GOOD GAMES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 758, 5 March 1910, Page 11

GOOD GAMES.

' FOR BOTS AND GIRLS. From time, to timo mothers are"called upon to provide amusement for tho guests of hor little ones. Some of the good, old round parlour games that, have delighted generations of children still havo their charm, and, in the households where juvenile parties are given,'a little chat about half a dozen Or so of the old games will not now be deemed unwelcome. Indeed, the hope is that what follows may prove both helpful and interesting. Postman is .'one of the merry games in which any number of children can take part. One of the players whoso eyes are bandaged, is called tho postman, another is named the postmaster-general, and the others seat themselvjs round the room. Before beginning,. the postmaster gives to each player the name of a town. When all is ready the postmaster calls : out the names- of' two towns, thus ; "From Melbourne to. Sydney." The players, who re-present-these town's must at once change seats, -and' as they are doing so the postman tries to capture one of the vacant places: Should, ho succeed, the player who' loses his seat becomes'.postman. For Snapdragon, one of the most popular pastimes—it can scarcely-he properly styled a figs, and dates may be heaped together in a large dish or bowl—the broader and. shallower it is tho better—and brandy or some other spirit is poured over them and set alight. The gas should be lowered when this is done, and the scene then' presented 'is very

pretty. Amid much laughter and merriment the children snatch boldly 7 for tho burning fruit by the blue light of tho spirit-Uamcs. In older times a song ivas sung while tho "snatching" is going on, of which wo giro one verso: Hero he come? Trith flaming howl. .Don't be mean to take his toil? . Snip! snap! dragon! . "For he snaps at all that comes, Snatching at his feast of plums. Snip! snap! dragon! Another very ancicnt game which was i introduced into Enginud nt the time ot the Norman Conquest' is Blind Man s Buff. ' The origin of this game is curious and interesting. Its Vrench name, "Coliu ATaillard," ws that of a brave v;arrior, Jean Colin, who acquired tho name of Haillard from his chosen weapon lioing :l mallet. In one of the feuds which were of perpetual occurrence in those days he encountered the Count tie Louvain in a pitched battle, ami in the first onset Colin lost both his eyes. He then ordered his esquire to lead him into the thickest of the fight, and, furiously brandishing his mallet, did such fearful execution that victory soon declared itself for his side. As a result ho became a popular, hero, and his ' exploit was commemorated in the rudo dramatic performances of the age." By degrees the children learned to act it for themselves, and it gradually assumed tho form of the familiar game. The gamo is too well known to need description. The "blind man," with bandaged eyes and extended hanc.s, gropes for a victim to pounce upon, and th"e one wlio is caught must then himself become the ''Colin l[aillard." For Hide the Thimble, all the children, with one exception, must bo sent out of the room, after having been shown a silver thimble. 'ISach must look at it carefullv, so as to be able to recognise it again; The one child left in the room must then place the thimble in some position when it can be seen by anyone carefully searching for it. It must not be actually hidden, but must only be put in unlikely place. Then tho other children are told to come iiito the room, and look about to see if they can descry the thimble. The one who first sees it must sit down without telling the others where it is placed, and each one in turn must take a seat as soon as he or sue has discovered its location. When all have seen the thimble, the one who first discovered it has the privilege of hiding it again. skill can bo shown, in tbe hiding of the thimble, and 'it is' wonderful what fun may be got out of so simple a game. What seems to be a prominent placc may often turn out to be a difficult one to find "4s a rule, if the thimble be>placed on or near something of the same colour as itself, it will be less easily discovered than if it is near something o» a contrasting colour. As this is a ffuiet game, it may well be sandwiched m between two more energetic ones. . There are various ways of playing the game of proverbs, of which the following is perhaps 'the best: A well-known proverb is divided among the players, each taking a word, with tho exception of one player, who leaves the Toom while the proverb is being selected.- # When all the arrangements arc made this player enters tho room again and.stands in front oj all tho others, who should be arranged in a semicircle. Ho then inquires what tho proverb, is that they have selected. One player, who acts as .leader, then gives three distinct beats with his hanc., as if conducting an orchestra, and at the third beat each player utters his own. word; so as to: produce a kind' ot mixed roar. This ; must be' repeated three times, and if it be not guessed tho outside player has to retire agaifl. Should 1 lie succeed in guessing the proverb, .he can transfer liis office to' any other player whose particular word he has detected. Of course,, the proverb must be a well-known one, "or there _ would be too much difficulty cxnericnced in guessing it. . In the game of' Dumb Crambo the children should be divided- into two groups. One party leaves the room and prepares to act, while the other, decides, what is to be acted; A word is chosen, and al.-o another .word which rhymes with. it.. The word must. be. one that can be .expressed by action. For instance, the spectators may decide upon the word "mow,"-and announced to tho actors that .the word chosen rhymes . with . "go." It may occur .to tho i actors thai;, the word wanted is "row." . .It' so, they'will go into the room and sit down on the tloor one behind another, and move their arms as if they were in a boat rowing. They must not speak, but only suggest by their action the words they have thought of. The spectators should hiss to show that the suggestion is a wrong one. The actors may then represent the motions of sowing, sewing, hoeing, and towing, and each time the spectators hiss, until finally the action of mowing is represented, and then they applaud.

Old-fashioned games all; but with lots of fun in- them.'■