Acting and Dramatic Games Trades
( Acting and Dramatic, Call and Response, Chase and Catch )This game is the boys form of the game played by girls as “Old Woman from the Woods.” The players divide into two equal parties. One party retires and decides on some trade or occupation whereupon they advance toward the second party saying —
“Here are some men from Botany Bay.
Got any work to give us to-day ”
The second party asks “What can you do ” The first party answers “Anything.” The second party says “Set to work then ” whereupon they go through pantomimic motions descriptive of the occupation chosen such as planing sawing or hammering for the carpenter the motions of the bricklayer tailor cobbler motor-man etc. The second party guesses what this pantomime indicates. Should they guess correctly they have a turn at representing a trade. Should they fail the first party has another trial.
When played in a playground or gymnasium where there is a good running space a successful guess should be followed by a chase of the actors by the guessing party any players caught before a designated goal line is reached having to join the party of their captors. The party wins which secures all of the players.
The following activities and occupations were shown by one class of city boys milking cows grinding coffee hanging wall paper traveling salesmen (displaying and measuring goods) rooting a baseball team Marathon race picking cherries basket-ball game oiling sewing machine blowing up bicycle tires running a lawn mower bricklaying.