Cassell's Book of In-door Amusements, Card Games, and Fireside Fun. Various
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"Was it a rabbit?"
A. "No."
Q. "Was it a purse?"
A. "Yes."
MAGICAL MUSIC.
This is a game in which music is made to take a prominent part. On one of the company volunteering to leave the room, some particular article agreed upon is hidden. On being recalled, the person, ignorant of the hiding-place, must commence a diligent search, taking the piano as his guide. The loud tones will mean that he is very near the object of his search, and the soft tones that he is far from it. Another method of playing the same game is for the person who has been out of the room to try to discover on his return what the remainder of the company desire him to do. It may be to pick up something from the floor, to take off his coat, to look at himself in the glass, or anything else as absurd. The only clue afforded him of solving the riddle must be the loud or soft tones of the music.
THE MAGIC HATS.
Though the following trick cannot exactly be designated a Round Game, it may be performed by one of the company with great success during an interval of rest from playing. The performer begins by placing his own hat, along with another which he has borrowed, on the table, crown upwards. He then requests that the sugar-basin may be produced, from which on its arrival a lump is selected and given to him. Taking it in his fingers he promises, by some wonderful process, that he will swallow the sugar, and then, within a very short time, will let its position be under one of the two hats on the table, the company may decide which hat it shall be. It is generally suspected that a second lump of sugar will be taken from the basin, if it can be done without observation, consequently all eyes are fixed upon it. Instead of that, after swallowing the sugar the performer places the selected hat upon his own head, thus, of course, fulfilling his undertaking.
THE MAGIC WAND.
This being a game of mystery, there is not only a peculiar charm attached to it on that account, but it can also be made exceedingly attractive by the voluntary artistic movements of the performer. As in the Resting Wand, not only the leader must understand the game, but one of the company also must be in league with him, so that the two may understand each other, and work together. The person thus acting with the leader announces to the company that he will retire while a word is fixed upon, to be written on the floor when he returns by means of the magic wand. This done, a word is chosen, the person who retired is summoned, and the performance commences. The leader then begins by flourishing his wand in the air, and imitating as much as possible the tricks of a conjuror. He also makes an appearance of writing on the floor, at the same time speaking to his friend in short sentences. The letter at the beginning of the first sentence must be the first consonant of the word that has been chosen by the company, the second consonant must be at the beginning of the second sentence, and so on; the vowels occurring between being expressed by thumps on the floor with the wand. "A" is expressed by one thump, "E" by two thumps, "I" by three, "O" by four, and "U" by five thumps. One good decided thump at the end signifies that the word is complete.
An illustration will, perhaps, best explain our meaning. We will suppose the word Christmas to have been chosen. If so, the performer might first begin by waving his stick aloft, then he must commence writing, as if with great care, on the ground, at the same time remarking, "Come quickly, fellow-worker, and prepare for thy duty." Here must be a slight pause, followed by the second sentence. "How difficult thy task will be, I dare not tell." Another pause, then the third sentence. "Remember, nothing can be really well done without labour." We have now got C H R. I being the next letter, is represented by three loud thumps with the stick. The conjuror here, assuming a puzzled air, might observe, "Surely we shall not be baffled." A pause, and then, "Trust me, I will help all I can." After another pause, "Mark my wand with care." The letter A coming now, one good thump is given on the floor; then, with the words "Speak quickly, friend, say the word," followed by one good thump, the mysterious business is concluded, the accomplice, no doubt, easily detecting that Christmas was the word chosen.
"THE MINISTER'S CAT."
This is a game that is played alphabetically, in a manner somewhat resembling "Cupid is coming" and "I love my love." The first player begins by saying, "The minister's cat" is an "ambitious cat," the next an "artful cat," and so on, until all have named an adjective beginning with A. The next time of going round the adjectives must begin with B, the next time C, and so on until the whole of the alphabet has been gone through.
MIXED-UP POETRY.
A great amount of fun may be obtained from this game of mixing up poetry, which is nothing more than selecting lines from different authors, and arranging them so as to make rhyme. The specimen below, prepared by Kitty Carrol, will illustrate our meaning:—
There was a sound of revelry by night,
Away down south where I was born;
Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
Cows in the meadow and sheep in the corn.
A chieftain to the Highlands bound,
His father's hope, his mother's joy,
Found something smooth and hard and round,
John Brown's little Indian boy.
Man wants but little here below,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley;
This world is all a fleeting show,
Over the water to Charley.
There is a calm for those who weep
In famous London town;
Little Bo Peep she lost her sheep—
The bark that held a prince went down.
John Gilpin was a citizen
From India's coral strand;
Far from the busy haunts of men
There is a happy land.
Hark from the tombs a doleful sound;
Dear, dear, what can the matter be?
Shake the forum round and round,
Come to the sunset tree.
MUSICAL CHAIR.
It is no use attempting to play this game in anything but a good-sized room; and, if possible, chairs that may be easily moved and not soon broken should be chosen. Supposing there are fifteen players, fourteen chairs must be placed in the middle of the room, every alternate one having the seat the same way, and upon these the players must seat themselves. One person, therefore, is left standing. The music then begins, when the owners of the seats all march round until the music stops, which it is generally made to do unexpectedly; at this instant each person