CHAPTER XXVIII

ACTIVE GAMES

=Weavers and Weft=

In this game there are two sides, so that only an equal number can take part. Each player is provided with a new, shallow tin pan, the parties then separate, and stand in two lines, facing each other, about eight or ten feet apart.

The starter at the head of one of the lines fastens one end of a ball of yarn to a door-knob or chair just behind her and, putting the ball on her pan, tosses it to the player directly opposite, who endeavors to catch it on his pan, and toss it to the person on the other side, who stands next to the starter.

The third player in turn sends it back to the one standing second on the opposite side (Fig. 596).

In this order, going back and forth, the ball travels down the ranks.

When it reaches the end of the line, it is started back again, and kept going until the yarn is all unwound.

In no case may the ball be touched with the hands. When it falls to the floor, it must be lifted up with the pan by the player who drops or fails to catch it, and when the yarn fastens itself to the clothing, or becomes entwined around the body of a player, it must not be touched, no matter how much it may inconvenience the movements.

Great care should be taken not to break the thread, anyone doing so is counted out of the game, she cannot leave her place, however, for moving may disturb the yarn attached to others. The ends of the broken yarn must be tied together before the game is resumed.

When the yarn is all unwound it is the object of each player to loosen himself from the tangle without breaking the thread.

The time must be noted and five minutes only be allowed for the disentanglement.

At the end of this time the side which has the greatest number of members free from the meshes of yarn wins the game.

The flashing of the bright tin pans, the struggles of the players to catch the ball and elude the loose thread, the comically careful movements of those who have become entangled in the yarn, all tend to make the game a very merry one, to the lookers-on as well as the participants.

=Hoop Dance=

Some of the games played with wooden hoops are full of fun, and the constant changing of position of the players forms a very pretty moving picture for the spectator.

Four boys and four girls make up the set for the “Hoop Dance,” and chance allots the partners, in this way: A stick is placed on the ground and the group, standing about twelve feet away, take turns in tossing small stones as near to it as possible. The girl and boy throwing nearest the goal take first position; the girl and boy throwing second nearest take the second position, and so on. The four couples stand quite a distance apart, at least six yards being allowed between those facing each other, as in Fig. 597. (Crosses represent boys and circles girls.) One of the players is chosen leader, and it is his duty to call out the different figures of the “Hoop Dance.” At “Attention!” all take position and stand ready, hoop in hand, to respond to the first call. The leader then prompts, “First and second couples cross over right and left.” Immediately the two boys, B and F, move to the left, as in Fig. 598, in order to give space for E to roll her hoop between A and B, and A to pass between E and F. As the leader prompts the two couples roll their hoops to the opposite sides. Then the leader calls, “Third and fourth couples right and left.” They follow the example of the first couple, the boys H and D moving to the left to give space for C to pass between G and H, and G to cross between C and D. The leader next calls, “First couples right and left back to places,” and this movement is repeated by the last couples.

=In the Second Figure=

of the dance the girls of the first couples change places, as in Fig. 599, where A and E roll their hoops diagonally across the intervening space according to the dotted lines. This brings A in E's place and E in A's. Next the girls change places on the sides; C and G cross over to opposite sides. Then the leader cries out, “Girls of first couples return to places,” and E and A roll their hoops back to first position. “The sides do the same.” In like manner the boys change, first B and F, then D and H, and return to places, taking great care not to allow their hoops to fall or get beyond their control.

=The Third Figure=

is “Hoops all around.” At “Attention!” from the leader each player turns, facing the back of the next player. Arrows point the direction players are to take (Fig. 600). A turns toward B; B faces C; C looks at D, and so on. Then, with hoops in position, at the word “Hoops all around” each player follows the companion directly ahead, rolling his hoop as he goes around the circle, stopping only when his original place is reached.

=The Fourth Figure=

Again the leader calls, “Attention.” This time each player faces his partner, stepping a little to one side to allow the partner to pass (Fig. 597), which brings all the girls A, C, E, and G, facing the left and outside the ring, while B, D, F, and H, the boys, face the right and are inside the ring. At the call from the leader, “Grand right and left,” each player carefully rolls his hoop first to one side, then to the other of those whom he meets on his way around the circle, beginning with his partner (Fig. 597). The girl A passes to the right of her partner B, left of D, right of F and left of H. All the other players weave in and out in the same way, as in the ordinary quadrille, the only difference being that instead of the hands being grasped in passing the hoops are rolled to right and left. This figure concludes the “Hoop Dance.” Should the players be all girls, let four of them tie handkerchiefs on their left arms to show that, for the time being, they represent the sterner sex.

The Game of Tag never loses its charm. Who can resist rushing after a companion at the words “last tag.” No girl with any daring or enterprise can rest content until the compliment be returned. Somewhat differing from the original tag, but none the less attractive, is the game of the same name played with wooden hoops.

=Hoop Tag=

keeps one constantly on the alert. Any number may join in this game, and all, except one, must be provided with hoops and sticks. Decide who shall be “It” by some counting-out rhyme—such as

High peg, low peg, Mary and Ann, Tom, Dick and Harry, Jim and Dan, Roly Poly, cod and trout, Stingelium, Stangelium, You are out!—

This important person has a stick, but no hoop. From some particular starting-point determine the distance the players may roll their hoops before “It” is permitted to follow. The distance is optional—eight yards or so would do, the place being designated by a house, tree or fence, as the case may be, and made plain to all by “It” saying, “I'll stand here and give you all a chance to reach that tree”—or whatever the object may be—“before I follow.” At the signal, “Are you ready? Go!” from “It,” all except “It” start rolling their hoops in the same direction. As soon as the first player reaches the tree “It” calls out, “Coming!” and immediately follows. The other players hearing the word “coming” scatter in all directions while “It” endeavors to strike someone’s hoop with her stick. When she succeeds the captive surrenders the hoop to “It,” who scampers away with her prize to join the others. The loser, instantly becoming “It,” starts in pursuit of the nearest hoop. She cannot, however, strike the hoop she has just lost until the player has had time to run several yards beyond her reach. The game continues until each player has been “It.”

When at the circus, has not everyone seen the clown and other members of the sawdust ring jump boldly through a hoop held in the air? They perform the feat with such skill that it looks very simple, but it is less easy than it appears.

=The Circus-hoop Game=

though, is not difficult, for a wooden hoop takes the part of the clown. The game calls for one extra hoop large enough to allow the remaining hoops to pass through it (Fig. 601.) Count out to determine who shall be “It” and when that is decided let the other players take their places at a given distance—about fifty feet—from the large hoop, which is held perfectly still in position by “It.”

The object of the game is that each player, in turn, shall roll her hoop through the large one without allowing the [Illustration: Fig. 601.] rolling hoop to fall on its way to the other side of the large hoop. The first player to miss changes places with “It” and holds the big hoop, giving her smaller hoop to the first “It”; and the latter joins the ranks of the players, taking the last place in the row. The second to fail surrenders her hoop and in turn becomes “It.” The game proceeds in this way until only one player remains who has not been obliged, through failure, to take the part of “It.” Such a one is victorious and the winner of the game. No player is allowed to be “It” a second time in the same game. The second miss debarring her from any more trials, she drops from the line to await a new game, when she will be entitled to the same chance of winning as the others.

Racing always has its charm, and wherever there is a group of young girls, sooner or later there will be a race of some kind. There is no fixed number of players for the

=Hoop Race Game=

Still it is better not to have more than eight. In determining the couples who shall race together, eight slender sticks or broom-straws are used, making four pairs of straws, each pair of a different length. A player holds the straws in her hand, showing one end of each. They are placed evenly, all projecting out the same distance from the closed hand (Fig. 602). When each player has drawn a straw and found her partner, who has its mate, the two holding the longest straws roll their hoops from the given starting-point to the goal previously determined. The distance [Illustration: Fig. 602.] should not be more than three or four hundred feet. The two players having the next two longest straws take second turn. Third place belongs to the two holding the next longest straws, leaving those with the shortest straws last. All who fail to win the first or trial race fall out of the game, and the four victors again draw straws for places as in the first trial. The two couples race, and then comes the final test between the last two victors, the other two having dropped out. The last trial is watched eagerly by the six who are out of the game and stand as spectators on each side of the course, cheering the players as they race after their hoops. The first to reach the goal in this run is hailed as the champion.

When you learn to jump rope you acquire unconsciously at the same time a delightful sense of rhythm in addition to the exercise the sport affords. In the lively

=Jumping Rope Conquer Game=

the players choose a leader and use a long rope which is turned at each end by two of the players. The others, in turn, follow the leader, doing everything she does, even to the turn of the head and the movement of the hands. When all is ready, the rope turning evenly and steadily toward the leader, she runs in and through to the opposite side without jumping, calling out “Follow me”; the other players do likewise. Then with the rope turning away from her she runs back in, jumps once and runs out on the opposite side. The others follow. Next the leader runs in, jumps once, then stoops and picks up a small stone or pebble, which has previously been placed near the rope, regaining her position in time to jump over the rope when it next comes to her feet. Again she stoops, lays the pebble back in place, jumps once and runs out. The others repeat this. The leader runs in, jumps first on one foot, on the other, then on both, and runs out. The others do likewise. The leader runs in, calling to one of the followers to join her. They face, grasp each other’s hands and jump. Still holding hands they raise them over their heads and jump. The others, in couples, follow in like fashion.

Should the leader at any time fail, she must take an end of the rope, and the one next in line becomes leader, while the player relieved from turning goes to the bottom of the line, her turn coming last. At the first miss of the second leader the player directly following takes the leadership; each follower becomes leader in turn. When one of the followers misses she takes an end of the rope, and the player released goes to the bottom of the line to await her turn. The game continues until each player has enjoyed the distinction of being leader.

=Going to Market=

is a jumping-rope game played by three or more. Two turn the rope, each taking an end; they walk along, turning as they go. The other players run in at the start and jump forward at each turn of the rope, keeping pace with the rope-turners. As soon as one trips she changes places with the player at the end of the rope. The point of the game is that the entire group shall keep constantly moving forward, each player being obliged to take an end of the rope when she fails.

In the game of

=Passing By=

a long rope is necessary and at least four players, two to turn and two to jump. If more join the game, they must divide into couples and take turns jumping, as the sport requires two to enter and jump the rope together. The places are taken as in Fig. 603. One player is stationed as near as possible to one end of the rope, and the other player close to the other end on the opposite side. As the rope turns the players A and B (Fig. 603) advance, jumping toward each other. They meet, pass and continue on their way toward the opposite end of the rope until they have changed positions, A being in B's place and B in A's. They return to their first positions and run out, leaving the rope free for the next two to have their turn.

One of the liveliest rope games is

=Red, White and Blue=

A long rope is turned by two of the players; another runs in and jumps once; they all sing in chorus “Red, white and blue,” slowly keeping time with the rope, which is turned three times high in air above the head of the jumper. The first turn is for red, the second for white, and the third for blue. As the turners lower the rope to the ground, without once stopping in the turning, the player jumps once, and again the rope goes up and is turned three times in the air while the chorus is repeated. Then, after another jump, all chant the words, “Salt, _pepper_, MUSTARD, VINEGAR,” the rope turns very slowly for salt, faster for pepper, still faster for mustard and at lightning speed as vinegar is pronounced; the jumper increasing her speed at each turn of the rope.