Entertainments for Home, Church and School | Page 8

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 of the spinner in the center of the ring. If unsuccessful, the person returns to his or her place.
The leader may keep up the interest of the game by comments on the toilettes. This is most interesting in story form.
A variation of this game introduces the word ball. Whenever this is spoken of, the players must jump up and change places, the spinner trying to secure a seat in the general confusion. The odd player becomes a spinner.
MARY AND JOHN
The players--all but two--form a circle and clasp hands. Two odd players in the center are called, "Mary" and "John." The object of the game is for John to catch Mary. As he is blindfolded, he can only locate her in her stealthy movements by the sound of her muffled voice. When he says, "Mary, where are you?" she must answer as often as he questions her.
Mary may stoop or tiptoe, or resort to any means to escape capture, except leaving the ring.
When Mary is captured she is blindfolded and John takes her seat.
So the game goes on after Mary has chosen a new John.
GOING TO JERUSALEM
This is a piano game, but does not require great skill. One person goes to the piano, while the others arrange in a line as many chairs, less one, as there are players, the chairs alternately