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EVERY BOY'S BOOK
or
GAMES, SPORTS, AND DIVERSIONS:
OR, THE
School-Hoy's Manual
or
AMUSEMENT, INSTRUCTION, AND HEALTH.
WITH SEVERAL HUNORED ENGRAVINGS.
London:
E. PEARSON, 242%, BLACKFRIARS ROA D.
1852.
Lonnow:
GRIEVES, Printer, 6. Red Lion Court Fleet treet.
SPORTS FOR AN EARLY AGE.
CONTENTS.
Pace.
GAMES WITH MARBLEB.. cc... sec ccesee oe Seoveeee bec seetsecee !
GAMRS WITH TOPS... .ccccce cacee oe evecens easeecee Oe ncccceesseeees 12
Games WITH HOOPS 00.0.0 cscs cesceeeneeeees coneeseneccevetessvecs W
SPORTS WITH TOYS. . 0.00 ccsecscessceseves Con cenceccnccees Oeececece 20
SOCIAL IN-DOOR GAMES.
PARLOUR SPORTS 00.0 ese ce cc cce sence enceeeesneeeenes seeseseeenes 33
FORFEITA .o..ceccceseens seeesecceeers steetseeerseacee ereesceenees 45
OUT-DOOR GAMES.
Sports ov Aaturry awn SPEED .....e.000 Oca eeereesee rece sesecs 33
GAMES WITH BALLB .......0-0058 - Bae e eer e esos carcececeteeseenes 63
GAMES OF SKILL.
Dmavours....... Veen ence nec enter en eee secre ee eee nee esas pete eetaee 81
Dominogs....... Peer eens acces neeeneenen Oe eve cree cece neeeeereenee 95
BacnGauaon ....seeeee Cena ease eee e emcee eee emer as ees ceseecesaes 97
FOX AND GEESE ...5. ec ccc ec ccc cee eee tseeetenetterseeecs 103
MORMRICE.... ccc cec eects cece cece cence ecee earner etenteueeescesaees 104
CTBGS 0... cece ete ccc tenet eens sen seen eeee stun tseveseuseuecaes 106
BAGATRLUR oc cccc cece sec c cc eete este ccensbeeeeersenettnreeterseees liz
THE CONJUROR.
FEATS OF LEGRRDEMAIN 0... sc cece se cseces ces cssteeeeseeceseesees 195
TRICKS WITH CARDS .. 11. 20 cenccssccesnesaucctceveceses saves: 207
CONTENTS.
. Pac
BEATS OF CHEMICAL AGENCY ....cecccvccvevevvcvcccccceressccesees 228
CRICKET. cseccccccccnccncetscrenccnceeeccesccenreccsenscccncsesses 239
AQUATIC SPORTS.
ANGLING....... Cceneatscentenneneee seeeeseerrenccnseeressrsccenes 257
SWIMMING ....c.cccvesccccersccecctacees censcncerssesensessstscses 219
THE FANCIER,
CAGE BinDS 2... cceccccccececscroccneseerrevescsevessesssesensens 335
KaBBITS .....0.0006 APO meee eee eee ee ee ee tone tensa wees neaneeee 365
PIGEONS.... se0es veer eenenneg eee eer eevesevens Cente renee eeeres 381
BANTAMS...ccvccsccccncsscsccees POO e ee ee reece eter ee een e ee eetsines 46
Wire MICE... ..eecc scenes eeccnnne Peace eer cce ee een tens pernee wees ary
GUINBA PIGS, ....000 cotsevecsenner Sewer cece ee oneness eeeteee nies 4)
ATHLETIC SPORTS.
ARCHERY........005 dee e dee e eee eee enemas tenn ener ete aeieene cence 415
FENCING... 0. ccs cccece cc ce cece sae ceetresereesees Pee eees cece narene 429
GYMNASTICS ...... a ecceeuccees Odeo eweteneee Obed msec cree eee nee 461
’ RECREATIVE EXPERIMENTS.
OPTICS. 0.06005 bebe cens ceerecestee Pe eeeseneeeeeee Pee e cent ence ee enee 47°
ELectricity
MISCELLANEOUS AMUSEMENTS.
PARADOXES AND PUZZLES.....eccccceueseceeeees sence eee eee eetes 529
VARIBTIES occu iecce ns cesctecceseteeee seeeuaeseuveee pareceteas 40
or Sj By
Ste a Se en eke: he CPOE
o
age Pitan > parsed —"
Every Bor’s Boox—Yes! a book for every boy ; a book containing
an epitome of every thing likely to be of interest to the juvenile
mind. But what does it contain ? perhaps, the reader may ask, We
were half inclined to be silent, and let the Every Boy’s Book speak
for itself : nevertheless, a few words of introduction may not be un-
acceptable.
Works of amusement, intended for the recreation hours of boys,
are numerous. Some of these are highly objectionable in their con-
tents, whilst others, from their high price, are, in a pecuniary point
of view, beyond the reach of the great body of the rising generation.
To remedy those inconveniences was the projected object of this work
—its success during its progress through the press in a serial form
has conftrmed the anticipations of the projectors.
Vi PREFACE.
Arranged uader its proper head, there will ba found in this volume
sound instruction derived from practical experience in all the pass
times and diversions—whether out door or in door, which lend such a
charm to the joyous seasons of childhood and yout. Games time«
honoured in the recollections of most up. grown persons, have not
been forgotten, whilst many ganes have ben included, descriptions
of which have never before appeared in print. With regard to
Athletic Exercises, tending to promote a vigorous constitution, thig
work will not be found deficient in sound instruction, while ample
space has been accorded to that department likely to awiken and
foster kindly feelings in the youthful breast—the keeping, as house-
hold pets, of tame animals, and cage birds. ‘he instructions in this
book, of the various games of skill, are inferior to nothing of the
kind ever published ; the merest tyro may, by an attentive perusal of
our pages, become an adept ia the games of Draughts and Chess.
By the insight afforded by us, in the mysteries of Legerdemain, will
the stigma of ‘no conjuror†be applied to any youth, though of the
most ordinary capacity. Iu the department of Science will be found
8 collection of amusing and instructive experiments, not dry details
Only of what has been done by others, but plain information of what
the reader may perform himself. And now, feeling that we have
already lingered too long on the threshold, we shall leave the
volume to plead its own cause.
MARBLES
TOPS
HOOPS
TOYS
What clamorous throngs, what happy groups were seen,
In various postures scattering o’er the green ;
Some shot the marble, others join the chase
Of self-made stag; or run the emulous race.
MARBLES.
MARBLES are not of ancient origin—and previous to their invention,
nuts, round stones, plumb-stones, and wooden balls, were used by boys
for the purpose of playing games. Augustus, the Roman Emperor,
when a youth, is said to have passed many bours in the day playing
with his companions with nuts,in games much similar to those now
played at with marbles.
There are four sorts of marbles used by boys. The first are called
bonces or bosses ; very large stone marbles, which measure about four
inches round. The second are the taws, smaller stone marbles, which
are chiefly used to shoot with, and which are remarkable for their
hardness, their beautiful spots, circles, veins, and other marks. The
third are the common clay marbles, sometimes white and pink, and
scarcely harder than chalk, and sometimes smooth and glossy, and
coloured in the manner of crockery ware, The fourth are the alleys,
4 MARBLES,
which are the most valuable; these are sometimes pure white and
sometimes veined and clouded with pink, or wholly of that colour.
The atone marbles and the alleys are mostly manufactured by the iron
mills of Germany, and imported from Holland ; the stone is first cut
into strips and the strips into cubes, like dice. They are then put
into a peculiar kind of mill where they are made to rub against each
other, when the corners are gradually worn away, and they become
somewhat round; when they are then taken toa second, and after-
wards to a third mill, until they become of that beautiful and globe-
like form in which we see them. The following are the principal
games played at with marbles.
RING TAW.
Make a ring upon the ground, and upon or within it let each person
place a certain number of marbles; then draw a circle around the
former at about ten feet distance ; this is called the offing, and from this
each player in turn shoots. The first boy who is to play, shoots at
the marbles in the ring, if he hit one and drives it out of the large
ring he gains it, and is allowed to go on again, and so on until he
misses. But the second and all after times, he does not return to the
ring to shoot, but to the place his marble goes to, and which must be
somewhere outside the ring, for if his taw remain in the ring he loses
not only his chance of going again but also he must put back into the
ring all the marbles he has obtained that came. ‘The next party who
plays, must firat get a marble out of the ring, and then he has the
privilege of shooting at his adversaries taw, whether it remains in the
ring or not, and if he is so fortunate as to hit it the owner is thrown out
of the game altogether and must hand over the marbles he has to the
winner, supposing he has any, but if ke has none, or has already given
them up in consequence of his taw remaining in it, these are not to be
disturbed if there are other players. If there are no other players
the game is settled. There are certain conditions to be observed in
the game of ring taw, at the call of other players as to ‘knuckle down’’
by making the middle joint of the fore finger touch the ground whileshoot-
ing, and also as to making the hand remain stationery after the marble
has been shot to prevent the player giving no undue velocity to the
MARBLES, &
taw in its progress to the ring. In playing near a wall, should your
taw be placed where you have not room to kneel behind it, you may
shoot it from your knee or from your hip. The principal art uf the
game consists not only in shooting the marhles out of the ring, but in
keeping out of harms way, or taking up a good portion for future
operations. Doss in the ring is a game similar to ring law, the large
bosses being bowled instead of the small taws shot.
INCREASE POUND.
This is an excellent game, and is very much like the last. The
difference is as follows ; supposing the rings to be as in ring taw, and
marbles be placed within the inner ring. One boy shoots a marble
out if he can, if unsuccessful, and his own marble remain in the pound,
he pays one marble to the pound and lets his own remain for the next
time. The next player goes on, if he hit the former player’s marble,
the owner of it puts a marble in the ring and the next player begins
at the offing, as at first; but ifeither party have already got a marble
out, the case is different, for the party struck has not only to put one
in the pound, but to hand over whatever marbles he has gained to the
party that struck him, and if he has not any, he is said to he Killed,
and is put out of the game entirely. Whenever a shot has been gained
by any party, and the taw of one of them remains within the ring, (on
the line is nothing,) he puts all the shots which he hxs, and one more
into the pound, and shoots from the offing as at first, but if he have
obtained any shots, he remains Ailled, or as boys cail it, “ he gets
fat,’’ and stands out for the remainder of the game. When there is
only one marble left in the ring, the taw may remain inside without
being fat. This game may be played by any number, with or with-
out partners.
THE MARBLE BOARD.
Procure a piece of wood, half an inch or more in thickness, 15
inches long and 4 inches wide. Cut it of the form shown in the print,
and cut in the lower part of it any odd number of holes. One hole
in the middle, the otbers at an equal distance from each other on
either side. Number the centre hole ], and the side holes 2, 3, &c.
b MARBLES.
as represented, letting the smaller numbers be towards the centre, as
thus.
At some part at the back of the marble board is to be a piece of
wood fastened, to hold it
upright when placed upon
the ground. ‘The owner
of the marble board is fur-
nished witha bay of marbles
ready to pay the winner.
The boy who desires to
play stands atany appointed
distance, and bowls his marble towards the board, if it go through
either of the holes he receives the number marked over that hole, if it
does strike the board without going through, the marble is forfeited,
and if it goes over the board or on one side of it, or does not reach it
at all, two marbles are forfeited by the player. The space between
the holes should be about twice the width of the holes themselves, and
the hole so wide as to allow the largest marble to pass through with-
out touching.
DIE AND CHEESE,
Is formed by grinding down two opposite sides of a marble, so as to
make it resemble a cheese, Fig. 1, then make a small cube or die
© min out of another
| marble and mark
upon its face dots
numbering from
2 one to six, Fig. 2.
_--~etys set the die upon
Fig. 3. the cheese as rep-
resented in Fig, 3. For shooting at it from a short distance, a boy
pays the owner a marble each time, and should he knock the die
off the base, he is entitled to receive from the owner as many marbles
as there are dots on the uppermost face of the die.
PYRAMID, OR CASTLE.
Pile four marbles up, three at bottom and one above. These belong
to one player, called for the time the castle-keeper. Let a second player
MARBLES. 7
bowl! or shoot a marble at this castle at the distance of two yards. If
he knock down the castle, its four marbles become his, and the castle-
keeper puts up another heap which is shot at a second time; the castle
keeper takes all the marbles which miss the castle aimed at.
THE GAME OF DOUBLE CASTLE.
Let there be five castles made of marbles like those in the cut below
and suppose them to be marked ABCD E. The centre one is to
be made of ten marbles, the others of four each, and they must be
piaced at about half a marble distance from each other. If the boy
who shoots the marble at them, knock down the castle A, without
disturbing the others, he gains all that are in that castle. If A in
falling knocks down B or D, the winner gains only six instead of ten,
if it knocks down both
B and D, he gains only
two. If he miss the cen-
tre one and throw down
C BD or'E, he loses
four marbles for each one
so disturbed ; he loses his
own marble only when he misses the whole, if he can shoot any marble
off either pile, without disturbing the under ones, and which is very
difficult, he gains the whole which are on the ground.
GAME OF LAG OUT.
There may be any number of players at this game, who may per-
haps require a great number of marbles, and marbles are more quickly
lost and won at this game than at any other, so that a boy may have
a bag full at beginning the game and lose them all ina few minutes.
It must be played on perfectly level and smooth ground, or on the
flooring of aroom. First you must have a post or other object to
strike the marbles against. Each party who is to play is to put down
a marble at the distance of about a yard from the post, then the first
player begins by striking another marble against the post, and watch-
ing where it rolls to ; his object is to make it roll in such a direction
that it may hit one of the marbles already down, if it hit one of them,
8 MARBLES,
no matter which, he wins the whole that are down. If his marble do
not hit one of the others, it must remain untouched on the ground, to
take its chance of being hit by the next player, who throws his marble
against the post in the same manner. If he fails, the third player
goes on, and afterwards the other players, if there are any, or if not
the first goes on again, and if there are but two they play alternately,
always leaving the marble down on the floor or ground, until one of
them is struck, when they are all cleared off by the fortunate winner.
The game then begins anew, all putting down a marble except the
winner, who has the privilege of playing first. Sometimes there are
as many as fifty or sixty marbles oul at once.
When boys have but few marbles they agree to play for a certain
number, say six, when these are used up, the player instead of taking
one from his bag, takes which he pleases off the ground, and plays
with it like his own, so that there are never more than twelve marbles
on the ground at once.
LONG LAG AND FRENCH LAG.
This only differs from the other in making a circle on the floor, of
a yard from the centre of the post where the marbles are struck against,
and making it a rule that those marbles which when thrown, do not
go beyond the circle, ure to be forfeited to the other party. Another
long lag is making a line as before, at a given distance, and not forfeit-
ing any marbles but those which lie beyond the circle, are the only
ones to be steuck to win the game.
CROSS LAG.
This is by far the most scientific game of all. A line is to be made
down the post or wall, and also along the ground straight outwards
from the wall. The players are to take their turns in playing as be-
fore, and each one is to stand exactly on the line at two yards distance
from the post. He is then to throw his marble at the post, so that it
may fly out again, the next player must see on which side of the line
on the post the marble strikes, and then see where it settles; if it
settles on the same side of the line on the ground as that it struck on
the post, the marble is forfeited to that mext player, unless it hit
MARBLES, 9
another marble on that side, if so, the marble is not forfeited, but it
does not take the game; but if the marble thrown flies to the oppo.
site side of the centre line from that which it struck, and does not
hit another, it remains for the next player to throw at, but if it hit a
marble already there, the owner of it claims ull the marbles on that
side, or if so agreed upon before hand, he claims the whole, and the
game begins anew, otherwise the game is perpetual. If the marble
thrown strikes the line of the post, or settles on that chalked on the
ground, it is laid aside till the next winning takes place, when all such
marbles as are thus laid aside are scattered on the ground at random
for the benefit of the next game, not any of them being nearer the post
than the length of a boy’s two fect, nor nearer the centre line than a
span made by his thumb and fure finger.
THREE HOLES AND SPAN, KNUCKLE AND TAW, OR NINE HOLES.
Make three holes in the ground at about a yard and a half distance
from each other. Then make a mark at a yard and half distance from
the first hole. The first player Anuckles down at the mark and shoots
his marble into the first if he can. If he succeed, he then takes a
span towards the second hole, and shoots his marble again towards
that hole, and so on. If he does not succeed, the next player tries his
luck with his own marble, and if he enters the hole and his adversaries
marble is near it, he may either try to knock the former players
marble away with his own, or try to enter the second hole. If he
succeed he goes on again to the next, takinga epan towards it as the
former did, and throughout the whule game, having the privilege of
knoeking his adversaries marble away if he can, whenever he has first
entered a hole ; and when he has knocked it away, he continues from
the place his marble goes to. If he miss either the marble or the
hole, the first player goes on again, or if there be a third player he
takes his turn in like manner, and whoever plays may ifhe can, knock
away all other marbles that surround either of the holes, thus render-
ing it more difficult for the next player to get inhis marble. Whoever
first gets his marble into the ninth hole wins the game. The ninth
hole is reckoned thus :-—First 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2,3, 2,1. So that he
goes up and down the three boles twice. The loser must pay to bim
whatever they agree to play for. Sometimes the loser puts bis
10 MARBLES,
knuckles on the ground at a certain distance, and allows the winner
to shoot his marble at them from that distance, then from wherever
the marble goes to.
BOUNCE EYE.
This is a game played by each player putting down a warble within
asmall ring, and dropping from the eye another marble upon them,
80 as to force them out, and whatever marbles are thus driven out of
the ring become the property of the bouncer. Each player tries his
skill in turn.
THE CONQUEROR.
Is played by two boys endeavouring to split each others taws, when
the victor is entitled to receive a marble for the taw so split, and also
whatever number of marbles the spiit taw may have before destroyed.
This game should be played either upon hard earth or gravel; turf,
through being too soft, and the pavement, being much too hard, are
both unsuitable.
ODD OR EVEN.
Is played by one boy concealing in his hand one or more marbles,
and another guesses whether the number he has be odd or even, if he
guesses right he receives one marble, if he guesses wrong he must pay
a marble, 1t is the second boys turn next, to hold the number, and
for the first to guess, with the like gain or loss.
EGGS IN THE BUSH,
A boy grasps in his closed hands a certain number of marbles, and
another hoy guesses how many there are. If he guess the precise
number he receives the whole as a gain, but if he guess incorrectly he
pays as many marbles as there are under or over the number shown
to be in the hand. For example, let Harry hold up some marbles
concealed in his hand, Tom guesses there are six, if there are six, he
has them all, if there are four, he has to pay two, to make up the
number he has guessed ; if there are ten he has to pay four, because
MARBLES. 11
six and four make up the ten. It is fair to pack the hand so as to
make it seem largest when it has the least number of ‘‘ eggs’’ in it, and
small when there are most eggs; but it is not allowed to touch the
hand held up, though the party that is to guess may look at it in every
vosition, and may oblige the other to turn it palm upwards if he pleases.
A FEW REMARKS ON MARBLES.
In concluding our account of the games at marbles it may not be
amiss to make a few observations on the general conduct to be observed
by boys in these games. ‘ome boys, we are sorry to say are prone
cheats, but whenever detected by a companion in any thing unfair
ought to be exposed, and the cheater sent fo Coventry; a term which
means, that no one of his former playmates shall speak to him or play
with him for a certain time. Covetousness is also a vice which we
would warn our readers to avoid, for a boy may beas wicked by being
covetous with marbles asan old miser is by being covetous with money :
if he gives way to covetousness he will speedily be led into envying
his companions success, and fostering this bad passion he will always
be restless and unhappy. A boy who sets his heart upon the accumu-
lation of a large store of marbles, and who parts with each one like a
drop of blcod taken from his veins, will be shunned by his playmates
and soon discover that his fancied source of happiness is but
Empty Nothingness.
12
TOPS.
T'uERE are few things more difficult than to spin a top well, we mean
of course a peg-top. There are three kinds of tops, the humming-top,
the whipping-top, and the peg-top. The humming-top is more the
amusement of children than of boys. In shape it is much like the
whipping-top but it is hollow, with a hole on one side, and an upright
pin or peg at the top, over which a handle is placed ; a piece of thin
string is then wound round the peg or pin, the inner end of it being
confined in a small hole, and then when the string is wound round it, if
it be suddeniy pulled off it will of course pull the top so as to occasion it
to turn round rapidly, and if held near the ground the top will con-
tinue spinning for a considerable time after it is set loose, and at the
same time make a humming noise, owing to the air rushing in and
out of the hole on the side.
THE WHIPPING-TOP.
This is by far better exercise than the last. The top is mostly
solid, and of the shape shown at A; to spin it, all that is neces-
sary is to hold the top in both hands, and putting the point of it near
TOPS. 18
to the ground, give it a brisk spin round with the hands, then having
a short-handled whip ready, you are to flog the top on the thickest
part of it, with the thong of the whip, which
will keep it up for any length of time that may
be required.
The whipping-top marked B is one used in Col-
chester, and therefore called the Colchester top ;
it is said to spin very easily and to keep up
much better than the commen top. In setting
_ the top spinning at first, you must be careful not
- to strike it too hard. The only two games we
remember to have played with whipping tops, are races, in which two
tops played by two boys, are set up at the same time, and near to
each other, the boys are then to try to flog them, so that one shall
reach a particular line, marked at a distance.
When the top is struck gently, it remains spinning
at the same place, but to make it move forward,
it must be struck more with the middle of the
thong of the whip, and with greater force than
if it is required merely to be spun round.
The other amusement is to have an encounter,
Two boys each with tops set them well spinning
and then drive them against each other, if one
top is struck down the owner of the second top wins; if both are
knocked down, neither wins; which is the case also, when the tops
fly off in different directions, without either of them falling. Two
boys will often spin the same top, to do which they must stand at
different sides of it. We have also seen one boy keep up two tops,
but this is very difficult to accomplish. The best whip for the top is
one the handle of which is about the same length as the thong, and
made of eel-skin. The next best is a strap of thin leather wetted.
The whipping-top was used in ancient times by the Grecian boys ;
and it was well known in Rome in Virgil’s time. It was played in
England five centuries ago. One of the games allowed at Harrow
pea by the original regulations, in the year 1590, was “ driving
atop.â€
eee
14 TOPS.
THE PEG-TOP.
The figure marked C in the next cut is a correct representation
of the common peg-top. To choose a top, take care that the peg be
put in perfectly straight, that the point of the
peg be smooth and even, and that the wood of
the top have no knots in it, if it have knots it
will be very liable to split, and one side of it
will be heavier than the other, so that it will
lean on one side; if the peg be not smooth at
the point, and the top should reel, it would
not recover itself; and if the peg be not put in
straight, the top will waddle. Next choose the
string, this should be of whipcord, or laycord,
nothing is gained by having the cord too thin ;
one end of it should hea little opened out, and
the part thus unravelled be prevented becoming more undone by
what a sailor would call half-hitch, that is by a small portion of the
string being half-knotted round the rest of the unravelled part; the
ength may be a little more than a yard, at the very most a yard and
a half for the largest top, and a button should be put upon the end
ef it. The lower part of the top has a series of channels cut on its
surfase, and the string may be so thick, that when two pieces are
laid one in each channel, they shall touch each other. To spin the
top, first lay the unravelled end of the string a little way along the
lower part of the top, turn the string twice tightly round the peg,
and then continue to wind it upwards all along the channels, until all
the string is wound up. Then put the button between the little finger
and the next, hold the head of the top downwards, and throw it with
a jerk towards the earth, the string being held between the fingers by
the button, will untwist itself as the top falls, which will consequently
turn the top round, and when it reaches the ground the string will be
completely unwound and the top set spinning. A good top, well spun,
will soon become quite steady, when it is said to go to sleep. It may
now be taken up by a wooden spoon called a top spoon, and which is
sold st the toy shops for this purpose. A peg-top has been known to
TOPS, 15
spin or sleep upon a perfectly smooth surface, a plate of polished steel
for instance, for the space of two hours.
There is another way of spinning a top, called under-hand, the
string is wound on in the usual manner, but instead of the top being
thrown down by the player in the manner before described, he stoops
down and holding the top with the peg downwards he jerks it away
from him, still holding the string; the top will then loogen itself from
the string and spin, even better than by the over-hand method, but
this way is not so bold and not so well liked by boys as the one first
described, and for playing at peg in the ringis of no use. The best
top for this way of spinning is the Spanish top
shewn at D. Itis more taper than the English
top, and has a thick round short peg. This top
sleeps beautifully. Boys in taking out the pegs of
their tops fasten the end of a string tightly round
the peg, and then holding the string at the op-
posite end, they strike the body of it against the
post, when the sudden concussion of several blows
given in this way generally loosens the peg. To
fasten it in again tightly, it is best to rust it in, |
in the following way, make the pey a little wet,
then sprinkle salt upon it, put it in the hole and
ram itin. The salt and water will rust the peg inside and make it
80 firm that it is almost impossible to move it afterwards.
CHIP STONE,
Two lines are drawn upon the pavement, two or three feet apart.
The two boys about to play, each select a small round pebble or
‘‘ chip stone,â€â€™ and place it upon one of the lines. The peg-tops are
then spun, and while they continue spinning the players must take
them up in wooden spoons and “chip â€â€™ or cast them at the stones,
so as to drive the latter from one of the bounds to theother. Should
the tops keep on spinning after they have been cast at the stones, the
players are allowed to take them up in their spoons and chip again;
a skilful player can chip three or four times before the top ceases
spinning. The player who can send his chip stone from one boun-
dary line to the other in the fewest casts, is the winner. Jn selecting
16 TOPS.
chip stones it should be the aim to procure those which are evenly
shaped and smoothly pulished.
PEG IN THE RING.
Let there be a ring made on the ground about two yards across,
(not on pavement,) and the several players surround it. Some one
boy, as may be agreed upon, lays his top in the middle ofthe ring,
while all the other players peg at it, trying if they can to split it; if
any one succeed he keeps the peg for his victory, and sometimes he
also claims half the bacon, (the pieces of a broken top are often called
bacon.) If a player bits the top in the centre so that it rolls out of
the ring, the owner may take it up and play with it like the others,
and if the top belonging to any player fall down in the ring after its
spinning is done, that top, or rather all those tops are placed in the
centre to be pegged at in like manner as the first. If also any top
does not spin at all when cast, or if it does not go within the ring at
first, or if the player attempt to touch it till it is done spinning, in either
case it is called a dead top, and is placed in the centre of the ring.
Tops made of box-wood are the best for this game, being the hard-
est, and least liable to split; but they are the most expensive. In
playing at peg in the ring particular care should be taken that your
top be
CHell Spiked.
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HOOPS.
Ahuves are of three kinds, bark hoops, white hoops, and iron hoops.
Bark hoops are the best for every purpose of exercise and enjoyment.
White hoovs are: those smooth flat hoops which are used for washing -
tubs, they are only fit for young ladies. Iron hoops have been much —
used of late years—these may be considered hoops with all the dirt
and disadvantages of hoops without any of their benefits. They do
not even require the arm to be exercised at all, but are moved along
by pushing them with a piece of iron hooked at the end.
The games ef hoops are trundling them, turnpike, the wheelhoop,
and the hoopbattle. The first of these requires no explanation; all
that is to be done is, to give the hoop a blow or two now and then,
and guiding it by holding the hoop stick on one side or the other, ac-
cording as it is apt to fall.
Horace mentions trundling the hoop as one of the manly exercises
Of his time, a a ’
18 HOOPS,
TURNPIKE.
Tarnpike is a very good game to play at when there is but one hoop
among two or more boys. In this case one boy is to trundle the hoop
in the usual manner, the others are to keep turnpikes, that is, they
must get two bricks or stones, and put them first twelve inches from
each other, on the ground, meastiing the inner sides. The turnpikes
being ready, the boy with the hoop rolls it aloug, and takes care that
it shall go through the turnpike, if he completely clear it he continues
onwards in a large circle, passing through every turnpike in his way,
each one of which is attended by one boy. When he has passed once
round, if he should not be out, each turnpike is made more narrow
by an inch, he tries again, and if successful all round, the turnpikes
are narrowed again one iach, and he continues; but whenever he
touches with his hoop either of the stones he is out, and the boy
takes it whose turnpike is struck, while he who loses has to stop in
the other one’s place, and become a turnpike keeper himself, The
above way of making turnpikes is much better altered thus, let the
width of the turnpike always be that of the shoe of the keeper—thus
there can be no dispute as to its proper width.
WHEELHOOP.
Get as large a hoop as possible, also a large sized curtain ring,
fasten this latter by four strings to four different parts of a hoop, so
that the curtain ring shall be in the middle of the hoop, and the
strings drawn tight, To move this hoop along, put a small stick
through the ring and run along with it, when of course the hoop will
turn round.
THE HOOP BATTLE OR TOURNAMENT.
This game is played by several boys, forming themselves into two
parties or sides, and going into opposite parts of the play-ground
they get their hoops ready, and at a signal given, both parties drive
their hoops forward to meet their antagonists, every one striving to
strike his hoop against one of chose of the opposite party, and to pre-
vent confusion it is usual for one of each side to attack the hoop of
the boy opposite to him. The boys belonging to the hoops that are
TOYS. . 19
knocked down, are then out of play till next game, the rest going on
in like manner from the sides they have now arrived at, until all are
thrown out but one, who gains the battle for his own party. No
hoop that is knocked down by touching any thing but a hoop, nor
which falls of its own accord, is to be reckoned as out.
Another way of playing the game is to agree to a certain number as
the game, and then count the number of hoops that are thrown each
time, and whichever side can get the number first by throwing his
adversary’s hoops, gains the day.
The iron hoop is. for all games, much worse than the wooden one
itis small and dirty, and does not even require knocking, which
takes away from the hoop, one of its chief and most healthful advan-
tages. The iron hoop is mostly moved along by a rod of iron, hooked
at the end, which is only to be pressed against the upper part of the
hoop, which then moves forward.
It used to be the fashion once, to have hoops with gingles on them,
if any of our young friends prefer these to the common hoop, they have
only to go to a tinman and procure twelve pieces of tin, about an inch
and a half square, and tell him to punch a hole in the middle-of each ;
having procured these, nail them two together, at six different parts
of the inner side of the hoop. They are to be left loose enough to
rattle, when the hoop is shook or struck.
In playing this game, great compatibility of temper should be
observed by the contending parties, and the battle may be carried on
very good-humouredly although the belligerents will sometimes assume,
A Threatening Appearance.
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TOYS.
THE KITE.
KirEs are of various shapes, but that most usual is round at the top
and gradually tapers downwards to a point at the end. To make a
kite, proceed as follows. Geta straight light lath, of the proper
length for the kite, this is called the straighter. Then get a cane
of the same length and call this the bender, make a notch all
round it, and also a notch at the bottom of the straighter,
side ways of it, and also a notch at the top end of the straighter
also sideways. Then, by means of a small string, tie tightly
the middle of the bender, to the top of the straighter, and with
another fine string, tie the twoends of the bender together, bringing
them so near to each other as to make the top of the kite resemble
half a circle, and at the time of carrying the string across to tie one
en4 30 the other, give it a turn round the straighter, having thus con-
TOYS. 21
fined the two ends of the beider, bring the string from one of them
down to the bottom of the straighter, give it a hitch round this part,
and finally fasten it to the opposite end of the bender. If the kiteis
very large, two or three other strings across it may be necessary, at
all times, if these be placed they should come from the points of the
bender, and be turned round the straighter, with a hitch whenever
they cross it: the frame of the kite is now complete. The next
thing is to cover it with paper, or what is still better, fine muslin or
silk, but supposing we use paper, we must first get the proper kind
of paper, so that it shall be light and strong. If the kite be above’
four feet in length, cartridge paper will not be too heavy. If from
four feet to three feet, we may use elephant paper, iffrom three feet
to two feet in size or smaller, what printers call double crown is as
good as any, though almost any thin paper willdo. We must first paste
as many sheets of it together as are necessary for the frame we have
formed, the edges of the sheets where they are pasted being about
half an inch folded over each other. Stretch these sheets, when the
foldings are dry, upon a smooth floor. Lay the frame upon them,
and cut the paper about an inch all round the frame in every direc.
tion, and all around the head of the kite cut some slips down to the
bender, then paste the part of the paper which projects over the frame,
and turn it over neatly, so as to enclose the bender and the string at
the end of it. Then paste some strips of paper, at two or three
places, across the straighter, and across the strings. Then let the
whole dry, and afterwards put on the loop. To do this, dividethe
straighter into three parts ; a distance equal to two of these parts is
to be the distaace of the holes from each other into which the loop
is to be placed, and this should be exactly equal to the whole
width of the kite, when finished. To find the piace to insert the
top of the loop, draw a line from corner to corner of the kite or
from wing to wing, and see where this line crosses the straighter, and
then measure the half distance between this line or mark and the
top of the kite, and at the place where that half distance comes is to
be made a hole through the straighter, for the top of the loop to pass
through. Ata distance of the breadth of the kite below this, the
lower hole is to be placed. The length of the loop is to be such
that when laid down upon the kite it shall reach nearly to one of the
22 ToYSs,
wings or ends of the bender, and when the string is afterwards fastened
on, it ehould be at such a height as the wings. If the string is fastened
an too low, the kite will pitch, if too high, it will not catch the wind
properly. If the kite is too wide it will waddle, and if too narrow, it
will not fly high because it will not hold a sufficiency of wind. The
tail is to be fastened securely to the lower end, and the quantity of
tail depends upon the shape of the kite and the strength of the wind
It onght to be about eight or nine times the length of the body of
the kite. If this is too heavy it may be shortened, or, if prepared,
alittle piece cut off of each end of the pieces of paper which form
the tail.
The Chinese, who are very fond of the amusement of kite flying,
make them of various shapes, particularly square or many sided, these
fly with very short tails. Thay also often make a long hole in the
middle of the kite and stretch wires or cat gut across it, so that the
wind sets upon the strings and produces musical notes. We have
seen some excellent kites made of the form of butterflies. The frame
work of most of these fancy kites is made of very thin whalebone or
of the split cane used for bonnets.
THE POP-GUN
The Pop-gun is made from a piece of alder about six inches in
length, from which the pith has been extracted. The rammer should
have a handle of proper length with a shoulder or knob to the top, to
prevent its slipping the entire length of the gun. The pellets should
be made of moistened brown paper or tow. Put one of them into the
mouth of the gun, and drive it to the other end with the rammer, a
second pellet should then be put into the mouth of the gun and driven
very quickly to the other end, when the sudden compression of the air
in the tube will cause the first pellet to fly out with great force, and
with a loud report. Smaller pop-guns are sometimes made with quills
and wooden rammers, the pellets of which are cut by the quills out 0.
slices of raw potatoe.
. PEA-SHOOTER.
This is a tin or copper tube, six or seven inches in length, through
which a pea may be propelled from the mouth by the force of the
breath, with some velocity, aud to a considerable distance.
TOYS. 23
WATCH-SPRING-GUN,.
Procure a piece of wood about four inches long, and shape it into
the form of a gun or pistol, and along the upper part of the etock make
a groove for the tube or barrel, which is sometimes formed of brass but
more frequently of a large quill; the barrel must be open at both ends;
fasten it on either with brass wire or waxed threads, letting it project
beyond the point of the stock, and reach down as far as the middle of
it. A piece about two inches long must be cut out of this barrel as low
as the stock, for the watch spring (o work in; by this contrivance the
spring will move with greater facility than it could possibly do if it
worked in a groove of wood. The watch spring should be about as
long as the quill. A pin rust be driven into the groove about half an
inch from the mouth of the quill, and the head of it allowed to project
up, 80 as to act as a catch to the watch-spring. When setting the gun,
the spring should be bent so as to catch against the pin head, and the
other end, after passing through the lower or short part of the barrel,
must be inserted in the trigger, which must have a nick made in it for
the purpose. The shot must now be put in the groove, and when the
finger pulls back the lower part of the trigger, the upper part will, of
course, press forward, and throw the spring forward also, and cause
the latter to disengage itself from the pin’s head, and to propel the shot
through the barrel with considerable force. Small arrows may also be
projected with this toy, when a little butt or target may be shot at.
THE SLING.
Cut a thong of leather about two inches wide at the broadest part,
and tapering at both ends, and fasten a piece of cord at each end, allow-
ing one of these cords to be somewhat longer than the other. Lay a
stone in the middle of the leather, twist the longest cord two or three
times round your hand, hold the other loosely between your thumb
and forefinger, and after whirling it round several times, let go the
short cord, and the stone will be ejected to a great distance.
THE SUCKER.
The sucker is made by cutting circular piece of stout leather, boring
aJhole in its centre and passing a string through it, to which a knot is
24 TOYS.
tied, to prevent its slipping back through the hole. Before using your
sucker, soak the leather well in water and when thoroughly soaked,
place the leather on a smooth stone, pressing it well down with your
feet; then take hold of the string, and you may easily lift the stone
from the ground.
THE DEVIL AND TWO STICKS.
This is a game too much neglected, for it is one which is equally
adapted for girls and boys, affords an infinite deal of amusement, may
be played by one person only and
in a parlour, requires some inge-
nuity, is not attended with noise,
and is excellent for giving exercise
to the arms and strength to the
wrists of the player, hence it has
been recommended as the best of
all substitutes for the dumb bells,
both to young ladies, who have
comparatively a less number of
active exercises, and to boys. On
the continent, particularly in Ger-
many, this game is as common as
B skipping orbattledore and shuttle-
cock, and is much better adapted
toa room. In this country it
has not been used for many years, so that the toy cannot be
bought at many of the toy shops. Yet the cut above shows it tobe
exceedingly simple. The two sticks are thin and light, quite straight,
and about two feet long each. The Devil is a thick piece of solid
wood, shaped like, and about the size of an hour glass, altogether about
six inches long, three inches wide at each end, and cut away to about
half an inch wide in the middle, so that altogether it appears as in the
cat. We have seen them made of two whipping tops joined together,
by a peg through them both, but the peg must not be too small, or
else the string will not take sufficent hold upon it. . The string which
is tied to the sticks, and which joins them together, is a piece of thick
whipcord or what is called Jaycord, and between three and four feet
TOYS. 23
long. ‘The object of the player is to keep the devil suspended upon
the string without falling, and this requires a little skill. A young
player should not have the string too long, and after taking the sticks
one in each hand and talying the devil crosswise before him, that is
with one end of it towards his right hand and the other towards his
left hand, he puts the string underneath the devil, while the latter rests
on the ground. Then he raises up his left hand stick as high as the
string will allow, and then he will find that his right hand stick rests
across the top or narrow part of the devil. Let him now lift the devil
off the ground by the string, aud at the same time draw up the right
hand and lower the left hand, this must be done quickly, yet not with
a jerk, for a jerk would throw the devil off, but the object is to cause
it to spin round. When once it is set spinning it is easy to keep it
up by drawing the right hand back again, ready for a second turn. It
may be thought that drawing the right hand back again would turn
the devil in a contrary direction to that first given to it, and so it
would if both hands were moved in the same manner, but it will soon
be observed that as the right hand is the strongest, it will give the devil
a stronger twirl than the left hand will, so that although the left hand
tends certainly to spot it, yet it will not quite overcome the motion
given to it at first. The second timethe right hand is raised, it
increases the motion until the devil spins rapidly round, and it is then
very easy to keep up. _If in spinning the right hand side of it should
lean down, or if you have it in the position shown in the cut, if the
end nearest to you leans down, you must turn yourself, sticks and all,
partly round to the right band, if the other end leans down you must
turn yourself in the contrary direction, and thus the balance is to be
preserved. When you have made the toy spin well and it seems
evenly balanced, you may run it up the stick to the hand,and then
down again to the string; afterwards, when it spins well once more,
you may run it up the right hand stick, this is most difficult of all; but
you may throw it spinning into the air and catch it again on the string
without its falling at either of the trials. We have known this toy so
well played that it has been kept up for half an hour, until the player
has been quite exhausted with his exertions.
26 TOYS.
THE THAUMATHROPE,
We cannot do better than include in this portion of our work an
account of a very curious aud amusing toy from a delightful book for
youth called, Philosophy in Sport made Science in Ernest, in which a
father, (Mr. Seymour) takes upon himself to explain to his children
the scientific nature of all their toys. In which he is assisted by a
worthy vicar, who gives the history of each as it is treated of.
‘‘Mr. Seymour then proceeded. ‘This toy is termed the
Thaumathrope.’
‘*«“Of Grecian origin |’ ‘‘ observed the vicar. ‘‘‘ Timeo Danaos
et dona ferentes,’ as Virgil has it.’
‘‘ « What is the meaning of the term?’ asked Louisa. The vicar
explained to her that it was compounded of the Greek words, thauma
and trepo the form of which signified wonder, the latter, to turn.
“« * Exactly,’ replied Mr. Seymour, ‘.4 Wonder-turner, or a toy
which performs wonders by turning-round ; but let me proceed in the
explanation.’ He then continued to read as follows: ‘This philo-
sophical toy is founded upon the well-known optical principle, that
an impression made on the retina of the eye, lasts for a short interval
after the object which produced it has been withdrawn. During the
rapid whirling of the card, the figures on each ofitssides are presented
with such quick transition that they both appear at the same instant,
aud thus occasion a very striking and magical effect. On each of these
cards a device is introduced, with an appropiate motto, or epigram ;
the point of which is answered, or explained by the change which the
figure assumes during the rapid whirling of the card.’
‘*Mr. Seymour then dis-
played a pasteboard circle.
on the one side of which
was figured a rat, and on the
other, a cage; two strings
were fastened in its axis, y
which the card could easily
be made to revolve by means
of the thumb and finger.
Fearing that some of our readers may be as dull of comprehension as the
TOYS. 27
vicar, we have introduced a sketch of the apparatus, in which both
sides of the card are exhibited, with the strings by which it is whirled
round.
‘“No sooner had Mr. Seymour put the card in motion than the vicar,
in atone of the greatest surprise, exclaimed, ‘Magic! magic! I
declare the rat is in the cage! !’
‘+ And what is the motto ?’ asked Louisa.
‘© “Why is this rat like an opposition Member in the House of
Commons, who joins the Ministry ?’ replied Mr. Seymour.
“«*Ha, ha, ha,—excellent,’ cried the major, as he read the follow.
ing answer : ‘ because by turning round he gains a snug birth, but
ceases to be free.’
‘* «The very reverse to what occured in ancient Rome, where the
slave became free, by turning round,’ observed the vicar.
‘‘ The vicar, no doubt alluded to the custom of making a freeman,
as described by Persius ; from which it appears that the clapping s cap
on the head, and giving him a turn on the beel, were necessary cir-
cumstances. A slave thus qualified became a citizen of Rome, and
was honored with a name more than belonged to any. of his forefathers
which Persius has repeated with a great deal of humour in his fifth
satire ;—
«« ¢__-Heu steriles veri, quibus una Quiritem
Vertigo facit!’
«That false enfranchisement with ease is found ;
Slaves are made citizens by turning round.’
DRYDEN.
‘¢ «¢ Show us another card,’ said Tom, eagerly.
« ¢ Here then is a watch-box; when I turn it round, you will see
the watchman comfortably sleeping at his post.’
“« «Very good! It is very surprising,’ observed the vicar.
“ 4 Yes,’ observed the major; ‘and to carry on your political joke,
it may be said that, like most worthies who gain a post, by turning
round, he sleeps over his duty.’
“
said Mr. Seymour.
“© The caprice of this watchman surpasses all bounds:
He ne’er sits in his box but when going his RounDs;
While he no sooner rests ‘tis a strange paradox !
Than he flies from his post, and ruRNs out of his box,
28 TOYS.
«« ©What have you there 2’ exclaimed the vicar; arms and legs
without any body >
‘Yes,’ replied Mr. Seymour; ‘and which, on turning round, will
present the figure of a king, invested with all the insignia of royalty.’
«6 Jt ig indeed a king. Look at his crown and sceptre!’ cried
Louisa. .
“« © Now for the epigram,’ said the major, who then read the follow
ing lines :-—
Head, legs. and arms, alone appear,
Observe that NoRnopy is here;
Napoleon-like 1 undertake
Of nobody a king to make.’
‘©The other cards were now exhibited in succession, of which the
box contained eighteen, and the whole party, not even excepting the
vicar, were highly gratified with the amusement,
‘s © What have we here ?’ interrupted the major, who had, for the
first time, noticed the superscription on the cover of the box: ‘had I
seen this before, I should have augured favorably of the toy: it is like
the sign of an inn, which is held out to announce good entertainment
within. He then read the following :—
‘The Thaumathrope; being Rounds of Amusement, or how to
please and surprise by Turns.
‘*Mr. Seymour proceeded to explain more fully the optical theory
of the instrament, which neither Louisa nor Tom could, as yet,
thoroughly understand.
“+ He told them that an object was seen by the eye, in consequence
of its image being delineated on the retina, or optic nerve, which is
situated on tbe back part of the eye; and that it had been ascertained,
by experiment, that the impression which the mind thus receives, lasts
for about the eighth part of a second after the image is removed. ‘ It
is therefore, sufficiently evident,’ said Mr. Seymour, ‘that ifany point,
as a lighted stick, be made to revolve, so as to complete the circle in
that period, we shall not see a fiery point, but a fiery circle; because
the impression made by it in every point of its circuit will remain until
it comes round again to the spot from which it set out ;—but we will,
at once, exemplify this fact by an experiment. ‘‘Tom was accordingly
directed tu procure a piece of stick and a candie; and as soon as they
TOYS 29
were brought into the room, Mr. Seymour ignited the end of the stick
and whirled it round, when a bright circle, without any intervals of
darkness, was seen by the whole party.
‘«* The pin wheel is certainly nothing more than a fiery circle, pro-
duced by the rapid revolution of ajet of flame,’ said the vicar.
‘© And the rocket,’ added Mr, Seymour. ‘is a co'umn of light
occasioned by the same rapid movement of a burning body in a recti-
linear or curved direction.’
‘ *T perfectly understand all that you have said,’ observed Tom.
‘¢¢ Then you will not have any difficulty in explaining the action of
the Thaumathrope, for it depends upon the same optical principle;
the retina of the image, which is delineated on one side of the card ; is
not erased before that which is painted on the opposite side is presented
to the eye; and the consequence ia, that you see both sides at once.â€
APPLE MILL.
A hole sufficiently large to admit athin skewer being passed through
it, is bored in a nut; the kernel is then extracted, and another hole
bored in the side. A piece of string is tied to the skewer, and then
passed through the hole in the side of the nut. The skewer is put
into the nut, and it should have a knob ; or be thicker at one end, to
prevent its slipping entirely through. An apple is now stuck on the
thin end of the skewer, which is then wound up, and twirled round in
the same manner as the humming top; keeping the nut stationery
between the forefinger and thumb of the left band.
TIP CAT.
A piece of hard wood, generally of box or yew, is fashioned into the
shape of a double cone, this is called ‘‘ the cat ;’’ it is usually about
hree inches and a half long, and an inch and a quarter in diameter in
the thickest part. The game is played as follows :—A large flat stone
is placed in the centre of a ring of any measurement as may have been
previously agreed upon. The first player puts his cat upon the stone
and gently taps one end of it with his tip-stick ; this causes the cat to
rise with a rotary motion, when he endeavours to strike it over the
ring. If he succeed in doing so, he scores what number of lengths of
his tip-stick there may be between the edge of the ring and the place
warre his stick has fallen.
30 roys
CUP AND BALL.
A ball with a hole at one extremity is attached by a string to a stem
cup-like at one end and spiked at the other. To catch the ball upon
the cup end is a difficult task, but to catch it upon the spike you must
make the ball spin upon an axis, at the lower extremity of which is
the hole.
THE BALANCING FIGURE,
Mould the figure of a man out of the pith of the alder-tree and affix
it to the plain surface of an hemispherical base made of some heavy
material, the half of a Jeaden bullet will be found most suitable. In
whatever position the figure is placed, when left to itself, it will imme-
diately rise upright, and form
A Balancing Figure
IN-DOOR GAMES
INCLUPING
at GAMES WITH FORFEITS.
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N-DOOR GAMES.
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BLIND-MAN 9 BUFF,
WE suppose every boay knows this game, however we must describe
it for all that, we can’t possibly leave out such fun as blind-man’s buff,
wtih a bit of missletoe hung up in the middle of the room, and when
young gentlemen and young ladies are met together at a Christmas
party. First, the room is to be cleared, as much as is convenient of
chairs and tables, next we must get a large handkerchief and tie it over
the eyes of some one who is to be blind-man, we must take care that he
can’t see by holding his head up, and also that the handkerchief
can’t slip. Then we must turn him loose, but not all at once ; all the
players must have time to get out of the way, so we must take the
blind-man into the middle of the room, then one of the players says, how
“many horses has your father in thestable.†The answer is two white
and one gray, upon which some one of the players takes hold of the
hlind-man, turns him round, and then says turn round three times and
catch whom you may. The blind-man then turns round three orfour times
and moves about the room in hopes of catching some body, as soon as he
has succeeded he is obliged to examine them, and is allowed to move
34 IN-DOOR GAMES.
his hand over them. If he guesses right, he takes the lady if it is
one, under the missletoe and claims a kiss, and gives up the handker-
chief to her to be blinded in like manner ; if it is a gentleman that is
caught by a gentleman or a lady caught by a lady the kissing is dispensed
with ; if the blind-man does not guess who it is rightly, he must let him
or her go again and try another. If the blind-man gets near the fire or
anything else that is hurtful, the other players must warn him by calling
out roast-beef, No one who plays at blind-man’s buff, may go out of
the room during the game.
SHADOW BUFF.
Unlike the preceding, at this game Buffy is far from blind; and
indeed, at no game does he more require the full use of his eyes.
Let a large white sheet or tablecloth be fixed against the walls of the
apartment, as for the exhibition of the magic lanthorn, and a little
before it buffy, with his face towards the white cloth, is placed upon a
stool sufficiently low to prevent his shadow falling upon the white sheet.
At the proper distance behind him, a lamp or single candle is placed
upon a stand, and all the other lights are extinguished.
The parties who join in the game, pass one by one in succession
between buffy (who is not allowed to turn his head in the slighest
degree) and the table on which the light or candle stands. The light
of the candle being intercepted as each person passes before it, naturally
throws a succession of well marked shadows on the sheet; and buffy
has to guess from the shade thrown on the curtain, who is passing, and
to name the person aloud, making but one guess to each.
This would seem very easy ; but the game admits of many stratagems.
One walks along tottering, as though struck with palsy, another distorts
himself so as to appear hump-backed ; a third limps in a most dreadful
manner ; and a fourth increases his height, and alters his appearance
by the assumption of a dignified and imposing gait. Endless, indeed,
are the various postures which the players vie with each other in
adopting, to embarrass buffy ; and the amusing mistakes which he
makes produces mirth and shouts of laughter.
When buffy guesses correctly the person named takes his place.
BUFF WITH THE WAND.
Buffy, who is blindfolded, stands in the middle, holding a long wand
or stick, the several players then join hands and form a circle round
TIN-DOOR GAMES. 35
him. Dancing and skipping tound him, they sing a short chorus of
some song; and after going once round they stop. Buffy then
stretches forth his wand, directing it by chance, when the person it
touches must take it by the end. Feeling the wand grasped, buffy
cries out three times, and the player who holds the wand must answer,
but he is allowed to counterfeit another than his natural voice, If
buffy guess his name correctly they change places; should buffy
guess wrong, the wand is released, and he continues to guess until he
names some one correctly. Every person named correctly paysa for-
feit, as does buffy each time he guesses wrong. When one of the
players voluntarily takes buffy’s place, buffy must also pay a forfeit.
JINGLING.
The Jingling match is a common diversion at country wakes and
fairs in the west country, and may be played ina large apartment.
The several players are blindfolded, with the exception of one, who ~
has a bell in each hand which he keeps ringing, and hence he is called
the “ jingler.â€â€ His blinded companions endeavour to capture him, and
it is his business to elude their pursuits. As might be expected, they
invariably tumble against each other, and thus afford great amusement
to the spectators. The game usually lasts about twenty minutes, and
if the jingler can prevent himsclf being captured during that time, he is
accounted the winner.
HUNT THE SLIPPER.
Allthe company who play at this game sit in the middle of the
room in acircle, except one of them called the hunter, who stands in
the middle of the ring. A shoe or slipper is then taken off, and
passed round from one to the other, under their knees or behind their
backs, or in any other way in which it can be done more comfort-
able, and without being seen by the hunter who endeavours to get
hold of it, and when he does so, the person from whom he takes itis to be
the next hunter. The company endeavours to keep it passing from
one to the other, so that the hunter shall not be able to get at it,
though sometimes he is tantalized by the party who has it rapping on
the floor with it when the hunter is looking another way. If well
played the hunter is sometimes a long time before he is able to gt it.
36 IN-DOOR GAMES.
PUSS IN THE CORNER,
One boy called ‘* Puss’’ takes his place ia the middle of the room,
and four players then station themselves in the four corners of it;
each of these four change their position in regular succession, and it is
puss’s object to gain one of the vacant corners before the corner players
pext in rotation can reach it; ifhe succeed in doing so, the player
neft out becomes puss.
THE HUNTSMAN,
In this game one player is called the ‘‘ huntsman†and the others
are named from the different parts of the dress or accoutrements of a
sportsman ; the coat, the hat, the gun, the dog, and every other appur-
tenance belonging to a huntsman, having its representative. As many
chairs as there are players, excluding the ‘‘ Huntsman â€â€™ are then
ranged in*two rows, back to back ; the players then seat themselves.
The “ Huntsman ’’ now walks round the players, and calls out the
assumed name of one of them; the player named, rises, and takes hold
of the coat-skirts of the “ huntsman’â€â€™ who continues his walk, and
calls out all the other players, one by one; each takes hold of the
player before him and when they are all sammoned, the huntsman sets
off running round the chairs as fast as he can, the other players holding
on and running after him. When he has ran the round of the chairs
two or three times he suddenly calls out “ Rang !’’ seats himself on one
of the chairs and leaves his followers to regain their eeats in the best
manner they can, as there is one chair less then the number of his
followers, of course there is one player left standing, who must pay a
forfeit. The game is continued until they have each paid three
forfeits, when they are cried, and the punishments or penances declared.
TWELFTH NIGHT.
The following directions for the modern Twelfth Night are given in
Rachel Revel’s Winter Pastimes :—
‘ First buy your cake, and, before your visitors arrive, buy your
characters, each of which should have pleasant verses beneath, next look
at your invitation list, and count the number of ladies you expect, and
the gentlemen. Then take as many female characters as you
IN-DOOR GAMES. 37
have invited ladies, folding them up exactly of the same size, and
numbering each on the back, and taking care to make the king number
one. and the queen number two. Next prepare and number tne
gentlemen's characters. When all are assembled, and tea over, put as
many ladies’ characters into a reticule as there are Jadies present; and
put the gentlemen’s charactersinto a hat. Then callon a gentleman |
to carry the reticule to the ladies as they sit, from which each lady is
to draw one ticket, and to preserve it unopened. Select also the lady
to bear the hat to the gentleman for the same purpose. There will be
one ticket left in the reticule, and one in the hat, which the lady and
gentleman who carried each is to interchange, as having fallen to each
other. Lastly, arrange your visitors according to their numbers; the
king number one, the queen number two, and so on. The king is next
to recite the verse on his ticket ; then the queen, the verse on hers,
and so the characters are to proceed in numerical order. This done,
let the cake and refreshments go round ; let wit and song abound; and
according to Twelfth Day law, let each party support his character till
midnight.â€
THE TEN FINE BIRDS.
The company sit in a circle, and the play begins by one of the com-
pany saying, ‘‘a good fat hen,’’ this is repeated by the whole circle in
turn, one speaking at atime. The leader of the play then says ‘two
dacks and a good fat hen,â€â€™ which is also repeated separately by all the
company. The next is three squawking wild geese, two ducks and a
good fat hen. After this has gone round, the leader seys four plump
partridges, three squawking wild geese, two ducks, and a good fet hen;
thus the game goes on from the four partridges to five pouting pigeons,
and afterwards to six long-legged cranes, repeating all that has been
said before, each time, until at last there will be the ten following pen-
tences joined together and to be repeated by each player. Ten bald
eagles, nine ugly turkey buzzards, eight screeching owls, seven green
parrots, six long-legged cranes, five plump partridges, three equawking
wild geese, two ducks, and a good fathen, If any player hesitates,
makes a mistake or leaves out any thing, he must pay a forfeit. The
words of the House that Jack built may be used instead of the above,
38 IN-DOOR GAMES.
THE GAME OF THE GIG.
Oneof the company is to tell some anecdote relative to a journey by
a lady and gentleman in a chaise, which the company are to attend to
as follows. Each person in company except the narrator has assigned
to him or her, a name, two of them are called the lady and gentleman,
the rest go by the names of some part of the chaise or gig as itis called,
one is wheel, another the axletree, a third the horse, a fourth the bri-
dle, a fifth the bit, a sixth the seat, a seventh the shafts, the eighth a
lynch pin, and go on till all the company have taken some name which
they are to remember afterwards, and whenever that name is introduced
into the story which is to follow, the person who bears it is to rise from
his or her seat, and to tarn round and then sit down again, and when
the word gig is mentioned they are all to get up and turn round, if
they should forget this at the moment, that person pays a forfeit ; and
altbough such a game appears very simple, yet if a good story is told it
is surprising what fun is occasioned. The nature of the story may be
as follows, and it may be continued until twenty or thirty forfeits are
collected. A gentleman and lady (here both these get up and run
round) were resolved one fine morning in June to take a days pleasure
and for that purpose hired a gig, but as the lady was timid and the
gentleman careful, he examined the horse, harness, and gig, thoroughly
before they set out, he saw that the wheels were good, the springs safe,
the seat dry, the shafts whole. The reins, bridle, saddle, bit, dashing
board, axletree, lynch pins were all carefully inspected, but alas for
his calculations, and the lady’s safety, one of the wheels got into an
hole and occasioned the horse to stumble, and in falling he snapped
one of the traces and shattered one of the lamps. The lady was
frightened as you may suppose, when to allay her fears, the gentleman
got out, to pacify the horse and patch the broken trace. But misfor-
tunes never come single, for scarcely did the gentleman again occupy
his seat, when the horse took fright at a light by the road side, and
dashed off with speed; at the moment of alarm the lady screamed,
the gentleman dropped the whip, the reins got entangled around the
horse’s legs, the horse rushed on with fury, the off wheel came in con-
tact with a dray, the gig was over turned, the lady thrown out, the
horse flew off with the shafts which had parted from the body, the
IN-DOOR GAMES, 39
whole was a wreck, here a wheel and there a wheel, here a splinter
par and there a cushion, at one place a step, at another the shattered
lamp, &c. &c. Of course sucha game as this can be continued to any
length which is agreeable to the party, and may be varied in any man-
ner which the imagination of the story-teller can suggest ; in the fore-
going short account alone, there ought to have heen forty six risings
from the chair and turning round, as well as the whole company rising
four times at the repetition of the word gig.
It is evident algo that a number of games may be made out of the
above, asa farmer may give an account of his crops or his animals,
the guests being named barley, oats, wheat, dog, sheep, goat, &c. or
a boy may give an account ofhis schoul games, and name the company
marble, top, kite, or anything else he pleases. We will give another
game very similar to the above, and which also in Christmas parties
occasion a good deal of tan. This is called
HE TRAVELLER'S WANT’S.
This game is played lige the last except that as it is often incon-
venient in small rooms to get up and turn round, and besides that it
often makes a considerable noise; in this game all persons whose
names are called, immediately answer to their names, calling out
“here sir’? when the traveller mentions them, and rise from their
seats, although they do not turn round. He who tells the story takes
the name of the traveller the others personate one belonging te an inn
or else something which the traveller is likely to want; thus, one may
be called landlord, others, horse, bridle, saddle, oats, boots, slippers
supper, bed—and when all are seated, the traveller comes into th,
room and asks a question or gives an order, such as the followinge
Landlord, can I have a bed here to night? Have youa good stable
for my horse? Waiter, bring me some ale, and tell the Chamber-mid
to carry my dag up stairs and prepare a room for me,’’ or a hundred
other thiags which may occur to him at the time; the persons who
represent the landlord, waiter, chamber-maid or other person, must
get up and say, yes sir, or no sir, as the case may require, or here sir
or coming sir, if they are merely called, and if in any other manner,
40 IN-DOOR GAMES,
they are spoken to they are to answer properly, and if there are any
funny fellows to take these characters, they may often make a very
laughable answer. Those who personate objects, such as saddle,
Yridle, ale, bag, &c., are not to answer at all but to get up from their
seats. If any one forgets what he is to do, and suffers his name to be
called without getting up, and if necessary answering, he pays a forteit ;
and if the traveller should forget to collect the forfeit from any one, he
forfeits one himself, so also any one who has to answer, may if he
pleases introduce the name of any one in the room, and the person
whose name is called must then hold up his band, but not answer ; for
example, if the traveller calls landlord bring me my bill, as it is the
traveller who calls, the 5id/ must get up from his chair, and the land-
lord also, and if the landlord says 1’ll send the waiter with the bill sir,
—the waiter and the bill are neither of them to get up, but to hold
up his hand, and thus the game goes on until the company are tired,
THE GAME OF KING AND QUEEN,
This is a famous noisy game and ought to be played in a large room
without chairs. The company stand ina circle, the gentleman on the
one side and the ladies on the other. One of the gentiewen 18 called
the king, and one of the ladies is called the queen, the king numbers
all the gentlemen on his side of the room 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on regu-
larly, and the queen numbers all the ladies with the following numbers.
All the persons who play must remember their uumvers. ‘Then the
king calis outa number, he to whom it belongs, starts to run round on
the outside of the circle, the queen instantly calls another number and
the lady to whom it belongs, must the instant of hearing it run after
the gentleman and try to catch him betore he gets to we king, first
making one complete circle, and all of them running one way round
whichever may be agreed upn, if she succeeds, he that is caught must
pay a forfeit, if not, he escapes. When they have both retarned to
their places it is the queen’s turn to cail firsi, as soon as she has called
the owner of the number begins to run, and the king calls out the
number of the gentleman who i to follow her, but as gentlemen can
run quicker than ladies, the king before he calls the number ougnt to
give the lady an advantage of about half a second so that if he calls A,
IN-DOOR GAMES. 41
B, C, 4, she will get a little forward while he is saying A, B, C, and
the gentleman No. 4 most run the faster to overtake her before she
gets to the queen, if be does so, she pays a forfeit. The king and
queen should be at differént parte of the room. also at first starting the
pursuer must leave his or her place and pass through the cavity in the
ranks left by the one who starts first.
THE GAME OF HOW, WHERE AND WHEN.
This may-be considered a game of puzzles, for the object is to guess
a word which another person has thought of, all the guide you have
to the word is the answer to three questions. Firat telling one of the
prrty to think of what he likes, or to think of any thing, which usually
gives him pleasure; when he has thought, the leader of the play asks
three questions. How do youlike it? Wheredo youlikeit? And
the person who has thought, must give true answers, but he may give
them in such a way that the company cannot guess hat is thought of,
It is expected that the word thought of is an object of some kind, so
that such words as virtue, love, clearness, colour, form, and #0 on, are
not to be used, if the company guese right, the thinker loses his or her
turn to think, pays a forfeit, and becomes the asker of the questions to
the next party who is the one that has guessed right. When it is not
guessed at all within three minutes, another word is chosen and so the
game goeson. The art of playing is to choose such a word as has 4
double meaning, and by giving one answer for the other meaning, and
which is quite allowable, it is almost impossible to guess at the word.
- We will try two or three words. Ist. player says to the next one to
him, think of a word, I have, is the answer. How do you like it?
Clear. When do you like it? In the evening. Where do you like it ?
In.doors ; now, from these answers, it must be something clear, which
we like in-doors of an evening. What can it be, perhaps a giass of wine,
perhaps a glass of ale, or gin and water, or other spirit, or a candle, or
a lamp, or a fire, of the above one of them only can be correct. Now
suppose the first answer bad been “ blazing,†or suppose the third
answer was, “in a grate,†we should immediately have guessed a fire
Suppose the second answer bad been out of doors instead of in-doors
we should directly have thought of a star or the moon, so that it is in
the cleverness of the angwers that the play consists, otherwise it would
42 IN-DOOR GAMES.
be impossible to guess the word. Take a second word and one which
is more difficult. The word hair and which has a second meaning,
hare. Now if some of the answers belong to hair and the other to hare
it is almost impossible to guess. For example How de you like it?
‘Answer black ; (hair.) When do you like it ? when roasted ; (hare.)
Where do you like it? on my head ; (hair.) Ina case like this it is
almost impossible to guess right. The following are very good words
to choose, and also all other words which have a double meaning.
Night, Knight Quire, Choir
Ewe, You, Hugh Key, Quay
Cork Mould
Corn Bough Bow
Beach, Beech Bell, Belle
I LOVE MY LOVE.
This is a very old game, and may be played by any number of per-
sons, each taking a letter, and finding proper words to fill up the
various parts of the sentences to be uttered. All these words begin-
ning with the proper letter. Any one who does not find a word or
hesitates in uttering it pays a forfeit. One of the players begins as
follows :—
I love my love with an A because he is artless, I hate him because
he is avaricious. He took me to the sign of the anchor and treated
me to apples and anchovies. His name is Arthur and he comes from
Andover.
The next player goes on with the letter B. The following one with
C and so on to the end of the alphabet. We will not cuntinue the
repetition of the whole of the above but give one set of words for each
letter leaving our young friends to vary them as they please. They
will know where to apply the words from the above example.
A.—Ardent, artful, antelope, almonds and artichokes, Andrew, Ald-
borough.
B.—Brave, bad, bull, buns and bullaces, Benjamen, Banbury.
C.—Candid, careless, cat, capers and custards, Charles, Chelsea.
D.—Dutiful, disagreeable, dog, damsons and dates, David, Dedham.
E.—Elegant, envious, eagle, eggs and eels, Edward, Edinburgh.
F.—Frank, faithless, frying-pan, figs and filberts, Francis, Fulham.
IN-DOOR GAMES. 43
G.—Good, gracelesa, gridiron, grapes and gin, George, Gosport.
H.—Handsome, haughty, harrow, hare and hardbake, Henry, Harlow.
J.—Ingenuous, Inquisitive, inkstand, ices and isinglass, Isaac, Ireland.
J.—Just, jealous, jew, jelly and jam, James, Jamaica.
K.—Kind, knavish, king, kale and ketchup, Kenneth, Kilkenny,
{..—Liberal, lame, lanthorn, lobster and lemons, Lewis, London,
M.—Mild, mischievous, monk, marmalade and mincepies, Matthew,
Manchester.
N.—Noble, nonsensical, nun, nuts and nonpareils, Nathaniel, Nortk-
wich.
O.—Obliging, officious, owl, olives and oysters, Oliver, Oxford.
P,—Prudent, petulant, peacock, pears and plum-pudding, Peter,
Plymouth.
Q.—Quick, quarrelsome, quaker, quinces and queencakes, Quintin,
Queensborough.
R.—Rich, revengeful, river, raising and ratafia, Richard, Rugby.
S.—Sensible, scornful, swan, strawberries and sugar, Samuel Somer-
set.
T.—Tall, troublesome, turk, turnips and turtle, Thomas, Todcaster.
W.—Witty, wicked, watchman, wine and walnuts, William, Worces-
ter.
U XY Z, are always omitted.
Another way of playing this game is to repeat a different set of words
as follows, I love my love with an A because he is amiable, I will send
him to Andover and feed him on Apricots, I will give him an Axe to
cut down his trees with, and a bunch of Acorns for a nosegay. All
these sentences, except one, are to remain the same throughout, vary-
ing them only according to the letter appointed for the principal word ;
but the last but one is to contain the use of the thing given; thus in-
stead of Axe to cut down his trees with, we must say, Anchor to fasten
his boat with, or Arbour to sit in, and so on throughout. ‘The greatest
difficulty will be to make out the nosegays each time. This difficulty
will be removed by the following list arranged according to the letters.
Almond-flower, Blue bells, Columbine, Daffodils, Elder-flowers,
Foxglove, Geranium, Hollyoak, Iceplant, Jonquil, Kingcups, Labur-
nun, Marjoram, Nasturtium, Orange-flower, Princes feather, Quince-
44 IN-DOOR GAMES.
Siower, Roses, Sunflowers, Turkscap lily, Venus looking glass, Wall-
flower. .
The names given in the above game will of course be altered accord-
ing to the person who speaks ; if a gentleman he will use a lady’s name,
a lady will use the name of a gentleman.
THE DUMB ORATOR.
This game if well done, occasions a great deal of laughter. It is
usually played with two persons only, one of whom speaks, or utter
some recitation, the other makes, as it goes on, the proper gestures to it,
and in the same manner there may be several actors to the same
speech, and as they will not all agree in the various actions required,
some thinking one action proper, others another action, the great
variety will occasion much laughter. The actors must not only stand
up and give appropriate gestures with their hands and feet, and move-
ment of the body, but with their faces also. The one who reads must
only give proper emphasis to the words bat not act, he may read from
a book if he please or sing a comic song or repeat one of his school
recitations, such as that beginning ‘‘ My nameis Norval,†or “‘ Queen
Mab,†or any other that pleases him.
PRIEST OF THE PARISH,
A boy puts a wig on, or something for one, places all the others in
& row, calls one his man Jack, and says to each what will you be? One
answers, I'll be black cap; another red cap and so on. He then say
the priest of the parish has lost his considering cap—some says this,
some says that, but I say my man Jack! man Jack then, to putit off
himself says, is it me, sir? Yes, you sir! You're wrong, sir! Who
then, sir? Black cap! If black cap then doesn’t say is it me, sir, be-
fore the priest has time to cull him, he must pay a forfeit. If he is in
time the priest must say, yes, you sir? ‘You're wrong, sir! who then
sir? Red cap, sir; red cap then takes it up and so it goes round. Each
one may mention what colour he pleases, so that there is a good deal
of fan.
IN-DOOR GAMES. 45
FORFEITS.
Havine in the foregoing games described several in which forfeits
are incurred we proceed to describe the proper method of crying them,
and subjoin some of the penances to be performed. There are also
many games played to which forfeits are attached which are too well
known to require description, and many simple games may be played
merely for the imposition of the penances. -
A forfeit keeper, generally a lady, is selected, who receives the for-
feits in her lap, in the order as incurred, and at the conclusion of the
game the drawing commences.
The forfeits should be covered with an handkerchief, and the person
selected to draw introduces his hand without raising the covering more
than is necessary for so doing. A player who has not forfeited is
summoned to inflict the penunces.
The forfeit keeper then says to the person who is to impose the
penalty, ‘‘ What punishment do you award to this forfeit?†The
other answers, ‘‘ If it belongs to a iady, I award such a punishment, if
to a gentleman, so and so; or, whether lady or gentleman, they must
do so and so.†To avoid the person who imposes the penalty affixing
any particular punishment to the owner of the forfeit, and to provide
forfeits for those games which require a great number, it is better to
use slips of writing paper making them of nominal value; write the
name on them, and roll them up before they are given to the person
who holds the forfeits. Sometimes one forfeit is pledged for two or
more penalties, but this is a method likely to create confusion.
The person who belongs to a forfeit on which a penance has been
Pronounced must immediately perform it; he bas then the privilege
of ordering the penance on the next forfeit drawn.
After all, it would perhaps be better to draw the forfeits openly, and
find out to whom they belong, before the penalties are imposed. The
players would then have the benefit of the talents, without imposing
punishment beyond the power of any one present, A song, a drawing,
verses, or a atory might be required. To those penances difficult to
46 FORFEITS.
execute at the moment, a spsce of twenty-four hours might be given;
the delay would render the next meeting still more aereeable.
Penance 1.—Repeat as follows, three times successively, without
stopping or making a mistake.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickle pepper
A peck of pickle peppers, Peter Piper picked :
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickle Pepper
Where's the peck of pickle peppers Peter Piper picked f
Penance 2.—Repeat in the same manner.
A peacock picked a peck of pepper,
Tid he pick a peck of pepper
Yes, he picked a peck of pepper,
Pick, pecker, peacock.
Penance 3.—Repeat in the same manner,
As I went in the garden, I saw five brave maids
Sitting on five broad beds, braiding broad braids,
I said to these five braid maids, sitting on five broad beds
Braiding broad braids, braid broad braids, brave maids.
Penance 4.—Repeat the following without a mistake. Brandy legged
Boratio Mustacio Whiskerfusticus the bald and brave Bombardino of
Bagdad helped Abomilipue Blue Beard Bashaw of Babelmandeb to
beat down an abominable Bumble Bee at Bassora.
Penance 5.—Repeat quickly five times without stopping to take
breath.—Villy Vite, and his Vife, vent von Vitsun Vendsday, to
Vindsor and Vest Vickham, to have some Vine and Valnuts.
Penance 6.—Repeat six times without a mistake. A lump of rough
light red leather, a red light rough leather lump.
Penance 7.—Repeat the following without a mistake.
There was a man whose name was Cob,
He had a wife and her name was Mob,
He had a dog and his name was Bob,
She had a cat and her name was Chitterbob
Bob says Cob,
Chitterbob, says Mob ;
Bob was Cob’s dog,
Mob’s cat was Chitterbob,
Cob, Mob, Bob and Chitterbob.
FORFEITS. 47
Penance 8.—Repeat tne following lines,
When the twister a twisting,
Will twine him a twist,
For the twining his twist
He three times doth entwist
But if one of the twines of
The twist doth entwine,
The twine that untwisteth
Untwisted the twine.
Untwisting the twine that
Tntwisteth between,
He twirls with his twister
The two in a twine,
Then twisteth the twine,
He hath twined in twain
The twain, that in twining
Betore in the twine,
As twines were entwisted
He now doth untwine.
'Twixt the twain intertwisting,
A twine more between,
He, twisting his twister
Makes a twist of the twine.
Penance 9.—Compare a lady or gentleman with a flower, and say why
he or she is like that flower. A comparison should at the same time
present a likeness and a difference, for instance, alady may be com-
pared to the Hortensia: the resemblance says the gentleman, lies in
her beauty, and the privilege she possesses of appearing to advantage
in every view: the difference lies in the absence of perfume. A gen-
tleman may be compared to a branch of myrtle, which preserves its
verdure in all seasons as he preserves his sentiments—this is the
resemblance ; but if thrown into the fire it crackles, whilst he consumes
in silence—this is the difference.
Penance 10.—The deaf person. The person who has to perform this
penalty stands in the middle ofthe room, and must answer three times
“Tam deaf and can’t hear†and the fourth time, “I hear.’? The
players of course endeavour to render the penance severe. A lady
approaches, and offers something very agreeable to him; but the un-
fortunate wight is compelled to reply in the stated form. Two other
malicious ladies make him similar offers ; or a gentleman taking alady
by the hand, says ‘I bring this lady to you—salute her.†The deaf
48 FORFEITS.
person hears not. At the fourtn question, however, when his ears are
open, he is told to conduct some lady to kiss the wall, to sing a song,
&c, The deaf man is allowed to refuse and of course does not neglect
hisp rivilege.
Penance 11 —The water punishment. The person who owns the
penance is to be blindfolded, a glass of water is got, and a tea-spoon,
and the person blindfolded is then to be fed with water, a spoonfal at
a time, till he guesses who it is which is feeding him ; he is allowed a
guess to each spoonful.
Penance 12.—Laugh in one corner of the room, cry in another,
dance in a third, and sneeze, cough, and yawn in the other.
Penance 13.—Bite an inch off a poker. This is to make a snap or
bite at the distance of an inch from the end of a poker, so that there
is a great deal of difference between biting off an inch of the poker,
and biting an inch off the poker.
Penance 13.—Go out of the room with one of the other sex and spell
opportunity, this merely means that there is then an opportanity for
the two who have gone out to have a kiss, and if they neglect to take
the opportunity it is their own fault,
Penance 14.—Kneel to the wittiest inthe room, bow or curtsey to
the prettiest, and kiss the one you love best.
Penance 15.—Show four bare legs, this is done by taking up
achair and bolding the legs uppermost.
Penance 16.—Push a persons head through a curtain ring. You are
to put the curtain ring on your finger and then to give the person a
push on the head with that finger.
Penance 17.—Spell new door in one word. The letters which form
new door are precisely the same as those whick form ‘ one word,â€
therefore if you write on a slip of paper “ one word,†it will be what
js required.
Penance 18.—When a line is given to you, you must find another that
will rhyme to it. The holder of the forfeits must give a difficult rhyme
“as Thad some quicksilver, or there was a brave young soldier: we
FORYEITS: 49
believe there is no rhyme for silver or soldier at all, so that it would be
impossible to complete the couplet, and vet some very difficult ones
may be made up sometimes—as the following, which we remember
to have once heard.
Ipecactanha
- Is not so good as manna,
Yet I must give it to Anna,
In this forfeit a proper pronunciation must be given so that the
error in the word trees would not do in the following lines.
The cooling Western breezes
That whisper through the treeses.
Penance 19.~-Sit down on the carpet next to the door and repeat
the lines, ,
Frere will 1 take my seat under the latch,
Till somebody comes a kiss to snatch,
Penance 20 —Thejourneyto Rome. The person on whose forfeit
this penalty has been pronounced, must go the round of the room, and
. inform every individual that he is about to undertake a journey to
Rome, and assure every individual that if they have any message or
article to send to his Holiness the Pope, he will feel happy to convey
it. Every one must give something to the traveller, no matter how
cumbrous it may be, or awkward to carry, for the more inconvenient
the article, the more will the merriment be increased, until he is
overlosded with presents. When he has received each one’s com.
mission, he walks to a corner of the room, puts the articles down
and so his penance ends,
Penance 21.—Frankness, This penance requires a deal of cir-
cumspection, delicacy, and good feeling, for which reasons it should
not be generally enforced. If you arerequired to befrank, you address
each person in company, saying something agreeable in rather a severe
wnanner, or something a little malicious in a good natured tone.
Penance 22.—-Make your will, leaving to the company all the
qualities you are supposed to have. This penance affords great scope
for a display of complimentary and satirical talent and wit.
Penanee 23,—Execute some task which each person in company
successively imposes without uttering a word.
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OUT-DOOR GAMES.
HIDE ANO SEEK.
Some article is first chosen, as an object to hide, and one of the
boys hides it somewhere while the others cover their eyes with their
hands, and look another way, that they may not see where the article
is hidden. When the first boy has concealed it, he ealls out, “ hot
boiled beans and bacon,â€â€™ the others then begin tbeir search. If
they come near to the spot where the object is, the one who has
hidden it calls out you are hot, or you burn, according to the near-
ness you happen to be to the article ; or if you go away from where
it is, he says you are cold, or you freeze. When the article is found
the one who finds it, hides it next time. It is a rule not to hide it
anywhere about another boy, nor yet about yourself, or anything
moving. Sometimes this is made a parlour amusement by the name
of Magical Music. A lady sitting at the piano, plays loud when any
one approaches the place where the article is hidden, and plays very
softly when they are at a distance.
THE GAME OF WHOOP.
To plav this game properly, a place should be selected well furnished
With trees, or other object well calculated to conceal the players. A
54 OUT-DOOR GAMES.
large tree apart from the rest should be selected as ‘home †against
the person who is to seek leans his head and shuts his eyes while
the rest immediately run off and conceal themselves. When they are
all hid in separate places, for it should be a general rule that no
two players hide together, one of them, at a given signal from the rest,
cries “Whoop !� The seeker then begins to look carefully about
him, to find the hiding-places of the players. Whilst be is thus
engaged some of these stealthily quit their places, and dart homeward,
The other immediately pursues, and if he catches one, that one takes
his place; if several, the last one caught becomes the seeker. If
nobody is caught, they all hide again, and he is again obliged to be the
seeker. It generally happens that when the seeker is in pursuit of one
player, the others sally from their hiding-places and make towards
home. If all the players start at the same time homewards, oftentimes
the seeker suddenly returns to bis castle and catches them as they
arrive.
PRISONER'S BASE OR PRISON BARS.
This is a capital game in cold weather, and may be played by any
number of players. They are divided into two parties, and each party
has a den belonging to him. The dens should be made by drawing a
line across the piay-ground, from side to side, and about 3 yards from
it, two cross lines extending from the first line to the end of the play-
groand form the two dens in the corners, they should be several
yards apart if possible. Each party takes possession of one of these
dens or bounds. There are also at the opposite ends of the play-
yround two other bounds called prisons, one belonging to either party ;
‘he party who has the bounds on the one side, must have the prison
on the other, so that if any one runs to the prison belonging to his
party he must go quite across the ground. ;
The game begins by one boy from one of the sides running out into
the middle of the ground, one of those of the other side immediately
follows, another boy from the first party runs after him, and then a
second boy from the second party, a third boy follows him and in turn
he is pursued by one of the others on the other side, until they follow
each other in quick succession, each party sending out as many as taey
think fit. Every boy who goes out endeavours to catch or touch the
OUT DOOR GAMES, . 5s
one who goes out before him, but he is not allowed to touch any who
go out after him, who indeed try to stop and touch him before he can
get back to his bounds again. A player is only allowed to touch one
party, and when he has touched one, he is exempt from being touched
himself as he returns. All those who are touched must go to ths
prison belonging to hia own party and there he must remain, until
some one leaving the bounds, is able to run without being touched by
one of the opposites, up to the prison and touch one of those who are
there, and the boy who liberates him, must not start till the prisoner Is
safely within the prison bars. When a prisoner is thus released, nei-
ther he nor his releaser are to be touched on their return to the
bounds. The game is ended when one of the parties has all the op-
posite party in prison at the same time.
WABNING OR WIDDY-WAY.
Any number of boys may play at this game. A line is first drawn
across the play-ground near one end. Ail the players except one are
scattered about the ground. This one voes within the bounds made
by the line. He then closes his hands together before him, and calls
out Widdy, Widdy, way, cock warning, and as he says this he rans out
of the bounds and pursues the rest, and as soun as ever he can touch
one of the others with his closed hands, ‘or he is not at liberty toun-
lock them, that one must return with him to the bounds. Thesetwo
then join hands, and repeating the same words, run out and try to catch
some one else, while all who are on the ground endeavour to escape,
but as soon as either of them touches « third party they separate and
return to bounds to take him in. There are now three joining hands,
end it follows as a matter of course that the centre one cannot touch
any one, having both bis hands engaged, it remains then for the outer
boys to touch the othe:s,and he who comes in last is allowed the out.
side place until others are caught afterwards in like manner. When a
fourth party is caught, the one who began the game leaves the rank
and goes out smong the rest to take his chance with them in being
caught. When ali the players except one have thus been touched, the
game is ended, and the one who is left begins the next game. Ali the
time ‘hat the line of catchers are out after tbe reat, the free players en
56 OUT-DOOR GAMES
deavour to break the line, for whenever the line is broken, whether
it is by them or by those in the line letting go, no one else can be
touched until they all return to the bounds, and begin again; besides
which, whenever the line is broken, those who have formed it are
either beaten home by knotted handkerchiefs, or else become nags
for the rest, until they arrive within the bounds.
WAR SHEEP, OR KING CELIA.
Two dens are made at opposite ends of a play ground, and all the
boys of the school may play at this game at thesametime. They are
all at first assembled in one den or bounds, except one boy who begins
the game by standing in the middle, between the two bounds. The
whole of the other boys run forward to get to the opposite bound. The
player in the middle catches one if he can; when he has caught
any one he must hold him until he is able to repeat the words, “ One,
two, three, a man for ms, dead, dead, dead.†If the other gets away
he is free for the time, but if the former one is able to repeat those
words before he gets loose, he becomes a war sheep and stands in the
middle like the former one and endeavouts to catch some one passing,
for the players who are not yet caught, run backwards and forwards
from one den to the other repeatedly, all starting at the same time,
When the whole of them are caught in this manner the game ends :
he who is last begins the next game by standing in the middle, but he
retires to the den and takes his chance with the rest, when he has
caught one to take his place. No one can be caught unless the words
given above, are repeated while his pursuer has hold of him.
DROP HANDKERCHIEF,
A number of players join hands so as to make a circle, one only stands
out, he walks round the outside of the circle, and drops the handker-
chief behind which player in the cirble he thinks fit. ‘he party behind
whom the handkerchief is thus dropped immediately follows the one
who dropped it, those who stood on each side complete the circle by
joining hands, and the chase commences, ‘The pursuer is bound to
follow the course of the pursued, who winds in and out under the
arms of the other players, and endeavours by ali the means in his
OUT-DOOR GAMES. 37
power to pugzie and eludehim. If he succeeds in so doing, that is, is
the pursuer make a blunder in his course, he returns to his place in
the circle, and the first player prepares to drap the handkerchief be.
hind one of the players again. When he is fairly overtaken by the
player behind who he has last dropped the handkerchief, the latter takes
his place and he joins handsin the circle.
LEAP FROG.
This ancient game is still very much played at. One boy partly
stoops down so asto form a back for the rest to jump over, and in
order to preserve his head he keeps it bent down as much as possible.
He stands either sideways to the other players, vr sometimes with his
back towards them, if he makes a very high back. The others being
prepared, run forwards one at a time; the first one when he has coms
up to the one who makes a back, stretches out his hands, puts them,
without pausing, on theother’s back and springs over ; when he gets to
a little distance beyond he also makes a back, so that the second leaper
has two backs to jump over, and the next one three backs, so that the
last leaper has to go over the backs of all his companions, When
he has gone over, the first one begina to jump over the vest and makes
a back beyond the laet, each one then goes on in the same manner over
all his companions making a back in his turn, and the game continues
until all are tired.
FLY THE GARTER.
This is a game very similar to the last, one boy makes a back stand~
ing sideways with one of his feet on a given mark. The whole of the
other players then go over him; should any one knock him down at
any time throughout the game, he takes place of the first one, but the
players do not make backs beyond the first es in the game of leap frog,
but all the leapers return to their first jlace ready to start afresh. The
one who makes the back moves forwards from the mark which is called
the garter, a space equal to that measured by the length joined to the
" ‘breadth of bis foot, and making a second back, they all go on again,
observing that every one begins his leap on the contrary side of the
garter to where the back is. If all are successful in going safe over,
the back removes an equal space forward, which in addition to the
58 OUT-DOOR GAMES
former, makes the leap more difficult ; until at last some one is not
able to pass over ; when that is the case, if he sould either refuse to
try, should step within the garter, or throw his companion down he
becomes the back; when they have all gone on to six or eight steps as
may be agreed upon before hand, each leaper is allowed to take a hop
withinside the garter before he passes over the back ; six steps are
then taken by degrees, on account of the hop, and if even then none are
thrown off at the seventh beyond tre first of the hop, that is ¢ the
thirteenth from the beginning, the players may take a step or skip as
well asa hop, und after six more steps, then they may each take a hop
skip and a jump betore going over, for six steps more ; when the whole
begins again. It is very rare however that all the players are so
fortunate as not to be out before then, and whenever any one is out
on account of the reasons given above, then the game begins at the
garter again. 1f the jumpers have made a false calculation of dis-
tance, or should slip while going alung, they are allowed to run past
the back, and are not out unless trey touch the party in passing.
In such a case they must go on again before any one else, and if
any one should offer a second time aud not go over, they are out,
unless previously agreed upon tu the contrary.
JUMP LITTLE NAGSaIL
This is also a game something like leap frog. The players take
two sides, an equal number of boys on each; one party has to
make backs for the other to leap upon. First one of them stands
against a post or wall to support himself, he stands with his face to
the rest, the next boy of his party rests his head against the chest
of the one who is standiug, the third boy makes his back a continue
ation of the first, then comes the fuurth and fifth bovs if there are so
many, who ali join with the former | nes to make one line of backs,
all their faces being towards the one standing against the wall, and
he looking at the players who are to jum, to see fair play. AU
being thus arranged, the other psrty run forward one at a time, the
first of them leaps as far as possibie aud -eats himself upon one of the
backs, and when once there he must not move hand or foot nor yet
touch the ground upon any preteuce, the next goes on and gets upon
OUT-DOOR GAMES 39
the next back, or on the same if possible, where he also remains im-
moveable, the third and others succeed as rapidly as possible, and
when all are on the others backs, the frst one called the leader then
repeats as fast as possible, ‘Jump little nagtail, one, two, three;
jump little nagtail, one, two, three ; jump hte nagtail, one, two,
three ; off, off, off.â€â€™ If they can remain on all this time without any
one of them falling to the ground, the same party go on again, but if
they fall off the nags are then in, and becume jumpers while the others
become nags, so algo if there is not room enough for all of their party
vo get on, they are out. ‘This game is sometimes called saddle my
nag, and the leaping party instead of repeating the words given above
have to count twenty or some other number agteed upon.
BUCK, BUCK.
This is played by three boys. One forms a back, the same as at
jump little nagtail; the second is the rider, and the third stands by
and sees fair play. When the first boy has made a back, he stands
with his head against a post. The second boy or rider umps up so
as to sit astride upon the first one’s back, as suon as he has done so
he holds up one of his fingers, and calls out, ‘‘ Buck, buck, how
many horns do I hold up?†The player who gives the back guesses,
and if he guesses the exact number of fingers, the rider is obliged to
make a back instead of the other, who becomes the umpire, while the
umpire becomes the rider; but if the buck does not guess right the
rider gets off, and going a little space away, in order to enable the
buck to settle himself a little, he vaults on his back a second time,
and holding up certain of his fingers, asks the same question as
before. This is repeated until the buck guesses the right number.
BASTING THE BBAR,
One boy has a string about two yards long, fastened to his arm, and
he stands in the middle of large circle made on the ground. The
bears master, and who is chosen by bear himself, holds the other end
of the string ; all the other players stand round with handkerchiefs
rolled up aud knotted. The bear's master must also have one similar.
All the boys strive to hit the bear with their handkerchiefs, while bis
60 OUT-DOOR GAMES,
master defends him, and if the master strikes one of them, whoever
may be, without leaving go of the string, that one becomes the bear
and of course takes place of the furmer.
KING OF THE CASTLE.
One boy takes possession of a rising ground, which he calls his
castle, he being king of it. The other players standing round try to
push him off the mound of earth, wile ue endeavours by pushing
them back to keep possession of it, No one must come behind him
nor yet attack him when he is engaged with another. Whoever can
dislodge his from the castle becomes in his turn the king of it,
FRENCH AND ENGLISH.
This game is played by two parties of nearly equal strength, one
of whom is called the French, and the other the English; they have
along ropa, making a line across the play ground. Both parties take
hold of the rope, and standing one on each side of the line, one
party endeavours to pull the other over it, and as soon as either party
is pulled completely over the line, the other wins. 3, 4, 6, or any other
namber of turns, as may be agreed upon win the game,
TOUCH WOOD, OR TOUCH IRON,
This is a very simple game but one which is amusing. One boy
stands in the middle among several companions all of whom are touch-
ing wood, or iron as agreed upon. When they think the attention of
the boy in the middle, who is called touch, is engaged, they leave their
piaces and run across the ground, or to some distance. The boy called
touch runs after some one of the number and endeavours to touch him,
if he can do go, when the other is not touching the wood or iron, he
that is touched becomes the touch and the first boy becomes a runner.
No one is allowed to carry a piece of wood or iron about with him,
nor yet to touch any moveable piece on the ground, or laying loose any~
where, but if the piece which is touched should be very small so that
it cannot be seen very easily, and such for example as a nail in &
paling, and the ove who is touch, desires the other to show him what
it is he is touching, he cannot be touched while he is doing so, nor yet
OUT-DOOR GAMES. 61
until the touch is removed more than two yards off. A boy may be
toached if he should fall down, just as well as if be were running,
This is the case in most of the eames we have spoken of, for if it were
not 80, boys would sometimes fall down on purpose to escape,
Cross TOUCH.
This is a better game than tie last. While touch is pursuing one
of the players, another runs across his path, between him and the
party pursued,and touch must then follow the one who crosses, till another
crosses between them, and so it continues changing, till touch succeeds
in catching one, who takes, of course, the office of touch, and the
game continues as before.
HUNT THE HARE.
Certain bounds are fixed, and the boy selected as “ Hare†rans
out, when his comrades, having given him time to run a certain dis-
tanee, give chase, and endeavour to catch him, before he arrives at
“home.†Sometimes the “‘ hare ’’ is not allowed to return ‘ homeâ€
but must remain out until caught, in which case he is allowed to hide
himself, and a game frequently lasts several hours,
FOLLOW MY LEADER.
The fun of this game depends entirely upon the character of the per-
son who is chosen as a leader. If he isa bold and active lad, it is
amusing enough. The leader stands first and all the other players
stand in a row behind him. He commences the game by doing some
feat as running, stopping, leaping, hopping, calling out, climbing, or any
thing else which strikes his fancy, that he thinks most of others can do,
They must all ofthem in regular order as they stand behind him, per-
form the same, and they all do it, the game continues without change
of place with any of them, ifsome of them cannot do the feat, and those
behind them can, those who succeed must change places with those who
eannot. And it is to be observed that although the best performers
get ficat vet if there are several who fail and several who succeed, the
latter go before the others, but are not altered in position relative to
each otuer, ‘hus quppose the players were numbered 1, 2, 3,4 and
62 OUT-DOOR GAMES.
so on, and 2 was the only one thrown out, he would have to go he-
hind all the others but if 2 and 3 are thrown out and the others uot,
2 and 3 would go to the end and yet 2 would still stand before 3,
GAME OF THE HORNS.
A droll fellow is first chosen, and after putting all the rest in a ring
around him, he begins thus :—He Jays his forefingers on his knees,
and says, horns! horns! cow horns! and then raises his fingers by
& jerk up above his head, the boys and girls in the ring then de the
same, for the meaning of the play is, that the one in the middle
always raises his fingers every time he names an animal, but if he
names any that has no horns, and the others jerk up their fingers, then
they must pay a forfeit. Horns, horns, goat horns! and then he
quickly raises his fingers: they must ail do the same, because a goat
has horns. Horns, borns, horse horns! and again he raises his
fingers, but those around him onght not to do so, because a horse
has no horns, and any one who then raises bis fingers pays a forfeit.
It is a pretty game for Christmas time, requiring a keen eye and a
quick hand, and may te played either as an in-door or out-door amuse-
ment,
DRAWING THE OVEN.
All the players with the exception of two, seat themselves upon the
ground, behind each other, each player clasping the one before him
tightly by the waist. When all the sitters are thus united, the two
players who remain standing take hold of the foremost sitter, and en-
deavour, by vigourously pulling, to detach him from the rest. When
they have succeeded in doing this, take hold of the second in the same
manner, and so continue “drawing the oven’’ until they have drawn
all the players from the ground.
DUCK-8TONY.
This game cannot be played by fewer than three boys, nor must
the players exceed six or eight. Particular caution must be observed,
for should it be played carelessly, the players are liable to
injure each other, from the weight of the stones, and the force with
UT-DOOR GAMES. 63
which they must be cast. A large stone, with a smooth flat top, is
placed upon the ground, and about six or eight yards distance is marked
the offing. Each player then provides himself with a large pebble-
atone, somewhat larger than a cricket-ball, and the game commences
by pinking for duck. The players stand at the offing, and hitch their
pebbles at the large stone; the player whose pebble rolls farthest from
the flat stone then becomes duck, and must place his pebble upon it.
The other players then cast their pebbles at duck’s pebble, singly, from
the offing, and then watch the opportunity to pick up their pebbles
and hasten home ; that is, to the offing in order to throw again. But
should duck succeed in touching one of the players who has touched
or picked up his pebble, before he reaches home, and providing h's
own pebble is on the stone, the player so touched becomes duck ; but
if he be quick he may cry out ‘‘ double duck†before duck is able to
kick his own pebble off the stone, or cry out ‘ Feign double duck,â€
in which case both the “ ducks†are placed upon the stone together.
Should all the players have thrown without being able to knock the
* duck,†or “ ducks†off, and the pebbles be so close together that they
are unable to pick them up, without being touched by duck, the
players frequently propose to duck to take either a ‘ heel r†a
‘jump,’ or a “ toe-sling’â€â€™ towardshome. The “ heeler,†consists in
Kicking the stone backwards towards home ; the “ toe-sling,†in put-
ting the stone on the middle of the right foot, and slinging it in the
direction of home; and the “ jump†in placing the stone between the
feet, and holding it there while a jump is taken, and the stone let fall,
so that it may roll towards home. The number of slings, jamps, or
heelers, to be taken in order to reach home, are agreed on by duck,
andif the player does not reach home in the given number, be becomes
uck.
° ROUNDERS.
» make four or eight holes in the ground, according to the number of
players, in a circular direction, and at an equal distance from each
other. At every hole is placed a player with his bludgeon; one of
the opposite party, who stands in the field, tosses the cat to the one
nearest him, and every time the cat is struck the players are obliged
to change their situation, and run once from one hole to another, in
‘ 5
64 OUT BOOR GAMES,
rotation; if the cat be driven to any great distance, they continue to
ron in the same order, and they claim a score towards their game every
time they quit one hole and run to another, but if the cat be stopped
by their opponents, and thrown across between any two of the holes
before the player who has quitted one of them can reach the next, he
is out. Sometimes, boys make it a rule that the cat shall be thrown
at one the players, Should it hit him, the batsman is out; if not, he
scores one. Whoever is nearest the bat, or rather the place of the bat,
when the cat has been thrown, goes on next time. A smooth round
stick is preferred by many boys to a bat for striking the ball.
TRAP, BAT, AND BALL.
Trap ball is so called because of the trap that is used to elevate the
ball before it is struck by the bat. It is not restricted to any particu-
lar number of players, though there are seldom more than six or eight
ofaside. The trap of ancient days was about a foot high from the
ground, that which is now used is made in the shape of a shoe, the
heel part being hollowed cut for the reception of the ball : it should be
placed upon the ground with the heel a little sunk. The two sides of
players having tossed up for innings, those forming the out-side place
themselves. The player on the inning side then puts the ball into the
spoon of the trap, and the tongue (the elevated end) being struck
smartly by the bat, causes the ball to rise, and as it rises he strikes it
smartly. In this game two boundaries are fixed at a given distance,
(aay twenty yards,) between which it is necessary for the ball to pass,
when struck by the batsman, and if it falls on the without side of
either, he gives up his bat and is out. In striking at the ball, if he
miss it, or if he touch the tongue more than twice without hitting the
ball, he is out. When the ball is struck, and one of his adversaries
catches it before it grounds, he is also out; and again, if the bull,
when retumed by the opponent party, touches the trap, or rest within
a bat’s length of it. Should none of these things happen, the out
player must bowl it from the place where be picked it up towards the
trap; if it touch the trap, the batsman is out ; but if not, heis scored
one to the game. Sometimes, the batsman guesses the probable num.
ber of bat’s lengths within which the ball may be bowled up to the
OUT-DOOR GAMES. 65
orks
trap; when, shonld he guess under the number of lengths, he counts
them towards the game, but if above the number, he looses his innings.
Very strict players sometimes drive s akes for the bounds, ant place
a line of tape two feet high, over which the ball must be sent, else the
striker is out, Boys who cannot procure a trap, content themselves
by making a round hole in the ground, and, by way of a lever, use the
brisket bone of an ox, or a flat piece of wood of like size and shape,
which is placed in a slanting position, one half in the hole, with t e
ball upon it, and the other half out of it.
ESSEX TRAP BALL
A trap like the one last described, is used in this game, but, instead
of a broad bat, a round stick, about three feet long, and as thick as a
mopstick, is used. In striking, both hands are used, and those who
have acquired the habit of striking the ball with the cudgel, will often
strike it to an astonishing distance. The ball being stopped by one
of the opposite party, the striker forms his judgment of the ability of
the person who is to throw it back, and calls in consequence for any
number of scores towards his game that he thinks proper. It is then
returned, and if it appears to his antagonist to rest at a sufficient dis-
tance to justify the stiker’s call, he obtiins: his number, but when a
contrary opinion is held, a measurement takes place, and if the scores
demanded exceed in number the lengths of the cudgel from the trap to
the ball, he looses the whole, and is out; while on the other hand, if
the lengths of the bat are more than the scores called for, the matter
terminates in the striker’s favor, and they are set up to his account.
NORTHERN SPELL.
In this game, instead of a ball, a large stone marble is usually substitu-
ted. A trap, and a short round stick to strike with are used. The
gime consists in striking the marble to the greatest distance in a given
nuaber of strokes. Sometimes the ball is fashioned from stig’s horn.
NINE HOLES; OR, HAT BALL.
Near a wall where the ground is level, dig nine, or a less number of
holes, according to the number of players, targe enough for a ball to
67 OUT-DOOR GAMES.
be bowled in without difficulsy. About London, this game is called
hat ball, on account o° the players using their hats instead of digging
holes, and the ball is tosseJ into the hats, instead of being bowled into
the holes. Number theh les or hats, and let each player be allotted
a number a: may be agreed ; a line is drawn about five yards from
the holes, ut which one of the players places himself, and bow!s the ball
into one of the holes. The player to whom the hole into which the
ball is bowl d belongs, picks it up a8 quickly as he can, and endeavours
to strike one of the others with i , the latter all run off as soon as they
perceive that the bal. is not for themselves. If the thrower loses his
aim, he loses a point, and is called ‘ fiferâ€â€™ and it is his turn to bowl;
five or six may be struck in succession, and the ball may be kept up,
no matter how long, until a miss is made, when the party so missing
loses a point, and is to bowl. It is also allowed for one player to ac-
cept the ball from another, and run the risk of striking a third ; thus
if A stand close behind B, and C have the ball in front of B, A may
signify by motions that he will take the ball, which is thrown towards
him by C, he catches it, and endeavours to strike B before he can run
away, if he miss he loses a point and bowls. The second bowling is
conducted precisely as the first, but he who bowls three times without
bowling the ball into a hole, loses a point, and if he has lost one before,
becomes a “‘tenner,’â€â€™ he must still go on until he suceeed in putting
the ball into a hole; itis his own fault if he bow! into that which belongs
to himself. He who loses a third point becomes a ‘‘ fifteener,’’ and
he who loses a fourth point, stands out for the rest of the game. The
game goes on till all the players are out but one, and he of course wins
the game. One of the others then takes the ball in his left hand, places
his face towards the wall, and throws the ball over the right shoulder,
as far ashe can. The player who has won, stands at the spot where
the ball first touches the ground, or if it be not immediately behind the
thrower, the winner throws the bail at the losers back three times,
as hard as hecan. The other losers throw in the same manner, one
after another, and the winner has his three balls at each of their backs,
from the spot where their ball respectively first touch the ground, or
in a line with it, as above stated.
OUT-DOOR GAMES. 66
THE GAME OF FIVES.
This game may be played by any number of boys, either all against
each other, or else in parties. It must be played against a good high
wall, with a level piece of ground in front of it; along the wall, at
about three feet from the ground, a line must be painted, of a white
colour, and along the ground another line must be scratched, at the
distance of about two yards from the wall. The players toss up for
innings: the person who is to goin begins by throwing his ball on the
ground, so that it shall bound up, and when it is at a proper height, he
strikes it with his hand, against the wall, being careful to make it hit the
wall above the line, and so hard thatit may rebound from the wall be-
yond the line on the ground ; the other player then strikes it in the same
manner, either before it has touched the ground or before it has re-
bounded from itonce. The first player then prepares to receive and
strike it at its rebound; and thus the game goes on, until one of the
players fail to strike the ball in his turn, before it has hopped or
bounded more than once. If he fail :o hit the ball, he is out, and also
if he do not strike it above the line en the wall, and when bounds are
agreed upon by the parties, he will be out if he strike it out of the
bounds. Ifthe party who is in, does either of these, he loses his innings
(if the other party, supposing two parties are playing against each other,
and there must be either two antagonists, or two sets of antagonists),
then the in-player reckons one on each occasion toward the game,
which is fifteen. When partners play, the rules are precisely the same,
each side keeping up the ball alternately, and the partners taking turns
for innings, as one of the other side gets out. After the ball is first played
out on each occasion, it is not necessary to make it rebound beyond
the ground line, which is used only to make the player who is in give
out the ball fairly in the first instance, that is, when he first takes his
innings, or when he plays out the ball again, after winning a point.
THE GAME OF TENNIS.
‘=A tennis court is usually 96 to 97 feet long, by 33 or 34 in breadth.
A net hangs across the middle, over which the ball must be struck, to
make any stroke good. At the entrance of a tennis the court, there
a long covered passage before a part of the court which is called
68 OUT-DOOR GAMES,
the dedans, the place where spectators usually are, into which, when-
ever a ball is played, it counts for a certain stroke. This long pas-
sage is divided into different apartments, which are called galleries;
namely, from the line to the dedans is the first gallery. The door is
called the second gallery, and the last gallery is called the service side.
From the dedans to the last gallery are the figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
each at a yard distance, marking what are called the chases, which are
one of the most essential parts of the game. On the other side of the
line is the first gallery, door second gallery, and last gallery, which
is called the hazard side. Every ball played into the last gallery on
this side tells for a certain stroke, the same asinto thededans. Between
the second and this last gallery, are the figures 1, 2, marking the
chases on the hazard side. Over this long gallery is the penthouse,
on which the ball is played on the service side, to begin a game of ten-
nis, and if the player should fail striking the ball, so as to rebound
from the penthouse, over a certain line on the service side, it is reckon-
ed a fault, and two such faults following are considered a stroke. If
the ball pass round the peuthouse, on the opposite side of the court,
and fall beyond a particular line, it is called passe, goes for nothing,
and the player is to serve again.
A set of tennis consists of six games, but if an advantage game, two
successive games above five game must be won to decide, or in case it
should be a regular set of six games, two games must still be won on
one side to conclude the set. ‘
When the player begins the game. he strikes the ball against the
penthouse, which is called, giving a service ; his adversary is supposed
to return the ball wherever it falls after the first rebound, just the
same as at fives, but each player instead of playing with his hand, is
furnished with a kind of battledore, covered with cross strings of cat-
gut, and the way in which this is done is as follows, the second player
is not to touch the ball with his hand at all, but strike it back. If it
falls at figure 1. The chase is at a yard, that is to say, at a yard from
the dedans, this chase remains till a second service is given, and if the
player on the s-rvice side should let the ball go after his adversary re
turns it, and the ball falls on or between any of these figures they must
change sides, for he will then be on the hazard side to play for the
. first chase, which’ if he win by striking. the ball, a0 as to fall after its
OUT-DOOR GAMES. 69
first rebound nearer to the dedans than the figure 1, without his ad-
versary being able to return it after its first rebound he wins a stroke
and then proceeds in like manner to win a second stroke. If the bail
fall on a line with the first gallery door, second gallery, or last gallery,
the chase is likewise called at such and such a place, naming the gal-
lery, &c. When it is just put over the line or net, it is called a chase
at the line. If the players on the service side return a ball with such
force as to strike the wall on the hazard side, so as to rebound, after
the first hop, over the line, it is also called a chase at the line.
The chances on the hazard side procced from the ball being return-
ed either too hard or not hard enough; so that the ball after its first
rebound, falls on this side of the line, which describes the hazard side
chases, in which case it is a chace of 1, 2, &c., provided there be no
ehase depending, and according to the spot where it exactly falls.
When they change sides, the player in order to win this chace, must
put the ball over the line anywhere, so that his adversary does not
return it. When there is no chase on the hazard side, all balls put
over the line from the service side, without being returned, reckon.
The game, instead of being marked, one, two, three, four, is called
for the first stroke 15; for the second, 30; for the third, 40; and
for the fourth, game; unless the players get four strokes each; then,
instead of calling it 40 all, it is called deuce, after which, as soon as
any stroke is got, it is called advantage, andin case the srokes beco::.e
equal again, deuce again ; till one or the other gets two strokes follow-
ing to win the game.
The tennis ball weighs about 2} ounces. It is made of Indian rab-
ber, or of strips of cloth closely wound together, and is covered with
a close white kerseymere. The racket is about 2 feet 2 inches in
length, its weight is from 18 to 22 ounces.
«ONG, OR, OPEN TENNIS,
This game is played in the open air. upon ground rolled andar ran-
ged for the purpose. The ground should be 160 paces in length, for
if smaller the play would be hampered, and if larger, the game would
h too fatiguing. Two parellel lines are drawn at the distance of 20
paces, to form the lateral bounds, these lines are marked by a string
70 OUT-DOOR GAMES.
fastened to the top of stakes about 2 feet high which are planted round
the ground. Another line is drawn across the middle, and whether a
stroke counts or not, depends upon whether the ball goes over or under
this line. In this game there are generally several players on each side,
but it may be played by one against-one. The players take off their
coats, and wear a loose flannel jacket, that allows the free exercise 0
the limbs. The neck should be free. A belt is worn round the mid-
dle. Soft pliant slippers, that yield to the movements of the feet, are
absolutely necessary, for it is impossible to play the game weil in boots
or strong shoes. A correct eye as well as skill and agility are requi-
site to play this game properly.
Sometimes the player returns the ball just passing over the head,
without waiting till it reaches the ground, sometimes he raises it when
it almost touches the ground, and returns it over the line. At other
times he retires from the line of the ball, if it appears likely to touch
him, and leaves it for his partners behind him to return it. One player
strikes the ball with all his strength ; another waits for it and allows
it to drop as it were upon his racket; but skill in this game consists
less in striking the ball with force than in placing it so as to deceive
the adversary. It is proper play to return the ball over the cord which
divides the space into 2 parts; and bad play to play it under; but
better play consists in so managing the stroke as to drop the ball just
over the cord, so that it falls almost dead, the ball then bounds but
slightly, and great agility and skill is necessary on the part of the
adversary to catch it up and return it. This game like others has a
language peculiar to itself as follows.
TERMS OF THE GAME
The Service. When all the players are mustered before the game
is begun, a racket is thrown up, so that after turning in the air, it falls
to the ground, either on the rough or the smooth side, the rough side
being that on which the knots of the racket are visible. When the
racket is thrown up, the player calls one, smooth or rough, and if he
win, has the right of serving the ball ; the best player however gene-
rally commences, and the others succeed according to their ‘strength.
The servia; place is marked by a piece of cloth fastened to the
OUT-DOOR GAMES. 71
groand by a nail, the server advances or retreats as he chooses, accor-
ding to the force of the wind, against which he always places himself.
Sets, are played with from two to twelve players, two against two,
three against three, and so on, but never more than six against six.
Each set consists of four games at the least, but when there are more
than three on each side, it consists of as many games as there are
players, with the addition of one other game, that is if there are four
players on each side, five games are necessary to win, if five players, six
games ; but if six, six are sufficient. In all cases itis possible, indeed
it often happens, that the games may be extended to any number, as
will be afterwards explained.
Each game consists of four strokes, counting 60; every stroke or
score made counting 15 points. The game therefore may be won in
four strokes gained successively by the same party, but it rarely happens
that a game is won in four strokes, unless the other be so bad a player
that he cannot gain a single stroke during the game. This hovever
seldom occurs, for the game though speedily over, would be wor with
too little trouble. The object therefore is to match the parties as
equally as possible, and many strokes are then made before a score is
gained or lost. Suppose one side make 15 the first stroke, the other
side makes 15 the second stroke, it is called fifteen all. If the first
again make 15, it is called thirty, and the other side the same, it is
thirty all. If the first again score fifteen, making 45, and the other
the same, it is called deuce, when another stroke is made it is called
advantage; if the strokes become equal again, it is called deuce, and
this continues till one or the other gains two strokes in succession,
which wins the game. We will sow explain this last circumstance as
plainly as we can.
One of the first laws of the game is to return the ball that has been
served, either by volleying, that is by striking it whilst in the air, be-
fore it touches the ground, or at the first hop. The second hop is too
late, and whenever the ball falls after the first rebound untouched, even
if it be stopped at the very spot, the chase is called accordingly. We
say if it be stopped at the very spot, because as long as the ball rolls
within bounds, the chase lengthens with it, and it is only at the spot
where it ia stopped, before passing the servers place, that the marker
places a red or blue markto indicate the place.
72 OUT-DOOR GAMES.
A chase is then made, in the general game, from tae place of ser-
vice ; when service has once been made, to the other extremity of the
ground, in the limited game it is made in one of the two spaces com-
prised between the cord and the line placed at each end, parallel to the
cord, above which the ball ought to pass, and not rolling on the ground,
as is practised at the other game. This chase counts nothing, it is
only by playing for it, that anything can be lost or won. Playing for
it is to endeavour to gain it. It is won by so managing that the ball
in striking out shall fall at the first bound beyond the chase already
made ; if it fall exactly on the line of the chase, it is played again, this
of course is supposing that the adversary has been unable to return the
ball at the first rebound.
Defending a chase, is to return the adversary’s ball at the rebound,
but if it seem likely to fall, at the second bound, short of the chase, a
skilful player will let it pass ; if it happen as he expected, the adversary
loses the chase, and the other gains a point, 15, without playing.
As soon as two chases are made in a game the players change sides,
if neither side be 45 but if either side scere 45, they change when one
chase is made.
GAME OF GOFF OR GOLF.
The game of Golf is supposed to be peculiar to Scotland, though more
likely derived from Germany; the term Golf being derived from the
German word kolbe, or the Dutch kolf, aclub. The most popular
pronounciation of the Scotch word is gof’, or gowf. Sirutt, in his
work entitled, “‘ Sports and Pastimes of the People of England,â€
observes “ that there are many games played with the ball, that re-
quire the assistance of a club or bat, and »robably the most ancient
among them is the pastime now distinguished by the name cf goff. In
the Northern part of the kingdom goff is much practised. It answers
to a rustic pastime of the Romans, which they played with a ball of
leather stuffed with feathers, and the goff ball is composed of the same
materials to this day. -In the reign of Edward III., the Latin name
cembuca was applied to‘this pastime, and it derived the denomination,
vo doubt, from the crooked club or bat with which it was played.â€
The club is from two feet six, to four feet long, according to tke
OUT-DOOR GAMES. 73
height of the player, it is in shape like a walking stick, with a knob
at one end of it, which knob is bent rather on one side. The heavier
this knob is the better, the smaller end is to beheldin the hand. ~~
To make a club of the best quality, it ought to be of some tough wood,
planed smooth, the knob of it loaded with four or six ounces of lead,
and the handle of it bound with string or list, that it may be held firm
in thehand. The golf ball is about the size of an egg, and is very
hard, It is composed of stout leather, which having been previously
soaked in boiling water, allows of its being first very firmly sewed, and
then turned inside out, leaving a small opening only, by which it is
very tightly stuffed with feathers. The leather being yet wet, it con-
tracts into a ball of the proper size and nearly as round as that used in
cricket. It is then painted over with several coats of white paint, in
doing which it is requisite that the white lead should be pure, and
exceedingly well ground, as well as that each coat laid on should be-
come perfectly dry and hard before another is applied. The game
is as follows :—Three or four holes are made in the ground, about nine
inches over, and a foot deep, at the distance of about a quarter of a
mile from each other, and it is the object of the players tu strike the
ball into these holes, one after the other, and he who drives the ball
in, in the fewest number of blows wins the game. It may be played
by two or more persons, so that there be an equal number on each
side, but only two balls are used, one for each party, each party also
striking in turn ; but if the last striker does not drive his ball on so
far as his opponent, one of his party must then strike one or perhaps
two more ; and the game is thus marked, by calling out, one, two or
three more, as the case may be. If more than two are playing, the
game person does not strike twice in succession, a miss is counted one.
With some players it is not allowable to touch the ball at all with the
hand, but with others it is allowed to take the ball out of a hole or rut,
but thie is a matter of agreement before commencing play. In regular
golf clubs, there is an attendant called a cad or caddie who carries for
the convenience of any player who likes, a number of different shaped
clubs which are called putters, so that if the balls should get in an
awkward position and the player should find his own club not adapted
to strike it with full force, he may have a different one from the caddie.
74 OUT-DOOR GAMES,
There is generally, during the Spring and Summer months, some ex.
cellent golf playing on Blackheath. The following are
THE LAWS OF GOLF.
1.—You must tee (place) your ball not nearer the hole than two
clubs length, nor farther from it than six, and your tee must be on the
und.
The ball farthest from the hole to be played first.
3.—You are not to change the ball, struck from the tee, before the
hole is played out; and if at aloss to distinguish one ball from the
other, neither of them to be uplifted till both parties agree.
4.—You are not to remove stones, bones, or any Sreak club, in order
to play your ball, except on the fair green. If a ball stick fast in the
ground, it may be loosened but not lifted from the ground, except pre-
viously agreed upon.
5.—The player in every case shall be entitled to lift his ball and
drop it at such a distance as he thinks proper behind, and lose one
stroke, but when from any circumstance of the ground he cannot get
behind the place from whence he took the ball, he shall be allowed to
put the ball even with the place he took it from.
6.—If the ball be half covered or more with water on the green, the
player is at liberty to take it out, and drop it behind without losing a
stroke, and when the ball is completely covered with grass, &c, so
much thereof may be put aside or cut off, as that the player may have
a view of his ball before he plays.
7.—If the ball lie within the hollow formed in cutting any of the
water tracks on the green, it may be taken out, dropped behind the
track, and played with an iron club, without losing a stroke,
8.—In all cases where a ball is to be dropped, the player dropping,
shall stand with his face to the hole to which he is playing, and drop
the ball behind him over his head.
9.—When the balls lie within six inches of each other, the ball
nearest the hole is to be lifted till the other is played.
10,--In the case of more than two balls being played in the same
party, or of the match being decided by the number of strokes, if une
OUT-DOOR GAMES, 75
ball lie between the other and the hole, the ball nearest the hole must
be first played.
i1.—If a ball be stopped by accident, it must be played where it
fies; but if stopped by the adversary or his caddie, the party who
stopped the ball to lose the hole.
12.—If a ball should get lost on the green, the player shall drop
another at the place where his ball was supposed to have been lost,
and lose one stroke; but if it can be aseertained that the ball was lost
in any of the tracks of the green, another may be dropped behind the
track, and played with an iron without losing the stroke.
13.—If in striking, the club break, it is nevertheless to be accounted
a stroke, if you either strike the ground or pass the ball.
14,.—At holing, you are not to mark the direction to the hole, you
are to play your ball honestly for the hole, and not play on your adver-
sary’s ball, not lying in your way to the hole, but all loose impediments
may be removed.
15.—Mistakes relative to the reckoning of any particular hole can
not be rectified after the parties have struck off for the next hole.
RING BALL.
This is a very aucient game, and requires a great deal of skill to
p.ay it properly. A short post is inserted in the ground, a large
ring is fastened to the top of the post, the ring is placed upright, and
turns upon a swivel, so that if any thing strikes against the sides of
the ring, it turns round. This ring and post is a fixture. The players
have then a large bail made of a light wood, and about six inches in
diameter or eighteen inches round. The players either play in two
parties, or else all againet each other, A large circle is marked on the
ground, having the ring for the centre, and the player that is first goes
in, holding the ball in his right hand, bowls or pitches it at the move-
able ring, if he is lucky enough to pitch it through the ring, he counts
one, if not, one of the other party goes on and tries his luck, but if
the first is successful, he goes on again and again, as long as the ball
completely passes the ring, counting one each time. So also when the
other party gets the ball they go on as long as they can, and when
there are several players, he who loses a ball is out of the game, till
all the others have had their turn. The parties play for a certain
76 OQUT-DOOR GAMES.
number as thirty or fifty, and whoever gains that number first has the
game. At opposite sides of the circle upon the ground, and which
Ought to be about five yards from the post, there are two marks made,
one for each party, and it is from these marks that the bali must be
pitched. The lower part of the ring should not be above three or four
inches from the ground, and the size of the ring should be such that
the ball can easily pass through it, but not with much space to spare,
so that if the ball is six inches in diameter, six and a half will be quite
enough for the ring. The difficulty in playing is this, that if the ball
strikes the side of the ring instead of passing through it, the ring will
turn round, and then instead of presenting a flat face to the next player,
he wiil perhaps haveit sideways to him, when it will be almost impos-
sible for him to pass it through, Sometimes the players agree to stand
at any part of the circle they please, which makes the game much
easier. week wee oe
At this game there is a ring fastened to the post in the ground, the
same as the last game, but instead of there being but one ball, each
player has a ball to himself, so that there are seldom more than four
players either opposed to each other, or in parties of two. Each
player is also furnished with a stick four feet long, with a large fixed
ring et tke end of it, with which he can take up the ball that belongs
to sim ; thirty-one being the game, they make a mark at six or eight
yards from the ring, and each player in turn pitches his ball at the
ring, trying to pass the ball through it; if he succeed he counts one, if
not, he lets his ball remain; the next player tries the same, and if the
ring happens to lie sideways with him, he can very often pass _ his ball
through it, not by pitching directly at the ring, but by hittung his adver-
sary’s ball, and thereby giving his own ball a new direction. The third
player goes on in the same manner, and he may hit his adversary’s ball
but not bis own partners. The fourth player goes on afterwards, and
the object of all of them is to pass this ball through the ring, and also
to drive the adversary’s balls away, so that when his ball has passed
through, he goes on again from the point wherever his ball rolls to,
but he is not allowed to pass through the ring again, unless he hits
one of his adverssry’s halls first, therefore, if one of these lie near him,
he tries to drive that away, and also to lay his ball close up, so that
next time he may pass it through the ring, ov if he refuses to hit his
OUT-DOOR GAMES. 77
adversary's ball, he has his option to go back to the starting place, so
has any playor who pleases ; but if any one aims at the opposite ball,
and does not hit it, he loses one which he had gained before. After
the first time, the players have the option either of going on from the
place their balls are driven to, or from the starting place, as at first,
and if a player hits his partner’s ball by accident, he pays the penalty
of injuring his own interest, by depriving his partner of his next
ehance, but there is no forfeit for doing so. This is an excellent game,
and is played all the Summer time at Lord’s Cricket Ground, Mary-
lebone.
CATCH BALL.
This is a very similar game to nine holes, but instead of bowling the
ball into holes, it is thrown in the air, and the name of the player for
whom it is intended, called out by the thrower. It it be caught before
it has twice touched the ground by the player so called on, he loses"
point, but throws it up again, and calls upon whom he pleases to catch
it. If it be not caught in due time he whose name is called must en-
deavour to strike one of the others with it, if he miss he loses a point,
and has his throw up. The remainder of the game the number of op-
ponents, and the penalty of the loser, are all precisely as in nine holes,
of the two, it is the better game.
STOOL BALL.
A stool is placed upon the ground, and one of the players takes his
place before it, while his antagonist stands at a distance, and tosses
a ball with the intention of striking the stool, The player who stands
at the stool must try to prevent this, by beating the ball away with
his hand, reckoning one to the game for every stoke of the ball.
Should he miss his stroke, and the ball strike the stool, the players
hange places; the conquerer is he who strikes the ball most times
before it touches the stool.
FOOT BALL.
For this game a large light ball is required (such as those sold at
the toy-shops,) made of India-rubber, with a netting round it, ors
78 OUT DOOR GAMES.
bladder inflated, and strengthened with acasingof leather. The players
(the more the better) are to be equally divided and two lines, from
fifty to a hundred yards apart, are to be drawn across the play-ground.
In the middle of the space thus marked out, the ball is placed. Each
party advances from the gaols formed by the lines, and the sport con-
sists in endeavouring to kick the ball into the quarters of the oppo.
nent. This is a game which we would not recommend our young
friends to play at too often, as much injury may be done to the shins
and legs of the contending parties and may not unfrequently end in
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DRAUGHTS.
Considering the game as an amusement, it cannot be denied that it tends
to improve those faculties of the mind which are eminently useful iti every can-
dition of life ; and may, therefore, be made the school of wisdom, but cannot,
like the gambling table of chance, become the nursery ot vice.
Josavua Sturcoss.
Tis interesting amusement, although inferior to chess, is deserved
popular, and forms a fair prelude to the study of that noble pastime.
Nor can there be any objection urged on the score of morality, for the
moves are exch the result 01 considerable deliberation and study,
and not of mere chance; like chess, therefore, the game is not em-
ployed as a vehicle for making bets.
The game of draughts is said to be of very remote origin; though
no account of it, at least none specifying its character, occurs before
the middle of the sixteenth century, The earliest positive account of
draughts isin the year 1551. Taylor, the water poet, mentioned it
in the seventeenth ceatury ; and in 1668 an elaborate treatise on the
game was published by a Parisian professor of mathematics, named
Mallet. Mr. Payne, a celebrated writer on this subject, is said to
$2 DRAUGHTS
have copied many of Mallet’s games; but both Payne and Mallet
have been materially improved upon by a later writer, Mr Sturges.
There are two sorts of games at draughts usually played, the com-
mon or English game, and the Polish game; the first being much
less extended than the latter.
THE COMMON, OR ENGLISH GAME.
This came is played upon a board divided into sixty-four squares,
oa: 5 a 41 painted black and white,
ae 3 4
alternately, a8 in the cut,
' Twenty-four round pieces
wa of wood or ivory, half of
them colored red or black,
the other half yellow or
white. Forearly practice,
it will be found advanta-
geous to number the board
as seen in the cut,
The boaré is placed be-
tween the players in such
a manner that there is an
upper white corner on the
right hand, so as to leave
ae , —— the double corner which is
30 ie 31 Bee 32 Bie painted white ontheripbt
ae medal ag «hand of each player: but
the manner in which the mien are set will be better understood by
—_
reference to the annexed cut. The men
are always to be kept upon the white
squares, therefore, they are moved cor-
nerwise all thetime. Each player alter.
nately moves one of his men forwards to
}| the next white square. When two or
three more moves of this kind have been
made by each party the opposite men
will then perhaps come into white squares
adjoining each other, in the middle of
the board. When this his is the case,
whichever player finds one of hia oppo-
DRAUGHTS, 83
nent’s men next to bis own, and if it is not supported by another
man standing in the next square bebind it, that is, if there is a
vacant white square beyond, in the same line, then the player is
bound to take that man which is thue left unguarded. This he does,
by immediately making his own man leap over his opponent's
man, into the vacant square, where he is to stop, and the opponent's
man is then taken away, and is of no use during the rest of the game.
The man perhaps by taking the other, becomes exposed himself, in
like manner, if so, he will be taken by the next move. If he should
not be exposed himself, yet it often happens that moving one man
away, you expose some other man to your opponent, or cven two men,
if 6o the opponent takes which he pleases if they are at different parts
of the board, or he may take two men at once, if they are so placed that
there is a vacant square behind the first man, and also behind the
second man in asiraight line, for be it remarked that the men never move
backwards, though they may move cornei ways both to the right and
left, when a man is at any of the squares next to the side of the board
he cannot be taken at all until he moves out of that position. When
any player neglects to capture his opponent’s man when he has an op-
portunity of doing so, he is Anffed, that is, lores his own man. When
any party gets a man to the last row of the board on his opponent's
side that man becomes a king, he is crowned by placing one of the cap.
tive men upon him, and he is then entitled to move backwards as well
as forwards, in the white squares. The object of the whole game is to
take your opponent’s men ; and it is the greatest endeavour of a player
to oblige his opponent to give two or three men instead of one of
yours in the carly part of the game, to get kings in the middle of the
game and to drive your opponent’s men into corners and places whence
they cannot be moved, without being taken in the latter part of the
game, Also remember that your men increase in value as they get
nearer to your opponent’s side, so that one of your men which is
ready to become a king at the next move is of more value than your
adversary’s men which are opposed to him, yet, as your king cannot
possibly be made till seme of your opponent’s last row of men be
moved, itis often advisable to force him out by the sacrifice of one
oreven sometimes of two of your men, that you may get others up.
84 DRAUGHTS.
A player should be cautious how he moves the last row of men, lest he
should let his opponent get kings, and thus get behind him.
To have the move, isan important point at draughts. It signifies
the occupying such a position on the board as will eventually enable
a player to drive his adversary into a confined situation, and as, at the
end of the game, will secure the last move.
When your men are in a confined situation, the move is not only
of no use to you, but may occasion the loss of the game. In other
situations, to have the move is a decided advantage even over a skill-
fal adversary.
The game is won by the player who first succeeds in taking, or
blocking up, all his adversary’s men, so that he has nothing to move.
When, however, both players have few men of equal furce remaining,
with no reasonable hope of decided and speedy advantage, the game is
given up as a drawn one.
THE LAWS OF ENGLISH DRAUGHTS.
1.—The first move of every game must be taken alternately by each
player, whether the last be won, lost or drawn.
2.—Pointing over the board, or using any action to interrupt the
adversary in baving a full view of the men is not to be atlowed.
3.—The men may be properly arranged in any part of the game;
and after they are so placed, whichever player touches a man, must
piay him somewhere.
4.—In case of standing the Huff, it is optional with the opponent
either to take the man, or insist that the opponent take his, so omitted
by the huff,
5.—If either party when it is his turn to move, hesitate above three
minutes, the other may call upon him to play ; and if after that, he
delay above five minutes longer, then be loses the game.
6.—During a game, neither party must quit the room or table with.
out the other’s consent, and a third person should decide the time to
be allowed for his absence, and if thought necessary accompany him,
7.—Persons not playing are not to advise, nor in any manner inter.
fere with the game of either party.
8.—If there remain only two kings of one colour, and one king of
DRAUGHTS. 05
off the other colour, the game must be finished in twerlty moves of each
party, or else it is a drawn game, that is, it is won by neither party.
9.—If there remain three kings of one colour, and two ef the other
colour, the game must be decided in less than forty moves, or else it
is drawn, if it should so happen that one king of each party is taken
after the twentieth move made by these three kings and two kings, the
stronger party cannot claim twenty moves complete after that time as
according to law 8; but must content himself with so many as will
make up forty from the time when each had the three and two kings
respectively. . -
10.—When a party is huffed he loses the man which he ought to
have played, and his move also.
GAMES FOR PRACTICE.
Having now given the general rules and laws of draughts, we must
lead our readers from theory to practice, and lay before them a few
games which it would be well to practice on a board numbered like the
one we give in the early part of this article. Jt will be necessary to
impress upon the mind of the learner that by playing the following
games over ina random style, or in a plodding mill-horse mode of
progression, without endeavouring to comprehend why certain moves
are made, that they can never attain any mastery over the game; on
the contrary, unless they strive to understand thoroughly that which
they attempt to perform, they will be as far from the mark as though
they had never attempted to reach it atall. Draughts is a game re-
quiring much circumspection and calculation; and whether it is
practised from plans laid down in abook, or learned under the bitter-
ness of frequent defeats, each series of moves must be very oarefally
studied and worked out. It is scarcely within the range of proba.
bility that any two players ever make the exact moves set down in the
following plans: still, as in the course of games, some points miay
happen which bear a resemblance to them, and as the same may be
observed with respect to the terminations of games, the young draught
player will find, that if he once become a perfect master of them,
he will be enabled to play them whenever an opportunity presente
iteclf. It is the advice of many experienced draught-players, that
a6 DRAUGHTS.
learners should provide themselves with a common-place book for
noting down any particular situations that may happen in their prao-
tice, or such masterly moves, by older hands, as they may have the
good fortune to witness.
Geme 1, where Black moves first and wins.
To Colour | From
Moves
Colour} From
Moves
1 B ll 15 10 WwW 22 17
2 Ww 23 18 ll B 15 18
3 B 8 ll 12 WwW 26 22 |
4 WwW 27 23 13 B 11 15
3 B 4 8 14 WwW 17 13
6 WwW 23 19 15 B 7 11
7 |' B 9 14 16 WwW 31 26
8 WwW 18 Q 17 B 18 23
9 B 5 14 Black wins.
am, wt Ra. yee
Game 2, where White moves Jirst and wins.
Moves | Colour | From Moves | Colour | From
1 Ww
2 B
3 Ww
4 B
5 Ww
6 B
7 Ww
8 B
9 Ww
White wins.
DRAUGHTS. oT
Game 3, a drawn game.
Moves } Colour
28
29
30
31
32
B
Ww
B
WwW
B
Ww
B
Ww
B
WwW
B
WwW
RB
Ww
B
w
B
W
B
Ww
B
WwW
B
WwW
B
WwW
B
Sudtustnteste suns sw ters desde ews
POLISH DRAUGHTS.
This game is played upon a board of one hundred squares, with
ory enetwenty black and twenty white.
this game the men move forwards, as in the English game, one
88 DRAUGHBTS.
square at atime; but they take backwards end forwards; and the
queens* move over several squares at a move. Consequently, the com-
dinations are much more numerous than in the common game, The
Polish is almost the only game now played on the Continent. .
The men may be placed either on tLe white or black squares, but
they are always placed on the white in England and France.
The draught-board should be placed so that each player may have
a double corner on the right hand. This double corneris, in reference
to the blacks, the squares forty-one and forty-six; and, in reference
to the whites, the squares forty-five and fifty. Thus, the board is
naturally divided into two parts : the black men occupy twenty squares
which extend from number one to twenty inclusive ; and the white are
placed upon an equal number of squares from number thirty-one to
fifty: Hence it follows that there remains, between the men of the two
players, two rows of vacant squares, upon which the front men are
played. The reader may easily form for himself a diagram to illus-
trate this.
The rules of the game of Polish draughts are partly the same as the
rules of the common game. The chief difference is that which must
naturally arise from the moves of the queens and common men, which,
as we have before stated, are not the same in the two games.
Asall players are not of equal ability, it is usual for the more skil-
ful to give an advantage to his opponent, in order to render the game
more even, a8 in chess, or English draughts.
LAWS OF POLISH DRAUGHTS,
1.—When the players are of equal force, the first move is decided by
lot, but when a player receives odds, it is usual for him to play first.
2,—The move of the men is always in advance to the right or the
left, from white to white, one step at a time; but, in capturing, they
move two, three, four steps, and even more, when there are men to
take, and can then also move backward as well as forward.
3.—When a man is touched, it must be played if no legal obstacle
© At the game of Polish Draughts, the princi eces are termed queens
toatead of kings. ughts, principal ps 4
DRAUGHTS, 89
prevents it: for this reason, the maxim has been laid down, a man
touched is a man played, or touch and play.
4.—A man is held to be touched the moment the finger is placed
upon it: a player may mov? a man where he pleases, so long as he bas
not quitted it.
5.—If the player wishes to touch one or more men for the purpose
of placing them, he must first say ‘‘j’adoube,’’ as in chess: otherwise
his adversary may compel him to play any of the men he chooses that
have been touched, provided no legal obstacle prevents their being
layed.
6.—When any man finds in front of him another man of a different
colour, and a vacant square behind the latter, the former passes over
the second, takes it up. and occupies the vacant square; thus capturing
his ad-ersary as he does in English draughts. But in addition to this
at Polish draughts, he applies the same principle to adverse men placed
behind him ; and he captures them accordingly.
7.—And if there are several of the adveraary’s men with a vacant
white square behind each, the capturing man continues to pass over,
occupies the last vacant square, and takes off all the men over which
he has passed.
8.—When there are many men to take, none must be removed be-
fore the man that captures is placed upon the square where it is to
stop.
9.—The man or queen that takes, not only cannot repags, but on the
contrary must stop on the squares whither it has already passed, and
upon which there is a man or queen that forms part of those he ought
to take, if this man or queen have another behind, even though there
were besides one or more men or queens to take; but the man or
queen placed behind the man that ought to take, has the right of taking
that man or queen, if there be a vacant space.
10.—When there are many men to take, and, in removing them, the
player leaves one or more on the board, from an oversight, the adver-
sary has the right to huff the capturing piece: but he may huff or not
as he chooses. When he does not huff, he obliges the adversary to
take, which the latter can never refuse,
11.—If the player who has the right of huffing, takes up or touches
90 DRAUGRTS.
the man to be huffed, he can no longer oblige it to take, he must huff
it. This rule is founded on the maxim “ touch and play.â€
12.—A player who refuses to take, loses the game. ‘This rule is
founded upon the maxim that a refusal to take is a refusal to play :
whoever refuses to play, abandons the game, and ought consequently
to lose it, Hence the saying, ‘‘ whoever leaves the game loses it.â€
13.—If a player, having to take on one side only, raises or touches
another man by mistake, then the one which he ought to take, or, if
having to take on several sides, he raises or touches another man than
the one which he ought to take, the adversary may immediately huff
the man that ought to take properly, and oblige him to play the one
he touched.
14.—After playing, the huff does not stand good, if the player who
did not first take, takes at the next move, or if the man which ought
to take has changed its position; but if things remain in the same
state, the player who neglected to huff can return to it, or make him
take, even after several moves, whether he at first perceived or not the
error of his adversary.
15.—The move is held to be finished directly the man is placed or
quitted.
16.—A player is liable to be huffed for taking the smaller number
and weaker pieces, instead of the longer number and stronger pieces.
17,—The greatest number must be taken, when one or more men
may be taken on one sirle, and still more on the other,
18.—The strongest pieces must be taken, when there are an equal
number of men on one side and queens on the other, or a queen anda
man. In such a case, the player must take on the side of the queen
or queens, because a queen is worth more than a man.
19.—Observe, tbat when there are three men to take on one side,
and on the other side a man and a queen, and even two queens, it ig
necessary, to avoid being buffed, to take the three men, because they
exceed the rest in number.
20.—When a man bas reached one of the squares, where it ought to
be crowned, it is covered with another man of the same colour and
called a queen.
21.—The white men become qucens on the squares, one, two, three,
DRAUGHTS 91
four, five ; and the black men on squares forty-six, forty-seven, forty-
eight, forty-nine, and fifty.
22,—It is cot sufficient for a man to pass upon one of the hefore-
mentioned squares, in order to become a queen; it must nemain there
by the termination of the move: thus, ifa men, having reached one
of the squares, has still to take, it must continucits course and remain
a common man.
23.—A queen differs from a common man both in the move and man-
ner of taking. Jt differs in the move, because the common man only
wsoves one step in advance, except in capturing, and takes only from
square to square; whilst the queen can go from ene extremity of the
board to the other, if the passage is free ; that is to say, if in this space
there is no man of the same colour as the queen, or men of different
colour not to be taken, The queen differs from a man in the manner
of taking, because it can, in taking, traverse several squares at a time,
provided they are vacant, or that there are men there of different colour
which may be taken, eo that it can turn to the right and left, and some-
_times make the round of the draught board.
24,—When two equal players remain at the end of the game, one
with three queens, the other with only one, but on the middle line, it
is a drawn game, and must be recommenced.
25.—-When the single queen hag not the middle line, there are many
strokes to win; but as they cannot be forced, and the game must have
an end, it is usually established, that the player of the three queens
shall not oblige his adversary to play more than fifteen moves, and the
latter cannot refuse them, though they should be to the advantage of
the former.
26.—Even when the player with the three queens gives odds, be can
only demand fifteen moves,
27.—But if the odds given consist in the draw, twenty moves are
allowed, after which the game is finished and lost to him, if his adver-
sary haa preserved his queen so long.
28,—In a game where the moves are limited, they cannot be exceed-
ed, under pretence that the stroke which exceeds and wins is a neces-
sary consequence of the preceding move: in such a case, the game ia
iezevocably won, when the last move fixed is played
92 DRAUGHTS,
29.—A moveis not complete till each player has played once: thus,
when the party who has played first, plays the twentieth or twenty-fifth
moves, the twentieth or twenty-fifth move is not complete till the last
player has played the twentieth or twenty-fifth.
30.—When, at the conclusion of a game, a player, who has only one
queen, offers to his adversary, who has a queen and two men, or two
queens and a man, to crown his two men or the man, for the purpose
of counting the limited moves, the latter is obliged to accept the offer,
otherwise the former can leave the game as a draw.
31.—When the player mukes a false move, it remains with his adver-
sary to make him play it in rule, or leave the queen or man on the
squares where they are.
32.—There is no punishment for moving a man that cannot legally
be played.
33.—In the same way, it is no fault to play one of your adversary’s
men, because you have not the right of dving so; and in such @ case
you would not be liable to be buffed if you had to take; the reason
heing that, to give the right of huffing, the man must be touched that
can he played.
34.—When a player gives another the half, the third, or the fourt
of the draw, or of a man, the two players must play two, three, or four
games to perform this agreement: these two, three, or four games are
in this case properly only one: thus, if the revenge is given, the aame
bumber of games must be again played.
35.—A game must be played out, or he who leaves it without the
consent of his adversary, loses it.
36.—In the event of any dispute about a move, it must be decided
by the spectators who are in no way interested in the game, and the
players are obliged to conform to their decision.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON POLISH DRAUGRTS.
When one of the players is reduced to a queen, and the other has
only three common men, there is no forced stroke by which the latter
can win: therefore, among players of equal force, there are generally
drawn games, because the attack has no advantage over the defence ;
but, between the two players, oue of whom is superior to the other,
DRAUGRTS, 93
{t is different; for, though there is no certain stroke to win the game
for the player with the three queens, there are many into which his
adversary may fall, if he does not know them. For the latter, Ma-
noury, in his celebrated treatise on Polish draughts has laid down the
positions and moves that must be avoided not to lose the game.
When one party at the end of a game has a queen and a man against
hree queens, the best way is to sacrifice the man es soon as possible,
because the game is more easily defended with the queen alone.
Man for man, is forcing your adversary to take one or more men,
or one or more queens, in order to place yourself in a position after-
wards to take from him the same number of men or queens that he
took from you.
Tt is by these changes that good players parry strokes and prepare
them: if the game is embarrassed, they open it by giving man for
man, or two for two. Ifa dangerous stroke is in preparation, they
avoid is by giving man for man. If it requisite to strengthen the
weak side of your game, it may be managed by exchanging. If you
wish to acquire an advantageous position, a well managed exchange
will produce it. Finally, it is by exchanges, that one man frequently
keeps many confined, and that the game is eventually won. The
“ coup de repos’’ is a position in which one of the players has to take
several times suonessively, and the other as many moves to make
freely and unimpeded. Whilst the firat player makes his captures,
the other arranges his men so as to make a stroke that his adversary
cannot prevent; or he places himself behind one more men to be taken.
This is called the “coup de repos,†because the man of the second
player, which is behind those of his adversary, or is about to make
the stroke, is, in a manner in repose, waiting for the time of action.
The ‘‘coup de repos†is generally the consequence of too much
hurry on the part of the adversary, who, seeing a man to be taken,
places himself behind, and finds himself compelled to take, and thus
gives his adversary time to form an advantageous plan, the execution
of which cannot be prevented. It sometimes, however, happens, that
the ‘‘ coup de repos†is produced by the skill of the player.
When two men of one player are so placed that there is an empty
square behind each, and a vacant square between them, where his ad-
|