Cassell's Book of In-door Amusements, Card Games, and Fireside Fun. Various
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Contents
This game is always successful, and a source of very great amusement if only some one ignorant of the secret can be found who will volunteer to act as hunter. Such person is first requested to kneel down while some lady goes through the ceremony of conferring upon him the order of knighthood. During the process, the whistle, attached to a piece of ribbon, is pinned to the coat of the newly-made knight. He is then told to rise and go in quest of the whistle, which is in the possession of one of the party. The hunt now begins, the players all trying to deceive their victim in every way imaginable, and to make him think that they are passing the whistle from one to another. On every possible occasion, of course, the whistle should be sounded, until the deluded knight has made the discovery that the object of his search is fastened to himself.
"I APPRENTICED MY SON."
The shortest way of describing this game will be to give an illustration of the manner in which it is played. John: "I apprenticed my son to a grocer, and the first thing he sold was half-a-pound of C."
Nellie: Coffee?—No.
Sam: Cocoa?—No.
Tom: Cayenne Pepper?—No.
Edith: Chicory?—Yes.
Edith being the guesser of the right article, is entitled to be the next to apprentice her son. One guess only in turn is allowed to each player.
"I LOVE MY LOVE."
"I Love my Love" is played alphabetically, like "Cupid is Coming," though more ingenuity is required in it, simply because a number of words, instead of one adverb only, have quickly to be conjured up. In order to show clearly how the game is played, we will imagine ourselves to be the first of the players, who would have to proceed in a manner something like the following:—"I love my love with an 'A,' because she is amiable; I hate her with an 'A,' because she is arrogant. I took her to the sign of the Angel, and treated her to Apples and Apricots. Her name is Annie, and she comes from Australia." The next player takes "B," the next "C," and so on, until the whole of the alphabet has been gone through.
This simple game must be one of no recent invention if the tale be true told by Mr. Foote, the celebrated wit. He narrates that one day the Ladies Cheere, Fielding, and Hill were amusing themselves by playing at the children's game of "I love my love." Lady Cheere began by saying, "I love my love with an N, because he is a 'Night'" (Knight); Lady Fielding followed with, "I love my love with a G, because he is a 'Gustus'" (Justice); and Lady Hill added, "I love my love with an F, because he is a 'Fizishun'" (Physician). So much for the spelling powers of the ladies in the olden times.
"JACK'S ALIVE."
No one at all inclined to be slow in their movements need offer to take part in the game of "Jack's Alive," for quickness and promptitude of action are indispensable to its success. A piece of paper, or, better still, a long piece of firewood, is put into the fire until it is in a blazing condition when taken out. The first player, blowing out the flame, passes it to his neighbour, saying, "Jack's alive." It is then passed on to the next, and to all the company in succession, each one trying to get rid of it before the spark has died out. Every one to whom it is offered must take it immediately the words "Jack's alive" are uttered, or a forfeit must be paid; and the one in whose hands Jack really expires must produce a forfeit. In some cases boys have actually been known, when playing at this game, to improve each other's appearance by marking black moustaches and eyebrows, &c.; but as such proceedings have nothing whatever to do with the real "Jack's Alive," we feel sure that none of our readers will ever practise this foolish habit.
THE JOLLY MILLER.
The Jolly Miller is a game that may be played either in the open air or in the drawing-room, therefore it may be allowed to take its place among the list of round games. Not being generally considered, however, one of the most refined of recreations, a good large empty room, or a servants' hall, will be quite as suitable for its performance as the drawing-room. Each gentleman chooses a lady for a partner, excepting one who may be kind enough to volunteer to be the miller. This solitary one takes his stand in the middle of the room, while his companions in couples arm in arm walk round him singing the following lines:—
"There was a jolly miller who lived by himself.
As the wheel went round he made his wealth;
One hand in the copper and the other in the bag,
As the wheel went round he made his grab."
At the word "grab" every one must change partners, and while the transition is going on the miller has the opportunity given him of securing for himself one of the ladies. Should he succeed in doing so, the one necessarily left without a partner must take the place of the Jolly Miller, when he, like his predecessor, must occupy his lonely position until he is fortunate enough to steal a young lady from one of his friends.
JUDGE AND JURY.
The first thing to be done in this game is to select a judge and three jurymen. A piece of paper is then given to each of the remaining company, who, after due consideration, must write down the name of some one in history, the incidents of whose life they recollect sufficiently to be able to narrate. All having made their selection, the papers are presented to the judge, who calls upon one after another to submit to an examination. Supposing the first player to have chosen Guy Fawkes, he would be asked in what year he was born, in whose reign, to what country he belonged, what he did to make himself remarkable, what great men were his contemporaries, and anything else that might occur to the judge. No one, of course, with a superficial knowledge of history should accept the position of judge, nor yet that of juryman. If agreeable to the company, living characters may be personified, still historical ones are generally the most interesting, and it is astonishing how much instruction as well as real amusement may be drawn from the game.
THE MAGIC ANSWER.
It is necessary that this game should be understood by two of the company who mean to take the lead in it, and that an agreement should be made between them as to what course to pursue. One of these leaders goes out of the room while the rest of the company choose a word for him to guess on his return. The agreement made is that the word thought of shall be named immediately after the mention of anything with four legs. Therefore the conversation carried on between the two actors in the ceremony would be something like the following:—
Q. "Was the word thought of a tree?"
A. "No."
Q. "Was it a book?"
A. "No."
Q. "Was it a canary?"
A. "No."
Q. "Was it the Queen?"
A. "No."
Q. "Was it a river?"
A. "No."