Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 32

"Red Lion, Red Lion, come out of your den!

Whoever you catch will be one of your men."

When the Red Lion thinks the players are sufficiently near to give him a good opportunity to catch one, he makes a sudden sortie and catches any player that he can. The player is not his prisoner until the Lion has held him and repeated three times "Red Lion!" Both the Lion and his prisoner must hurry back to the den, as all of the other players may turn upon them at once to drive them back with blows. This is generally restricted to hitting with caps. Thereafter, when the Red Lion issues forth, he must take the prisoner with him, hand in hand, both of them endeavoring together to catch one of the other players by putting their arms over his head.

The Red Lion and his man may not issue, however, from their den until the chief calls "Cow catcher!" or some other signal, as explained below. As in the previous case, when a prisoner is caught, he and his captors hurry to the den to avoid the buffeting of the other players.

Each time that the Red Lion goes forth, all of his prisoners must go with him. The method in which they go, however, and in which they capture their prey, will be determined by the signals of the chief.

When he calls "Cow catcher!" they must all run out in a long string, hand in hand, and capture their prisoner by any two in the line slipping their clasped hands over his head. If the chief calls "Tight!" the Red Lion and his men go forth in the same way, holding hands, and try to capture a player by surrounding him and so take him to the den. Should the chief call "Doubles!" then the Red Lion and his men come forth two by two, and try to capture their prisoners. The order in which these varied commands are given is entirely at the discretion of the chief.

At any time when the Red Lion and his men are out on the hunt, any of the other players may try to break apart the clasped hands of the hunters. Whenever this is done, the lions must rush back to their den, being driven back and buffeted by the outside players. The game ends when all of the men have been captured by the Red Lion's party. The last man to be caught is the winner, and becomes Red Lion for the next game.

RING-A-LIEVIO

(Ring-a-lee-ve-o)

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Out of doors._

This is a form of Hide and Seek in opposing parties. Players who are caught are prisoners and may be freed as described. The method of capture also differs from that in some other forms of Hide and Seek.

A small goal or den about five feet square is drawn at some central point.

Two leaders are chosen who alternate in choosing players, until all are disposed in two groups. Lots are drawn or counting out resorted to between the captains to determine which side shall start out first.

The remaining group takes its place in the den while the opponents go to some distant point, from which they call "Ready!" and immediately scatter and hide.

The group in the den, as soon as they hear the call "Ready!" start out for the chase, leaving one of their number to guard the den. Whenever a player is caught (tagging is not enough; the player must be firmly secured), the catcher calls "Caught! Caught! Caught!" and leads his prisoner to the den. The object of the game is to make prisoners of all of the hiding team. A prisoner may be freed from the den by one of the players from his group running out from his hiding place and tagging him. This may only be done, however, by the rescuer getting both feet in the den. Should this be accomplished, the rescuer calls "Ring-a-lievio!" as he dashes through the den, and both run for safety. The den keeper tries to catch them as they run away, but may not chase them beyond certain boundaries, which must be determined beforehand. Only one prisoner may be freed at a time. Prisoners are most easily freed when there are several in the den at once and the den keeper's attention is distracted to one side of the den while the prisoners are freed from the other.

This game, like all hiding games, is especially adapted to open s.p.a.ces, offering many hiding places, such as the edge of a wood, a garden, park, or playground having considerable shrubbery, or to a village street.

RINGMASTER

_10 to 60 players._

_Playground; gymnasium; parlor._

This may be made a very amusing game for young children. One is chosen for ringmaster and stands in the center. If he can flourish a whip like a true ringmaster in the circus, the interest of the game will be enhanced. The other players form a circle around him without clasping hands.

The ringmaster turns and moves around in a circle, snapping his whip at each flourish, and calling the name of some animal. The players in the circle immediately imitate the animal, both as to its movements and cries. For instance, for a bear they claw or run on "all fours,"

or climb and at the same time growl; for a frog they may hop or swim and croak. The list may include the hopping kangaroo, the snarling and springing tiger, the humped and swaying camel, the balking and braying donkey, the flopping and barking seal, the scratching and cackling hen, the ponderous and mooing cow, the neighing and galloping horse, etc.

The ringmaster at his discretion may announce, "We will all join the circus parade!" whereupon all of the animals should gallop around the circle in characteristic movements, each choosing an animal that he likes to represent.

ROBBERS AND SOLDIERS

_10 to 100 players._

_Out of doors._

This game is best played in the country, where there are woods in which the robbers may hide.

The players are divided between robbers and soldiers, there being about ten robbers to fifty soldiers (the proportion of one to five).

The larger and stronger players are usually selected for the robbers.

The soldiers have one General who directs their movements, and the robbers a Captain. The robbers are given five or ten minutes' start from the prison. The soldiers stand at this place, marked as their fort or prison, until the General gives the command for the search to begin. The object of the robbers is to hide so that the soldiers may not find them, and when found, to resist capture if possible. They may hide by climbing trees or dodging behind them, conceal themselves in underbrush, under dead leaves, etc. If played aright, the game should be a very strenuous one, the resistance offered by the robbers requiring several soldiers to overcome. A robber may resist all of the way to prison. A guard is appointed by the General for the prison, and prisoners may run away at any time if not prevented by the guard.

The soldiers, in attempting to locate the robbers, will use many devices besides a simple hunt. For instance, they will form a large circle and gradually work in toward the center, thus surrounding any robbers who may be hidden within the territory so covered. The game is won when all of the robbers have been made prisoners. Old clothes are quite in order for this game.

The soldiers will find whistles of advantage for signaling each other for help.

This game has been a favorite one for many generations with the boys at a large school near Copenhagen.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _From painting by Maximilian, Prince of Wied._

ROLLING TARGET AS PLAYED BY THE HIDATSA INDIANS, FORT CLARK, NORTH DAKOTA

_Reproduced by kind permission of the Bureau of Ethnology, Was.h.i.+ngton D.C., from "Games of the North American Indians," by Stewart Culin._ ]

ROLLING TARGET

_2 to 30 players._

_Gymnasium; playground._

This game consists in shooting or hurling through a rolling hoop a stick or gymnasium wand. The hoop may be from six inches to two feet in diameter. The smaller hoop is adapted only to expert players; it is well to begin with a hoop the size of a barrel hoop.

Where there are numerous players, they are divided into opposing teams, which alternate in throwing at the target (hoop). These players take places at intervals of about five feet along one side of the playground, each holding a spear (stick) to hurl at the hoop as it pa.s.ses him. Another player stands at one end of the ground and sends the hoop rolling the full length of the s.p.a.ce covered by the playing team; its course should be from ten to twenty feet distant from the line-up of the team and parallel to the latter.

As the hoop pa.s.ses him, each player in turn hurls his spear at it.

This is best done with the spear held horizontally at a height of about the middle of the hoop. Each spear that successfully goes through the hoop scores one point for its team. Each team has three rounds, and then gives place to the opponents. The team first scoring one hundred points wins the game.

When there are not enough players to put into teams, each player scores independently, the first to make twenty points winning.

For obvious reasons of safety, no player should be allowed on the side toward which the spears are hurled. This game may be played capitally with bean bags instead of sticks.

This is an adaptation of one of the hoop and pole games played by the North American Indians, and is almost the only game of theirs that has not been previously adopted by the whites. The instant success of the game with boys, who ask to stay after school to play it, would indicate a valuable acquisition.

Different tribes of Indians play with different sized hoops, the ill.u.s.tration showing a very small one. The author is indebted for this to the remarkable collection, _Games of the North American Indians_, by Mr. Stewart Culin.