Games for Everybody | Page 4

the holes.
Each player in turn stands over the box, holds his arm out straight, even with the shoulder, and drops the marbles one by one into the box. If one goes through the largest hole it counts 5, if through the smallest, 100, and so on, count being kept for each player. The one scoring the greatest number of points is the winner.

PASSING BY.
An amusement for children on a train, or at home when it is raining, is the following, and it will help to while away the time.
If there are several children, choose sides and appoint one to keep the count for his side. Each side sits by a different window and watches the passers-by. Every man counts 1; every women 2; baby 3; animal 5; white horse 10; black cat 50.
As a child sees someone passing, he calls out the number for his side; if a woman, he says 2; if a man and woman together, it will be 3, and so on.
If the children are looking upon the same street the side that calls its number out first adds it to its score. It is more exciting if the different sides have different streets to look out on.
If on a train, one side sits on the right and the other on the left, and when an object is seen, they call out right, 5, or left, as the case may be, for the mother, or older person to put down on the score card.
The side which succeeds in reaching 100 first is the winning side. If the trip is long, 500 can be the limit.

THE SERPENT'S TAIL.
This is a Japanese game, and is played this way. All the children form a line, each resting his hands on the shoulders of the player in front of him. One child is chosen out, and is called the "catcher." The first child of the line, or "serpent," is called the "head," and the last one, the "tail."
The "catcher" stands about three feet from the "head" and when someone gives a signal he tries to catch the "tail" without pushing anyone, or breaking through the line.
The children forming the "body" defend the "tail," by moving about in any way they choose, but the line must never be broken, as the "tail" is considered caught if it is.
When the "tail" is caught, the "catcher" becomes "head," and the "tail" is then "catcher," the last child in the line being "tail," and the game goes on as before.

LITTLE BO-PEEP.
Dress the little girl in whose honor the party is given as little Bo-peep, with a little crook.
Hide small toy sheep all over the room in every nook and corner. As each child comes, give her a little stick fixed up like a crook, and tell the children to find the sheep.
After the hunt is over, award the child who found the most sheep some little prize. Each may keep the sheep she finds.
If the party is in honor of a little boy, change it to "Little Boy Blue," and have horns instead of crooks.

SPOOL ARMIES.
Children may derive a lot of fun from a large supply of empty spools of all shapes and sizes. Pieces of cotton batting stuck in the opening at the top may serve as heads.
For the "army" gather together as many spools of the same size as you can, numbering each one. Choose a large spool for the general.
Arrange them in rows with the general at the head of a chair or box. A small ball, or pieces of muslin knotted into small balls, will serve as ammunition. When the battle begins, each child aims at the general, endeavoring to knock him over, and as many others as he can. The score is counted after each attack. If a spool has fallen over, but not off the chair, it counts but half its number; if on the floor, it is "dead," and the whole number is counted.

SPINNING FOR 20.
On a board or piece of cardboard, mark with pencil or ink, the design illustrated, the size of the circles varying with the size of the board.
[Illustration: 4 concentric circles, numbered 20, 15, 10, and 5.]
A top may be made out of an empty spool by taking one end of it and sticking a piece of wood, pointed at one end about an inch long, through it. Each spool makes two tops which are spun with the thumb and forefinger. A penny may be used to spin, in fact any small thing that spins will do for a top.
Number the circles as in the diagram. Place the top on the dot in the center of circle 20 and spin it. The number of the circle the top stops on, is the number scored. If on a line it counts for the circle next