Family Coach

Source: What Shall We Do Now?: Five Hundred Games And Pastimes
Category: GAMES FOR A PARTY



In "Family Coach" each player takes the name of a part of a coach, as
the axle, the door, the box, the reins, the whip, the wheels, the
horn; or of some one connected with it, as the driver, the guard, the
ostlers, the landlord, the bad-tempered passenger, the cheerful
passenger, the passenger who made puns, the old lady with the bundle,
and the horses--wheelers and leaders. One player then tells a story
about the coach, bringing in as many of these people and things as he
can, and as often. Whenever a person or thing represented by a player
is mentioned, that player must stand up and turn round. But whenever
the coach is mentioned the whole company must stand up and turn round.
Otherwise, forfeits. A specimen story is here given as a hint as to
the kind of thing needed:--

"There's the railway, of course," said Mr. Burly, "and
there's the motor wagonette, and you've all got bicycles; but
let's go to London in the old-fashioned way for once; let's
go in the Family Coach." These words delighted everybody.
"Oh, yes," they all cried, "let's go in the Family Coach."
It was therefore arranged, and John the Coachman had orders
to get everything ready. This was no light matter, for the
Family Coach had not been used for many years, and it would
need to be taken to the coachbuilder's at once and be
overhauled. So the next morning it lumbered off, and it did
not come back for a week; but when it did there was a change
indeed. The wheels had been painted red, the axles had
been tested, the springs renewed, the inside re-lined, the
roof freshly upholstered, and the whole made bright and
gay. At last the morning came, a clear, sunny day, and
punctually at nine John rattled up to the door. The
horses stood there pawing the ground, as if ready to gallop
all the way. John had a new coat and hat, and Tim and
Peter, the grooms, were also in new livery. Every one was
ready. First came Mr. Burly in a wonderful great overcoat,
and then Mrs. Burly in furs. Then Uncle Joshua, then
Aunt Penelope, and then the three girls and two boys. How
they all found room I don't know, but they did. "Are we all
ready?" said Mr. Burly. "All ready," said Uncle Joshua.
So Tim and Peter sprang away from the horses' heads,
crack went the whip, round went the wheels, Uncle
Joshua blew the horn, and the old Family Coach was
fairly on its journey.

It was a splendid ride. John kept his horses going at a
grand pace and hardly used the whip at all, the wheels
ran smoothly over the road, and whenever we passed through a
village Uncle Joshua blew the horn. We stopped at
Thornminster for lunch. John brought us up to the inn door
in style, and the landlord came out rubbing his hands and
helped Mrs. Burly and Aunt Penelope down with a flourish.
"Proud to see you, sir," he said to Mr. Burly. "It is
seldom enough that folks travel nowadays in an old Family
Coach. I wish there were more of them."

After lunch we went along in the same splendid way until
suddenly round a corner came a donkey-cart with the donkey
braying at the top of his voice. John pulled the horses
well over to the side, but the braying was too much for them,
and they rolled into the ditch. In a moment the old Family
Coach was overturned. Mr. Burly was shot into the field
across the hedge, Uncle Joshua, grasping the horn, landed
in a pond, John and Aunt Penelope, Mrs. Burly and the
grooms all stuck in the hedge. No one was hurt, but two of
the wheels were broken to pieces and one axle was bent,
and that was therefore the last of the old Family Coach. So
we never got to London in the old way after all.

If this story is not long enough, it can be lengthened. The words in
italics are those to be distributed among the company, each player
taking more than one if necessary. When the accident comes they might
all fall down as they are mentioned. In the case of the wheels and the
horses, these may either be taken all four by one player, or eight
players may share them. Thus, when the wheels are mentioned, all four
players who have taken the wheels would stand up and turn round, and
four others when the horses were alluded to.


Next: The Traveler And The Bicyclist

Previous: The Muffin Man

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