immediately change places. During the transition the questioner may endeavour to secure a seat for himself, leaving out one of the four who have been struggling for seats to take the place of questioner. When the reply "Very much" is given, every one in the room must change places. The questioner, therefore, will easily find a seat for himself, and the person left standing must take his place as interrogator.
"HOW, WHEN, AND WHERE?"
In this game, like the last, a word is chosen by the company, containing as many meanings as possible, the person who has volunteered to be the questioner having previously gone out of the room. On being recalled, the person who has been out begins by asking each of his friends how they like it.
Supposing the word "cord" to have been chosen, the first player might answer slight, the next sweet, meaning chord, the next loud, the next strong, and so on until all have said how they liked it. The questioner then recommences his interrogations at the first player by inquiring "When do you like it?" Replies to this question something like the following may be given:—"When I am preparing to take a journey;" "When I am in church;" "When I am driving;" "When I feel musical." Then to the last question—"Where do you like it?" the company may reply—"In a piano;" "In the garden;" "Not round my neck;" "Always at hand," &c. No doubt long before all the questions have been answered the word that has been chosen will have been discovered.
HUNT THE RING.
The game of Hunt the Ring is perhaps better liked than Hunt the Slipper, on account of its being in the estimation of most people more convenient and manageable. Either a ring or a small key may be used for the purpose. Whichever it is, a string must be passed through it, and the ends fastened in a knot, forming thus a circular band. The company then stand in a circle, allowing the string to pass through the hands of each person, and enabling every one to slide the ring easily along from one to the other. The object of the player standing inside the circle is to stop it in its progress, which, in most cases, he finds a rather difficult task. The game is also frequently played without any string, when every one tries, of course, to pass the ring round very rapidly, without being detected by the hunter.
HUNT THE SLIPPER.
This surely must be one of our oldest games, and one, no doubt, that our grandmothers and grandfathers played at when they were children. The players all seat themselves, like so many tailors, on the floor in a ring, so that their toes all meet. A slipper (the smaller the better) is then produced, and given by the person outside to one sitting in the circle, with instructions that it must be mended by a certain day. Finding it not finished at the time appointed, the pretended owner declares that he must have it as it is, and thereupon commences the hunt. How it is carried on is no doubt too well known to need further explanation.
HUNT THE WHISTLE.
This game is always successful, and a source of very great amusement if only some one ignorant of the secret can be found who will volunteer to act as hunter. Such person is first requested to kneel down while some lady goes through the ceremony of conferring upon him the order of knighthood. During the process, the whistle, attached to a piece of ribbon, is pinned to the coat of the newly-made knight. He is then told to rise and go in quest of the whistle, which is in the possession of one of the party. The hunt now begins, the players all trying to deceive their victim in every way imaginable, and to make him think that they are passing the whistle from one to another. On every possible occasion, of course, the whistle should be sounded, until the deluded knight has made the discovery that the object of his search is fastened to himself.
"I APPRENTICED MY SON."
The shortest way of describing this game will be to give an illustration of the manner in which it is played. John: "I apprenticed my son to a grocer, and the first thing he sold was half-a-pound of C."
Nellie: Coffee?—No.
Sam: Cocoa?—No.
Tom: Cayenne Pepper?—No.
Edith: Chicory?—Yes.
Edith being the guesser of the right article, is entitled to be the next to apprentice her son. One guess only in turn is allowed to each player.
"I LOVE MY LOVE."
"I Love my Love" is played alphabetically, like "Cupid is Coming," though more ingenuity is required in it, simply because a number of words, instead of one adverb only, have quickly to be conjured up. In order to show clearly how the game is played, we will imagine ourselves to be the first of the players, who would have to proceed in a manner something like the following:—"I love my love with an 'A,' because she is amiable; I hate her with an 'A,' because she is arrogant. I took her to the sign of the Angel, and treated her to Apples and Apricots. Her name is Annie, and she comes from Australia." The next player takes "B," the next "C," and so on, until the whole of the alphabet has been gone through.
This simple game must be one of no recent invention if the tale be true told by Mr. Foote, the celebrated wit. He narrates that one day the Ladies Cheere, Fielding, and Hill were amusing themselves by playing at the children's game of "I love my love." Lady Cheere began by saying, "I love my love with an N, because he is a 'Night'" (Knight); Lady Fielding followed with, "I love my love with a G, because he is a 'Gustus'" (Justice); and Lady Hill added, "I love my love with an F, because he is a 'Fizishun'" (Physician). So much for the spelling powers of the ladies in the olden times.
"JACK'S ALIVE."
No one at all inclined to be slow in their movements need offer to take part in the game of "Jack's Alive," for quickness and promptitude of action are indispensable to its success. A piece of paper, or, better still, a long piece of firewood, is put into the fire until it is in a blazing condition when taken out. The first player, blowing out the flame, passes it to his neighbour, saying, "Jack's alive." It is then passed on to the next, and to all the company in succession, each one trying to get rid of it before the spark has died out. Every one to whom it is offered must take it immediately the words "Jack's alive" are uttered, or a forfeit must be paid; and the one in whose hands Jack really expires must produce a forfeit. In some cases boys have actually been known, when playing at this game, to improve each other's appearance by marking black moustaches and eyebrows, &c.; but as such proceedings have nothing whatever to do with the real "Jack's Alive," we feel sure that none of our readers will ever practise
