My Book of Indoor Games | Page 2

Number 119 Third Man 107 Thought Reading 70 Tit,
Tat, Toe 61 To Balance a Coffee Cup 112 To Guess Two Ends of a
Line of Dominoes 120 To Tell the Age of Any Person 120 Trades 61
Travelers' Alphabet 14 Tricks and Puzzles 110 Twirl the Trencher 11
Vanishing Dime 113 What's My Thought Like? 81 Wonderment 89

INTRODUCTION

"Let the child imbibe in the full spirit of play. There is nothing like it to
keep him on the path of health, right thinking and mind development."
That is the guiding purpose of the author. The reader will find in this
book a collection of old and present day games. The student of Play has
long realized that there are no new games, that all our games of today
are built on the old timers.
The purpose of My Book of Indoor Games is to furnish amusement,
entertainment and to be the means of sociability. So very often the
question comes up--"What shall we do?" In many cases this book
serves only as a reminder, the games and parlor tricks are well known
but cannot be recalled at the critical moment. A combination, such as
this, of the best of the old-fashioned games and a carefully compiled
list of the games of today will furnish much help to the young in their
search of entertainment and amusement.
But the book will be equally useful to grownups. The author has seen
staid, respectable people play "Lubin Loo" with as much zest and spirit
as the youngest group of children. All of us have played "Going to
Jerusalem." The spirit must be there; there is nothing so contagious as
the spirit of play.

[Illustration: Hide--then go seek]

[Illustration]

TWIRL THE TRENCHER
This is a game which almost any number of children can play.
The players seat themselves in a circle, and each takes the name of
some town, or flower, or whatever has been previously agreed upon.
One of the party stands in the middle of the circle, with a small wooden
trencher, or waiter, places it upon its edge, and spins it, calling out as
he does so the name which one of the players has taken. The person
named must jump up and seize the trencher before it ceases spinning,
but if he is not very quick the trencher will fall to the ground, and he
must then pay a forfeit. It is then his turn to twirl the trencher.
A very similar game to this is "My Lady's Toilet." The only difference
is that each player must take the name of some article of a lady's dress,
such as shawl, earring, brooch, bonnet, etc.
* * * * *
CROSS QUESTIONS AND CROOKED ANSWERS
To play this game it is best to sit in a circle, and until the end of the
game no one must speak above a whisper.
The first player whispers a question to his neighbor, such as: "Do you
like roses?" This question now belongs to the second player, and he
must remember it.
The second player answers: "Yes, they smell so sweetly," and this
answer belongs to the first player. The second player now asks his

neighbor a question, taking care to remember the answer, as it will
belong to him. Perhaps he has asked his neighbor, "Are you fond of
potatoes?" and the answer may have been, "Yes, when they are fried!"
So that the second player has now a question and an answer belonging
to him, which he must remember.
The game goes on until every one has been asked a question and given
an answer, and each player must be sure and bear in mind that it is the
question he is asked, and the answer his neighbor gives, which belong
to him.
At the end of the game each player gives his question and answer aloud,
in the following manner:
"I was asked: 'Do you like roses?' and the answer was: 'Yes, when they
are fried!'" The next player says: "I was asked: 'Are you fond of
potatoes?' and the answer was: 'Yes, they are very pretty, but they don't
wear well.'"
* * * * *
ORANGES AND LEMONS
Two of the players join hands, facing each other, having agreed
privately which is to be "Oranges" and which "Lemons." The rest of the
party form a long line, standing one behind the other, and holding each
other's dresses or coats. The first two raise their hands so as to form an
arch, and the rest run through it, singing as they run:
"Oranges and Lemons, Say the bells of St. Clement's; You owe me five
farthings, Say the bells of St. Martin's; When will you pay me? Say the
bells of Old Bailey. I do not