1940-12-19 — Page 62

6

"WHAT shall we do?" One often hears this question during

a Christmas house party. Christ- after all, is a time when everybody wants to

nas,

themselves and doing

be enjoying something,

and if you have a good fund of

tricks and teasers, a

few faine

hape

and some posers up your sleeve.

you have every reason to

for a truly merry time.

It is a good idea to be ready to interest and

with something

THE CHINA MAIL SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, DECEMBER 19, 1940.

Yuletide Fun

muse your guests almost from the moment they arrive. For example, if you want { good "warming-up" item, you could not do better than to write the name of each guest expected on a small piece of paper or a lip of card. Put all the curds into

П hot or bowl and duly mix them up. As the guests arrive see that they are pennies to given one of the names-not their OWN.

of course!--then instruct them to find the person

whose name they have on the paper.

Or

pile.

make that one-inch

While talking of tricks, an in- genious after-dinner one is trying to turn a wineglass, which is full Quite soon, they will all be say-ject being to keep the water in of water, upside down. The ob- ing, "Are you Mr. Brown?" more familiarly "is this charming the glass, of course. girl Peggy by any chance?"-and the like. This is an excellent iden when a number of strange people get together and it is surprising how SODI everybody will friends.**

be

It's a good notion to have a sun- ple little teaser at hand to interest people while waiting for the Jones or Smiths (who are always late. Consider this

Money Teaser

For this item a handful of pen- nics is needed, and the idea is to ask people to say how many pen- nies, placed one OT1 top of the other, would be necessary to make a stack one inch high.

Of course, a ruler must be mal- ed out, and don't let anyone start experimenting with a halfpenny, as that measures one

inch across.

All sorts of numbers will be ven- tured. and most folk will be sur prised to know that it takes fifteen

Water Staya inalde,

If you value that clean table- cloth, or maybe the carpet, don't let anyone forestall the effective- ness of your trick by a few ex- periments. Simply 111 the glass right to the brim and then take a

"YOU KNOW THE PLACE WHERE TO GO FOR A REAL CHRISTMAS GIFT OF QUALITY FOR A MAN, A WOMAN OR A CHILD!!"

ITS----

CHINA EMPORIUM

- "The Store with the Christmas. Spirit."

MAX MERVYN

喜

Fill up a glass jar with peas and invite the "victims" to guess how

many there are in the jar.

Measure up a yaru or so of string, roll it up into a bit of a tangle, and ask its length.

Make up a sort of mystery pur- cel, in which some object is wrap- ped in cloth and tissue paper and iled with

string. Competitors have to feel the parcel only and try to guess the object it contains. See who can make the highest score with three darts.

No doubt you

and then award

the

and so on! will all have much more clever ideas, but remember that very often the simpler the idea the

If more it appeals.

you make them too complicated it will take longer for the games to warm up. sheet of glazed paper-notepaper others were accommodated at 1s should give points for each item, In deciding upon the winner, you will do and place it on top of per head. The total cost was £6 the glass.

Press the paper firmly 17s. 0d.

prize. (or Can you work out how with one hand and invert the glass many children sat in each of the prizes) to the highest totals. steadily with the

And, by the way, do you hap- other. Your two kinds of seat? If that one pen to know the difference bo- will be surprised to see that the guests--and maybe you as well! beats you for the time being carry tween a wife and an income-tax

on with this picture-puzzle,

collector? To solve it, write down the three

In case you don't the words which the pictures illus- come-tax collector only takes your answer is fifty-you see, an in- trate and use them, together with the other two letters in the puzzle. wife "collects" fifty-two times per money twice a year, whereas 11 to spell the name of rather a busy person just now. must be used.

And here is another good party

paper adheres to the glass when your hand is removed, and lo, you are holding a wineglass of water upside down, as promised.

While on the subject of tricks, another one that earus full marks for the person with a steady hand

15-

All the letters

Knotting The Cigarette novelly! Have you ever seen

as a

A Needle That Floats

annum.

Now for another puzzle. It is idea is simply to replace each row quite an easy one really, and the

of asterisks below with a season- able word. If the right words are selected you will be able to read

Believe it or not, such on ap- off eight four-letter words in each parent impossibility can be ac- of the down columns thus formed. hieved. Like most other

F

1

things

>

S

❤

++

The

A OE HAAIT

bowl

of

•

*

A

Invite the company to lie a knot in a cigarette, but without break- ing it in any way This is where you get out that box of smokes that Aunt What-Was-Her-Name there is a catch in this one. sent you the Christmas before last effects"

comprise (it's a good way of disposing of them!). It should not coinc surprise to you that unless they know the trick everyone will fail. That is where you step right in and collect that applause.

Beforehand you

should have saved several pieces ti Cello- phane wrapping boxes and the like.

from cigarette Select a piece of this Cellophane and wrap round the cigarette firmly several times, leaving a margin of one inch at either end of the cigarette. Now twist the Cellophane ends slightly, making sure to keep the whole thing quite taut, and you will find that you can gradually turn the whole affair into a knot and duly tie it.

11

→

R

Who Is This?

.

➡

ST SWSLYW

And now, if by any chance you want to win some money, or at least be on the right side of things, here is

A CERTAIN WINNER For this item you require 24 match-sticks and a willing victim. You invite your opponent to enjoy a little game of matchstick grabbing, and before the game starts even, you can tell him he is going to lose.

The rules of the game are sim- ply these: each player takes it in turn to remove from the pile of 24 matches either one or two sticks at cach turn. More than one or two sticks at each go must not be re- moved, but whether it is one or two is entirely at the player's op- tion. The winner is the person who removes the last match or of matches from the table.

Of course, by means of clever lighting effects and

શ certain sleight-of-hand,

might you

be able to persuade the company that water, a needle, and a piece the trick was performed without cigarette paper. First of all, you Cellophane even.

Supposing your opponent goes rest the needle on the piece It is hardly likely that anyone elgarette paper, and then

of first and takes one match

you will receive a Christmas card such that very gently

place must then take two; should he as you see here.

on top of the have taken two matches, however, The circum- water in the bowl. Gradually the you must take one only. Knowing stances seem to be, however, that paper will absorb water and then this trick you will realise that the in Furitania the Reigning Fury slowly sink. stopped even the sending of Yule- ed, the needle is left floating on and therefore you must win the But, don't be alarm- matches are removed in threes tide wishes, so that many of the the surface of the water, and you game. inhabitants were forced to

If you should go first, take use take your bow as an obvious ma- only one match, and if your op- cards in code. An example is gician. shown here, and, although it didn't deceive the secret-service organ- isation of the country concerned, it may baffle you for a few min- utes.

ponent takes one, you take one Another effective trick is formed with a candle and matches. ordinary way, making sure

per- again, and then follow on in the A half-used candle is preferable, each pair of moves adds

that and the whole affair looks much three:

up to

whatever

better in a darkened room. Place You will find that The code was formed by mak- the candle on a table and light it, moves your friend makes, keeping ing one letter of the alphabet introducing Sonic stand for another.

cross-patter these simple rules in mind, you See if you or while the wick gets well warmed. will always win the your guests

game by can decipher the Ask someone to come and greeting. It would be a good idea out the candle, after which you on the table.

blow taking the last match or matches to put up a prize for the first one inform the company that you can And now finally. getting the message right, wouldn't rolight dt without actually touch-

it?

1XJTIJOH

ZPV BMM B USVMZ NESSZ DISITUNGT

Queer Card,

Each letter in the following sum stands for a figure and the Arat

ing the wick.

In fact, you say that the feat stage of the sum is multiplication swill be performed by holding the and the second.addition. Curiously lighted match aninth or so..above enough, as you can see, the final the candle. The secret is to have answer is the reverse of the num- -the match lit and ready to hold in ber you start with.

that position immediately the can- idle is blown out, because gases will:mingle with the smoke .as 300nast the candle is out, and these rise. tip to the match which ighites: them. The Ahme Etuns Adawn the column of smoke to the wick. Be careful not to risk spoiling this trick: by a draughty

room.

A¤Games Drive

<GYY.C-B-RAL NT N

TNLAR BCG Y T

TNLAR BCY G Now then, can you puzzle out which figures the letters stand for?

The Mystic Greeting: "Here's wishing, you a truly merry Christ-

mas."

¡Have you ever thought what Christmas Charity: 75 at 176 good fun can be had from a few and 25 at 1/-, simple, guessing competitions and Plature - Puzzle;

the like, worked in the form of a' mas,

your

progressive test? It is really good Word Puzzle: fun and interesting for

Yuletide. guests, especially if there is a prize

Sum: to be won at the end.

This item needs a little prepara- tion beforehand, About a dozen different items will be wanted, al- though these can be varied ac- cording to the number of your And talking of prizes, here's an party and the time you wish, the excellent scheme if you want a "turn" to last. Arm each guest! good party competition. Lay in a with a pencil and paper and tell stock of ordinary wire pipe-clean- them that there are, say, twelve ers and give three to each person tasks for them to do, and they entering the competition, Compe- must write the result of each one titors..are instructed to make the on their answer papers a

they most interesting Or amusing object complete it. they can by twisting and joining No doubt you will have all sorts the three pipe-cleaners. They of clever ideas of your own as to must not be cut in any way, and, what tests to impose, but here are for the sake of fairness, all three a few to show you the sort of cleaners must be used in each things that prove effective, "creation,"

Sco how many grains of rice can be extracted from a depp bowl, in half a minute, by means of two knitting needles.

Christmas Charity

Now try this seasonable

pro- Give twelve (or more) letters. blem. It concerns a certain chur- on cards, all mixed up, and ask itable gentleman who took 100 competitors to make the longest children to a pantomimeo, He ob- word they can from these. Award tained seats for some of the points according to the number or children at 18, Od, each, widthe Batters Hadd

Father Christ-

Presents and

123456789 times 8 plus 9-987654321,

The Best Gift For Students, Teachers, Business Men, Etc.

CHINA TYPEWRITERS

Room