My Book of Indoor Games | Page 9

a touchy old gentleman.
Sister.--I wonder what it will be, Tommy.
Brother.--I hope it will be a set of cricket things, and then we can play
cricket in the summer.
Tommy.--Oh! yes, I hope it will be, but whatever it is, it is sure to be
something nice.
(Begins hopping about again. Enter Uncle Dick, a very old gentleman
with a gouty foot. Tommy does not see him and goes banging into him,
treading on his gouty foot.)
Uncle Dick.--Oh! oh! oh! oh, my toe!
Tommy.--Oh! Never mind your toe! Where's my Christmas box?
Uncle Dick.--Your Christmas box, you young scamp! Think of my toe.
Tommy.--Please, uncle, I'm very sorry, but I do so want to know what
you have brought me for a Christmas box.
Uncle Dick (roaring).--Here's your Christmas box, and may it teach you
to be more careful in future. (Boxes Tommy's ears.)
(Curtain falls.)
Here is a list of words which will divide easily into charade words:
Brides-maids. Sea-side. Car-pen-try. Cur-tail. Nose-gay. In-do-lent.
Hand-i(I)-craft. Turn-key. Hand-some. Key-hole. Rail-way.
Sweet-heart. Port-man-teau(toe). Mad-cap. A-bun-dance. In-no-cent.
Fox-glove. Pat-riot.
To make your charades a real success, you will, of course, require a
curtain. A very effective one can be made with a little trouble and at a
small cost; indeed, the materials may be already in the house.

First you must fix a couple of supports on each side of the room, taking
care that they are screwed firmly into the wall, and also taking care not
to damage the paper.
If you are a neat workman, you will find on taking out the screws that
the two small screw-holes on each side will scarcely be noticed, as of
course the supports must be fixed near the ceiling.
You must then put up your curtain-pole, which should be as thin as
possible, so that the rings may run easily. A cheap bamboo pole is the
best.
Two wide, deep curtains are required; very likely the nursery curtains
may be suitable.
On to these curtains you sew a number of small brass rings, which you
can buy for about 20 cents a dozen, or even less. The rings should be
sewn on the curtains, as you see in the illustration, right across the top,
and from the extreme top corner of the curtain, slantingwise across to
the middle.
The top rings are passed along the curtain-pole, a string (marked in the
illustration A1) is sewn on to the curtain, and threaded through the
rings until it reaches A2. It is then threaded through the rings on the
pole until it reaches A3, when it is allowed to fall loose.
The same arrangement is gone through with string B. The bottom of the
curtain must be weighted with shot, or any other weights that may be
convenient.
When the curtain is to be raised, the stage manager and his assistant
stand on each side of the stage with the strings ready in their hands, and
at a given signal--the ringing of a bell is the usual sign that all is
ready--they each pull a string, and the curtains glide to each side, and
may be fixed to hooks, put up on purpose.
When the curtain is to fall, the two in charge of it must simply loosen
the strings and let them go, and the weights cause the curtains to fall to

the center.
All sorts of useful and ornamental "properties" may be made at home
for a very small cost. Cardboard, and gold and silver paper, and glue go
a long way toward making a good show.
Swords, crowns, belts, gold-spangled and gold-bordered robes can be
made from these useful materials, and look first-rate at a distance.
An old black dress with little gold stars glued or gummed to the
material would make an excellent dress for a queen. The swords or
belts must first be cut out in cardboard, then covered with gold or silver
paper.
To make a good wig, you should shape a piece of calico to fit the head;
then sew fire shavings or tow all over it. If you wish for a curly wig, it
is a good plan to wind the shavings or tow tightly round a ruler, and
tack it along with a back stitch, which will hold the curl in position
after you have slipped it off the ruler. These few hints will give you
some idea of the very many different costumes which can be made by
children out of the simplest materials.
[Illustration: THE CURTAIN CLOSED]
[Illustration: THE CURTAIN OPENED]
* * * * *
THE GAME OF CAT
The person who is to play the part of Cat should stand outside the door
of the room where the company is assembled. The boys and girls, in
turn, come to the other side