Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1900-12-06
Some Games for the
Children'S Amusement.

A very interesting game for an wen
tng'S amusement or for af46rnoon eth
er is the game OF bird-cRteher. The
person who takes the part Of the bird
catcher stands in the centre Of a circle
formed by the rest Of thS company,
seated in chairs all round him.
Each of the players h
name of a different bird, and initiates
its peculiar cry when it's name is men,
toned by the bird-eataA1H: and, as
long as the owl is not mentioned, the
hands of all must rest upon their
knees, under penalty of a forfeit. But,
as soon as the owl is named, all the
hands must be taken away, lest the
b~ird-catcher, who is on the watch,
should seize hold of one: for, in that
case, the person whose hand is caught
must pay a forfeit, and tahe the place
of the b~ird-catcher. On the contrary,
if the bird-catcher does not catch a
hand, he pays a forfeit and proceeds
with the game; the playsas replacing
their hands upon their knees when the
, next bird is mentioned.
When the word flock is pronounced,
all the players cry like the birds they
represent; those emitting to do SO pay
a forfeit.
The ~bird-catcher commences in a
similar manner to the following: IT
rose early this morning to take a
country walk, and was delighted with
! the songs Of a multitude of birds, who
seemed to hail with thankful JOY the
rudy rays of the rising sun. I tried
to catch a handsome young game-cock,
(cocl<aleeryo) but the moment I was
going to lay hold of him I saw a tur-
key (pia, pia, pia, glcu, Esov g1ou.)
"Ah! I said to myself, a turkey (pia,
pia, pia, glou glou glou) is better han
a cock (cockaleeryo.) I hen went to-.
ward the turkey, (pia, pia, pia, glou,
glou, gloO when a rook (caw, cav,
caw) and a lark (tirlili tirlili, tirlili)
flew by me at the same moment, and
the whole flock Ca general cry without
removing hands, tool 70 1asht
THE turkey (pia, pia, pia, glou, glou,
glou) fed to the right, the little cock
/ (cockaIeeryo) ran to the k@9s. and then
an owl CtoWhoo, tovhoo, &owhoo) Ga
. play Of hands here, which finishes by a
forfeit being delivered by the bird
catcher if he is not alert enough to
catch one Of the birds'ehands, or by a
bird if his hand be caught; in either
! case the old or new bird-catcher con-
tinues his tale.)
Her doleful cry a~IlRnaeDded the
fright of the others. But a bird, more
lazy or more bold than the rest, a par
rot (pretty poll. pretty poll, pretty poID
(here all place their hands on their
knees AGAIN. suffered me to catch it az
it sat on a laurel BUSH.
Presently I saw a cuckoo, cuckoo,
cuckoo, cuckoo and a flock general
cry) of ducks (ouaek, quack, quack)
and all at once an owl (towhoo, tow
hoo, towhoo.") All the hands disap-
pear again, and the b~ird-catcher
catches one or not, as it may happen.
This game may be tkEs REs4cnged tc
an indefinite length, and is exceedingly
amusing. The different eE4sa Of birds
the discordant melange Of sounds wher
all cry at the word flock" and thu
dexteFous movement of hands to es.
cape being caught by the b~ird-catche1
all combining to render - y favorite
even with persons who are no longer
young.
Few things will emove dulness soon.
er.