to be
guessed by those outside the door. When the word has been chosen--say,
for instance, the word "will"--the party outside the room are told
that the word they are to guess rhymes with "till." A consultation
then takes place, and they may think that the word is "ill." The
company then enter and begin to act the word "ill," but without
speaking a word. The audience, when they recognize the word that is
being performed, will immediately hiss, and the actors then retire and
think of another word.

Thus the game goes on until the right word is hit upon, when the
company who have remained in the room, clap their hands. The audience
then change places with the actors.

* * * * *

TRADES

Each player must choose a trade and pretend to be working at it. For
instance, if he is a tailor, he must pretend to sew or iron; if
a blacksmith, to hammer, and so on. One is the king, and he, too,
chooses a trade. Every one works away as hard as he can until the king
suddenly gives up his trade, and takes up that of some one else. Then
all must stop, except the one whose business the king has taken,
and he must start with the king's work. The two go on until the king
chooses to go back to his own trade, when all begin working again. Any
one who fails either to cease working or to begin again at the right
time, must pay a forfeit.

A somewhat more elaborate and livelier game of Trades is played by
each boy in the party choosing a trade which he is supposed to be
carrying on. The leader must invent a story, and, standing in the
middle, must tell it to the company. He must manage to bring in a
number of names of trades or businesses; and whenever a trade is
mentioned, the person who represents it must instantly name some
article sold in the shop.

* * * * *

[Illustration]

THE SCHOOLMASTER

This is always a favorite game. One of the players is chosen
schoolmaster, and the others, ranged in order in front of him, form
the class. The master may then examine the class in any branch of
learning. Suppose him to choose Geography, he must begin with the
pupil at the head of the class, and ask for the name of a country or
town beginning with A. If the pupil does not reply correctly before
the master has counted ten, he asks the next pupil, who, if he answers
rightly--say, for instance, "America," or "Amsterdam," in time,
goes to the top of the class. The schoolmaster may