from his own seat to the forward blackboard and back to his seat again; or the distance may be made greater by continuing past his seat to the rear wall and then back to his seat again. The game starts with those in the rear seats. Each pupil as he takes his seat tags the pupil seated next in front of him, who takes this as a signal to start. The line wins whose player in the front seat first returns and raises a hand to show he is seated.

HOUND AND RABBIT

_10 to 60 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom._

A considerable number of the players stand in groups of three, with their hands on each other's shoulders, each group making a small circle which represents a hollow tree. In each tree is stationed a player who takes the part of rabbit. There should be one more rabbit than the number of trees. One player is also chosen for hound.

The hound chases the odd rabbit, who may take refuge in any tree, always running in and out under the arms of the players forming the tree. But no two rabbits may lodge in the same tree; so as soon as a hunted rabbit enters a tree, the rabbit already there must run for another shelter. Whenever the hound catches a rabbit, they change places, the hound becoming rabbit and the rabbit hound. Or the hound may at any time become a rabbit by finding shelter in an empty tree, whereupon the odd rabbit who is left without shelter must take the part of the hound.

This game may be made very lively, and has much sport in it even for adults. The trees should be scattered promiscuously so that both rabbits and hound may have many opportunities to dodge and run in various directions, with false starts and feints that add zest and interest to such a game.

For large numbers of players it is advisable to give each a better chance to participate actively in the game by having the rabbits and trees change parts whenever a rabbit is caught. The hound, and the rabbit who was caught, then choose their successors.

HOW MANY MILES TO BABYLON?

_10 to 100 players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

The players are divided into two lines and stand facing each other, with a distance of about ten feet between. Each line numbers off in twos, and the players in each line take hold of hands. The following dialogue takes place between the two lines, all of the players in a line asking or answering the questions in unison. The lines rock forward and backward during the dialogue from one foot to another, also swinging the clasped hands forward and backward in time to the rhythm of the movement and the words. The time should be rapid.

The first line asks:--

"How many miles to Babylon?"

Second line:--

"Threescore and ten." "Will we be there by candle light?" "Yes, and back again." "Open your gates and let us through." "Not without a beck [courtesy] and a boo [bow]." "Here's a beck and here's a boo, Here's a side and here's a sou; Open your gates and let us through."

As the players in the first line say, "Here's a beck and here's a boo," they suit the action to the words, drop hands, and make each a courtesy, with wrists at hips for the "beck," and straighten up and make a deep bow forward for the "boo"; assume an erect position and bend the head sideways to the right for "Here's a side," and to the left for "Here's a sou." Then the partners clasp hands and all run forward in eight quick steps in the same rhythm as the dialogue that has been repeated, each couple passing under the upraised hands of the opposite couple, which represent the city gates. Having taken the eight steps, the running couple turns around, facing the other line from the opposite side. This is done in four running steps, making twelve steps in all. The couples that made the gates then turn around in four running steps (a total of sixteen steps or beats) until they face the first line, when they in turn begin the rocking motion and the dialogue, "How many miles to Babylon?" This is repeated indefinitely, each line being alternately the questioners and the gates.

The time in which the lines are repeated and the accompanying movements should be very brisk and rapid, so as to give life and action to it. The start forward in the run when the couples pass through the gates should be made with a decided stamp or accent on the first step; and the last step with which they turn in place, facing the line after they have passed through the gates, should have a similar accent. The questions and answers should be given with varied intonation to avoid monotonous singsong.

Mrs. Gomme ascribes the origin of this game to a time when toll was required for entrance into a city, or for the carrying of merchandise into a walled town. The form here given is of Scottish origin, gathered by the writer, and is different from any published versions that have been consulted.

HUCKLE, BUCKLE, BEAN STALK

_5 to 60 players._

_Schoolroom; parlor._

This game is a form of Hide the Thimble.

A thimble, cork, ring, or other small object may be used for hiding. All of the players leave the room save one, who places the object in plain sight but where it would not be likely to be seen, as on the top of a picture frame, in a corner on the floor, etc. It may be placed behind any other object, so long as it may be seen there without moving any object. This hiding will be especially successful if some hiding place can be found near the color of the object; for instance, if the object be of metal, to hang it from the key of a door, put it in the filigree of a vase, etc. When the object has been placed, the players are called into the room, and all begin to look for it. When one spies it, he does not at once disclose this fact to the others, but quietly takes his seat, and when seated, says, "Huckle, buckle, bean stalk!" which indicates that he knows where the object is. The game keeps on until all of the players have located the object, or until the teacher or leader calls the hunt closed. The first one to find the object hides it for the next game.

HUNT (THE)

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

The ground is marked off with two goals at opposite ends by parallel lines drawn entirely across it. The space between the lines should measure from thirty to fifty or more feet. One player is chosen for hunter, who stands in the center. The other players are named in groups from various animals; thus there will be several lions, several tigers, etc. These groups are divided so that part stand in one goal and part in the other, the number of players being equal in each goal when the game opens.

The hunter, standing in the center, calls the name of any animal he chooses, whereupon all of the players bearing that name must change goals. The hunter tries to catch them while they are in his territory. The first player caught must thereafter help the hunter in catching the others. The second player caught changes places with the first, the first one then being placed in a "cage" at one side of the playground and is out of the game. The game ends when the hunter has caught all of the animals.

There are several games very similar to this, but all of them have distinctive points that make them quite different in playing. In the present game the hunter has the advantage of chasing players running from both directions, but there is a comparatively small number of these, and he is placed at the disadvantage of not usually knowing just which players bear the names of certain animals.

HUNT THE FOX

_20 to 60 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

The players stand in two parallel lines or files facing to the front, with about five feet distance between the files, and considerable distance between each two players in a file, so that the runners may have space to run between them. The head player of one file is a fox and the head player of the opposite file the hunter.

At a signal the fox starts to run, winding in and out from one side to the other of his file until he reaches the bottom, when he turns and comes up the opposite file. The fox is not obliged to run between each two players, but may skip any number that he wishes, and choose his own track. The hunter must follow in exactly the same trail, being obliged, should he make a mistake, to go back to the point at which he diverged from the path of the fox. If the fox succeeds in getting back to the head of the second file without being caught, he is considered to have escaped, and takes his place at the foot of his own file. Should he be caught by the hunter, he changes places with the latter, the hunter going to the foot of the fox's file, and the fox taking the hunter's original place at the head of his file. The second player in the fox's file, who should have moved up to the front to keep the lines even, is then fox for the next chase.

HUNT THE SLIPPER

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Parlor; seashore; gymnasium._

All of the players but one sit in a circle, with the feet drawn up and knees raised so that a slipper may be passed from hand to hand of each player under his knees. Where both boys and girls are playing, it is desirable to have the girls alternate as much as possible with the boys, as the slipper is more readily hidden under their skirts. The players pass the slipper or bean bag around the circle under the knees, the object being on their part to evade the vigilance of the odd player, who runs around on the outside of the circle trying to touch the person who holds the slipper. Many devices may be resorted to for deceiving the hunter, such as appearing to pass the slipper when it is not in one's hands, or holding it for quite a while as though the hands are idle, although it is not considered good sport to do this for very long or often. The players will use every means of tantalizing the hunter; for instance, when he is at a safe distance, they will hold the slipper up with a shout, or even throw it to some other person in the circle, or tap the floor with it. When the hunter succeeds in catching the player with the slipper, he changes places with that player.

When the circle of players is very large, the odd player may take his place in the center instead of outside the circle.

INDIAN CLUB RACE

_10 to 100 players._

_Gymnasium; playground._

This game is an adaptation of the Potato Race. See also the related game _All Up Relay_.

The players are lined up in two or more single files, the first players standing with toes on a starting line. A small circle is marked on the ground to the right of the first player in each file, and just within the starting line. A series of six small crosses is also marked on the ground in front of each line, at intervals of six feet apart, continuing in the same direction as the file, the first one being ten or fifteen feet from the starting line. An Indian club is placed on each cross. At a signal, the first runners rush forward, each picks up a club, returns, and places it (standing upright) within the small circle, beside his starting place, returns for another, and so on until all six clubs are within the circle. The first players, having finished, pass to the rear of their respective lines, which move up to the starting line.