Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-03-28
Easter Games I'm Germany.

grand holiday by the peasantry il
many parts of Germany. Wedding
are often deferred to this day, an,
many village games are reserved TO
this season. The lads and lassies al
appear in tleir gala costumes; th'
girls with short, dark skirts, braided
with gold or silver, snowy aprons anC
full white sleeves, bright coloreC
bodlces and odd little caps; the boy:
with knee -breeches. white stockings
low shoes, and scarlet or yellow vests
the solid gold or silver buttons or
which are often their whole inherit
ance. But when they are dancing
gayly together on the green. they
look good deal happier than il they
were little kings and queens.
Games vary in different villages
throughout the country, but one ex-
ample will give some idea OF what
they are like.
Two Of the leading young men ol
the place take entire charge of the
days amusements, selecting for the
purpose as the scene OF festivities
some inn or wirthschaft. to which is
attached a large garden or meadow
For several preceding evenings,
when work is over, they go about
from house to house, dressed In their
best, and carving large baskets on
their arms. Everywhere they are
kindly received, and bread with wine
or cider is placed before them. While
they eat and drink, the baskets are
quietly slipped away By some men,
ber OF the family, generous dona-
tion OF eggs is placed within them.
and they are secretly returned TO
their places. The eggs are not asked
for, neither are they alluded to in any
way; but the object OF the visit is
well understood and prepared for
long beforehand.
When Monday morning dawns, the
inn is found to have been gayly dec
Grated with garlands OF green and
flowers, and huttering ribbons OF
many colors. The tree nearest the
house Is ornamented in like manner,
and on it the prize to be contended
for, conspicuously hangs. On the
smooth grass yard, a strip, few feet
wide and perhaps hundred long,
has been roped in, and at either end
OF this narrow plot large, shallow,
round -bottomed basket, called a
tcanne, is placed. one filed with chaff
and the other with eggs, dozens upon
dozens, cooked and raw, white and
colored.
The plan OF the peculiar game
which follows is that one player is
pitted to run a given distance, while
another safely throws the eggs from
one basket to the other, he who first
completes his task being, OF course,
the winner. Accordingly, when the
young men and maidens have ar
rived, two leaders draw lots to de-
termine who shall run and who shall
throw. That decided, the contestants
are gayly decked with ribbons,
band strikes up lively air, a caper-
ing clown clears the way, and the
game begins. He who throws takes
the eggs, and one after another swift
ly whirls them the length of the
course, and into the chaff- filed
basket, which is held in the hands of
an assistant. Occasionally he makes
a diversion by pitching hard one to
be scrambled for by the crowds OF
children who have assembled to see
the sport. Meantime (while wagers
are laid as to who will likely VIM the
other contestant speeds the distance
OF mile or Two to an appointed goal,
A-ieAA No ~ oo PiOOA VI Ills ndfluB
touched it. and il he succeeds in re-
turning before all the eggs are
thrown, the victory and the prize are
his. otherwise they belong to his op-
ponent. The game finished, the prize
is presented to the victor with due
ceremony aud amid the cheers OF the
crowd; the hard eggs are distributed
among the company, and the raw
ones carried uproariously into the
neighboring inn, there to be cooked
in various ways and eaten.
The remainder OF the day is spent
in dancing and merry making, and IL
a wedding can possibly be arranged
TO take place on that afternoon the
fun Is wilder than ever. F. T.. CO1ue.