Entertainments for Home, Church and School | Page 8

with the tail held at arm's length, and
with a pin previously inserted in the end, attach it to the figure of the
donkey wherever they first touch it. When the whole curtain is adorned
with tails--(not to mention all the furniture, family portraits, etc., in the
vicinity)--and there are no more to pin on, the person who has
succeeded in fastening the appendage the nearest to its natural dwelling
place, receives a prize, and the player who has given the most eccentric
position to the tail entrusted to his care, receives the "booby" prize,
generally some gift of a nature to cause a good-humored laugh.
THROWING THE HANDKERCHIEF
A very old and still quite popular game. The company being seated
around the room in a circle, some one stationed in the center throws an
unfolded handkerchief to one of the seated players. Whoever receives it
must instantly throw it to some one else, and so on, while the person in
the center endeavors to catch the handkerchief in its passage from one
player to another. If he catches it, as it touches somebody, that person
must take his place in the center. If it is caught in the air, the player
whose hands it last left enters the circle.
The handkerchief must not be knotted or twisted, but thrown loosely.

CHAPTER IV
MAGIC MUSIC--CUSHION DANCE--ANIMAL BLINDMAN'S
BLUFF--MY LADY'S TOILET --GOING TO JERUSALEM
MAGIC MUSIC

A beautiful game, which amuses even the mere spectator as much as it
does the players. One of the company sits at the piano while another
leaves the room. The rest of the party then hide some article, previously
agreed upon, and recall the absent player. At his entrance the pianist
begins playing some lively air, very softly, keeping up a sort of musical
commentary upon his search, playing louder as he approaches the goal,
and softer when he wanders away from it. In this way he is guided to at
last discover the object of his search.
CUSHION DANCE
The cushions are set upright in a circle on the floor. The players then
join hands, and form a ring round them. The circle formed by the
cushions should be almost as large as the ring formed by the players,
and the cushions may be placed at a considerable distance apart. The
players in the ring dance round; and each player, as he dances, tries to
make his neighbors knock over the cushions. He, however, avoids
knocking over any himself. The players should not break the ring, as
the penalty to one letting go hands is expulsion from the ring. If it is
preferred, Indian clubs placed on end may be substituted for the
cushions.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
The players sit in a circle and form an orchestra. The conductor stands
in the center. A tune is decided on, and the instruments are selected.
Then the conductor beats time, and each player imitates as well as he
can the sound of his instrument, and the motion used in playing it.
Suddenly the conductor turns to one of the players and asks, "What is
the matter with your instrument?" and immediately counts ten. Before
he finishes counting, the player who has been questioned must begin an
answer which is appropriate to his instrument. If his answer is
inappropriate, or if it is not begun before the counting stops, he must
change places with the conductor.
Whenever the conductor claps his hands the music must stop, and the
players must remain in the attitudes in which they were when he gave
the signal. Any one who fails to stop humming, or who changes his

position, must become leader.
The same conductor may continue throughout the game. The person
who fails in any of the requirements of the game then pays a forfeit.
ANIMAL BLINDMAN'S BLUFF
A blindfolded player stands in the center of a circle with a wand, stick,
or cane in his hand. The other players dance around him in a circle until
he taps three times on the floor with the cane, when all must stand still.
The blindfolded one points his cane in any direction. The one directly
opposite it must make a noise like an animal. From this the person in
the center of the ring guesses the other's identity. If he does so, there is
an exchange of places.
MY LADY'S TOILET
This is a French game. In it each player is named for some article of
"My Lady's Toilet," such as her gown, her hat, her gloves, etc. The
players sit in a circle, and when the leader mentions an article of the
toilet, the one who is named for it must rush to the center of the ring
before the platter stops spinning there. If successful, he or she takes the
place