The Red Cloud chief., 1878-04-11
Easter lianes In lsernaas.

xosueS Noosts ~ U~f0ooy.
Easter Monday Is looked upon - .
grand holiday by the peasantry in man
parts ~ Germany. Weddings are ofts n
deferred To this day. and many viIlAg.
games are reserved for thi. season. The
lad. and lasses all appear in their gala
costumes; the girls With short dark
skirts. braided with gold ar silver. snowy
aprons and full White sleeves. bright
colorcd bodicc- and odd little caps. the
boys with kDce-brr~chrs. white stock.
ings. low shoes. aud scarlet or yellow
vests. III. solid gold or silver buttons on
which are often their Who'll. inheritance.
Hut when they are dancing gayly Ia.
gether on the green. they look n good
deal happier than II they were little
kings and queens.
Games vary IN different villages
throughout the country. but m exam.
pie will give some idea 81 what they
are like.
Two II the leading young men ~ the
place take entire charge ~ the days
amuscmrnts, selecting for the purpose
~ the scene II festivities some inn or
W,rthSchdN. to which IL attached alarge
garden or meadow.
For several preceding evenings. when
work Is over. they 90 about from house
Ia house. dressed In their best. aud car-
rying large baskets on their arms.
Everywhere they are kindly received,
and bread with wine or cider ~ placed
before them. and they are secretly re-
turned to their places. The eggs are
not asked for. neither are they alluded
Ia In any WAY; but the object III the Wis
II Is well understood and prepared for
long beforehand.
When Monday morning dawn-. the
inn IN found Ia have been gaily dccora-
ted with garlands Of green and flowers
and luitering ribbons ~ many colors.
The tree nearest the house IL ornament
ed In like manner. and on IL the prize
Ia be- commended for, conspicuously
hangs. On the smooth grass hard by,
"A strip. n few feet wide and perhaps u
hundred long. has been ropcd in, and
nj either emf Of this narrow plot "A large
shallow. round. bottomcd basket. called
n Wdnnc. is placed. one filled with chat
and the other with eggs. dozens, upon
dozens, cooked and raw, white and col.
orcd.
The plan Of the peculiar game which
follows IL that one player il pittcd tO
run u given distance, while another
safely throws the riggs from one basket
Ia the other. he who first completes his
task being, Of course. the winner. Ac-
cordingly. when the young men and
maidcns have arrived. two leaders draw
lots to determine who shall run and
who shall throw. That decided. thee on
testants are gaily dcckcd with ribbons.
n band strikes up n lively air. "A capcr.
ing clown clears the way, and the game
begins. lie who throws takes the eggs,
and one after another swiftly whirls
them the length of the course. and in
tn the chat filled basket, which il held
In the hands Of M assistant. Occasion
ally he makes u diversion by pitching
a hard no to bc scrambled for by the
crowds Of children who have assembled
tn see the sport. Meantime (while wa
gers are laid M tO who will likely win)
the other contestant speeds the distance
Of n mile or two to IN appointed goal.
marks II NJ proof Of his having touched
Il, and II no succeeds In returning be-
fore all the eggs are thrown, the victo-
ry and the prize are his. otherwise they
belong To his opponent. The game
finished. the prize II presented to the
victor with due ceremony and 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. II q we'd
ing can possibly be arranged Ia take
place ON that afternoon the fun IL
wilder than ever.--S Nicholas for
april.