Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-12-26

game " SnapdragOn.
"Hcre he comes with flaming bowl,
Don't he mean to take his toll?
Snip! Snap! Dragon!
Take care YOU don't take too much
Be not greedy in your clutch,
Snip Snap Dragon.
With his blue and tapping tongue
Many of You will be stung,
Snip! Snap. Dragon.
For he snaps at all he comes,
Snatching at his feast of plunls,
Snip! Snap! Dragon!'
| When this pastime is decided
upon number of raisins are pu
into Il large, broad, shallow bowl
and a little brandy or other spirit i.
poured over the fruit. The lights il
the room are then extinguished, ant
the bystanders in turn plunge theil
hands through the flames and en-
deavor to obtain the fruit. This, o
course, is not easily done; it re,
quires both nerve and agility, and
the unavailng attempts Of the com.
pany cause good deal of fun. Add
ed to this the burning spirit gives
n lurid glare which lights up the
eager faces of the guests, and has
quite wierd-like effect.
This game has been played at
Christmas from time immemorial.
1t is declared to have been invented
by Hercules, who, when she had
slain the flaming dragon of Hespe-
ria, made Il fiery dish of the apples
grown in the orchard, which dish he
named Snapdragor.' In the West
ern counties Of England it is played
under varied form, and known
under q slightly different name, that
of Flapdragon. In this game a
lighted candle is put into q can of
ale or cider, and attempts are made
to drink the liquor while the candle
is still burning. This is not done
without the face being blackened or
slightly burnt.
Some games, which are rather
boisterous in their character, are
known to everyone and need no de-
scription. Among these are Blind
Mans Buff, :" Puss in the Corner, "
Trencher," "Hunt tho Slipper, "
Blind Postman' and "The Ele-
ments," or Air, Earth, Fire and
Water" Proverbs too, is capi-
tai old game. When it is played, one
member of the company leaves the
room, and the rest. fix upon well
known proverb. The banished one
returns, and asks each person u
question, who in reply is bound to
bring i'll one word of the proverb in
its proper order, aud the qucstioner
tries to find out from these answers
what the proyerb is. A very anus
ing variety of this game is called
Shooting Proverbs. ~ The guests
each appropriate one word of the
proverb as before. The one who is
trying to guess the proverb comes
in, steps into the middle of the
room, and calls out in command
ing voice, Make ready! Present!
Fire!' At the word "Fire" all the
company shout their own words at
once, and the proverb is to be
guessed from the sound which is
very confusing one.
Perhaps there is no game which
gives greater amusement both to old
and young than the game OF "Char-
acters," sometimes called "Twenty
Questions" and sometimes called
"Nouns." In this, one of the COM
pany thinks of some one particular
person or thing, and others ply him
with questions, and endeavor to find
out his question from the answers.
1t is astonishing how judicious
questioning can draw the most out
of-the-way object out of mystery into
the light of day. Sometimes the
company divide themselves into two
parties, each of which sends out one
of their number, and on his return
question him separately, and en-
deavors to find out his secret be-
fore the other side can do SO.
Each candidate must be questioned
by the opposite side, and the party
which first guesses rightly takes pos
session of both candidates That
side IS considered to have won the
game which draws over the largest
numbers. When played in this way
the game is often called "Clumps."
=" Trades" is very amusing game.
In this, each person chooses cer-
tain trade, and one member who is
named by the rest makes up a story,
in the cOursa of which he introducas
an account of his shopping excur-
sions, and calls hap-hazard upon
tho representative of each business
to name some noun which belongs
to his trade. Thus butcher is to
name certain joint of meat, gro
Ger some article of grocery, and so
on. No item is to be mentioned
twice, and if there is any attempt to
do so, or if there is any hesitancy
in naming something suitable for
feiture must be paid. When the