![](media/image1.png){width="7.6875in" height="0.8326388888888889in"}

The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site Presents

**TRY-ITS**

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Listening to the Past

FOR BROWNIE GIRL SCOUTS

Dear Brownie Girl Scouts,

Welcome to the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site! We are
so happy that you chose our site to complete your Listening to the Past
Try It badge. In this packet you will find six activities to do that
relate to Allegheny Portage Railroad. To earn your Try It badge, you
must complete four of the activities. If you want to have even more fun
you can do five or even all six! Just by coming to visit this building
you are on your way to completing one of your four activities. Good job!

Now, while you are here take a look around and learn all about Allegheny
Portage Railroad and the Main Line system of transportation. If you
already know the story, try to find out some interesting things you did
not know. We have lots of fun exhibits and a very interesting film. If
you ever have a question just find one of our park rangers and she or he
will be able to help you. And most important of all, don't forget to
have fun!

##### A special note to Troop Leaders...

This packet has been created to help your Girl Scouts earn the Try It
badge entitled "Listening to the Past". The program has been designed so
that the Girl Scouts can perform activities that relate to the Allegheny
Portage Railroad National Historic Site and may, therefore, extend their
knowledge about the site and its interpretive story. We are so pleased
that you have chosen to visit this site and we hope that you and your
troop have a great deal of fun completing these activities. If you have
any questions, please ask a ranger.

Try It badges may be purchased through the Girl Scout Council Office.
The office is located at 612 Locust Street in Johnstown and the phone
number is (814) 536-5371. Thank you for visiting our site and please let
us know how you enjoyed this program!

Sincerely,

The Education Department

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site

\(814\) 495-9614 x103

# ![](media/image2.png){width="2.8in" height="2.4472222222222224in"}Listening to the Past

When you listen to the past you learn to appreciate your own life. You
also learn many interesting things about what life was like in the past.
Earning this badge will help you learn about what life was like in the
Allegheny Mountains over 150 years ago and how the Allegheny Portage
Railroad was a part of the exciting things happening in Pennsylvania at
that time. There are six activities to choose from. To earn your badge,
you must complete four of them. The six activities are:

1.  **Community Stories** -- listen to and share the stories of some of
    the oldest people in your community.

2.  **If These Buildings Could Talk** -- visit historic buildings,
    monuments, and sites in your neighborhood (just what you are doing
    now!)

3.  **Visit the Oldest Cemetery** -- visit a cemetery and learn some
    interesting facts as you look about, make rubbings, and search for
    different things.

4.  **Tell Stories of the Past** -- learn and share two stories written
    in the past or about the past (there are lots of very interesting
    stories to learned here!)

5.  **Acting Out** -- act out a scene from the past involving an
    historical or fictional character.

6.  **Games of the Past** -- learn to play a fun game of the past and
    teach it to others!

The following pages will tell you about the six activities and how to
perform them. Remember to ask a ranger if you have questions and have
fun!

## Activity \# 1: Community Stories

**\***This activity will not be done at the APRR site. You will complete
it at another time, after you have found one or more people to
interview**\***

Did you know that there are lots of people in your community who have
hundreds of interesting stories to tell about what life was like in the
past? People who are older have lived longer and have had more
experiences. Because of that, they have more stories to tell than
younger people do. Just think, if someone is 80 years old, they have 80
years worth of stories to tell! Imagine how many stories you will have
to tell about your life by the time you are 80.

To complete activity #1 you must find some older people in your
community and listen to their stories. Tape record their stories or take
notes while they are talking so you can remember their stories and you
can share them with your Brownie Girl Scout Troop. When you do this, you
are conducting an interview. And when you interview people about their
past experiences, you are taking part in oral history!

##### Who should you interview?

Since you are learning about the Allegheny Portage Railroad (APRR)
today, try to find someone who can tell you about railroads in
Pennsylvania. The APRR closed down in 1854, over 140 years ago, so you
won't be able to find anyone who worked on it, but you probably could
find someone who worked on the Pennsylvania Railroad, which took over
the APRR in 1854. Ask the person you are interviewing if she or he
remembers the railroads and what they were like.

##### How to find someone to interview

In order to find some older people to interview you can look at a local
nursing home or at a community center. You can also get the names of
some older people in the community at the local historical society or
try looking in your own family. The stories that older members of your
family have to tell you will probably be the most interesting of all.
Ask the person about her/his life experiences, her/his family, what
she/he did as a child, what her/his job was, and anything else you may
want to know.

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ## Interviewing Etiquette         | ## ![](media/image                |
|                                   | 3.png){width="3.2888888888888888i |
|                                   | n" height="2.0840277777777776in"} |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

When you are interviewing someone, you must remember certain manners.
Remember, the person you are interviewing is giving you her/his time, so
you must be sure to treat her/him accordingly. Here are some good things
to remember:

-   Be on time.

-   Be prepared. Have your questions ready, your notebook out, and your
    equipment in good working order.

-   Be polite. Say *please* and *thank you* and address people formally
    (using Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, and so on)

-   Provide time for the person to answer questions. Be patient when
    answers take a long time.

-   Do not argue with or correct the subject. Oral histories are not
    always accurate but they do provide important information about
    feelings and impressions.

-   End your interview by thanking your subject.

-   After the interview, send a thank you letter to the subject.

(This list of manners was provided by the Library of Congress)

##### One more thing...

If you plan to tape record the interview be sure to ask the person
first. Some people don't like to be taped and would prefer that you just
take notes. Always be polite and follow their wishes. And make sure you
find out some fun or exciting facts to share with your Brownie Girl
Scout Troop!

####### Activity \# 2: If These Buildings Could Talk

One of the most fun things to do with an adult is to visit historic
buildings, monuments, and sites in your neighborhood. To complete this
activity, you must visit some historic sites and learn some interesting
facts about them.

Congratulations! You have already completed half of this badge by coming
to visit the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site. If
you've been here long, you've probably completed the other half. There
are so many interesting stories and facts about the Allegheny Portage
Railroad that I'm sure you've come across lots of them.

While you look around the APRR Visitor's Center try to find the answers
to these interesting facts:

-   What is another name for a canal boat?

-   Name some famous people who traveled on the Allegheny Portage
    Railroad.

-   What two towns were linked by the Allegheny Portage Railroad?

-   What two large cities were linked by the Main Line System?

-   How many inclined planes did the Allegheny Portage Railroad use?

-   Before train locomotives were used, what pulled cars along the level
    sections of the Allegheny Portage Railroad?

-   How long did an average trip on the Allegheny Portage Railroad take?

There are so many interesting stories to hear about the Allegheny
Portage Railroad. The park rangers will be able to tell you all about
them. Politely ask one of the park rangers one or all of the following
questions and see how many amazing stories she or he can tell you.

-   Please tell me about the experiences of a typical traveler on the
    Allegheny Portage Railroad.

-   Could you please tell me how the Horseshoe Curve helped to close
    down the Allegheny Portage Railroad?

-   How much quicker was the Allegheny Portage Railroad and Main Line
    system than a wagon?

-   Was the Main Line system much slower than the Pennsylvania Railroad?

-   As you look around, try to think of other questions for the park
    rangers. They know all about the Allegheny Portage Railroad and they
    would love to tell you about it.

######### The Staple Bend Tunnel

Did you know that you live near the first railroad tunnel in America? It
is called the Staple Bend Tunnel and you can still visit it, even today.
Staple Bend Tunnel is 900 feet long and has a beautiful stone arch at
the entrance. It was constructed in 1833 and was a part of the Allegheny
Portage Railroad. When you visit it, you will be able to see where
horses pulled the railroad cars through the tunnel. In 1833, a 900-foot
long tunnel through a mountain was an amazing thing to see! When you see
it, try to imagine how exciting it would have been to have lived in 1833
and seen the first railroad tunnel in the country.

+------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Directions to the Staple     | ![](media/image4.wmf)                 |
| Bend Tunnel:                 |                                       |
|                              |                                       |
| > Take the Sidman/St.        |                                       |
| > Michael exit off of Route  |                                       |
| > 219. Go west on route 869. |                                       |
| > At the stop sign, turn     |                                       |
| > left onto Rager's Hill     |                                       |
| > Road. Travel 2 miles. Veer |                                       |
| > right at the first         |                                       |
| > intersection onto          |                                       |
| > Clapboard Run Road. Travel |                                       |
| > 1.3 miles and turn right   |                                       |
| > on Beech Hill Road (across |                                       |
| > from the Locust Grove      |                                       |
| > Church of the Brethren).   |                                       |
| > Travel 2.6 miles to Staple |                                       |
| > Bend Tunnel.               |                                       |
+------------------------------+---------------------------------------+

This area is a place very rich in local history. Here are some other
historic sites nearby that you could also visit:

-   The Johnstown Flood National Memorial

-   The Johnstown Flood Museum

-   The Horseshoe Curve

-   The Johnstown Inclined Plane

-   The Altoona Railroaders Museum

Some other interesting things to remember during your visit:

-   Look at the relief map on the wall behind the information desk. This
    will help you understand just how steep the Allegheny Mountains are
    and why they were such a big problem for travelers until the
    Allegheny Portage Railroad was built.

-   Walk down to the engine house. You can see how the engines pulled
    cars up the inclines. Look at the exhibits to learn how the engines
    worked.

-   Walk down to the Lemon House. Here you can see where many travelers
    on the Allegheny Portage Railroad stopped to rest and eat dinner.

#### 

#### Activity \# 3: Visit the Oldest Cemetery

**\***This activity will be completed at Presbyterian Cemetery in
Hollidaysburg**\***

Presbyterian Cemetery is unusual in that it is older than the first
church built there. It is the oldest cemetery in the Altoona area and
dates from the 1770s. To complete activity #3 you will visit
Presbyterian Cemetery and learn some things about it while you are
there.

While you are at the cemetery, you will look for certain things. It's a
big place so be sure to always stay with an adult while you are there.
Also, remember that a cemetery is a place to remember your best
behavior. Don't run or shout. Always behave in a respectful manner.

What you will need...

When you visit Presbyterian Cemetery, you will be making some tombstone
rubbings. In order to do this you will need:

-   Children's crayons (the large ones with one flat side if possible)

-   Paper (If possible, get a roll of paper so you can rip off the
    appropriate size)

Tombstone Rubbings

Making a rubbing of a tombstone teaches us respect for the tombstone
monuments as well as for history and time. Try to find tombstones of
people who lived during the time of the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
Perhaps some of them worked on the railroad. To make a tombstone
rubbing...

1.  Brush off the stone with your hand or a paper towel.

2.  Rip off a piece of paper the appropriate size.

3.  Hold it firmly against the stone (this works better if you have a
    helper to hold it for you).

4.  Rub the flat side of the crayon against the paper (if you have white
    or light paper, use a dark color like black or blue).

> \*\*\*Remember, do not use the point of the crayon. It won't work that
> way!\*\*\*

5.  Most Important: respect the tombstones, don't damage them, and clean
    up after yourself before you leave.

######## 

######## 

######## Samuel and Jean Moore Lemon

Samuel and Jean Lemon owned and operated the Lemon House, a tavern along
Incline #6 on the Allegheny Portage Railroad. Sam and Jean lived in the
Lemon House until 1847 when they retired to Hollidaysburg. They are
buried in Presbyterian Cemetery. Try to find their tombstones and make a
rubbing so you can show the other members of your troop.

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height="2.390972222222222in"}

Always be sure to treat tombstones with

care and respect; especially older

tombstones. They have lasted through

many years of wind, rain, and erosion

and need special care if they are going

to last longer.

######## The Oldest Cemetery

Presbyterian Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in this area. It was first
used in the late 1700s. That's over 200 years ago! Try to find the
oldest tombstone in the cemetery. If you find one that you think is the
oldest, make a rubbing of it. If the tombstone is in poor condition and
you think your tombstone rubbing might damage it, just write down the
name and dates instead. If other members of your troop came to visit
this cemetery, you can compare information and see who found the oldest
tombstone.

##### Directions to Presbyterian Cemetery...

From the Diamond in the center of Hollidaysburg, travel east on
Allegheny Street approximately 12 blocks to the intersection of
Allegheny and Conlon Streets. Turn left onto Conlon Street and follow
the road to the end (approximately 5 blocks).

#### Activity \# 4: Tell Stories of the Past

###### One of the best things about learning about the past is that you get to learn lots of interesting stories that you can tell to others. There are so many interesting stories about the Allegheny Portage Railroad that you could spend years trying to learn them all. Luckily for you, to complete this activity you only have to learn two.

Once you have read these stories, you can share them with your troop,
your friends at school, your family, and just about anyone. If you are
here with your troop, you will all be reading the same stories so you
might want to try going to the library to find another story. Or, maybe
you could find an interesting story in the exhibits at the Visitor's
Center.

These two stories are both are both about people involved with the
Allegheny Portage Railroad. One is the story of a young woman who
traveled on the Allegheny Portage Railroad. She was a famous author and
her name was Harriet Beecher Stowe. Have you ever heard of her? The
other is the story of a woman who lived much her life right next to the
Allegheny Portage Railroad. She and her husband ran a tavern on incline
#6. Her name was Jean Moore Lemon. You can visit her tavern when you
come to the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site. It is
called the Lemon House.

##### Harriet Beecher Stowe and Her Travels

> Harriet Beecher Stowe was born on June 14, 1811 in Litchfield,
> Connecticut. She was the seventh child of Roxana and Reverend Lyman
> Beecher. Harriet's father knew that it was very important to give all
> of his children a good education. At the time Harriet was born, most
> girls learned only what was needed to run a household. Reverend
> Beecher decided that his daughters would learn science, higher
> mathematics, and all the other subjects that were usually taught to
> boys. ![](media/image6.png){width="2.688888888888889in"
> height="3.4819444444444443in"}
>
> Harriet was sent to school at the Hartford Female Academy. This school
> was very special because it gave young ladies a good education in more
> than just the "female subjects" of keeping house. It was also special
> because Harriet's older sister, Catherine Beecher, founded it.
> Catherine

was just 23 years old when she established the school and her young
sister Harriet received an excellent education there.

When Harriet was old enough to work, she became a teacher. She taught at
the school where she had been a student, the Hartford Female Academy.
She also taught at Cincinnati\'s Western Female Seminary, the second
school established by her sister, Catherine.

In 1836, Harriet married Calvin Stowe. Together they had seven children.
Even with a household and seven children to manage, Harriet was still a
very busy woman. After teaching, Harriet decided to become an author.
She wanted to write books so that other people could read them and learn
about the things she thought were important. Authors have to do a lot of
research before they write books. Sometimes, people have to travel to do
research.

In 1841 Harriet Beecher Stowe took a trip across Pennsylvania. Perhaps
she was doing research for a book. Perhaps she was visiting friends.
Whatever she was doing, it required her to travel on the Main Line. She
made the six-hour journey over the Allegheny Mountains on the Allegheny
Portage Railroad. She probably stopped to rest at the Lemon House. Then
she traveled down the mountain and across the state on a canal boat.

Imagine how exciting the trip must have been. Harriet could sit on the
roof of the canal boat and enjoy the fresh air and sunny weather. When
the canal boat went under a bridge, she and the other passengers on the
roof would have to duck down so they wouldn't hit their heads on the
bridge. The ride up and down the inclines on the Allegheny Portage
Railroad must have been fun and a little bit scary.

At night, when Harriet went down into the canal boat, she was greeted
with a surprising sight. All the people on the boat had to cram into a
tiny space to sleep. The tiny little bunks or berths that were provided
for the passengers were so small that it was hard to believe a person
could fit into one. Harriet wrote about this experience when she said,
"The appearance of the berths in the ladies' cabin was so repulsive,
that we were seriously contemplating sitting out all night when it began
to rain so as to leave us no choice." Harriet made it through the
cramped conditions and back home to her family in Connecticut. Surely,
she never forgot her exciting trip on the Allegheny Portage Railroad.

The Beecher family is one of the most famous families in Connecticut.
They are known for their intelligence and all of the wonderful things
they did, like establishing schools and writing books. Harriet had to
work hard to set herself apart from all her brothers and sisters who
were also doing wonderful things. She decided to work for the causes
that she believed in. One of the causes that the Beecher family
supported was Abolition.

Harriet Beecher Stowe was one of the most famous abolitionists in the
history of the United States. Abolitionists were people who wanted to
end slavery in the Southern states. "Abolish" is a word that means "to
end" or "to stop" so people that wanted to stop slavery were called
abolitionists.

Slavery was a terrible system in which people owned other people like
property. This was illegal in the Northern states but when Harriet was
growing up, it was very common in the South. Harriet and her family knew
slavery was terrible and wanted to stop it. She helped several slaves
escape on the Underground Railroad, a secret system of places and people
that helped slaves escape to the North. Harriet also wanted to tell
people all over the world about slavery and why it should be abolished.
She decided the best way to do this would be to write a book.

Harriet had written several books but her most famous book was about
slavery and it was called *Uncle Tom's Cabin*. Harriet wrote *Uncle
Tom's Cabin* in 1852 and it became a best seller immediately. It is one
of the most famous books ever written. Have you heard of it?

*Uncle Tom's Cabin* is a book about some slaves and their owners in the
South. It told the story of slavery and how terrible slavery was. This
book made people all over the United States very angry. People in the
South thought it was an unfair picture of slavery and people in the
North became very angry that slavery was allowed to continue because it
was so terrible.

In 1861, the United States Civil War started. One of the reasons the
Southern states went to war with the Northern states was slavery.
Harriet's book had helped to inform people all over the world about the
horrors of slavery. President Abraham Lincoln called her \"the little
lady whose book started the Civil War.\" At the end of the Civil War,
slavery was abolished. It was a dream that Harriet Beecher Stowe lived
to see.

In 1896, Harriet Beecher Stowe died. In her lifetime she had done much
to end slavery, help former slaves, and support the education of women.
Harriet's book *Uncle Tom's Cabin* is one of the best selling books in
the world and has never been out of print. She was a great lady who
stood up for what she believed in and took action to make her dreams a
reality.

##### Jean Moore Lemon and the Lemon House

Jean Moore was born in Manor Hill in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in
1797. Like many other people in that part of Pennsylvania, Jean's father
had moved to America from Scotland. She grew up in Manor Hill with her
family and in the early 1820s she married a young man who lived nearby.
His name was Samuel Lemon.

Soon after they were married, Sam and Jean decided to move west and try
their luck in the less populated areas of Pennsylvania. During this time
many people were heading west, trying to make a good living for
themselves in a newer part of the country.

In 1826, Sam and Jean moved to the Allegheny Mountains in Cambria County
and built a two-story log tavern. They realized that they could make a
good living running a tavern along the Huntingdon, Cambria, and Indiana
Turnpike. This turnpike was a major transportation route and many people
would stop in at their tavern for rest.
![](media/image7.png){width="2.2909722222222224in"
height="3.1347222222222224in"}

Sam and Jean made a good team. He ran

the tavern and she kept the account books. The

log tavern on the turnpike was a very good business.

Sam and Jean made enough money to build a

larger tavern. In 1831, Sam and Jean built a

beautiful two-story sandstone tavern on the

Allegheny Mountain. They called it The Lemon

House. The Lemon House served as a tavern and a

home. Sam, Jean, and their children lived on the

upper floor while the lower floor held tavern guests.

When the Allegheny Portage Railroad was

built it was laid out right next to Sam and Jean's tavern.

This was wonderful news for them since it meant that

thousands of travelers would be visiting their tavern in

the future. Travelers on the Allegheny Portage Railroad

were much different from the travelers on the

Huntingdon, Cambria, and Indiana Turnpike. Elegant

ladies and gentlemen would be traveling on the railroad and they would
need a suitable place to stop for refreshment. That place was to be the
Lemon House.

Sam and Jean not only ran a tavern but owned and operated a coal mine
and a stone quarry. They also rented horse teams out and leased land to
the railroad. Soon, Sam and Jean became one of the wealthiest couples in
Cambria County.

Because the tavern did so well, Jean Lemon was able to furnish her home
handsomely. She filled her fancy parlor with fine furniture from
Philadelphia. Philadelphia was one of the best places to get furniture
and since Jean's house was right on the railroad line, she could have
things shipped the whole way across the state for her house.

The fancy parlor was a room where Jean, her daughter, and her personal
guests could sit and get away from the noisy part of the tavern. You can
see Jean's parlor when you visit the Lemon House. Try to imagine what it
was like to walk through the lively tavern, past the barroom and dining
room, and into the quiet, beautifully furnished parlor. Jean spent many
hours there entertaining guests and relaxing when she wasn't busy
keeping account books or looking after the tavern.

Jean and Sam had four children: Robert, John, Margaret, and Samuel. They
lived on the second floor of the Lemon House with their parents. The
children got to meet many interesting people. Families who were headed
west, important government officials, and Philadelphia ladies making a
trip to Pittsburgh all traveled on the Allegheny Portage Railroad. The
children also had a lot of fun looking out their windows and seeing the
cars going up and down the inclines. The Lemon House was at the top of
Incline #6 so the Lemon family had one of the most spectacular views in
the county.

The Allegheny Portage Railroad didn't last long. Eventually the
Pennsylvania Railroad completed its track across the state and put the
Main Line system out of business. In 1847 Sam and Jean decided to buy a
home in Hollidaysburg and move there. They continued to use the
beautiful Lemon House for a summer home.

In 1867 Sam Lemon died and Jean's children inherited the Lemon House
while she continued to live in her Hollidaysburg home. Because of the
her hard work in running the tavern with her husband, Jean was able
retire comfortably and enjoy the company of her children and
grandchildren. Surely, she often thought of the lively times in the
Lemon House when the Allegheny Portage Railroad was running and
travelers heading east and west crossed the mountain and stopped at the
tavern to tell interesting stories and enjoy the Lemons' hospitality.

Jean died in 1880. She left behind 15 grandchildren. She was a kind,
well-educated woman who had led an exciting life. In her obituary she
was honored for her charity, sympathy and generous nature.

![](media/image8.png){width="6.082638888888889in"
height="3.5694444444444446in"}

####### 

####### Activity \# 5: Act It Out

Have you ever wanted to be an actress like the people you see on TV and
in the movies? Well, here's your chance! To complete this activity, you
will become an actress.

Activity #5 requires you to choose a favorite real person or fictional
character from the past and act like her. Here's what you can do:

1.  Choose a person or character and act out a scene from her life. You
    can use the stories in activity #4 to act out a scene from the life
    of Harriet Beecher Stowe or Jean Moore Lemon. Or, research the life
    of another person who was involved in the Allegheny Portage Railroad
    and act out a scene from her life. You can get one of your friends
    from your Girl Scout troop to act with you and you can write a small
    scene to act out. This could be the beginning of a career as a
    playwright! If you choose not to write a scene you can just make up
    the words as you go along. This is called improvisation. Or you
    can...

2.  Dress up like the person you chose and act like her during your Girl
    Scout meeting. If you chose Jean Moore Lemon, this could mean that
    you pass out snacks to your troop members the way Jean entertained
    travelers on the Allegheny Portage Railroad. Be creative with your
    costume and the way you act and explain it to your troop members so
    they can learn the story too.

![](media/image9.png){width="2.622916666666667in"
height="3.6951388888888888in"}

##### 

##### Activity \# 6: Games of the Past

You and your friends probably do many different things together. One
thing that most people love to do is play games. When your parents and
grandparents and great-grandparents were children, they played lots of
games too.

During the time of the Allegheny Portage Railroad, children played many
different kinds of games. Verbal games were popular because you didn't
need any extra items to play them. Board games and card games were also
popular amusements for young children. Games such as football and
baseball were strictly for boys. Proper young ladies did not engage in
such rough sports. If a young lady wished to amuse herself out of doors,
a civilized game of croquet would be just the thing. My, how times have
changed!

To complete activity \# 6 you must learn to play a game from the past
and teach it to others. The following games were popular children's
games in the 1850s. There is one verbal game and one card game for you
to learn. Young ladies traveling on the canal boats of the Allegheny
Portage Railroad may have played them. You may already know these games.
If you wish, you may want to ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, or
uncles to teach you a game from their childhood. You may be surprised at
how much fun you'll have.

######## Yes or No

Yes or No was a parlor game that was popular because it could be played
without any props and was useful for settling children down "after a
romp." In order to play, one person had to think of something and the
other children asked questions in order to "guess the thought." The
questions must require only a yes or no answer. For example:

The thought is "a cat."

-   Is the thing you're thinking of alive? (yes)

-   Is it a plant? (no)

-   Is it an animal? (yes)

-   Is it bigger than a person is? (no)

-   Is it a dog? (no)

-   Is it a cat? (yes)

The children take turns asking questions and the person to guess the
thought thinks of the next thought.

######## 

######## Crazy Eights

Card playing has been a popular pastime for hundreds of years. King
Charles VI of France commissioned a decorative deck of cards to be made
for him in 1392. Crazy Eights is a card game that was invented many
years ago and was popular in the Victorian Era. It is played with a
standard deck of cards among 2 -- 4 players. The object of the game is
to be the first to get rid of all your cards.

-   Deal five cards face down to each player (seven cards if there are
    only 2 players).

-   Place the remainder of the deck face down to be the "draw deck".

-   Turn the top card over and place it next to the draw deck. This is
    the "starter card".

-   Play starts with the player to the left of the dealer. She must play
    on the starter card a card of the same suit or rank. (Example: If
    the card is the queen of hearts, the player must play either a queen
    or a heart.)

-   Play then continues clockwise around the circle. If a player cannot
    play, she must pick up a card from the draw deck.

-   Eights are wild in this game. If a player plays an eight, she then
    decides what suit will follow. She can play an eight of clubs and
    change the suit to diamonds if she wishes. The next player then has
    to play an eight or a diamond.

-   The first player to play all her cards wins.

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