GamesFlags Of All NationsDrape the red, white and blue bunting from tree to tree and n... Collecting Stamps Stamp-collecting is more interesting if money is kept out of ... Introduction Indian ball games have one feature not found in the ball game... Puss In The Corner. All the children except one stand in corners, or in any fix... Spirits Move A leader and his accomplice are required in this game. The on... Hallowe'en Fates. For obtaining partners, fill a pumpkin rind with nuts, whic... He Can Do Little Who Can't Do This One of the players takes a stick in his left hand and thumps ... Why And Because This is also a new game, and one of those that combine amu... |
What Shall We Do Now?: Five Hundred Games And PastimesBlind Man's Buff"Blind Man's Buff" is one of the best, oldest, and simplest of games. One player is blindfolded, is turned round two or three times to confuse his ideas as to his position in the room, and is then told to catch who... French Blind Man's Buff In French "Blind Man's Buff" the hands of the blind man are tied behind his back and his eyes are left uncovered. He has therefore to back on to the players before he can catch them, which increases his difficultie... Blind Man's Wand Here the blind man has a stick, one end of which is grasped by the other players in turn. The blind man puts three questions to each player, and his aim is to recognize by the voice who it is that replies. The aim ... Still Pond! No More Moving The player who is blindfolded is placed in the middle and all the other players touch him. He counts out loud as rapidly as possible up to ten, during which time the players rush as far away from him as possible. D... Shadow Buff 2 A sheet is stretched across the room. One player stands on one side, and the rest, who remain on the other, pass one by one between the sheet and the candle which throws their shadows upon it. The aim of the single... The Donkey's Tail A good-sized donkey without a tail is cut out of brown paper and fixed on a screen or on a sheet hung across the room. The tail is cut out separately and a hat-pin is put through that end of it which comes nearest ... The Blind Feeding The Blind This is boisterous and rather messy, but it has many supporters. Two players are blindfolded and seated on the floor opposite one another. They are each given a dessert-spoonful of sugar or flour and are told to fe... Deer Stalking This is a game in which only two players take part, but it is exciting to watch. Both "Deer" and "Stalker" are blindfolded. They are then placed at opposite ends of a large table, and at a given moment begin to mov... Blowing Out The Candle A very funny blind game. A candle is lighted and placed in position about the height of a person's head. A player is then placed a few feet from it, facing it, and, after being blindfolded and turned round three ti... Apple-snapping Another amusing blind game to watch is apple-snapping. An apple is hung from a string in the middle of the room about the height of the blind man's head. The blind man's hands are then tied, or he holds them strict... Bag And Stick A good blind game for a Christmas party is "Bag and Stick." A fair-sized paper bag is filled with candy and hung from a string in the middle of the room. A player is then blindfolded, turned round three times, give... Puss In The Corner Each player save one takes a corner. The other, who is the puss, stands in the middle. The game begins by one corner player beckoning to another to change places. Their object is to get safely into each other's cor... Hunt The Slipper The players sit in a circle on the floor, with their knees a little gathered up. One stands in the middle with a slipper, and the game is begun by this one handing the slipper to a player in the circle, with the re... The Whistle This is partly a trick. A player who does not know the game is put in the middle of the ring, round which a whistle is moving in the way that the slipper moves in "Hunt the Slipper." The object of the player in the... He Can Do Little Who Can't Do This This is partly a trick. The leader takes a cane in his left hand, thumps on the floor several times, and passes it to a player saying, "He can do little who can't do this." The player tries to imitate him exactly, ... Thimble This is a very good game. All the company leave the room save one. He stays behind with a thimble, which he has to place in some position, where, though it is in sight, it will be difficult to discover. It may be h... Magic Music One player goes out. The others then hide something for him to find, or decide upon some simple action for him to perform, such as standing on a chair. When he is called in, one of the company seats herself at the ... Hot And Cold The same game is played under the name of "Hot and Cold." In this case the player is directed by words; as he gets nearer and nearer the object he becomes "warm," "hot," "very hot," "burning"; when quite off the sc... The Jolly Miller The one who shall be "it" is decided upon by counting out (see page 134), and he takes his place in the middle of the room. The others, arm in arm, walk around him in couples, singing, There was a jolly miller ... Going To Jerusalem Some one sits at the piano, and a long row of chairs is made down the middle of the room, either back to back, or back and front alternately. There must be one chair fewer than the number of players. When all is re... Stir The Mash This is another variety of "Going to Jerusalem." The chairs are placed against the wall in a row, one fewer than the players. One of the players sits down in the middle of the room with a stick and pretends to be s... Caterpillar A circle of chairs is made, and all the players but one sit on them. This player stands in the middle and his chair is left empty. The game consists in his efforts to sit down in the empty chair and the others' att... Honey-pots This is a game for several little players and two stronger ones. The little ones are the honey-pots, and the others the honey-seller and honey-buyer. The honey-pots sit in a row with their knees gathered up and the... Nuts In May The players stand in two rows, facing each other and holding hands. A line is drawn on the carpet (or ground) between them. One row then step toward the other, singing-- Here we come gathering nuts in May, nuts... Old Soldier All the players, except one, stand in a line. The other, who is the old soldier, then totters up to the end player, saying-- Here comes an old soldier from Botany Bay; Pray, what have you got to give him to-d... My Lady's Clothes A color-barred game for girls is "My Lady's Clothes" or "Dressing the Lady." The players first decide on what colors shall be forbidden, perhaps blue, black, and pink. The first one then asks the next, "How shall m... Here I Bake One player stands in the middle. The others join hands and surround her, their aim being to prevent her from getting out of the ring. She then passes round the ring touching the hands, at the first hands saying "He... The Cobbler The cobbler sits in the middle on a stool or hassock, and the others join hands and dance round him. "Now then, customers," says the cobbler, "let me try on your shoes," and at the same time--but without leaving hi... Cushion The name of this game dates from the period when stiff cylinder-shaped horsehair sofa-cushions were commoner than they are now. One of these is placed in the middle of the room and the players join hands and dance ... The Day's Shopping The players sit in a ring, and the game is begun by one saying to the next, "I've just come back from shopping." "Yes," is the reply, "and what have you bought?" The first speaker has then to name some article whic... Clap In Clap Out Half the players go out, and the others stay in and arrange the chairs in a line so that there is an empty one next to every person. Each then chooses which of the others he will have to occupy the adjoining chair,... Neighbors An extension of this game is "Neighbors." In "Neighbors" half the company are blindfolded, and are seated with an empty chair on the right hand of each. At a given signal all the other players occupy these empty ch... Oranges And Lemons Or London Bridge Is Falling Down This pleasant old game begins by two of the older or taller players--one being Oranges and the other Lemons--taking places opposite each other and joining their hands high, thus making an arch for the rest to pass ... General Post The players sit round the room in a large circle, and, after appointing a postmaster to write down their names and call out the changes, choose each a town. One player is then blindfolded and placed in the middle. ... Spin The Platter A tin plate, to serve as platter, is placed in the middle of the room. The players sit round it in a large circle, each choosing either a number by which to be known, or the name of a town. The game is begun by one... Kitchen Utensils This is a variety of "Spin the platter." The players sit in a ring and choose each the name of some kitchen utensil or something used in cooking, such as meat-chopper or raisins. One player then goes in the middle ... Up Jenkins The players sit on opposite sides of a table, or in two opposite rows of chairs with a cloth spread over their laps. A quarter or dime or other small object is then passed about among the hands of one of the sides ... Hunt The Ring All the players but one form a circle, with their hands on a piece of string on which a ring has been threaded. The other player stands in the middle of the circle. The ring is then hurried up and down the string f... Lady Queen Anne In this game, which is usually played by girls, one player hides her eyes, while the others, who are sitting in a row, pass a ball from one to another until it is settled who shall keep it. This done, they all hide... The Feather A very exhausting game. The players sit round a table and form sides, one half against the other, and a little fluffy feather is placed in the middle. The aim of each side is to blow the feather so that it settles ... Russian Scandal Or Gossip The players sit in a long line or ring. The first, turning to the second, whispers very rapidly some remark or a brief story. The second, who may hear it distinctly, but probably does not, then whispers it as exact... Advertisements All the players sit in a ring, except one, who stands in the middle holding a soft cushion. This he throws at any one of the players and begins to count ten. The person at whom the cushion was thrown must call out ... Judge And Jury The players, or jury, form up in two rows facing each other. The judge sits at one end, or passes between the two lines, and asks his questions. These may be of any description. Perhaps he will say, "Miss A, do you... Cross Questions The players sit in a circle, and the game begins by one player turning to the next and asking a question. Perhaps it will be, "Did you get very wet this evening?" The answer may be, "Fortunately I had a mackintosh.... Ruth And Jacob One player has his eyes blinded and stands in a circle made by the other players. They dance silently around him until he points at one, who must then enter the circle and try to avoid being caught by the blind man... Fly Away! The player who is chosen as leader sits down and places the first finger of her right hand on her knee. The others crowd round her and also place the first finger of their right hands on her knee, close to hers. Th... Hold Fast! Let Go! This is a very confusing game of contraries for five players. Four of them hold each the corner of a handkerchief. The other, who stands by to give orders, then shouts either "Let go!" or "Hold fast!" When "Let go!... The Sergeant In this game one player represents a sergeant and the others are soldiers whom he is drilling. When he makes an action and says "Do this" the others have to imitate him; but if he says "Do that" they must take no n... Simon Says Thumbs Up The players sit about on the floor or on chairs, each holding out on his knee his clenched fist with the thumb sticking straight up. One player calls out "Simon says thumbs down." All the thumbs must be instantly r... The Grand Mufti A somewhat similar game of contraries is "The Grand Mufti." The player personating the Grand Mufti stands in the middle or on a chair, and performs whatever action he likes with his hands, arms, head, and legs. Wit... The Mandarins There is no contrariness about "The Mandarins." The players sit in a circle, and the game is begun by one of them remarking to the next, "My ship has come home from China." The answer is "Yes, and what has it broug... Buff This test of self-control is rather a favorite; but it is not so much a game as a means of distributing forfeits. The players sit in a circle. One then stands up and, holding out a stick, repeats these lines-- ... The Ditto Game This is another game in which laughter is forbidden. The players sit close together in a silent circle. Whatever the leader does the others have to do, but without smile or sound. Perhaps the leader will begin by p... Statues Another trial of composure. The players choose what positions they will and become as still and as silent as statues. One player is judge. It is his business to try and make the statues laugh. All who laugh pay for... Laughter "Laughter" is just the opposite. The company sit in a circle and the game is begun by one throwing a handkerchief into the air. Immediately this is done every one must begin to laugh and continue to laugh until the... The Concerted Sneeze One third of the company agree to say "Hish" all together at a given signal, another third agree to say "Hash," and the rest agree to say "Hosh." The word of command is then given, and the result is the sound as of... Bingo In "Bingo" the players begin by joining hands and marching round, singing-- There was a farmer had a dog His name was Bobby Bingo O. B, I, N, G, O, B, I, N, G, O, B, I, N, G, O, And Bingo was his ... Robin's Alive A good game for the fireside is "Robin's Alive." There are so few children nowadays who have fireplaces that this can be modified so that it is a good evening game for any quiet group of children. Some one lights a... The Mulberry Bush The players join hands and go round and round in a ring, singing-- Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, Here we go round the mulberry bush On a fine and frost... Looby Looby This is another of the old country games in which the players all have to do the same things. They first join hands and dance round, singing-- Here we dance Looby, looby, Here we dance Looby light, Here... Orchestra An ear-splitting game that is always great fun. The players stand in rows before the leader or "conductor," who sings a verse from any well-known nonsense or other song. Then he says, pointing to one of the players... A Good Fat Hen A nonsensical game, useful in leading to forfeits. The company sit in a row, and one of the end players begins by saying, "A good fat hen." Each of the others in turn must then say, "A good fat hen." The first play... John Ball The same game may be played also with "The House that Jack Built," and there are other stories of a similar kind. Among these the most amusing for a large party would perhaps be the old rhyme of "John Ball." F... Chitterbob There is also the old rhyme of "Chitterbob," but it is usual in repeating this to say it all at once, in one round, and not prolong the task. This is the rhyme:-- There was a man and his name was Cob He had ... The Muffin Man "The Muffin Man" is another variety. The players sit in a circle, and the game is begun by one of them turning to the next and asking, either in speech or in song-- Oh, do you know the muffin man, the muffin ma... Family Coach In "Family Coach" each player takes the name of a part of a coach, as the axle, the door, the box, the reins, the whip, the wheels, the horn; or of some one connected with it, as the driver, the guard, the ostlers,... The Traveler And The Bicyclist "The Traveler" is a favorite variety of the "Family Coach." In this game a player with a ready tongue is chosen as traveler, and the others are given such names as landlord, bell-boy, clerk, waiter, chambermaid, el... Drawing-room Acrobatics There are various feats which can be performed in a small room without injury to furniture. To lie flat on the floor on one's back and be lifted into an upright position by a pair of hands under the back of the hea... Acrobatic Impossibilities If you hold your hands across your chest in a straight line with the tips of the forefingers pressed together, it will be impossible for any one else, however strong, to hold by your arms and pull those finger-tips... The Trussed Fowls In this contest two boys are first trussed. Trussing consists of firmly tying wrists and ankles, bringing the elbows down below the knees and slipping a stick along over one elbow, under both knees and over the oth... The Candle-lighters Another balancing game. Two boys face each other, each with a candle, one of which is lighted and the other not. Kneeling on the right knee only and keeping the left leg entirely off the ground, they have to make o... Hat And Cards A tall hat is placed in the middle of the room and a pack of cards is dealt out to the players seated round it. The game is to throw the cards one by one into the hat. ... Tug Of War This is properly an outdoor game, but in a big room indoors it is all right. The two sides should be even in numbers, at any rate in the first pull. In the middle of the rope a handkerchief is tied, and three chalk... High Skip The players stand in as wide a circle as the size of the room allows, with one player in the middle. He has a rope or heavy cord in his hand with some object, rather heavy but not hard, tied to it, such as a small ... Parlor Football In this game goals are set up at each end of the room, the players are provided with fans, and the football is a blown hen's egg, which is wafted backward and forward along the floor. ... Balloon A string is stretched across the room at a height of about three or four feet. The players divide into sides and line up on each side of the string. The balloon is then thrown up, the game being to keep it in the a... Walking Spanish This game should not be played unless there are some older, stronger players to prevent possible accidents, but it is very amusing. Each player in turn goes to the end of the room, takes a cane or umbrella, puts hi... Potato Race This is a good game for a hall or landing. Two baskets are needed, which are placed at one end of the hall about two yards apart, and then in a line from each basket are placed potatoes, at intervals of a yard or s... Fire-buckets At a fire in the country, where there is no hose, a line of men extends from the burning house to the nearest pond, and buckets are continually being passed along this line. Hence the name by which this excellent g... Forfeits In many of the games already described mention has been made of "Forfeits." They do not now play quite so important a part in an evening's entertainment as once they did, but they can still add to the interest of g... Auctioning Prizes A novel way of awarding prizes is to auction them. Each guest on arrival is given a small bag instead of a tally card. These bags are used to hold beans, five of which are given to all the players that progress at ... Five Dots All children who like drawing like this game; but it is particularly good to play with a real artist, if you have one among your friends. You take a piece of paper and make five dots on it, wherever you like--scatt... Outlines Or Wiggles Another form of "Five Dots" is "Outlines." Instead of dots a line, straight, zigzag, or curved, is made at random on the paper. Papers are then exchanged and this line must be fitted naturally into a picture, as in... Eyes-shut Drawings The usual thing to draw with shut eyes is a pig, but any animal will do as well (or almost as well, for perhaps the pig's curly tail just puts him in the first place). Why it should be so funny a game it is difficu... Ghosts Of My Friends While on the subject of novel albums the "Ghost of My Friends" might be mentioned. The "ghost" is the effect produced by writing one's signature with plenty of ink, and while the ink is still very wet, folding the ... Drawing Tricks Six drawing tricks are illustrated on this page. One (1) is the picture of a soldier and a dog leaving a room, drawn with three strokes of the pencil. Another (3) is a sailor, drawn with two squares, two circles, a... Composite Animals In this game the first player writes the name of an animal at the top of the paper and folds it over. The next writes another, and so on until you have four, or even five. You then unfold the papers and draw animal... Invented Animals A variation of this game is for the players to draw and describe a new creature. On one occasion when this game was played every one went for names to the commoner advertisements. The best animal produced was the H... Heads Bodies And Tails For this game sheets of paper are handed round and each player draws at the top of his sheet a head. It does not matter in the least whether it is a human being's or a fish's head, a quadruped's, a bird's, or an in... Pictures To Order Each player sits, pencil in hand, before a blank sheet of paper, his object being to make a picture containing things chosen by the company in turn. The first player then names the thing that he wants in the pictur... Hieroglyphics Or Picture-writing As a change from ordinary letter-writing, "Hieroglyphics" are amusing and interesting to make. The best explanation is an example, such as is given on pages 52 and 53, the subject being two verses from a favorite n... Pictures And Titles Each player draws on the upper half of the paper an historical scene, whether from history proper or from family history, and appends the title, writing it along the bottom of the paper and folding it over. The dra... Simple Acrostics There are "Simple Acrostics" and "Double Acrostics." The simple ones are very simple. When the players are all ready a word is chosen by one of them, either from thought or by looking at a book and taking the first... Double Acrostics In "Double Acrostics" the game is played in precisely the same way, except that the letters of the word, after having been arranged in a line down the paper, are then arranged again in a line up the paper, so that ... Fives The Game "Fives" is a game which is a test also of one's store of information. A letter is chosen, say T, and for a given time, ten minutes perhaps, the players write down as many names of animals beginning with T as they c... Game Lists "Lists" is a variety of "Fives." Paper is provided, and each player in turn calls out something which the whole company write down. Thus, suppose there are five players and you decide to go round three times: the f... Buried Names The first thing for the players to do is to decide what kind of name they will bury. The best way is to call out something in turn. Thus, if there are four players they may decide to bury the name of an author, a g... Letters And Telegrams In this game you begin with the Letter. The first thing to write is the address and "My dear ----," choosing whomever you like, but usually, as in "Consequences," either a public person or some one known, if possib... Telegrams There is also the game of "Telegrams." In this the first thing to write is the name of the person sending the telegram. The paper is then passed on, and the name of the person to whom it is sent is written. The pap... Initials Paper is handed round, and each player thinks of some public person, or friend or acquaintance of the company, and writes in full his or her Christian name (or names) and surname. Then, for, say, five minutes, a ch... Riddles A more difficult game is "Riddles." At the top of the paper is written anything that you can think of: "A soldier," "A new dress," "A fit of the blues," "A railway accident"--anything that suggests itself. The pape... Rhymed Replies This is a game that needs a certain amount of readiness and some skill with words. Each of the party writes at the top of a piece of paper a question of any kind whatever, such as "How old was Caesar when he died?"... Missing Information Every one is supplied with a piece of paper and pencils and tries to write down correct answers to questions about everyday things which we none of us know. A suggestive list is given but any one can add to it inde... Consequences "Consequences" is always a favorite game when a party has reached its frivolous mood. The method of playing is this: Sheets of paper and pencils are handed round, and every one writes at the head (1) an adjective s... Consequences Extended The form of "Consequences" above given is the ordinary one and the simplest. But in certain families the game has been altered and improved by other clauses. We give the fullest form of "Consequences" with which we... Composite Stories Another folding-over and passing-on game is "Composite Stories." Paper is passed round, and for five minutes each player writes the opening of a story with a title prefixed. The papers are passed on, and each playe... Another Story Game A variety of the story game is for each player to write the name of a well-known person or friend of the family on the top of the paper, fold it over, and pass it on. This happens, say, five times, which means that... Improbable Stories Another story game is one in which each player attempts to tell the most improbable or impossible story. In this case the papers are not passed on, but a certain amount of time is given for the stories to be writte... The Newspaper This is a rather elaborate but really very easy game to play. One player, who acts as editor, takes as many sheets of paper as there are players and writes at the head of each the title of a section of a newspaper.... Predicaments This is a good game for a company of ingenious people, and it will be found that almost every one is ingenious when confronted with a difficult situation and given time to think out a solution. Every one is given p... Card Games And Others Card games proper, such as Bezique and Cribbage and Whist, do not come into the scope of this book. Nor do games such as Chess, Draughts, Halma and Backgammon. It is not that they are not good games, but that, havi... Letter Games Letters can be used for a round game by one player making a word, shuffling it, and throwing it face upward into the middle of the table. The winner is the player who first sees what it spells. Distribute a box ... Patience Or Thirteens Many games of "Patience" can be played as well with numbered cards as with ordinary playing cards. It does not matter much what size they are, but for convenience, in playing on a small table, they may as well be a... Snap There can be no real need to describe "Snap," but perhaps it may be useful to have the rules in print here in case of any dispute. A pack of "Snap" cards is dealt round, any number being able to play; and the game ... Grab In "Grab," a very rowdy variety of "Snap," a cork is placed in the middle of the table. The rules are the same as in "Snap," except that, instead of saying "Snap," you snatch for the cork; in the case of "Snap Cent... Snap Cards "Snap" cards may just as well be home-made as bought. They either can be painted, in which case you must be careful that the sets of four articles are just alike, or you can cut out shapes of different colored pape... Old Maid Game This game can be played by any number, either with a home-made pack or with ordinary playing cards from which three of the queens have been taken away; the remaining queen being the old maid. The cards are then d... Prophecies And Characteristics This is a memory game and a very amusing one. It is played with two packs of cards of any sort. One pack is laid in a heap, face down, in the middle of the table. The other pack is distributed to the players, who l... The Old Maid's Birthday This game is utterly foolish, but it can lead to shouts of laughter. It has been founded on an old-fashioned card game called "Mr. Punch." The first thing required is a pack of plain cards on which should be writte... The Ship Alphabet The players sit in a long row, as if in a class at school. The one that acts as schoolmaster asks sharply, beginning at one end, "The name of the letter?" "A," says the player. The schoolmaster turns to the next pl... I Love My Love This is not played now as once it was. In the old way the players sat in a line and went steadily through the alphabet, each one taking a letter in order. This was the form:--"I love my love with an A, because he i... My Thought The players sit in a row or circle, and one, having thought of something--of any description whatever--asks them in turn, "What is my thought like?" Not having the faintest idea what the thought is they reply at ra... P's And Q's Another old game of this kind is "P's and Q's." The players sit in a circle and one stands up and asks them each a question in turn. The question takes this form, "The King of England [or France, or Germany, or Afr... The Elements The players sit in a circle, and the game is begun by one of them throwing a rolled-up handkerchief to another and at the same time calling out the name of one of the four elements--air, water, earth, or fire. If "... Suggestions This is a game which people either dislike or like very much. The players sit round the fire or table, and one of them begins by naming an article of any kind whatever, such as watering-pot. The word "watering-pot"... Quotation Games This is a game which requires some poetical knowledge. The players sit in a circle and one begins by repeating a line of poetry. The next caps it by repeating whatever line comes next to it in the poem from which i... Two Rhyming Games Rhyming games require more taxing of brains than most players care for. The ordinary rhyming game, without using paper, is for one player to make a remark in an easy metre, and for the next to add a line completing... Telling Stories This is another of those fireside games that need more readiness of mind than many persons think a game should ask for. The first player begins an original story, stopping immediately (even in the middle of a sente... Clumps The company, according to the number of persons, divides up into two or three or even four groups, or clumps, in different parts of the room, seated closely in circles. As many players as there are clumps then go o... Other Yes And No Games The same game can be played without such keen rivalry, one player sitting in the midst of a great circle and answering questions in turn. There is also a game called "Man and Object," in which two players go out an... My Right-hand Neighbor This is a catch game and useless except when one of the company knows nothing about it. That player is sent out of the room, and after a due interval is called in again and told to guess what the other players have... How When And Where One player leaves the room, while the others decide on some word, the name of a thing for choice (such as tale, tail), which has one pronunciation but two or three different meanings and perhaps spellings. They the... Coffee-pot A similar game is called "Coffee-Pot" or "Tea-Pot." In this case also the company think of a word with more than one meaning, but instead of answering questions about it they make a pretense of introducing it into ... Throwing Light This is much like "How, When, and Where," except that instead of asking questions the player, or players, that went out sit still and listen to the others talking to each other concerning the selected word's variou... Animal Vegetable And Mineral This is also a similar game to "How, When, and Where," except that the player who goes out of the room has, on his return, to guess something belonging to one of these three groups. His first question therefore is,... Proverbs One or two players go out. The others sit in line and choose a proverb having as many words as there are players. Thus, if there were eight players, "They love too much who die for love" would do; or if more than e... Shouting Proverbs In this game, instead of answering questions one by one, when the guesser or guessers come in the players at a given signal shout the words which belong to them at the top of their voice and all together. The guess... Acting Proverbs This is a very simple acting game. The players should divide themselves into actors and audience. The actors decide upon a proverb, and in silence represent it to the audience as dramatically as possible. Such prov... Acting Initials Two players go out. The others choose the name of a well-known person, public or private, the letters of whose name are the same in number as the players left in the room. Thus, supposing there are seven persons in... Acting Verbs Or Dumb Crambo In this game the company divides into two. One half goes out, and the one that remains decides upon a verb which the others shall act in dumb show. A messenger is then despatched to tell the actors what the chosen ... Guessing Employments A very simple game. One player goes out. The others decide on some workman to represent, each pretending to do some different task belonging to his employment. Thus, if they choose a carpenter, one will plane, one ... Stool Of Repentance One player goes out. The others then say in turn something personal about him--such as, "He has a pleasant voice"; "His eye is piercing"; "He would look better if he wore a lower collar." Those remarks are written ... Eyes A sheet, or a screen made of newspapers, is hung up, and two holes, a little larger than eyes and the same distance apart, are made in it. Half the players retire to one side of it, and half stay on the other. They... Making Obeisance This is a trick. Those in the company who have never played the game go out of the room. One of the inside players, who is to represent the potentate, then mounts a chair and is covered with a sheet which reaches t... Mesmerism Another trick. The players who are to be mesmerized--among them being the one or two who do not know the game--stand in a row, each holding a dinner-plate in the left hand. The mesmerizer, who also has a dinner-pla... Thought-reading Tricks In all thought-reading games it is best that only the two performers should know the secret. Of these two, one goes out of the room and the other stays in, after having first arranged on the particular trick which ... To Guess Any Number Thought Of With these thought-reading tricks may be put one or two arithmetical puzzles. Here is a way to find out the number that a person has thought of. Tell him to think of any number, odd or even. (Let us suppose that he... To Guess Any Even Number Thought Of In this case you insist on the number chosen being an even number. Let us suppose it is 8. Tell him to multiply by 3 (24), halve it (12), multiply by 3 again (36), and then to tell you how many times 9 will go into... To Guess The Result Of A Sum Another trick. Tell the person to think of a number, to double it, add 6 to it, halve it and take away the number first thought of. When this has been done you tell him that 3 remains. If these directions are follo... Guessing Competitions Guessing competitions, which are of American invention, can be an interesting change from ordinary games. In some the company are all asked to contribute, as in "Book Teas," where a punning symbolic title of a book... Guessing Quantities Several articles of number are placed on a table, say a box of matches, a bag of beans, a reel of cotton or ball of string, a large stone, a stick, a photograph, and various coins with the date side turned down. Ea... Observation The real name of this game may be something else, but "Observation" explains it. A small table is covered with a variety of articles, to the extent of some twenty or thirty. It is then covered with a cloth and plac... Scents A more puzzling competition is to place a row of large bottles on the table, all numbered, at the bottom of each of which is a small amount of liquid bearing a noticeable scent. Some may be toilet scents, and other... The Topsy-turvy Concert The performers in this concert, who should be of nearly the same size, take their places behind a sheet stretched across the room at the height of their chins. They then put stockings on their arms and boots on the... The Dancing Dwarf This is a very amusing illusion and easy to arrange. All the players but two are sent out of the room and these stand behind a table. One stands close to the table, his arms in front of him so that the fingers rest... Charades "Charades" can be written in advance and carefully rehearsed, but in this book we are concerned more nearly with those that are arranged a few minutes (the fewer the better) before they are performed. As a rule a w... Dumb Performances Very good fun can be had also from impromptu pantomimes, where the performers enact some story which every one knows, such as "Aladdin" or "Red Riding Hood" or "Cinderella"; or a scene from history proper, or from ... Dressing Up It is, of course, much more fun to dress up; but dressing up is not so important that a charade is spoiled without it. If, on the day of your party, you know that charades will play a part in it, it is wise to put ... Tableaux Vivants "Tableaux Vivants" are a change from acting, but they need, if done at all well, a great deal of preparation and rehearsal, and are therefore perhaps better left to older people. But quickly-arranged groups represe... Remarks On Acting The drawback to all charades and dressing up at a party is that they make away with so much valuable time of the players who are out of the room, and unsettle those who are left in. It should be the first duty of e... Bean-bags One of these is the old fashioned game of bean-bag. One rainy morning can be spent in making the outfit. The girls can be occupied in making the cloth bags, from six to ten inches square, partly filled with beans: ... Ring-toss Ring-toss is another game in which skill can be acquired only through practice and it is very good for rainy-days. It is really indoor quoits, and is a favorite game for shipboard. Any one with a little patience an... Ring-the-nail A variation of this can be played with common large nails and brass curtain rings. Eight nails are driven into a board in a circle, leaving about an inch sticking up. In the centre, one is driven, standing about th... Soap-bubbles A soap-bubble race is easy to arrange and very good fun. An old shawl or blanket is laid on a table or the floor, goals are made at each end of it with piles of books, leaving an opening between, and each person is... Jack-stones A game which is good, quiet fun for a rainy day is Jack-stones. Although not played much nowadays it is very interesting and is to indoors what "mumble-the-peg" is to outdoors. It is played usually with small piece... Tying Knots Another occupation for rainy days that will interest several children (as well as one) is puzzling out the construction of some of the simplest sailor's knots. This is a useful and a very desirable accomplishment. ... Illustrating A competitive game which is easy to manage is hit-or-miss illustrating. Any old magazine (the more the better) will furnish the material. Figures, furniture, landscape, machines--anything and everything--is cut out... Shuffle-board A game which is often played on shipboard can be modified for an indoor, rainy day game very easily. This is shuffle-board, all the outfit for which you can easily make yourself. If you can have a long table that s... Balancing Tricks There are a number of balancing tricks which are easy and ingenious. The secret of most such tricks is in keeping the centre of gravity low, and when this idea is once mastered you can invent tricks to suit yoursel... The Dancing Egg Another good trick that needs a little practice is to make an egg dance. Boil an egg hard, keeping it in an upright position (between cups set in the water or in some other way). Then turn a plate bottom side up an... The Dancing Pea A pea can be made to dance on a column of air as you sometimes see a rubber ball rising and falling in a fountain of water. Take a piece of a clay pipe about three inches long, and make one end into a little rounde... The Glass-maker Another trick to play with pins is the glass-making pin. Cut an ordinary rubber band in two, and stick a bent pin through the middle of this. Now hold an end of the elastic in each hand and whirl it rapidly around,... Electricity Various tricks can be played by means of the electricity in paper. Ordinary sealing wax, rubbed briskly on a coat-sleeve until it is warm will attract bits of tissue paper, or any other soft paper. A variation on j... Battledore And Shuttlecock "Battledore and Shuttlecock" is equally good for one player or for two. The only game to be played is to see how long the shuttlecock can be kept in the air. If you are alone the best way is to set yourself a numbe... Jumping Rope Ordinary skipping is good enough fun for most of us, but for those who are not satisfied with it there is skipping extraordinary, one feat of which is now and then to send the rope round twice before you touch the ... Tom Tiddler's Ground The player who is first going to be Tom Tiddler stands or sits inside the part of the garden (or room) marked off for him, pretending to be asleep. The others venture on his ground, crying, "Here we are on Tom Tidd... Old Stone Another "Tom Tiddler's Ground." One player crouches down pretending to be a stone. The others run round about her, gradually, as she shows no sign of life, getting nearer and more bold. The stone suddenly leaps up ... Hen And Chickens Even more exciting than "Tom Tiddler's Ground" is "Hen and Chickens." In this game one player represents a fox and sits on the ground looking sly and hungry. The others, who are the hen and chickens, form a process... Other Garden Games Many of the games described in other parts of this book are good also for the garden; such as "Still Pond! No More Moving!" (p. 4), "Puss in the Corner" (p. 7), "Honey-pots" (p. 11), "Nuts in May" (p. 12), "Here I ... Witches "Witches" is a home-made game played thus, according to the description of E. H.--"One player is made witch. A good spot is chosen for home, and here the others wait until the witch has had time to hide. The idea i... The Ballad Game Another home-made game is described by E. H. thus:--"The game is taken from the player's favorite ballads. In our play the eldest of the four players, who was also the best organizer, represented the cruel father. ... Counting-out Rhymes To decide who is to begin a game there are various counting-out rhymes. All the players stand in a circle, surrounding the one who counts. At each pause in the rhyme (which occurs wherever a stroke has been placed ... Daisy Chains The old way of making a daisy chain is to split one stalk and thread the next through it up to the head, as in this drawing. That is for out-of-doors. If you are using the chain for decorations indoors, it is perha... Flower Show A flower-show competition is an excellent garden game. A handkerchief on sticks forms the tent. Underneath this is a bed of sand in which the flowers, singly or in groups, can be fixed. Some one can easily be persu... Garden Shop Shop in the garden or out-of-doors is played with various things that resemble articles of food. Thus you can get excellent coffee from sorrel, and capital little bundles of rhubarb can be made by taking a rhubarb ... Flower Symbols In this place a word might be said about some of the curious things to be found in flowers and plants. If you cut the stalk of a brake fern low down, in September, you find a spreading oak tree. The pansy contains ... Summer Houses If the garden has no summer-house or tent a very good one can be made with a clothes-horse and a rug. ... Ball Games The simplest thing to do with a ball is to catch it; and the quicker one is in learning to catch well the better baseball player one will become. Ordinary catching in a ring is good, but the practice is better if y... Ball Games Alone A boy with a ball need never be very lonely. When tired of catching it in the ordinary way he can practice throwing the ball straight into the air until, without his moving from his place, it falls absolutely on hi... Races All kinds of races are easy to arrange and these can be repeated from day to day as your proficiency increases. Here are a few. The Spanish race, sometimes called the Wheelbarrow race, is played by forming the bo... Quoits Quoits is a game not played as much as it should be by American boys. It is easy to arrange, for although there is an outfit sold in the toy shops, a home-made one is just as good. It consists of a collection of ho... Duck On A Rock Duck on a Rock is a variation of Quoits which is excellent fun. One of the players, chosen by counting out, puts a stone (called in this game the "duck") about as big as his fist, on the top of a smooth rock and st... Bowling Bowling is the best of sports but this usually needs too much apparatus for the average boy to have. Nine pins, however, can be arranged in a rough sort of a way, by setting up sticks and bowling at them with round... Hop-scotch Hop-scotch is a great favorite which scarcely needs a description, although there are various ways of marking the boards. The game is played by any number of persons, each of whom kicks a small stone from one part ... Strength Tests Various trials of strength are good for boys out of doors, provided rules are fixed and adhered to. Cane-spreeing is good sport, but should only be tried by boys pretty well matched in size and strength. A cane (or... Hare And Hounds Hare and Hounds can be played either in the country or the city and is fine fun, although it should be begun with a short run. In the excitement of the chase boys are apt to forget, and over-strain themselves. The ... Dog-stick A game for city pavements or for smooth country roads has so many names that it is difficult to say which is its right one, but a common one is "dog-stick." It is played something like hockey, the aim being to get ... Other Games The endless variations of leap-frog should not be forgotten in devising outdoor games: and tournaments of long or broad jumping and high jumping are good. Stilts and the games to be arranged with them are also anot... Marbles The first thing to learn in "Marbles" is the way that the marble should be held. Of course one can have very good games by bowling the marble, as if it were a ball, or holding it between the thumb-nail and the seco... Ring Taw Two or three boys with marbles could never have difficulty in hitting on a game to play with them, but the best regular game for several players is "Ring Taw." A chalk ring is made on as level a piece of ground as ... Other Games Other garden games for boys will be found in the Picnic section. We might mention also "Steps" (p. 4), "Tug of War" (p. 38), and "Potato Races" (p. 40). ... It Touch Last Or Tag For a short time "It" is a good warming game. It is the simplest of all games. The "It" runs after the others until he touches one. The one touched then becomes "It." ... Touchwood The name explains the game, which is played as "It" is played, except that you can be caught only when you are not touching wood. It is a good game where there are trees. It is, of course, not fair to carry a piece... Cross Tag This is the ordinary "Tag," save that if, while the "It" is chasing one player, another runs across the trail between him and the pursued, the "It" has to abandon the player he was at first after and give chase to ... The Little Dog The players form a ring, leaving one outside, who passes round it singing, "I have a little dog and he won't bite you," and as he does so, touching each player in turn with a knotted pocket-handkerchief. "And he wo... Hunt The Squirrel All the players except one join a ring. This one, with a knotted handkerchief in his hand, walks round the outside of the ring for a while, and then, dropping the handkerchief behind one of the players, runs off cr... Gaps The players form a ring: all except one, who is "It." This one runs round the ring and touches one of the players in the circle. They both set off running immediately in opposite directions, the object of each bein... Twos And Threes Or Terza A very good picnic game. All the players except two form a large ring, standing in twos, one behind another. Of the two who are over, one is the pursuer and the other the pursued; and the game is begun by the pursu... Hide And Seek "Hide and Seek," which is perhaps the best out-of-door game without implements, needs no explanation. It is usual to give the player who hides a start of as much time as it takes the others to count a hundred in. S... I Spy "I Spy" combines "Hide and Seek" and "Tag." One player stays in the base, covers his eyes and counts a hundred, while the others run off and hide. On finishing the hundred the player shouts "Coming!" and runs out t... Chevy Or Prisoner's Base There is no better running game than this. You first pick sides and then mark off the two camps and take up your station there. The field is arranged thus:-- Place for Place for ... French And English For this game the ground must be divided by a path or line into two territories--French and English. At the further side of each territory a number of flags--handkerchiefs will do--must be placed at intervals. The ... Black Man This is rather rough. A line is drawn at each end of the playing place and one player is told off to stand between these lines. The object of the others is to run across, from base to base, without being caught by ... Stagarino "Stagarino" is similar to "Black Man," except that all the players who are caught, and whose business it is to catch the others, join hands. Those that run across have therefore to avoid them or to try and break th... Red Rover "Red Rover" is also similar to "Black Man," except that instead of all running at the same time, the "Rover" calls out:-- "Red Rover! Red Rover! Let (mentioning name) come over!" at which the one named ha... Hop Step And Jump This is a change from ordinary racing. The competitors, instead of running against each other, see which can cover the most distance in a hop, a step, and a jump, or, say, three hops, three steps, and three jumps. ... Follow-my-leader This needs no explaining. It is nearly always good fun for a while, and particularly so if the leader has original ideas. ... Roadside Whist In the Channel Islands visitors riding about in large wagonettes pass the time by playing a game called "Roadside Whist." The people on the left seat of the carriage take the right side of the road, and those on th... Counting Dogs In a town there are other varieties of roadside whist for two players or sides. Counting dogs is one. In this game one takes all the streets leading from the left, the other all from the right. ... Guessing Horses' Tails A good game (writes E. R.) while out for a walk is "when you see a horse coming, guess what color his tail is before he can reach you, and then, whoever guesses right, the horse belongs to him." ... Shop-windows Except in very dull streets shop-windows can be always entertaining. It is interesting to suppose you have so much money--say five dollars--to spend, or, if you like, an unlimited sum, and choose what you would buy... Making Sentences It is rather exciting for each player to take a side of the road where there are shops and see which can first complete a given sentence or word from the initial letters of the shopkeepers' names, Christian or surn... Collecting Jones's In Mrs. Meynell's book, The Children, one little girl on her walks collected Jones's--that is, shops with the name of Jones over them. If any one else cared for this amusement there would be no need to stick to Jon... The Love Alphabet In this game you go through the alphabet, applying adjectives to your love. "I love my love with an A because he [or she] is so admirable"; "I love my love with a B because she is so beautiful," and so on, keeping ... The Cat Alphabet Another alphabet game requires adjectives to be put before the word cat. You begin with A. "An artful cat," one player may say; and the next, "An avaricious cat." Perhaps "An awful cat," "An adhesive cat," "An arro... Spelling In this game the players each contribute a letter toward the spelling of a word, their object being never to be the one to complete it, but to force the next player to do so. Thus (with four players) the first play... The Grand Mogul A favorite old game which can be played as well on a walk as indoors is "The Grand Mogul." "The Grand Mogul does not like E's," says one player; "what will you give him for dinner?" Each player answers in turn, but... Buz This is a counting game in which, whenever the number 7 comes, or a multiple of 7, such as 14, 21, 28, 35, or a number with 7 in it, such as 17, 27, 37, the player whose turn it is must say "Buz." Otherwise, out-of... Rhyming Lights In this game one player thinks of a word and gives the others a rhyme to it. Thus, she may think of "coal," and she would then say, "I've thought of a word that rhymes to pole." The others have to guess what the wo... The Apprentice The "Apprentice" is an old game for two or any number. One says, "I apprenticed my son to a [mentioning a tradesman or craftsman], and the first thing be sold [or made] was a [mentioning, by its initial only, somet... Towns And Products This is a somewhat similar game bearing on geography. Suppose there are three players. One chooses a well-known place, say Boston, and begins, "I know a place where they sell boots," or whatever it may be beginning... Hoops Iron hoops are the best, but it is a matter of taste whether a stick or a hook is used for them. If the stick is a stout one you get rid of the skidding noise made by the hook, and there is more satisfaction in bea... Two In Hoop Games Hoop games are few in number, and, with the exception of "Posting," not very exciting. With a large hoop and a small hoop two players can learn to time the pace of a hoop very exactly and then bowl the little one t... Hoop Posting A very good hoop game for several players is "Posting." The idea is that a distance is to be covered (as in the old posting days) as quickly as possible by relays of riders, and the first thing to do is to station ... The Value Of A Map A map of the country which the train passes through is an interesting thing to have on a long journey. It tells you the names of the hills and villages you see from the windows and you can very likely fix the exact... Railway Competitions Two persons can have good competitions. They can agree beforehand that the game is to go to whichever of them sees the more horses, or cows, or sheep, or men driving, or bicyclists, or rabbits, between two given po... Railway Whist This is a kind of "Roadside Whist," the rules for which will be found on page 163. As has been said there, most players will prefer to draw up their own scoring table; but the following things and figures may be fo... Station Observation A variety of "Observation" (see page 104) can be played on journeys. While the train is stopping at a station every one looks out of the window and notices as many things as possible. When the train starts again ea... Games With A Watch If you have a watch it is rather interesting to guess the exact time at which the train will reach the next station. The one who guesses nearest becomes the holder of the watch until the next guess is decided. Othe... Hot-hand This is a primitive game, capital for cold weather, for it is well named. It is played by two people, one of whom spreads out his hands flat, palms up. The other puts his, palms down, within about three inches of t... Pencils And Paper It is well to take a pencil and paper when you go on a long journey. If the train rocks a good deal it is interesting to see which can write a sentence most clearly. There is a way of balancing oneself on the edge ... Noughts And Crosses Or Tit-tat-toe "Noughts and Crosses" is playable anywhere; all that is needed is a piece of paper--a newspaper will do--and a pencil. The framework is first made. Thus:-- -----+-----+... Paper French And English "French and English," another game for two, belongs to the family of "Noughts and Crosses," and can be played anywhere and on any scrap of paper. You first decide which will be English and which French. Each player... Letters And Words A box of letters is an unfailing help to pass the time. A word will sometimes keep a player puzzling for hours, which is, of course, too long. "Pomegranate," "Orchestra," and "Scythe" are good examples of difficult... Letters With A Pencil The word-making game has been adapted into a writing competition. Each of the company is handed a card which has been prepared for the purpose beforehand by having names of a dozen animals, or towns, or flowers, or... Hanging This is a more difficult game, very suitable for a tiring journey. The two players sit side by side, and one of them dots out on a piece of paper the words of a proverb or well-known line of poetry. Thus, "I met a ... Other Games Many games usually kept for the house can be played in the train. "Old Maid" (see p. 79) is a good train game; so is "Buz" (see p. 167). A "Fox and Geese" board, or a draughtboard, will help to pass the time. ... Food Food is a great help toward shortening a long journey. A little picnic every hour, if it is permitted, is something not too distant to look forward to, and it may take up ten minutes each time. A larger meal all at... Chinese Gambling This is the simplest game possible but will while away endless hours. It is played with nothing but your hands, which are made to assume three positions: one with clenched fist; one spread out flat; and one with fi... Bricks Among the best toys with which to play alone are bricks, soldiers, balls, battledore and shuttlecock, and dolls. No one needs any hints as how to play with them; but it might be remarked that ordinary bought bricks... Soldiers A good game of soldiers is to see how many shots are required from a cannon to kill the whole regiment. The cannon can either be a spring cannon or a pop-gun, or a pea-shooter. Just at first it is almost impossible... Ninepins With a box of ninepins very much the same game can be played. In wet weather, in the hall, a box of large ninepins is invaluable. ... Spanish Cup And Ball A good quiet game to play alone is "Spanish Cup and Ball." A long stick has fastened to it a loop of wire standing out at right angles, thus. To this is attached by a long string a worsted, or a very light rubber b... Balancing All kinds of balancing games are excellent when you are alone and tired of toys. There is no way to acquire proficiency in these but by practice, but practice is fascinating work. Try balancing at first a long pole... Bruce's Heart Where toys become tedious, games have to be made up; and in making up games no outside help is needed. At the same time, some games which E. H. describes may perhaps supply a hint or two. "One little girl," she wri... The Hotel Camps Another little girl whom E. H. knew "once spent a short time in a hotel, and while there divided the other people into camps according to the floor on which they had rooms. The designs in the windows on the various... Block City The little book called A Child's Garden of Verses, by R. L. Stevenson, has several poems which describe how a lonely little boy used to play. Thus (in "Block City"):-- Let the sofa be mountains, the carpet a se... Story-books And (in "The Land of Story-Books"):-- Now, with my little gun, I crawl All in the dark along the wall, And follow round the forest track Away behind the sofa back. There, in the night, where none ca... The Bed Boat That is ordinary play. There is also a poem describing play in bed:-- My bed is like a little boat; Nurse helps me in when I embark; She girds me in my sailor's coat And starts me in the dark. ... Games By Rote On this subject B. R. L. writes:--"We made a list, which was stuck on the wall with a different game for each night. One was 'I Love my Love with an A' (see p. 88), which we steadily made up all through the alphabe... The Imaginary Family E. H. recommends for girls the "Imaginary Family" game. This is her description of it:--"First you have to settle the names, ages, and characters of your family, and then you can carry on their adventures every nig... Making Plans Making plans is always interesting, but particularly so just before Christmas, when presents have to be arranged for. ... For Getting To Sleep The favorite way is to imagine that you see a flock of sheep scrambling through a gap in the hedge, and to count them. A variety of this is a desert with a long train of camels very far off, coming slowly near, and... Games For Convalescents A good thing to do in bed when getting better from an illness is to cut out pictures for scrapbooks. Any kind of cutting out can be done, as the scissors and paper are very light and do not, therefore, tire the arm... Bed Soldiers In A Child's Garden of Verses there is a poem called "The Land of Counterpane," which tells what a little boy did when he was ill, lying among the pillows with his toys: And sometimes for an hour or so I wat... China Animals Dolls are, of course, perfectly at home in bed when you are ill, but there is even more interest in a menagerie. On this subject it would be difficult to do better than quote from a letter from E. M. R., who has 59... Low Tide The first thing to do on reaching the seaside is to find out when it is low tide. In each twelve hours low tide comes twenty minutes later, and knowing this you can arrange your days accordingly. Nothing is so sadd... Paddling To boys who wear knickerbockers the preparations for paddling are very simple; but girls are not so fortunate. Lewis Carroll (who wrote Alice in Wonderland) took their difficulties so seriously that whenever he wen... A Cork Ship Sailing a good boat in the sea is not the best fun, but there is a kind of boat which is very easily made as you sit on the beach, and which is useful to play with when wading, and afterward to throw stones at. You... Wet Clothes When wading it is just as well not to get your clothes wet if you can help it. Clothes that are made wet with seawater, which probably has a little sand in it, are as uncomfortable as crumbs in bed. There is no rea... Rocks Seaside places where there are rocks and a great stretch of sand are the best. Rocks make paddling twice as exciting, because of the interesting things in the little pools--the anemones, and seaweeds, and shells, a... Sand Castles And Other Sand Games To make full use of the sands a spade is necessary and a pail important. The favorite thing to make is a castle and a moat, and although the water rarely is willing to stay in the moat it is well to pour some in. T... Seaweed Seaweed and shells make good collections, but there is no use in carrying live fish home in pails. The fun is in catching the fish, not is keeping it; and some landladies dislike having the bath-room used as an aqu... Shell Work A good use for little shells is to cover small boxes with them. The shells are arranged in a simple pattern and fastened on with glue. If the shells are not empty and clean, boil them, and scrub them with an old to... Good Seaside Friends So many interesting things are to be seen at the seaside that there is no need to be always at play. Fishermen will come in with their boats, which need pulling up; or a net that has been dropped near the shore wil... Making Friends The most important thing to do when staying at a farmhouse is to make friends with the principal people. The principal people are those in charge of the chickens and ducks, the cows and the horses. The way to make ... Exploration On reaching the farm, it is well to make a journey of discovery, in order to learn where everything is. The more one knows about the things in store--the size of the barn, the height of the haystacks, the number of... Finding Hens' Eggs The farmer's wife usually has charge of the chickens and ducks, but very often it is her daughter or a servant. No matter who it is, as soon as she is convinced that you will be careful and thorough she will let yo... Ducks' Eggs Ducks' eggs, which are rather larger than hens' eggs, and pale green in color, are often more difficult to find. They have to be hunted for in the grass by the pond. ... Feeding The Chickens The farmer's wife also lets her visitors feed the chickens if they are gentle with them and thoughtful. It needs quite a little thought, because if you throw down the grain without thinking, many of the weaker and ... The Dairy If the farmer's wife makes her own butter there will be an opportunity to help her. Perhaps she will let you use the skimmer. Turning the churn is not much fun except just when the butter forms. ... Bee-swarming Bees swarm on hot days in the early summer, usually in a tree, but sometimes in a room, if the window is open, and often in a bush, quite close to the ground. When they swarm in a tree you would think a black snow-... The Cows The man who looks after the cows is a very valuable friend. He may even let you try to milk, which only specially gifted children ever succeed in doing at all well; and he will teach you the cows' names (in some fa... Sheep In a general way sheep are not very interesting, especially in low-lying farms. But though sheep, as a rule, are dull, there are two occasions when they are not--at sheep-washing and sheep-shearing. The washers sta... The Blacksmith It may be that while you are at the farm the day will come for having the horses shod, and you may go with them to the blacksmith. The blacksmith is of course a very important person to be friends with; and people ... Birds'-nesting One of the advantages of being in the country in spring is that that is the time when birds build. In May the weather is not yet sufficiently warm to make sitting about out-of-doors very comfortable, but birds'-nes... Blowing Eggs For blowing eggs a brass or glass blow-pipe is the proper thing, using only one hole, which is made at the side with a little drill. But for your purpose a hole at each end made with a pin is simpler and equally go... Butterflies Butterfly-hunting begins when birds'-nesting is done and the weather is hot. Here again it is not the purpose of this book to go into particulars: the subject is too large. It is enough to say that the needful thin... Collecting Flowers A quieter pastime, but a very interesting one, and also one that, unlike egg-collecting and butterfly-collecting, goes on all the year round, is collecting flowers. For this purpose tin cases are made, with straps ... Nuts And Blackberries In nutting you want a hooked stick with which to pull down the branches. For blackberries a hooked stick is not so important, but it is well to have leather gloves. The blackberries ought to be dry when they are pi... Ponds And Sailing Boats Near the farm is certain to be either a pond or a stream. If it is a clean and high pond, not in a hollow surrounded by trees, it will be good to sail boats on. Sailing boats on inland water is much better than on ... Little Boats On A Stream Sailing boats in a stream is little good, because there is no steadiness of wind, but ordinary boats will float along in the current splendidly. It is interesting to launch one and follow its adventures from the ba... A Stream's Fascination But there is no absolute need for you to have boats in order to enjoy a stream. There are so many other things to do, not the least interesting being to make a dam and stop or divert the course of the water. And wh... Solitary Watchfulness Indeed, to keep absolutely quiet and watch things happening is for many people one of the most delightful occupations which the country holds. When there is no one else to play with it is as good a way of spending ... Mice And Moles In a wood or in any place where there are old leaves, as in a dry ditch, you will usually get through the ear the first tidings of any moving thing. For instance, you will hear a field-mouse rustling long before yo... Snakes Sometimes the rustling is a snake on his way to a sunny spot where he can bask and sleep. Very slender brown speckled snakes, or blind-worms, are quite harmless, and so are the large grass-snakes, which are somethi... Ants There is a book about bees. Hardly less wonderful are ants, concerning whom there is much curious information in the same work, the reading of which makes it ten times more interesting to watch an ant-hill than it ... Swallows And Hawks In the flight of birds there is nothing to compare for beauty and speed with the swift, or for power and cleverness with the hawk. On moist evenings, when the swifts fly low and level, backward and forward, with a ... Squirrels The time to see squirrels is September and October, when the beech nuts and hazel nuts are ripe. In the pictures he sits up, with his tail resting on his back, holding nuts in his little forepaws; but one does not ... A Country Diary If you are fond of writing you might find a good deal of interest in keeping a country diary: that is to say, a small note-book in which you set down evening by evening all things seen during the day that seemed to... A Camera In The Country Nothing is said in this book about amateur photography, because to own a camera is still the exception rather than the rule, and if once we began to say anything practical about photography we should have to say ve... Country Books In the "Reading" chapter will be found the titles of several books which describe life in the country, and tell you all about the habits of animals, birds, and insects. ... Dolls' Gardens One advantage of making the dolls' house yourself is that you can arrange for it to have a garden, a provision rarely made by toy-shops. Grass plots can be made of green baize or other cloth of the right color; gar... Garden Chairs And Tables Garden seats and tables can be made of cardboard and cork. For a seat, take a card two or three inches long and not quite as broad. Mark it right across, lengthwise, in the middle with a sharp knife, and then half ... The House A dolls' house can be made of almost any kind of box. For the simplest and smallest kind cigar boxes can be used and the furniture made of cork, for which directions are given later; or a couple of low shelves in a... Fireplaces Fireplaces, which can be bought or made at home, should be put in next. To make one yourself, take a strong cardboard-box lid about four inches long and two wide (though the size must depend on the size of the room... A Furnishing Game A splendid game of shop can be played while the furnishing is going on: in fact, from the moment you have the bare house a board or sign with "To Let or For Sale" will quickly attract house-hunting dolls, and when ... Curtains Windows have been mentioned, but they are not by any means a necessity. Yet even if you cannot have windows, you should put up curtains, for they make the rooms prettier. Shades can be made of linen, edged at the b... Floors The floors can be stained or painted either all over or round the edges. Carpets are better not made of ordinary carpet, for it is much too thick, but of colored canvas, or chintz, or thin felt, or serge. A rug mad... General Remarks On Furnishing In another place in this book (pp. 228-233) will be found instructions for making furniture for very small and simple dolls' houses; but for a good dolls' house with several good-sized rooms you would probably pref... Beds Beds can be made of cardboard-boxes of different sizes. The box turned upside down makes the bed itself, and the cover should be fixed upright behind it for curtains to hang from. These curtains and the frill round... Bead Furniture Chairs can be made with wire, beads, a little silk or cotton material, some cardboard and cotton-wool. To make a chair in this way, cut a piece of cardboard the size that you want the seat to be. Lay a good wad ... Pictures Pictures for the walls can be made very easily. The picture itself will be a scrap or tiny photograph. This is pasted on a piece of cardboard larger than itself, and round the edge of that you place a strip of what... Bookshelves And Books The simplest bookshelves are those that hang from a nail on the wall. They are made by cutting two or three strips of cardboard of the size of the shelves and boring holes at the corners of each. These are then thr... Other Articles A dolls' house ought to be as complete as possible, and though this will take a long time it is absorbingly interesting work from start to finish. It should be the ambition of the mistress of a dolls' house to have... The Inhabitants As to dolls, the more the merrier. They are so cheap and can be dressed so easily that it seems a great pity not to have a large family and a larger circle of friends who will occasionally visit them. There must be... Dressing Dolls It is rather difficult to dress these tiny dolls so that their clothes will take off and on, but it is much better to do so if possible. In any case they can have capes and hats which take off. The thinnest materia... Dolls' Dinner Parties Dolls occasionally require parties. The food may be real or imitation. If real,--such as currants and raisins, sugar and candied peel,--it is more amusing at the moment; but if imitation, you have a longer time of ... Dolls' Flats Just as people live not only in houses but in flats, so may there be dolls' flats as well as dolls' houses. A dolls' flat consists of a board on which the outline of the rooms is made with single bricks. For exampl... Smaller Dolls' Houses So far we have been considering larger dolls' houses. But there are also smaller ones, which naturally require much smaller furniture. These dolls' houses can be made of cardboard (as described on p. 237 and on), o... Cork And Match-box Furniture This furniture, if very neatly made, can be very successful, and it costs almost nothing. Plain pins will do quite well, although the fancy ones are much prettier. Velvet or thin cloth is best for the dining-room f... Chairs Cut a round or square piece of cork about quarter of an inch thick and one inch across. Cover it with a piece of silk or velvet, making all the stitches on that side of the cork which will be the under side of t... Chestnut Chairs an be made of chestnuts. The flatter side of the nut is the seat, and in this are stuck pins for the back (and arms if necessary), which may be bound together with gold or silver tinsel. Other pins are stuck in ... Sofas For a sofa a piece of cork about two inches long and half an inch thick is needed. This must be covered, and then quite short pins stuck in for legs. Put a row of short pins along one side and the two ends, and win... Tables Round tables can be made best of different-sized pieces of cork, with very strong pins for legs; and square ones of the outside of a wooden match-box, with four little medicine-bottle corks glued under it for le... Foot-stools Several small pieces of cork may be covered to make foot-stools. ... Standard Lamp A serviceable standard lamp can be made by taking a small empty cotton spool, gilding or painting it, and fixing the wooden part of a thin penholder firmly into it. On the top of it glue a round piece of cork, on w... Bedroom Furniture Materials You will need-- Two large wooden match-boxes. Several corks of different sizes. Some pieces of chintz, of cotton material, flannel, linen, oil-cloth, and a little cotton-wool. An empty walnut shell. ... Beds To make a bed, take the inside of a match-box and cut away the bottom of it. Then take two matches and glue them to the two corners at the head of the bed so that a portion sticks out below the bed for legs and ... Dressing-tables The outside of the same match-box that was used for the bed will make a dressing-table. Stand it up on either side of its striking sides, and glue or sew a piece of light-colored thin material all round it, and the... Washstands Take the inside of another match-box and stand it up on one of its sides. Then take five or six matches and cut them to that length which, when they are glued in an upright row at equal distances apart to the back ... Wardrobes The wardrobe is made by standing the inside of a match-box on end, fixing inside several little pegs made of small pieces of match stuck in with glue, and hanging two little curtains in front of it. If, when done, ... Towel-rack A towel-horse can easily be made with six long pins and two small pieces of cork. ... Clothes-basket To make a clothes-basket, take a round piece of cork about a quarter of an inch thick and stick pins closely together all round it, as in the above picture. Then weave wool in and out of them. ... Dolls' Houses And Dolls Of Cardboard And Paper A cardboard house, furnished with paper furniture and occupied by paper dolls, is a very good substitute for an ordinary dolls' house, and the making of it is hardly less interesting. The simplest way to make a c... The Partition Now for the partition. Put the three tags G G G through the slits H H H and glue them firmly down on the outside. (These will have to be touched up with paint.) The roof must then be put on. Cut out a slit N an inc... The Chimney The chimney, of which the illustration is the actual size, is the last thing to be made. First paint, and then fold the two side pieces downward, cut out the three little holes and put into them three chimneys, mad... The Garden The cottage can then be fixed to a piece of wood or paste-board, to form its garden and add to convenience in moving it about. A cardboard fence and gate can be cut out and painted green. A path to the front door i... Another Way It is, of course, possible to make a house of several pieces instead of one. The walls and floors can be made separately and joined with linen strips; but this adds to the difficulty of the work and causes the hous... The House That Glue Built A novel kind of paper house has been gotten out in book form. It is called The House That Glue Built, and consists of pictures of rooms, without furniture, which is shown on separate sheets. The object is to cut ou... Paper Furniture Everything required for the furnishing and peopling of a cardboard dolls' house can be made of paper; and if colored at all cleverly the furniture will appear to be as solid as that of wood. After cutting out and j... Glue And Adhesive Tape Two recent inventions of the greatest possible use to the maker of paper furniture are fish-glue which gets dry very quickly and is more than ordinarily strong, and adhesive tape. Glue can be bought for very little... Home-made Compasses A pair of compasses is a good thing to have; but you can make a perfectly serviceable tool by cutting out a narrow strip of cardboard about four inches long and boring holes at intervals, of a quarter of an inch, t... Tracing If the drawings are to be traced, tracing-paper, or transparent note-paper, and a sheet of carbon-paper, will also be needed. To trace a drawing, cover it with paper and draw it exactly. Then cover the paper or car... Paper Dolls Paper dolls are not as good to play with as proper dolls. One can do much less with them because they cannot be washed, have no hair to be brushed, and should not sit down. But they can be exceedingly pretty, and t... Making Paper Dolls The first thing to do is to draw the doll in pencil on the cardboard or paper which it is to be cut from. If you are not good at drawing, the best way is to trace a figure in a book or newspaper, and then, slipping... The Dresses The dresses are made of sheets of note-paper, the fold of which forms the shoulder pieces. The doll is laid on the paper, with head and neck lapping over the fold, and the line of the dress is then drawn a little l... Other Paper Dolls Simpler and absolutely symmetrical paper dolls are made by cutting them out of folded paper, so that the fold runs right down the middle of the doll. By folding many pieces of paper together, one can cut out many d... Walking Dolls Walking ladies are made in that way; but they must have long skirts and no feet, and when finished a cut is made in the skirt--as in the picture--and the framework thus produced is bent back. When the doll is place... Tissue-paper Dresses Dresses can also be made of crinkly tissue-paper glued to a foundation of plain note-paper. Frills, flounces, and sashes are easily imitated in this material, and if the colors are well chosen the result is very pr... Rows Of Paper Dolls To make a row of paper dolls, take a piece of paper the height that the dolls are to be, and fold it alternately backward and forward (first one side and then the other) leaving about an inch between each fold. Pre... A Pueblo Settlement Suppose now that you have been reading about the life of the Pueblo Indians in our Southwest, and you have a picture of one of their singular settlements. The accompanying picture shows what was done in the way of ... An Esquimau Village Another class in the same school painted their bricks white to represent blocks of snow and made an Esquimau village. This is fascinating and easy to do. Or, the rounded huts can be modeled all in one piece directl... A Filipino Village Or if you get tired of living near the Arctic circle you can sweep your table clean of Esquimau dwellings and construct a Filipino village. For these you do not need bricks (which can be given a rest and put away i... A Dutch Street You cannot only wander from one climate and from one nationality to another, but from one century to another. If you are studying early American history nothing is more fun than to make a street in an old Dutch set... Painting Painting is an occupation which is within almost everybody's power, and of which one tires very slowly or perhaps not at all. By painting we mean coloring old pictures rather than making new ones, since making new ... Flags An even more interesting thing to do with a paint-box is to make a collection of the flags of all nations. And when those are all done, you will find colored pages of them in any large dictionary, and elsewhere too... Maps Coloring maps is interesting, but is more difficult than you might perhaps think, owing to the skill required in laying an even surface of paint on an irregular space. The middle of the country does not cause much ... Magic-lantern Slides If you have a magic lantern in the house you can paint some home-made slides. The colors should be as gay as possible. The best home-made slides are those which illustrate a home-made story; and the fact that you c... Illuminating As a change from painting there is illuminating, for which smaller brushes and gold and silver paint are needed. Illuminating texts is a favorite Sunday afternoon employment. ... Pen And Ink Work There is also pen and ink drawing, mistakenly called "etching," for which you require a tiny pen, known as a mapping pen, and a cake of Indian ink. If the library contains a volume of old wood-cuts, particularly Be... Chalks In place of paints a box of chalks will serve very well. ... Tracing Themselves Smaller children, who have not yet learned to paint properly, often like to trace pictures either on tracing paper held over the picture, or on ordinary thin paper held over the picture against the window pane. ... Pricking Pictures Pictures can also be pricked with a pin, but in this case some one must draw it first. You follow the outline with little pin pricks close together, holding the paper on a cushion while you prick it. Then the pictu... Easter Eggs And Painting Home-made Easter eggs are made by painting pictures or messages on eggs that have been hard-boiled, or by merely boiling them in water containing cochineal or some other coloring material. In Germany it is the cust... Spatter-work Paper and cardboard articles can be prettily decorated by spatter-work. Ferns are the favorite shapes to use. You first pin them on whatever it is that is to be ornamented in this way, arranging them as prettily as... Scrapbooks Making scrapbooks is always a pleasant and useful employment, whether for yourself or for children in hospitals or districts, and there was never so good an opportunity as now of getting interesting pictures. These... Scrapbooks For Hospitals Children that are ill are often too weak to hold up a large book and turn over the leaves. There are two ways of saving them this exertion and yet giving them pleasure from pictures. One is to get several large she... Composite Scrapbooks Sometimes it happens that you get very tired of one of the pictures in your scrapbook. A good way to make it fresh and interesting again is to introduce new people or things. You will easily find among your store o... Scrap-covered Screens A screen is an even more interesting thing to make than a scrapbook. The first thing to get is the framework of the screen, which will either be an old one the covering of which needs renewing, or a new one made by... Collecting Stamps Stamp-collecting is more interesting if money is kept out of it and you get your stamps by gift or exchange. The best way to begin is to know some one who has plenty of foreign correspondence and to ask for all his... Postage-stamp Snakes Old American stamps can be used for making snakes. There is no need to soak the stamps off the envelope paper: they must merely be cut out cleanly and threaded together. A big snake takes about 4,000 stamps. The he... Puzzles If you have a fret saw, and can use it cleverly, you can make at home as good a puzzle as any that can be bought. The first thing to do is to select a good colored picture, and then to procure from a carpenter a th... Soap Bubbles For blowing bubbles the long clay pipes are best. Before using them, the end of the mouthpiece ought to be covered with sealing-wax for about an inch, or it may tear your lips. Common yellow soap is better than sce... Shadows On The Wall Shadowgraphy nowadays has progressed a long way from the rabbit on the wall; but in the house, ambition in this accomplishment does not often extend further than that and one or two other animals, and this is why o... Skeleton Leaves Leaves which are to be skeletonized should be picked from the trees at the end of June. They should be perfect ones of full growth. It is best to have several of each kind, as some are sure to be failures. Put the ... Ferns It should be noted that if you intend to skeletonize ferns, they should not be picked before August, and they must be pressed and dried before they are put into the bleaching solution, in which they ought to stay f... Wool Balls Cut out two rings of cardboard, of whatever size you like, from one inch in diameter up to about four inches. A four-inch ring would make as large a ball as one usually needs, and a one-inch ring as small a one as ... Wool Demons To make a "Wool Demon," take a piece of cardboard as wide as you want the demon to be tall, say three inches, and wind very evenly over it wool of the color you want the demon to be. Scarlet wool is perhaps best. W... Bead-work Among other occupations which are not in need of careful description, but which ought to be mentioned, bead-work is important. It was once more popular than it now is; but beads in many beautiful colors are still m... Post-office "Post-Office" is a device for providing the family with a sure supply of letters. The first thing to do is to appoint a postmaster and fix upon the positions for the letter-boxes. You then write letters to each oth... The Home Newspaper In "The Home Newspaper," the first thing to do is to decide on which of you will edit it. As the editor usually has to copy all the contributions into the exercise-book, it is well that a good writer should be chos... Paper And Cardboard Toys A Cocked Hat To make a cocked hat, take a sheet of stiff paper and double it. Then fold over each of the doubled corners until they meet in the middle. The paper will then resemble Fig. 1. Then fold AB AB over the doubled co... Paper Boats If the cocked hat is held in the middle of each side and pulled out into a square, and the two sides are then bent back to make another cocked hat (but of course much smaller); and then, if this cocked hat is al... Paper Darts Take a sheet of stiffish paper about the size of this page and fold it longways, exactly double. Then fold the corners of one end back to the main fold, one each side. The paper sideways will then look as in Fig.... Paper Mats Take a square piece of thin paper (Fig. 1), white or colored. Fold it in half (Fig. 2), and then again in half (Fig. 3), and then again from the centre to the outside corner, when it will be shaped as in Fig. 4. ... Paper Boxes Take an exactly square piece of paper (cream-laid note-paper is best in texture), and fold it across to each corner and press down the folds. Unfold it and then fold each corner exactly into the middle, and pres... Cardboard Boxes Cardboard boxes, of a more useful nature than paper boxes, are made on the same principle as the house described on p. 239, and the furniture to go in it, as described later in the same chapter. The whole box can b... Scraps And Transfers Paper boxes, when finished, can be made more attractive by painting on them, gluing scraps to them, putting transfers here and there, or covering them with spatter-work (see p. 275). Scraps can be bought at most st... Ink Sea-serpents Dissolve a teaspoonful of salt in a glass of water, dip a pen in ink and touch the point to the water. The ink descends in strange serpent-like coils. ... A Dancing Man The accompanying picture will show how a dancing man is made to dance. You hold him between the finger and thumb, one on each side of his waist, and pull the string. The hinges for the arms and legs, which are m... Velvet Animals The fashioning of people and animals from scraps of velvet glued on cardboard was a pleasant occupation which interested our great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers when they were children many years ago. A favor... Hand Dragons All the apparatus needed for a "Hand Dragon" consists of a little cardboard thimble or finger-stall, on which the features of a dragon have been drawn in pen and ink or color. This is then slipped over the top of t... Other Uses For Cardboard Once you have begun to make things out of cardboard, you will find no end to its possibilities and should be in no more need of any hints. After building, furnishing, and peopling a dolls' house, a farm or a menage... Cardboard Cut-outs There are a great many cut-outs issued nowadays, which may be bought for a small sum at any toy shop. Perhaps the best among these are "The Mirthful Menagerie," "The Agile Acrobats" and "The Magic Changelings." "Th... Kites In China, and to some extent in Holland, kite-flying is not the pastime only of boys, but of grave men. And certainly grave men might do many more foolish things. To feel a kite pulling at your hands, to let out st... Kite Messengers A messenger is a piece of cardboard or paper with a good-sized hole in it, which you slip over the string when the kite is steady, and which is carried right up to the kite by the wind. ... A Simple Toy Boat The following directions, with exact measurements, apply to one of the simplest home-made sailing-boats. Take a piece of soft straight-grained pine, which any carpenter or builder will let you have, one foot long, ... Walnut Shell Boats To make a boat from a walnut shell, you scoop out the half shell and cut a piece of cardboard of a size to cover the top. Through the middle of this piece of cardboard you thrust a match, and then, dropping a littl... Walnut Fights Here it might be remarked that capital contests can be had with the empty halves of walnut shells. A plate is turned upside down, and the two fighters place their walnuts point to point is the middle. At the given ... Suckers A sucker is a round piece of strong leather. Thread a piece of string through the middle, and knot the string at the end to prevent it being pulled through. Soak the sucker in water until it is soft, and then press... Skipjacks The wish-bone of a goose makes a good skipjack. It should be cleaned and left for a day or two before using. Then take a piece of strong thin string, double it, and tie it firmly to the two ends of the wish-bone, a... A Water-cutter The cut-water is best made of tin or lead, but stout cardboard or wood will serve the purpose. First cut the material into a round, and then make teeth in it like a saw. Thus:--Then bore two holes in it, as in t... Whistles With a sharp knife a very good whistle can be made of hazel or willow, cut in the spring or early summer. A piece of wood about three inches long should be used. Remember what an ordinary tin whistle is like, and c... Christmas Evergreen Decorations Getting ready for Christmas is almost as good as Christmas itself. The decorations can be either natural or artificial or a mixture of both. In using evergreens for ropes, it is best to have a foundation of real co... Paper Decorations The simplest form of paper chain is made of colored tissue paper and glue. You merely cut strips the size of the links and join them one by one. For paper flowers, paper and tools are especially made. But for the... Mottoes Mottoes and good wishes can be lettered in cotton wool on a background of scarlet or other colored linen or lining paper. Scarlet is perhaps the most cheery. Or you can make more delicate letters by sewing holly be... Christmas Trees In hanging things on the Christmas tree you have to be careful that nothing is placed immediately over a candle, nor should a branch of the tree itself be near enough to a candle to catch fire. After all the things... Bran-tubs Or Jack Horner Pies Bran-tubs or Jack Horner Pies are not so common as they used to be, but there is no better way of giving your guests presents at random. As many presents as there are children are wrapped up in paper and hidden in ... Philopenas Two games with nuts and cherries may as well go at the end of this section as anywhere else. Almonds sometimes contain double kernels. These are called Philopenas, and you must never waste them by eating both yours... Cherry Contests Cherry-eating races can be very exciting. The players stand in a row with their hands behind them, and a number of long-stalked cherries are chosen from the basket and placed by the tip of the stalk between their t... Utensils For making candy you will need an enamel or earthenware saucepan; a long wooden spoon; one or two old soup-plates or dishes; a bowl, if there is any mixing to be done; a cup of cold water for testing; a silver knif... General Directions Butter the dish into which the candy is to be poured before you begin to cook. To do this put a little piece of butter on a piece of clean soft paper and rub it all over the dish. Always stir round the edge as we... Barley Sugar 1 lb. powdered sugar. The white of an egg. 1/2 a pint of water. 1/2 a lemon. Dissolve the sugar in the water, and add the well-beaten white of an egg (this must be done before the mixture is heated). Th... Chocolate Caramels 1 tea-cup golden syrup. 1 tea-cup brown sugar. 1 tea-cup milk. 2 oz. butter. 4 oz. powdered chocolate. A pinch of salt. 16 drops vanilla. Boil all together for half an hour, stirring continually... Cocoanut Cream 1-1/2 lb. granulated sugar. 4 oz. grated cocoanut. Melt the sugar with as little water as possible. Continue to let it boil gently until the syrup begins to return to sugar again. Directly this happens put i... Cocoanut Cream Another Way 1 cocoanut, grated. 1 lb. granulated sugar. 1/2 a cup of cocoanut-milk. 1 oz. butter. Put the sugar, cocoanut-milk, and butter into a saucepan. When they boil, add the cocoanut gradually. Boil for ten m... Cocoanut Drops 1/2 lb. cocoanut, grated. 1/2 lb. white sugar. The whites of 2 eggs, well beaten. Mix well together and bake in drops on buttered paper for fifteen minutes. ... Cream Caramels 1 tin Nestle's milk. 1 lb. soft white sugar. 2 oz. butter. Vanilla. Melt the sugar with a very little water, and when boiling add the butter and Nestle's milk. Stir continually, as the mixture burns ver... Fruit Cream 1 cocoanut, grated. 1-1/2 lb. granulated sugar, moistened with a little cocoanut-milk. Put the sugar in a saucepan and let it heat slowly. Then boil rapidly five minutes; add grated cocoanut, and boil ten min... Pop-corn The corn has to be "popped" over a clear fire in a little iron basket with a long handle. The corn is put in the basket and shaken continually, and in time each grain pops suddenly and becomes a little irregular wh... The Plainest Toffee 3 oz. butter. 1 lb. brown sugar. Stir until done. ... Another Toffee 1 lb. raw sugar. 1/2 lb. butter. 2 small tablespoonfuls of syrup. The juice of half a lemon. Half a teaspoonful of powdered ginger. Melt the butter in a saucepan, and then add the sugar, syrup, and g... Everton Toffee 1 lb. brown sugar. 1 small cup of water. 1/2 lb. of butter. Boil the water and sugar together very gently until the sugar is melted. Then add the butter and boil all together for half an hour. ... Molasses Candy 1/2 lb. molasses. 1/2 lb. brown sugar. 2 oz. butter. Boil all together for half an hour. ... Nut Candy 1 pint of chopped nuts. 1/2 lb. brown sugar. 3 oz. butter. Juice of one lemon. Tablespoonful of water. Boil everything, except the nuts, for twenty minutes, stirring all the time. Test, and if done, ... Nut Candy Another Way 1 lb. brown sugar. 6 oz. butter. 3 oz. chopped nuts. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sugar. Boil from ten to fifteen minutes and then add the nuts. Walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, or peanuts (w... Peppermint Candy 1 lb. syrup. 2 oz. butter. 1 small teaspoonful of essence of peppermint. Boil the butter and syrup very gently until the mixture hardens when tested in water. Add the peppermint and pour into well-buttered... Stuffed Dates Etc Very dainty and good sweets can be made without cooking at all. All that is necessary is to have a certain amount of cream with which to stuff or surround stoned dates, cherries, and French plums, or walnuts and al... Introductory Although young America is growing more and more fond of out of doors, the lovely old occupation of gardening is less a favorite than formerly: and this is a great pity, for if one loves flowers, nothing so repays l... Color In The Garden In arranging a garden, select flowers which will keep it full of blossom from May to October, and remember when planting and sowing that some colors are more beautiful together than others. The color arrangement of... The Use Of Catalogues A good catalogue gives illustrations of most flowers, and in many cases its cultural directions are very helpful. As an extension of the notes that follow nothing could be more useful than two or three catalogues i... Gardening Diaries It is a good thing for a gardener to keep a diary. At the beginning of the book he would make a plan of the garden, to scale: that is to say, allowing one inch, or more, in the plan for every foot of bed. In this p... Flower-shows Where several children have gardens in the same big garden, or the same neighborhood, a flower-show is very interesting to hold now and then. To do this it is needful first to find some one willing to act as judge,... Tools For simple gardening the following tools are needed:--spade, trowel, hoe, rake, watering-can with a fine rose, syringe. They should all be strong and good. Besides these tools you will need either wooden labels or ... Watering Plants should never be watered when the sun is shining on them. Early morning in spring, and late afternoon or early evening in summer, is the best time. It is best to water with water which has had the chill taken... Wall Pockets If your garden is very small, but is against a sunny wall, the growing room can be increased by fixing a number of pockets, made of wood or of flower-pots, against the wall. These should be filled with good soil, a... Borders The first thing to do when a plot has been given to you, is to mark it off clearly with a border. There are several ways of doing this. Gardens are sometimes bordered with escallop shells, which are neat enough but... Annuals The seeds of all annuals can be sown from March until June according to the locality. Any one in the neighborhood who has gardened for some years can tell you when to plant better than any catalogue. The seeds of f... Preparations For Sowing Before sowing any seeds, see that the soil is nicely broken up, and remove any stones. When you have decided where to sow the different seeds, take away a little earth from each place and sow the seeds very thin... Thinning Out And Transplanting Begin to thin out the seedlings very soon after they appear, and be very careful not to pull up too many. It is easiest to thin out when the soil is wet. When the seedlings are two inches high only those which you ... Weeds And Seedlings It is most important to know what the baby-plants will look like when they come up, because one has to weed hard in the warm showery weather, and if one is not careful, mignonette, sweet-peas, and poppies may go on... Autumn Sowing Some seeds, such as cornflowers, godetias, and poppies, can be sown in the autumn. They will stand the winter as a rule and will make finer plants and blossom earlier than if sown in spring. They should be sown thi... Biennials These are best sown in May. If the garden is full they may be sown in an ordinary wooden box filled with several inches of good earth. Transplant them to their permanent places later on. Remember that all plants ... Saving Seed The best seed is saved from plants set apart for that purpose; for good seed comes from the first and finest flowers and not from those left over at the end of the flowering season. These plants should be sown in a... Perennials Perennials are plants which, although they die down in winter, come up again and blossom every following spring or summer. They can be grown from seed, but, with a few exceptions, this is a long and troublesome par... Planting Perennials The best months for planting perennials are November, February, and March. Dig a hole large enough to take the roots when well spread out, hold your plant in position, with the junction of stem and root just below ... Planting Bulbs For planting bulbs choose a day when the earth is dry, and make your holes with a trowel. If you want to make a clump of bulb-plants, take away the earth to the right depth from the whole area you wish to fill, pla... Cutting Leaves Never cut all the leaves of plants growing from bulbs, but allow those that are unpicked to die down naturally. If they look very untidy, as the leaves of the Star of Bethlehem always do, tie them up tightly. Seeds... Shades "Shades" are subterranean gardens: holes in the ground, some eighteen inches deep and about a foot square (or larger), the sides of which are covered with moss and little ferns. At the bottom you can sink a pot or ... Kitchen Gardens If you want to grow other things besides flowers, lettuces, radishes, and mustard and cress are interesting to raise. Strawberries, too, are easy to cultivate, but they need some patience, as the first year's growt... Lettuce Sow a few seeds of lettuce very thinly in a line once every three weeks. When the seedlings, which should be protected from birds by netting, are three inches high, thin them out, leaving one foot between each plan... Radishes Sow a few radish seeds thinly once every three weeks, and cover very lightly with earth. These seedlings also must be protected by netting from birds, and must have plenty of water, or the radishes will become stri... Mustard And Cress Mustard and cress seed can be sown at any time and is almost sure to be successful. In very hot weather sow in the shade, or protect from the sun in the middle of the day. The cress should always be sown three days... Strawberries Plant strawberries carefully in August or September. Dig a hole for each plant and spread the roots well out. Hold the plant while filling in the earth, so that that part of it where root and stem join comes just b... Town Gardens So far, we have been speaking of gardens in the country, or, at any rate, not among houses. There are many more difficulties to contend with in town gardening; there is more uncertainty, and often less reward for t... Flowers For Towns The following list of annuals, perennials, and bulbs which grow well in the heart of towns, though it is not complete, contains enough plants to fill a garden:-- ANNUALS. PERENNIALS. BULBS. A... Watering No exact rule can be given for watering; but it should be noted that water ought never to be allowed to stand in the saucers. In winter, one good watering a week with lukewarm water, applied in the morning, will be... Flower-pots In spring time, if the plants seem to have outgrown their pots, or if they are not thriving well, re-pot them in larger pots with the best earth you can get. Water well after re-potting. Turn the plants round eve... Indoor Plants A list follows of suitable plants to be grown indoors. Green plants are mentioned first. Aspidistra.--Of all green plants the aspidistra is the best to grow indoors. (This plant indeed is so hardy that it will st... Bulbs In Glasses Hyacinths and daffodils can also be grown in glasses filled with water, either glasses sold for the purpose, or any kind into the necks of which the bulbs will fit. The bulb should be placed in the glass in October... Window Boxes One cannot grow very many things in a window box, but it is most interesting to grow a few. In a town it is often all the garden that many people possess. The length of a window-box will depend on the size of the... Flowers For Window-boxes Nasturtiums and canary creeper can climb up a little trellis made of sticks at each end of the box, or they can cling to strings fixed to the box and nailed high up at the side of the window. Wandering Jew or ivy-l... Picking Flowers When you are picking flowers to send away, never pick old ones. Buds are best generally, especially in the case of poppies; but they should be buds just on the point of opening. Always use scissors to cut flowers w... The Reception Of Flowers When flowers are sent to you, each stem should be cut with a slanting cut before you put it in water. Flowers with very thick or milky stems should be slit up about half an inch, and woody stems are best peeled for... Dogs: Their Care And Food All dogs need plenty of exercise; indeed it is scarcely possible to give them too much when once they are over six months of age. After twelve months they can follow a horse, but a bicycle as a rule is too fast for... Washing Dogs Dogs should not be washed very often, nor will this be necessary if they are well brushed every day. A stable dandy-brush is best for short-coated dogs, and a hard hair-brush, or one of those with metal bristles, w... Feeding Puppies Puppies at first need feeding five times a day. At four months old four meals will do. At twelve months they settle down into grown-up dogs, and the two meals are sufficient. Do not feed them later than six o'clock... Distemper Young dogs are almost sure to have distemper, and if a puppy about six or eight months old is depressed and quiet, and his eyes look inflamed, you should put him away by himself at once, sew him up in thick warm fl... Tricks For Dogs If your dog is a terrier there is no end to the tricks you can teach him. Always begin by teaching him to "trust," for it is the foundation of his training, and he will learn it before he is two months old. Do not ... What Is Due To Dogs Do not overdo your mastership. Remember that a dog needs much liberty and independence to develop his individuality, and an enterprising puppy learns more by observation and experience in a week than a pampered lap... Buying Dogs If you wish to buy a dog, the best way is to get the catalogue of some big dog show, and find the address of a well-known breeder of the kind of dog you wish to have. If you write to him and tell him exactly what y... The Bull-terrier The bull-terrier is very discriminating in his attachments and does not easily lose his temper, or, as a rule, fight, unless he is unduly excited. He is such a nervous dog that if he is roughly treated he is apt to... The Fox-terrier The fox-terrier is often a restless fidgety dog in a house; indeed, to keep him much in the house seems to affect his intelligence. He fights readily, but a strong master can alter that. In sharpness and brightness... The Irish Terrier The greatest fault of the Irish terrier is his fondness for barking unnecessarily; but he is particularly intelligent, active, and vigorous, and will learn any trick your ingenuity can devise for him. ... Other Terriers There are many other terriers--the Skye, with coat nearly sweeping the ground; the black and tan, the Welsh terrier, and others less well known; but for pluck, brains, and fidelity, it is impossible to beat bull-te... Spaniels Of all spaniels the Clumber is the most intelligent and beautiful; he is also, although not a very demonstrative dog, very sincere in his devotion to his master. The Cocker is a small spaniel: an active, merry li... The Retriever Retrievers occasionally make good companions, but for the most part they are dogs of one idea--retrieving--and have little interest in using their intelligence in any other direction. ... Setters The setter is a wise and affectionate animal. He is full of spirit and needs careful training, but train him well as a puppy and you will be able to take him everywhere with you, for he is a very gallant and courte... The Collie The reputation for uncertain temper which collies have is not well grounded. They are excitable, it is true, and apt to snap if you romp too long and wildly with them, and they do not take correction kindly; but pe... The Sheep Dog The old English bob-tailed sheep dog is a bouncing, rough-and-ready fellow. He is not suitable for a house dog, but he is honest and true and a good worker, and one can get extremely fond of him. ... The Newfoundland The Newfoundland is one of the grandest of beasts. The true Newfoundland is black all over, except for a white star on the chest, and he stands at least twenty-seven inches at the shoulder. The black-and-white spec... The Mastiff The mastiff is the best of all guards; it is more pure instinct with him to guard his master's property than it is with any other breed. He is honest through and through, and as a rule he is gentle and a good compa... The Bull-dog The bull-dog is stupid and not particularly affectionate. Although excitable he is not quarrelsome or savage, and if reasonably treated no doubt would make a quiet, faithful pet. A not too highly bred bull-dog is l... The St Bernard The most majestic of dogs is the St. Bernard. He is high-couraged and sagacious and very discriminating in his devotion. Once your friend, he is always your friend. Although with you he never makes a mistake, he is... The Great Dane The Great Dane, or boarhound, is a powerful and active dog. His appearance is suggestive almost of a wild beast, and he is particularly well fitted to act as guard. He is gentle and manageable with those he knows, ... Hounds Of hounds that hunt by sight we have the English Greyhound, swiftest of dogs, but neither very intelligent nor affectionate; the Scotch Deerhound, dignified and very devoted to his master, and a wonderful jumper ov... Toy Dogs Toy dogs are fairly intelligent, but noisy and wayward. They cannot be recommended as interesting pets, since they have little originality; but they can be taught tricks, and if treated sensibly and not pampered, n... The Pomeranian The Pomeranian is a sharp and rather snappy dog, not remarkable for either great intelligence or amiability; but, as with all breeds, there are individual exceptions to this rule. ... Poodles Poodles are intelligent and the best of all dogs for learning tricks. They are also very expensive. ... Mongrels Mongrels can be the best of friends. They are often more original and enterprising than their too highly-bred cousins, and they are very self-reliant; but as a rule they are not so courageous nor so steadfast as a ... Cats There is very little to say about cats, except that they need much petting and plenty of milk and tit-bits. They should always have a warm bed in a basket or chair. They should never be allowed to stay out-of-doors... Wild Rabbits Of all rabbits the brightest and most intelligent, as a pet, is the wild rabbit. If you can get two or three baby wild rabbits and feed them on milk, they will grow up very tame. We heard recently of two small wild... Tame Rabbits The long-haired Angora variety of rabbit is intelligent and very handsome. These need regular grooming and great care, or their long coat gets matted and frowsy. Belgian hares are big, powerful animals, rather apt ... Rabbits' Hutches A good hutch can be made of a grocer's box, by covering the open front partly with bars or wire netting and making a door. The hutch should stand on legs, or at any rate should be raised from the ground, and holes ... Food And Exercise Bran, grain, and vegetables--such as peas, parsley, carrots, turnip-tops, but not much cabbage--serve for rabbits' food. It is advisable to vary it occasionally. The leaves should not be wet, but a dish of clean wa... Teaching Rabbits If you find you have an intelligent rabbit who quickly learns to come to you when you call him by name, you will find, with patience, you can teach him that when you say "On trust," he must not touch the dainty you... Guinea-pigs Guinea-pigs need treatment and housing similar to rabbits. ... Squirrels In buying a squirrel make sure it is a young one, because whereas a young one is difficult enough to tame, an old one is not to be tamed at all. Unless you can give him a really large cage, with room for a branch o... Mice Mice should have a cage with two compartments, one of which should have a door in the woodwork but no wires. In this room should be a bed of hay. The natural food of mice is grain, but in captivity they are general... Turtles A turtle is rather an interesting animal to keep, although he will not do much in return. Even in summer they have a curious way of disappearing for weeks together, and in winter, of course, you see nothing of them... Fish Bowls of goldfish are not uncommon, but few people seem to care for fish of other kinds. And yet a little aquarium can be stocked for a small sum and is a most interesting possession. One small tank of young bream,... Silkworms Silkworms, if kept at all, ought to be taken seriously and used for their true purpose. That is to say, you really ought to wind their silk carefully. Few owners of silkworms in this country seem to trouble to do t... Other Caterpillars Silkworms are more useful but not more interesting than many other caterpillars which can be hatched from eggs. The Privet Hawk Moth, for example, is very easily bred, and a very beautiful creature it is when in fu... Pigeons Pigeons are not exactly pets, for they rarely do more than come to you for their food, just as chickens do, but they are beautiful creatures and no country roof is quite complete without them, and a dove-cot is a v... Doves Doves, which are happier when kept in pairs, require the same food as pigeons. As a rule they are kept in wicker cages. They are not very interesting. ... Parrots Parrots are most companionable pets, and, next to a dog, quite the most interesting and intelligent. They are always cheerful: whistling, singing, and talking. The gray parrot is the best talker, and speaks much mo... Smaller Cage Birds Before coming to the different kinds of birds which you can keep, a few general words about their care ought to be said. Remember that with them, as with all pets, the most important of all rules is perfect cleanli... Baths All birds should have a bath given them. They like best a shallow glass dish, which should be put in the cage when the tray is out. It is a good plan to put a biscuit-tin lid on the floor of the cage to prevent the... Food Seed-eating birds do best if they are fed on canary seed and a little summer rape, with now and then a few hemp-seeds, some Hartz mountain bread, and a bit of groundsel or water-cress that has been well washed. If ... Tricks Some birds are easily taught tricks. We remember a red-poll who would draw his water up from a well in the cage in a little bucket; but if you teach your bird to do this you must be careful to watch him, in case th... Canaries The favorite cage-bird is the canary, which, though a foreign bird, is kept in this country in greater numbers than any other bird, and is also bred here. One has to be very well posted up in the nature of the bird... The Love-birds The love-birds feed almost entirely on millet or canary seed, and they like a sod of grass in their cage. They are bright little birds, but are naturally very wild and need much petting if you wish to tame them. On... The Cardinal One of the most beautiful of cage-birds is the red-crested cardinal. He is quite hardy and eats seeds and insects impartially, thriving on canary, millet, and a little hemp-seed, with meal-worms now and then. He sh... Wax-bills Wax-bills eat millet-seed, canary seed, and a little soaked bread and sponge-cake. ... Other Foreign Birds Java sparrows are pretty creatures, although they do very little for you. Perhaps the most attractive of small foreign birds is the avadavat, a tiny, perky little soldier. These live quite comfortably together; and... The Chaffinch The chaffinch has to re-learn his song every spring, and for a fortnight or more you will hear him trying his voice very sweetly and softly, but as soon as he has acquired his song in perfection, it will be so stro... The Goldfinch We remember a goldfinch that became very tame, perching on his owner's hands and taking seed from her lips. Goldfinches should never be kept in bell-shaped cages--which make them giddy--but should have one with a s... The Bullfinch The bullfinch is squarely built, with a black head and pink breast. No bird can be more affectionate and intelligent. He will learn to pipe tunes if you put him in the dark and whistle a few bars of some easy melod... The Yellow Bunting The yellow bunting (or yellow hammer) can be a pet; and he has the sweetest little whispering song. If you have a caged bunting, his seed should be soaked in cold water for some hours before it is given to him, and... The Blackbird The blackbird is delicate when caged and must have plenty of nutritious food, bread and milk, boiled vegetables, ripe fruit, insects, and snails. He is a thirsty bird and needs plenty of water. Birds of all kinds... The Robin In the ordinary way one would not keep robins at all. They are so tame and fond of the company of human beings that they will come regularly to the door for crumbs every morning and never be far off at any time. Bu... Garden Robins Robins in the garden are so pretty, so cheeky, so sweetly musical, and are so friendly to man (in spite of their arrogance and selfishness among birds) that they ought to be encouraged. As the only way of encouragi... Birds In The Garden This brings us to the other garden birds which we have no wish to put in cages, but which it is well to be as kind to as possible. In winter, when there is a frost, to feed them is absolutely necessary; but at all ... |
