Transcriber's Note: Alternative and inconsistent spellings in the originalhave been retained. Underlined words in the original book are shown as bold.
"A Merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance."
The desire to play and frolic seems to be a heritage of mankind. Ininfancy and early childhood this joy and exuberance of spirit is givenfull sway. In youth, that effervescent stage of human existence, "joy isunconfined." But in middle age and later life we are prone to stiflethis wholesome atmosphere of happiness, with care and worry and perhaps,when a vexed or worried feeling has been allowed to control us, evenforbid the children to play at that time. Why not reverse things anddrown care and strife in the well-spring of joy given and received byreviving the latent spark of childhood and youth; joining in theirpleasures passively or actively and being one of them at heart. Sopresuming that "men are but children of a larger growth," the games,pastimes and entertainments described herewith were collected,remembered and originated respectively with the view of pleasing all ofthe children, from the tiny tot to, and including the "grown-up," eachaccording to their age and temperament.
M. E. B.
Form a long line of children—one behind the other. The leader startsrunning, and is followed by all the rest. They must be sharp enough todo exactly as the leader does.
After running for a moment or two in the ordinary running step, theleader changes to a hopping step, then to a marching step, quick time,then to a marching step, slow time, claps and runs with hands on sides,hands on shoulders, hands behind, etc.
Finally the leader runs slowly round and round into the centre, and caneither wind the children up tightly or can turn them on nearing thecentre and run out again. For another change the long line can startrunning and so unwind the spiral.
All stand in a line except one who is the leader who stands a shortdistance opposite the line.
The leader throws the bean bag to the child at the head of the line whoreturns it to the leader. The leader throws it to the next child, whothrows it back to the leader, and so it is thrown back and forth to eachchild in turn. Any one in the line who fails to catch the bag must go tothe foot of the line.
If the leader fails to catch the bag he must go to the foot of the lineand the one at the head of the line takes his place.
This is a very simple game. Each player places a finger on the table,which he must raise whenever the conductor of the game says: "Birdsfly," "Pigeons fly," or any other winged creatures "fly."
If he names any creature without wings, such as "Pigs fly," and anyplayer thoughtlessly raises his finger, that player must pay a forfeit,as he must also do if he omits to raise his finger when a wingedcreature is named.
All the children except the one who passes the button sit in a circlewith hands p