RAINY-DAY GAMES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1020, 9 January 1911, Page 9

RAINY-DAY GAMES.

A paper and' pencil can be secured at almost any time, and the following games require nothing else, except two ormore players. with a fair amount of brains, says an American writer. .Many a spare hour or evening will be full of fun while .-playing them and a little practice will sharpen the wits considerably. T—The Poetry Game. The "poetry" game has many variations. One is for each person to write down several words, which apparently have no connection whatever. The papers aro then, folded and exchanged," and each one must write a verse of several lines, using all the words on the paper. Sometimes, the entire company is given the same set of words, and when the results are read aloud it is amusing to see how the different people have used them. Here is a verse made with the random words cat, marble, back: * . The cat came down the marble stair, .A great bow. tied in her smooth back nair. : < The day the cat' came back, I know, I lost a marble in the snow. Another variation of the poetry game is to write the last words of the. lines of a stanza, making them rhyme correctly. Exchange papers and fill out the linos with original poetry, making meter an.d ' grammar correct.: The words may be taken from any poem, or may bo arranged on the spur of the moment, but the finished. rerse must bo original. 1 The final words, way, gay, long, green, \ preen, song, were given in one case, with this result: A maple grew beside the way, Along there came a lady.gay W.ith train so long. Her ; dress was shining gold and green Like any peacock .clgth she preen, ■ And sing a soilg. ■ ll—Parodies. ' Parodies are as much fun, but harder j work. A well-known piece of poetry is chosen, "The Old Oaken Bucket" for example. Each person must write a poem, using the.meter and general form of the one selected, so that the original one may be at once recognised; but the idea must be entirely different. One written at; an entertainment not long ago was taken "In the Gloaming, and was a', most ridiculous courtship between twb frogs in a pond. Another parody upon the same verses was the story of a boy who lost his necktie. Rhyming is easy for most people, especially for children, and a poem worthy of being published in a magazine is not looked for, so all of these efforts cause great fun.

,J 1114-TnnEE-MiNDTE SnsuAna. The spelling game requires quick wife and, a fair knowledge of spelling;, Choose a King Word with a number of vowels— "simultaneously" and "circumstance," are-both good. Three minutes are allowed for each letter, and in that time, as many words as possible beginning with the 'first letter and formed only of letters in the word, must be written down. Tho next letter is then taken, and so on until all liave been used.' Incorrect spelling, or the use of a letter not in the word chosen,' count , against the player,, while a 'word r not'• possessed ,4>y any other player counts for her. Tho papers are. signed and ■ exchanged, after each" letter lias been given the three minutes allowed for it, and the lists are read aloud in turn. The others cheek off 'all vrords rend that are found on their list, all ' additional words being counted for the owner;of the paper afterwards. IV—lnitials. Write a number of r questions on slips of 'paper, asking-what ■ tho person to answer' is wearing, his favourite author, flower;- poet, food, occupation, town; etc. Each player' takes a paper, writes his or.' her initials at tile top of the page. and proceeds: to. answer-all tho questions. using only such words as begin with his initials.. 'Thus P. F. B. would answer that his favourito poet was Poor, l'oolisli Burns; his favourite occupation. Playing Foot Ball; his favourite food. Pretty Fresh Bananas. If tho player possesses only two initials, so much the eosicr for him,, but oltis for tho pool fcllow who has four!