Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1910 — FOR THE CHILDREN [ARTICLE]

FOR THE CHILDREN

What TUne Is It? It requires two players who understand this game, a leadei and bis accomplice. The accomplice leaves the room, while the leader and the rest remain inside. The leader asks the players what hour they will choose for the accomplice to guess. Suppose some one says “Four o’clock.” The assistant Is called in. and be questions the leader, saying. •’Well, what time is it?" The leader answers thus: “Don’t you know?*’ and then. “Doubtless dancing time.’’ The assistant immediately says “Four o’clock.” to the general mystification of the company. The key is that each hour from 1 to 12 o’clock has been named according to the letters of the alphabet in rotation from A to K. The leader in answering must be very careful to begin each answer with the letter indicating the chosen hour. Thus in the above the assistant noticed that each answer began with “d.” and “d,” being the fourth letter of the alphabet. Indicated that 4 o’clock was the time chosen. Only the exact hour can be chosen. As the different players think they have solved the trick they may take turns in being assistant, and many fuhny mistakes will result till the game has been explained to all.

i-ox and Geese. This is an old game, but one that children always enjoy. It can be played indoors. but better out. One of the party, called the fox, goes a little way off. and the rest of the children arrange themselves in a string, one behind the other, t he tallest first and the smallest. The first one is called “Mother Goose.” The game begins by a conversation between the fox and Mother Goose. “What are you after this fine morning?” says she “Taking a walk.” the fox answers “What for?” “To get an appetite for breakfast” ‘What are you going to have for breakfast?" "A nice fat goose.” you get it ?” “Well, as your geese are so' handy I’ll take one of them.” "Gatch one if you can.” Mother Goose then stretches out tier arms to protect her geese and not let the fox catch one The fox tries to dodge under, right and left, until be is afjle to catch the last ot the string Of course the brood must try to keep out ot reach ot the fox As the geese are caught they must go over to the den of the fox, and the game continues till all are caught. A Squirrel Barometer. A merchant in a western city has a queer baroinetet. It is a domesticated fox squirrel. He keeps the little pet in a large paint barrel, all inclosed with the exception of a small round hole in one end. Inside the barrel is a good supply of straw, old paper and leavfes During a run of weather of any kind. hot. cold, wet, or dry. the little animal is in and out of the bouse, keeping ah open door But should there be a change coming, say ten or twelve hours off. the squirrel plugs up his bole with the matter from his bed and keeps it closed until the change comes. It is claim ed the squirrel never makes a mistake and that he gives no false alarms to his keeper

Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The banging gardens of Babylon were one of tbe seven wonders of the world. They were gardens of the most beautiful description, but raised high in the air above the Babylon plain on walls so gray that from a distance It seemed as if there were no support beneath tbe towering foliage and that the gardens were tn reality floating above the earth. They were built in terraces that reached, it is said, a height of 300 feet Tbe gardens were built by Nebuchadnezzar, tbe king, for his wife Amytis, who bad longed for tbe mountains among which she bad passed her youth and who disliked the flat country about the city of Babylon.