Centipede

The players sit in a circle on the floor, with their feet stretched out and mingled in a promiscuous pile. One player, who is leader, and stands outside the circle, touches one of the feet (he may mark it slightly with a piece of chalk if desired), and calling on some player by name, commands him to tell to whom the foot belongs. When this player has named some one, the leader commands the owner of the foot to stand up. If the guess be wrong, the leader chases the mistaken player and whips him with a knotted handkerchief. If the guess be right, the guesser is released from the game, sits down at one side, and chooses the next one to be It, while the one who was It takes a place in the circle.

This game lends itself especially to the gymnasium or seashore, where the dressing of the feet is inclined to be uniform.

The game is played by the modern Greeks.

Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium by Jessie Hubbell Bancroft

Leave a Reply