Wolf

Source: Games For The Playground, Home, School And Gymnasium
Category: MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVE GAMES



_5 to 30 or more players._

_Out of doors._

This is an admirable hide and seek game where there are many hiding
places, as in a village or the country.

One player is chosen for the wolf, who goes off and hides. The rest of
the players are sheep, with one of their number as leader. A place is
chosen for a pen where the sheep must stay and blind their eyes while
the wolf is hiding. This pen may be a tree or rock or a square or
circle drawn on the ground. The leader counts one hundred, to give the
wolf time to hide. The sheep then start out, but must all follow their
leader "like sheep," looking for the wolf in each place where the
leader may search for him. This game differs from most other hiding
games in that the searchers are the ones who have to flee for safety
when the hider is discovered. As soon as the wolf is spied, the leader
cries


"All my sheep
Gather in a heap;
For I spy the woolly, woolly wolf!"

The sheep at once stand still until the wolf has taken a jump toward
them, which he must do before he may chase them; but immediately that
the wolf has made his leap, the sheep all turn and run for the sheep
pen, the wolf following. As the wolf may not run until he hears the
word "wolf" at the end of the leader's lines, the latter often
tantalizes the wolf by saying, "I spy the woolly, wooll
lamb!" or
"the woolly, wooll
cat!" or names any other animal he chooses, with
a pause before the name, to prolong the suspense of the impatient
wolf, finally ending up with "the woolly, wooll
wolf!"

Any sheep tagged by the wolf becomes a wolf and joins the wolf the
next time, hiding either in the same den with him or in a separate
den. When there is more than one wolf, the leader halts his sheep
whenever he spies a wolf, whether it be the original wolf or not, and
all of the wolves join in the chase when the sheep run back to the
pen. The game ends when all of the sheep have been caught.

The wolf has several resources at his command for catching sheep in
addition to a simple chase. If at any time while in hiding he spies
the sheep before they spy him, and considers their position in
relation to the goal advantageous to himself, he may call, "Stand your
ground, three feet!" whereupon the sheep must instantly stand still
and then take three steps toward the wolf and stand again until he
jumps toward them, when the chase for the sheep pen begins. The wolf
may also exercise considerable finesse by running directly for the pen
if he be in a position to reach it quicker or more directly than by
chasing the sheep. Should he reach the pen first, he may then tag the
sheep as they run in. One sheep may act as a decoy to engage the
attention of the wolf while the others run into the pen.


Next: Wood Tag

Previous: Wink

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