My Book of Indoor Games | Page 3

know, Says the big bell of Bow. Here
comes a chopper to light you to bed! Here comes a chopper to chop off
your head!"
At the word "head" the hand archway descends, and clasps the player
passing through at that moment; he is then asked in a whisper,

"Oranges or Lemons?" and if he chooses "oranges," he is told to go
behind the player who has agreed to be "oranges" and clasp him round
the waist.
[Illustration]
The players must be careful to speak in a whisper, so that the others
may not know what has been said.
The game then goes on again, in the same way, until all the children
have been caught and have chosen which they will be, "oranges" or
"lemons." When this happens, the two sides prepare for a tug-of-war.
Each child clasps the one in front of him tightly and the two leaders
pull with all their might, until one side has drawn the other across a line
which has been drawn between them.
* * * * *
MUSICAL CHAIRS OR GOING TO JERUSALEM
This game must be played in a room where there is a piano.
Arrange some chairs, back to back, in the center of the room, allowing
one chair less than the number of players. Some one begins to play a
tune, and at once the players start to walk or run round the chairs, to the
sound of the music.
When the music stops, each player must try to find a seat, and as there
is one chair short, some one will fail to do so, and is called "put." He
must carry a chair away with him, and the game goes on again until
there is only one person left in, with no chair to sit upon. This person
has won the game.
* * * * *
THE TRAVELER'S ALPHABET
The players sit in a row and the first begins by saying, "I am going on a
journey to Athens," or any place beginning with A. The one sitting next

asks, "What will you do there?" The verbs, adjectives, and nouns used
in the reply must all begin with A; as "Amuse Ailing Authors with
Anecdotes." If the player answers correctly, it is the next player's turn;
he says perhaps: "I am going to Bradford." "What to do there?" "To
Bring Back Bread and Butter." A third says: "I am going to
Constantinople." "What to do there?" "To Carry Contented Cats." Any
one who makes a mistake must pay a forfeit.
* * * * *
THE FAMILY COACH
This is a very good old game, and is most amusing if you can find some
one who is a good story-teller.
The players sit in a circle and every one, except the story-teller, takes
the name of some part of a coach or its equipments; for instance, door,
step, wheels, reins, box-seat, and so on.
When all are ready, the story-teller begins a tale about an old coach and
what happened to it, how it went on a journey, came to grief, was
mended, and started off again. The story should be told fluently, but not
too quickly. Every time any part of the coach is mentioned, the player
who has taken that name must rise from his seat and then sit down
again.
Whenever "the coach" is mentioned, all the players, with the exception
of the story-teller, must rise. Any one who fails to keep these rules
must pay a forfeit.
* * * * *
DROP THE HANDKERCHIEF
A ring is formed by the players joining hands, whilst one child, who is
to "drop the handkerchief," is left outside. He walks round the ring,
touching each one with the handkerchief, saying the following words:

[Illustration]
"I wrote a letter to my love, But on my way, I dropped it; A little child
picked it up And put it in his pocket. It wasn't you, it wasn't you, It
wasn't you--but it was you."
When he says "It was you," he must drop the handkerchief behind one
of the players, who picks it up and chases him round the ring, outside
and under the joined hands, until he can touch him with the
handkerchief. As soon as this happens, the first player joins the ring,
whilst it is now the turn of the second to "drop the handkerchief."
* * * * *
MAGIC MUSIC
One of the players is sent out of the room, and the rest then agree upon
some simple task for her to perform, such as moving a chair, touching
an ornament, or finding some hidden object. She is then called in and
some one begins to play the piano. If the performer plays very loudly,
the "seeker" knows that she is nowhere near