Part 2
A very good imitation of a Baby Elephant can easily be got up by two or three of the company, who are willing to spend a little time and trouble in making the necessary preparations. In the first place a large grey shawl or rug must be found, as closely resembling the colour of an elephant as possible. On this a couple of flaps of the same material must be sewn, to represent the ears, and also two pieces of marked paper for the eyes. No difficulty will be found in finding tusks, which may consist of cardboard or stiff white paper, rolled up tightly, while the trunk may be made of a piece of grey flannel also rolled up. The body of the dear little creature is then constructed by means of two performers, who stand one behind the other, each with his body bent down, so as to make the backs of both one long surface, the one in front holding the trunk, while the one behind holds the tusks one in each hand. The shawl is then thrown over them both, when the result will be a figure very much resembling a little elephant. When all is complete, the services of a third performer should be enlisted to undertake the post of keeper to the elephant. If the person chosen for this capacity have great inventive faculties, the description given by him may be made to add greatly to the amusement of the scene.
THE BIRD-CATCHER.
One of the party is chosen to be the bird-catcher. The rest fix upon some particular bird whose voice they can imitate when called upon, the owl being the only bird forbidden to be chosen. Then sitting in order round the room with their hands on their knees, they listen to the story their master has to tell them. The Bird-catcher begins by relating some incident in which the feathered tribe take a very prominent position, but particularly those birds represented by the company. Each one, as the name of the bird he has chosen is mentioned, utters the cry peculiar to it, never for a moment moving his hands from his knees. Should the owl be referred to, however, every one is expected to place his hands behind him, and to keep them there until the name of another bird has been mentioned, when he must, as before, place them on his knees. During the moving of the hands, if the Bird-catcher can succeed in securing a hand, the owner of it must pay a forfeit, and also change places with the Bird-catcher.
We must not forget to observe that when the leader, or Bird-catcher, as he is called, refers in his narrative to "all the birds in the air," all the players are to utter at the same time the cries of the different birds they represent.
BLIND MAN'S BUFF.
A handkerchief must be tied over the eyes of some one of the party who has volunteered to be blind man; after which he is turned round three times, then let loose to catch any one he can. As soon as he has succeeded in laying hold of one of his friends, if able to say who it is he is liberated, and the handkerchief is transferred to the eyes of the newly-made captive, who in his turn becomes blind man. This position the new victim must hold until, like his predecessor, he shall succeed in catching some one, and naming correctly the person he has caught.
BLIND POSTMAN.
In this game the first thing to be done is to appoint a postmaster-general and a postman. The table must then be pushed on one side, so that when the company have arranged themselves round the room there may be plenty of room to move about. The postmaster-general, with paper and pencil in hand, then goes round the room, and writes down each person's name, linking with it the name of the town that the owner of the name chooses to represent. As soon as the towns are chosen, and all are in readiness, the postman is blindfolded and placed in the middle of the room. The postmaster then announces that a letter has been sent from one town to another, perhaps from London to Edinburgh. If so, the representatives of these two cities must stand up, and, as silently as possible, change seats. While the transition is being made, the postman is at liberty to secure one of the seats for himself. If he can do so, then the former occupant of the chair must submit to be blindfolded, and take upon himself the office of postman.
BLOWING OUT THE CANDLE.
No end of merriment has frequently been created by this simple, innocent game. It is equally interesting to old people and to little children, for in many cases those who have prided themselves on the accuracy of their calculating powers and the clearness of their mental vision have found themselves utterly defeated in it. A lighted candle must be placed on a small table at one end of the room, with plenty of walking space left clear in front of it. One of the company is invited to blow out the flame blindfold. Should any one volunteer, he is placed exactly in front of the candle, while the bandage is being fastened on his eyes, and told to take three steps back, turn round three steps, then take three steps forward and blow out the light. No directions could sound more simple. The opinion that there is nothing in it has often been expressed by those who have never seen the thing done. Not many people, however, are able to manage it--the reason why, you young people will soon find out, if you decide to give the game a fair trial.
BOUTS RIMÉS.
Several rhyming games are given among these Round Games, and the following is simply a variety of some of them:--
A slip of paper is given to each player, who is requested to write in one corner of it two words that rhyme.
The papers are then collected and read aloud, after which every one is expected to write a short stanza, introducing all the rhymes that, have been suggested.
When the completed poems are read aloud, it is very amusing to observe how totally different are the styles adopted by the various authors, and how great is the dissimilarity that exists between the ideas suggested by each one.
"BROTHER, I'M BOBBED."
Two chairs are placed in the middle of the room, upon one of which some one unacquainted with the game must be asked to take a seat. The other chair must be occupied by a lady or gentleman to whom the game is familiar. A large shawl or tablecloth is then put over the heads of both, so that nothing that is going on in the room can be visible to them. The person, however, who understands the game may stealthily pull away the cloth from his own head, keeping it round his shoulders only, so that his companion may have no suspicion that both are not equally blindfolded. The player acquainted with the game then with his slipper hits his own head, at the same time calling out, "Brother, I'm bobbed." His blind companion will then ask, "Who bobbed you?" upon which the first player must name some person in the room, as if making a guess in the matter. He will next hit the head of the player under the shawl with the slipper, who will also exclaim, "Brother, I'm bobbed." "Who bobbed you?" the first player will inquire. The blinded player may then guess which person in the room he suspects of having hit him. The fun of the whole affair lies in the fact that the bobbing, which the blind player suspects is performed by the various members of the company, is really chiefly done by the player sitting close beside him. Sometimes, too, the bobbing business is done so effectually, and with such force, as to render it anything but amusing to the poor blinded victim, although to the spectators it may be unmistakably so. Should the victim be a gentleman, a few sharp raps with a slipper will not make any material difference to him; but if instead it should happen to be a lady, the "bobbing" must be of the gentlest.
"BUFF SAYS 'BAFF.'"
In this game no one is allowed to either laugh or smile; consequently, it is generally one of the games chosen when the merriment of the evening has reached its highest pitch. The company seat themselves in a half circle at one end of the room, with the exception of one of their number, who is supposed to have gone on a visit to Buff. He then enters the room with the poker in his hand, and his face looking as grave as possible. When he is asked by his friends in succession:--
"Where do you come from?"
"From Buff."
"Did he say anything to you?"
"Buff said Baff, And gave me this staff, Telling me neither to smile nor laugh. Buff says Baff to all his men, And I say Baff to you again, And he neither laughs nor smiles, In spite of all your cunning wiles, But carries his face with a very good grace, And passes his stick to the very next place."
If all this can be repeated without laughing, the player is highly to be commended. He may then deliver up his staff to some one else, and take his seat.
BUFF WITH THE WAND.
Blind Man's Buff is so time-honoured and popular with young and old, that one would think it impossible to devise a better game of the kind. The newer game of Buff with the Wand, however, is thought by many to be superior to the long-established favourite. The blinded person, with a stick in his hand, is placed in the middle of the room. The remainder of the party form a ring by joining hands, and to the music of a merry tune which should be played on the piano they all dance round him. Occasionally the music should be made to stop suddenly, when the blind man takes the opportunity of lowering his wand upon one of the circle. The person thus made the victim is then required to take hold of the stick until his fate is decided. The blind man then makes any absurd noise he likes, either the cry of animals, or street cries, which the captured person must imitate, trying as much as possible to disguise his own natural voice. Should the blind man detect who holds the stick, and guess rightly, he is released from his post, the person who has been caught taking his place. If not, he must still keep the bandage on his eyes, and hope for better success next time.
CAPPING VERSES.
This game is not unlike one that is elsewhere described as "Mixed-up Poetry." Every one at the table is supplied with a sheet of paper and a pencil, at the top of which is written by each player a line of poetry either original or from memory. The paper must then be folded down so as to conceal what has been written, and passed on to the right; at the same time the neighbour to whom it is passed must be told what is the last word written in the concealed line. Every one must then write under the folded paper a line to rhyme with the line above, being ignorant, of course, of what it is. Thus the game is carried on, until the papers have gone once or twice round the circle, when they can be opened and read aloud.
CHARADES.
Although the acting of charades is by no means an amusement of very recent invention, it is one that may always be made so thoroughly attractive, according to the amount of originality displayed, that most young people, during an evening's entertainment, hail with glee the announcement that a charade is about to be acted. It is not necessary that anything great should be attempted in the way of dressing, scenery, or similar preparations, such as are almost indispensable to the performance of private theatricals. Nothing is needed beyond a few old clothes, shawls, and hats, and a few good actors, or rather, a few clever, bright, intelligent young people, all willing to employ their best energies in contributing to the amusement of their friends. What ability they may possess as actors will soon become evident by the success or failure of the charade.
The word charade derives its name from the Italian word _Schiarare_--to unravel or to clear up. Suitable as the word may be in some instances, we cannot help thinking that in the majority of cases the acting of a charade has the effect of making the word chosen anything but clear; indeed, the object of the players generally is to make it as ambiguous as possible. As all players of round games know how charades are got up, it would be superfluous to give any elaborate instructions regarding them, though perhaps the following illustration may be useful.
WORD "GO-BANG," TO BE REPRESENTED IN THREE SCENES.
## SCENE 1.--In which the word _Go_ is to be introduced.
_The curtain drawn aside. Miss Jenkyns is seen reclining on her drawing-room couch, with a weary look on her face and a book in her hand._
_Enter Footman._
_Footman (pulling his forelock)._--"Please ma'am, I'm come to say I wish to give you notice; I can't stop here no longer!"
_Lady._--"Why, James, how is this? What can have made you so unexpectedly come to this decision?"
_James._--"Well, ma'am, you see I want to live where there are more carriage visitors. I have nothing at all to say against you, ma'am, or the place; but I want to better myself by seeing a little of 'igh life."
_Lady._--"Then if you have no other reason for wanting to go, James, I fear we shall have to part, as I certainly can't arrange to receive carriage visitors simply for your benefit." (_Sinks languidly back on the couch and resumes her book. James retires._)
_Lady (to herself)._--"How tiresome these servants are, to be sure, now I shall have the trouble of engaging a new footman. I really think no one with my delicate health had ever so much to do before." (_Rises and retires._)
## SCENE 2.--Bringing in the word _Bang_.
_Old gentleman sitting in an arm-chair, a table by his side, on which medicine bottles and a gruel basin are placed, and his leg, thickly bandaged, resting on a chair._
_Old Gent._--"Oh, this horrid pain! what shall I do? will no one come to help me? That stupid doctor has done me no good."
_Enter Maid-servant._--"Please, sir, the doctor has come. Shall I tell him to come upstairs?"
_Old Gent._--"Of course you must, and unless he is quick I shall die before he gets here. Oh dear! Oh dear!" (_Exit maid, banging the door after her._)
_Old Gent (shrieking out with pain)._--"Oh, you cruel creature, how can you bang the door in that way, when even the slightest footstep on the floor is enough to make me wild? Quick, doctor, quick!" (_Here the maid again appears, holding the door open for the doctor._)
_Doctor (with a large case of instruments under his arm)._--"Mr. Grumbleton, you appear to be very ill; can I do anything to relieve you? Let me feel your pulse."
_Old Gent._--"Oh, my leg!"
_Doctor._--"Your nerves are in a very excited state; you must have perfect quiet." (_Here the street door is heard to bang loudly, making the house shake._)
_Old Gent._--"Keep quiet, do you say! You might as well tell me to cut my leg off. There is no such thing as quiet in this house. That little good-for-nothing of a maid never comes into the room without shutting the door with a bang."
_Doctor._--"Be calm, my dear friend, and I will order you a soothing mixture, and as I leave the house I will insist upon perfect quiet being maintained." (_Then rebandaging the gentleman's leg, and placing him comfortably in the arm-chair, the doctor retires._)
## SCENE 3.--Bringing in the whole word, _Go-bang_.
_Inside a coffee-room. Two or three friends are seated with their coffee and pipes, when one, who has just returned from foreign lands, begins relating some of his adventures._
_Smith._--"Yes, my boys, glad as I am to get back to my own country, I should not like to be without the remembrance of all that I have witnessed in the far-off lands I have been visiting."
_Brown._--"Yes, friend, you must have had a brave heart to face the thousand dangers to which no doubt you have been exposed. But though it's getting late, we must, before parting, hear one of your adventures. So proceed, comrade."
_Smith._--"Well, it's not worth while beginning a long tale when there's not time to finish it, so I'll just sketch the sort of risk one often runs in the wilds of the backwoods. My mates and I had been out one day on a hunting expedition, when, returning home late at night, I unfortunately got left behind. The darkness was so great that my absence was not noticed, and before very long I found I had taken the wrong track. I came to this conclusion because I heard nothing but the tramp of my own horse's hoofs, when suddenly I felt that danger was at hand. Almost before I could put my thoughts into words, I felt something go bang close past my ear; then three Indians rushed upon me. Instead of feeling fear, a kind of supernatural strength took possession of me. I lifted my pistol and shot the man nearest to me, the next I felled; when, strange to say, the third man just at this moment turned round and fled. I suppose he heard the voices and footsteps of my friends, who were, at last, coming in search of me. At any rate he disappeared, when we all made the best of our way home, truly thankful that my life had been spared."
_Jones._--"Well done, Smith! Next time we meet you must tell us of the many escapes you have had, and wonderful scenes you have witnessed in foreign parts."
The following, among other words, are suitable for charade acting:--
Adulation, Andrew, Arrowroot, Artichoke, Articulate; Bayonet, Bellman, Bondmaid, Bonfire, Bookworm, Bracelet, Bridewell, Brimstone, Brushwood; Cabin, Carpet, Castaway, Catacomb, Champaign, Chaplain, Checkmate, Childhood, Cowslip, Cupboard, Cutlet; Daybreak, Dovetail, Downfall, Dustman; Earrings, Earshot, Exciseman; Farewell, Footman; Grandchild; Harebell, Handiwork, Handsome, Hardship, Helpless, Highgate, Highwayman, Homesick, Hornbook; Illwill, Indigent, Indulgent, Inmate, Insight, Intent, Intimate; Jewel, Jonquil, Joyful; Kindred, Kneedeep; Label, Lawful, Leapyear, Lifelike, Loophole, Loveknot; Madcap, Matchless, Milkmaid, Mistake, Misunderstand, Mohair, Moment, Moonstruck; Namesake, Necklace, Nightmare, Nightshade, Ninepin, Nutmeg; Orphanage, Outside, Oxeye; Padlock, Painful, Parsonage, Penmanship, Pilgrim, Pilot, Pinchbeck, Purchase; Quarto, Quicklime, Quicksand, Quickset, Quicksilver; Ragamuffin, Ringleader, Roundhead, Ruthful; Scarlet, Season, Sentinel, Sightless, Skipjack, Sluggard, Sofa, Solo, Somebody, Sonnet, Sparerib, Sparkling, Spectacle, Speculate, Speedwell, Spinster, Starling, Statement, Stucco, Supplicate, Sweetmeat, Sweetheart; Tactic, Tartar, Tenant, Tendon, Tenor, Threshold, Ticktack, Tiresome, Toadstool, Token, Torment, Tractable, Triplet, Tunnel; Upright, Uproar; Vampire, Vanguard; Waistcoat, Watchful, Watchman, Waterfall, Wayward, Wedding, Wedlock, Welcome, Welfare, Wilful, Willow, Workmanship; Yokemate, Youthful.
CLAIRVOYANT.
In this game one of the company standing outside the room is, strange to say, able to describe what is passing inside. A dialogue such as would have to be carried on between the principal players will best describe the game, and show how it is to be played:--
"Do you quite remember how the room is furnished in which we are sitting?"
"I do."
"Do you remember the colour of the chairs?"
"I do."
"Do you know the ornaments on the mantelpiece?"
"I do."
"And the vase of flowers?"
"I do."
"The old china in the cabinet?"
"Yes."
"The stuffed birds?"
"Yes."
"You think there is nothing in the room that has escaped your notice?"
"Nothing."
"Then please tell me which article I am now touching."
"You are touching the vase of flowers."
The vase of flowers being the only object preceded by the word _and_, the clairvoyant knows that that is the object which will be touched. The fun of the game, of course, consists in puzzling those of the company to whom the secret is unknown.
THE COMIC CONCERT.
In this performance the company for the time imagine themselves to be a band of musicians. The leader of the band is supposed to furnish each of the performers with a different musical instrument. Consequently, a violin, a harp, a flute, an accordion, a piano, a jew's-harp, and anything else that would add to the noise, are all to be performed upon at the same time. Provided with an instrument of some description himself, the leader begins playing a tune on his imaginary violoncello, or whatever else it may be, imitating the real sound as well as he can both in action and voice. The others all do the same, the sight presented being, as may well be imagined, exceedingly ludicrous, and the noise almost deafening. In the midst of it, the leader quite unexpectedly stops playing, and makes an entire change in his attitude and tone of voice, substituting for his own instrument one belonging to some one else. As soon as he does this, the performer who has been thus unceremoniously deprived of his instrument takes that of his leader, and performs on it instead. Thus the game is continued, every one being expected to carefully watch the leader's actions, and to be prepared at any time for making a sudden change.
CONSEQUENCES.
The old-fashioned game of Consequences is so well known that there are doubtless few people who are not thoroughly acquainted with it. It is played in the following manner:--Each person is first provided with half a sheet of note paper and a lead pencil. The leader of the game then requests that (1) _one or more adjectives_ may be written at the top of each paper by its owner, and that, having done so, the paper may be folded down about half an inch, so as to conceal what has been written. Every one then passes the paper to the right-hand neighbour, and proceeds to write on the sheet that has just been given him by his left-hand neighbour, (2) the _name of a gentleman_, again folding the paper down and passing it on to the right. Then (3) _one or more adjectives_ are written; then (4) a _lady's name_; next (5) _where they met_; next (6) _what he gave her_; next (7) _what he said to her_; next (8) _what she said to him_; next (9) the _consequences_; and lastly (10) _what the world said about it_.
Every time anything is written the paper must be turned down and passed on to the right. As soon as every one has written what the world said the papers are collected, and the leader will edify the company by reading them all aloud. The result will be something of this kind, or perhaps something even more absurd may be produced--"The _happy energetic_ (1) _Mr. Simpkins_ (2) met the _modest_ (3) _Miss Robinson_ (4) in the _Thames Tunnel_ (5). He gave her a _sly glance_ (6), and said to her, '_Do you love the moon?_' (7). She replied, '_Not if I know it_' (8). The consequence was _they sang a duet_ (9), and the world said, '_Wonders never cease_'" (10).
CONVEYANCES.
To do justice to this game it will be necessary for the players to call to mind all they have ever read or heard about the various modes of travelling in all the four quarters of the globe, because every little detail will be of use.