Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 42

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

This game may be played with a knotted towel, though it is perhaps more skillful and interesting when played with a "beetle," a small cylindrical sack about twenty inches long, stuffed with cotton, and resembling in general proportions a policeman's club.

All but one of the players stand in a circle with hands behind their backs. The odd player runs around the outside carrying the beetle, which he drops in the hands of any player in the circle. That player immediately turns to chase his right-hand neighbor, beating him as much as he can find opportunity for while he chases him around the circle and back to his place. It is obviously to the interest of this neighbor to outrun the beetle and escape a buffeting.

The one holding the beetle then takes the place of the first outside player, that one joining the ring. The new beetle man, in turn, runs around on the outside and drops the beetle in any hands which he chooses.

The sport of this game depends on the alertness of the players, as not only the one who receives the beetle but his right-hand neighbor must know when and where the beetle lands, and turn quickly for the chase. The player running around the outside will add to the zest of the game by trying to deceive the ring players as to where he is going to place the beetle, quickening or slowing his pace, or resorting to other devices to keep them on the alert.

WHO GOES ROUND MY STONE WALL?

_10 to 30 or more players._

_Indoors; out of doors._

There are two ways of playing this game. The one first described is better suited to schools and general playground conditions; the second is quite distinct, and may have better sport for parlor use.

The players stand in a circle, numbering preferably twenty or less, with a little s.p.a.ce between each two players, and not holding hands.

They represent a sheepfold, but later, as each is chosen from the circle, he takes the part of a sheep. One player is chosen to be Jacky Lingo, who walks around outside of the circle. Another, who is the shepherd or owner of the sheep, stands in the center of the circle.

The owner says, "Who goes round my stone wall?" The outside player answers, "n.o.body; only little Jacky Lingo."

"Pray don't steal any of my fat sheep."

Jacky Lingo answers: "Unless I take one-by-one, two-by-two, three-by-three! Follow me!"

As Jacky Lingo says his last line, he taps three different players on the back, one for "one-by-one," another for "two-by-two," and a third for "three-by-three." If a large number be playing, he may tap two for each count instead of one, making six in all. As the players are tapped, they step out from the sheepfold and line up back of Jacky Lingo, each one in the line placing his hands on the shoulders of the one next in front. This is continued until all the players are taken by Jacky Lingo, who then runs off around the ground with them. The owner goes after them, faces Jacky Lingo, and says, "Have you seen anything of my black sheep?"

"Yes; I gave them a lot of bread and b.u.t.ter and sent them up there"

(pointing to left or right).

"Then what have you got behind you?"

"Only a few poor black sheep."

"Well, let me see! Here's my black sheep!"

The owner then tries to catch the sheep, and this Jacky Lingo tries to prevent. Any sheep in the line may be touched by the owner, and when so touched he steps out of the line and stands aside until all are caught.

VARIATION.--When played indoors or on the turf, the game may be played by the owner being blindfolded and taking a position on hands and knees--"all fours." The dialogue is the same as given above, and the gathering in of the sheep by Jacky Lingo the same, except that the players do not line up behind him. They simply stray over the ground when he takes them from the fold. When all are scattered in this way, they begin to cry, "Baa-a! baa-a!" and the owner, still on all fours and blinded, tries to catch them. The first one caught becomes shepherd the next time.

WINK

_9 to 25 players._

_House party._

An uneven number of players are required for this game. Enough chairs are placed in a circle to allow one chair to each two players and one for the odd player, that is, half as many chairs as there are players, with one player over. A player sits in each chair, all facing inward.

Behind each chair stands a second player, who acts as guard. There should be one empty chair with a guard behind it. This odd player winks at some one sitting in the circle, who at once tries to slip out of his chair without being tagged by his guard and take his place in the empty chair. He may not go if he be tagged by his guard. The object of the guards should be to avoid being the keeper of an empty chair, and therefore the one who has to wink. The players try to evade the vigilance of the guards by the quickness and unexpectedness of their movements. The guards may not keep their hands on their prisoners, but must have them hanging at their sides until they see their players winked at. They may not dash around the sides of the chairs which they guard, but must stay all the time behind them.

Nodding the head may be used instead of winking, but is more apparent to the guards.

WOLF

_5 to 30 or more players._

_Out of doors._

This is an admirable hide and seek game where there are many hiding places, as in a village or the country.

One player is chosen for the wolf, who goes off and hides. The rest of the players are sheep, with one of their number as leader. A place is chosen for a pen where the sheep must stay and blind their eyes while the wolf is hiding. This pen may be a tree or rock or a square or circle drawn on the ground. The leader counts one hundred, to give the wolf time to hide. The sheep then start out, but must all follow their leader "like sheep," looking for the wolf in each place where the leader may search for him. This game differs from most other hiding games in that the searchers are the ones who have to flee for safety when the hider is discovered. As soon as the wolf is spied, the leader cries:--

"All my sheep Gather in a heap; For I spy the woolly, woolly wolf!"

The sheep at once stand still until the wolf has taken a jump toward them, which he must do before he may chase them; but immediately that the wolf has made his leap, the sheep all turn and run for the sheep pen, the wolf following. As the wolf may not run until he hears the word "wolf" at the end of the leader's lines, the latter often tantalizes the wolf by saying, "I spy the woolly, woolly--lamb!" or "the woolly, woolly--cat!" or names any other animal he chooses, with a pause before the name, to prolong the suspense of the impatient wolf, finally ending up with "the woolly, woolly--wolf!"

Any sheep tagged by the wolf becomes a wolf and joins the wolf the next time, hiding either in the same den with him or in a separate den. When there is more than one wolf, the leader halts his sheep whenever he spies a wolf, whether it be the original wolf or not, and all of the wolves join in the chase when the sheep run back to the pen. The game ends when all of the sheep have been caught.

The wolf has several resources at his command for catching sheep in addition to a simple chase. If at any time while in hiding he spies the sheep before they spy him, and considers their position in relation to the goal advantageous to himself, he may call, "Stand your ground, three feet!" whereupon the sheep must instantly stand still and then take three steps toward the wolf and stand again until he jumps toward them, when the chase for the sheep pen begins. The wolf may also exercise considerable finesse by running directly for the pen if he be in a position to reach it quicker or more directly than by chasing the sheep. Should he reach the pen first, he may then tag the sheep as they run in. One sheep may act as a decoy to engage the attention of the wolf while the others run into the pen.

WOOD TAG

_3 to 30 or more players._

_Out of doors; gymnasium._

This is a game of tag. When there are more than thirty players, it is desirable to have two or more who are It, or taggers. The players venture as near as possible to the one who is It, taunting him by crying, "Ticky, ticky, touch wood!" Any player may seek immunity from being tagged by touching a piece of wood. No growing thing, however, such as a tree or shrub, is to be considered as wood. No player may stay very long in any place of safety, and the moment his hand or foot be taken from the wood he is liable to be tagged. A player who is not near wood may gain a few minutes' respite by calling out "Parley!" but he must stand perfectly still in the place where he then is, the tagger being able to tag him if he makes the slightest move of any part of his body. When such a player decides to run again, he calls out, "Parley out!"

This game affords opportunity for a great deal of sport through the making of false starts and the daring approach to the one who is It, who, in turn, may make sudden and unexpected sorties in different directions.

Like Iron Tag, this game is very ancient, and has evidently come from an old superst.i.tion that to touch iron or some other particular substance gave immunity from the spell of evil spirits.