The Ship Alphabet

Source: What Shall We Do Now?: Five Hundred Games And Pastimes
Category: THINKING, GUESSING, AND ACTING GAMES



The players sit in a long row, as if in a class at school. The one
that acts as schoolmaster asks sharply, beginning at one end, "The
name of the letter?" "A," says the player. The schoolmaster turns to
the next player, "the name of the ship?" and straightway begins to
count ten very quickly and sternly. "Andromeda," is perhaps rapped out
before he reaches that number. "The name of the captain?" "Alfred."
"The name of the cargo?" "Armor." "The port she comes from?"
"Amsterdam." "The place she is bound for?" "Antananarivo." "The next
letter?" "B," and so on. If the schoolmaster is very strict and abrupt
with his questions and counting, he can drive every idea from the mind
of the person he points at. If he counts ten before an answer comes,
he passes on to the next, and the next, and the next, until the answer
is given. The one who gives it moves up above those that failed. The
game should be played rapidly.

A variation on this is "When my ship comes in." This is played with a
handkerchief knotted into a ball. Any letter of the alphabet is
chosen; say B. One player throws the handkerchief to another, crying
out, "When my ship comes in it will be laden with ----." The player
who catches the handkerchief must supply a cargo, beginning with B
before ten is counted, bees, butterflies, belts, etc. If he fails to
do this he gives a forfeit. When one letter is exhausted another is
chosen and the game starts over.


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Previous: The Old Maid's Birthday

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