The best way to play this game is for the players to divide themselves into two groups, namely, actors and audience.  Each one of the actors should then fix upon a proverb, which he will act, in turn, before the audience.  As, for instance, supposing one of the players to have chosen the proverb, “A bad workman quarrels with his tools,” he should go into the room where the audience is seated, carrying with him a bag in which there is a saw, a hammer, or any other implement or tool used by a workman; he should then look round and find a chair, or some other article, which he should pretend requires repairing; he should then act the workman, by taking off his coat, rolling up his sleeves, and commencing work, often dropping his tools, and grumbling about them the whole of the time.

If this game be acted well, it may be made very entertaining.  Sometimes the audience are made to pay a forfeit each time they fail to guess the proverb.

* * * * *

SHOUTING PROVERBS

This is rather a noisy game.  One of the company goes outside the door, and during his absence a proverb is chosen and a word of it is given to each member of the company.  When the player who is outside re-enters the room, one of the company counts “One, two, three,” then all the company simultaneously shout out the word that has been given to him or her of the proverb that has been chosen.

If there are more players present than there are words in the proverb, two or three of them must have the same word.  The effect of all the company shouting out together is very funny.  All that is necessary is for the guesser to have a sharp ear; then he is pretty sure to catch a word here and there that will give him the key to the proverb.

* * * * *

PROVERBS

This is a very interesting game, and can be played by a large number at the same time.  Supposing there are twelve persons present, one is sent out of the room, while the others choose a proverb.  When this is done, the “guesser” is allowed to come in, and he asks each person a question separately.  In the answer, no matter what question is asked, one word of the proverb must be given.  For illustration we will take “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”

1.  John must use the word “A” in his answer. 2.  Gladys must use the word “bird” in hers. 3.  Nellie must use the word “in” in hers. 4.  Tommy must use the word “the” in his. 5.  Estelle must use the word “hand” in hers. 6.  Ivy must use the word “is” in hers. 7.  Wilfrid must use the word “worth” in his. 8.  Lionel must use the word “two” in his. 9.  Vera must use the word “in” in hers. 10.  Bertie must use the word “the” in his. 11.  Harold must use the word “bush” in his.

The fun becomes greater if the answers are given quickly and without allowing the special word to be noticed.  It often happens that the “guesser” has to try his powers over several times before succeeding.  The one who by giving a bad answer gives the clue, in turn becomes guesser, and is then obliged to go out of the room while another proverb is chosen.