The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-07-02
FRENCH GEOGRAPHY GAME.

Something Exciting Enough to Have Set
Canadian Monastery wild.
The French Canadians have . geogra-
ply game that have not met with else
where. They call it simply Ia geogra-
phie and it is played in the following
manner:
Each player has paper and pencil and
all take seats in row, or, better still,
a scmi-circle. The head Of the line then
calls out, say, "Countries-Asia" and
at once writes Asia" at the top Of his
paper, the other players initiating his
example. The player next to him must
then. before ten is slowly counted, call
out the name of another country whose
initial letter is the same as the final
letter Of ASIA
Suppose he or she call out america.
Very good, America" Is jotted down
and now the third player has to call
out a country whose name begins with
A. After some thinking "Africa" sug-
gests itself. All right. Down goes
africa" and still the demand is for q
country beginning with A. But the
fourth player introduced variety by call
ing ont "Afghanistan." SO that number
five has to seek q country beginning
with N. Happily Norway" soon comes
into the mind, although it leaves an
awkward nut for number six to crack
Thus the game proceeds, the penalty
Of failure to supply q namo Of town
being whatever may be agreed upon-a
forfeit, being sent down to the foot, etc.
Cities, rivers, mountains. etc, may be
treated in the sane way, or II the play
ers find 1t too difficult to confne them
selves to one geographical feature the
whole field Typography may be thrown
open, the only requirement being that
each new name should begin with the
last letter of the preceding one.
In Lower Canada the boys have .
game that no doubt their ancestors
brought over with then from In belle
France centuries ago, but which have
never seen played by the boys of the
other provinces. It is called LA Main
Chaude"-that is, the warm hand-and
when describe 1t I am sure you will
agree with me that the name il very
appropriate.
One of the players takes his seat in
the chair. Another is blindfolded and
either kneeling down before the settee
or simply bending forward, rs he may
prefer, rests his head on the Others
knee. Behind his back, with palm out
stretched, he holds his right hand. The
game is now ready to begin.
The other players range themselves
around the blindfolded one, whose palm
lies SO temptingly open, and In turn
give his hand q smart slap with theirs
II is the business of the unfortunate
wight thus being slapped to guess wht
strikes him, the sitter determining tht
accuracy of the guess, and the instant
he guesscs correctly the person whom
he has thus found out takes his place
and the game proceeds.
When not too roughly played q great
deal of fun may be had out Of La MAR
Claude, but Of course such undue vic
lence must be guarded against as II
illustrated in famous French picture
which represents lot of monks divert
inv themselves with this lively game
The blindfolded victim is evidently /,
novice, and a great coarse monk, with I
cruel grin upon his bloated countenancc
Ii Just about to smite the extended hans
with his heavy wooden sabot. while ,
gentle faced brother is lifting his hans
ip shocked protest. 1t Is powerful
picture and good lesson sgaipst cruelty
i 10 itself N. J. Herald.