player in front, and
stoop with the heads against him or turned to one side (away from the
jumper). When the backs (ponies) are ready, the riders all run toward
them from the side, each rider vaulting from the side on to the back
of one pony. The ponies try in every way, except by straightening up,
to throw their riders while the leader counts fifty. If a rider be
made to touch even one foot to the ground, the ponies have won and
score a point, the riders exchanging places with them. If the ponies
fail in this attempt, they must be ponies again. The side wins which
has the highest score at the end.

JUMPING RELAY RACE

_10 to 60 or more players._

_Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom._

The players are lined up in several single files behind a starting
line which is drawn at from ten to fifty feet from a finishing line
which should be parallel to it. At a signal the first players in each
file, who have been standing with their toes on the starting line,
jump forward with both feet at once and continue the jumping to the
finish line, when they turn and _run_ back to the starting line. Each
player, on returning to the starting line, should touch the hand of
the next player in his file, who should be toeing the line ready to
start, and should begin jumping as soon as his hand is touched by the
return player. The first jumper goes at once to the foot of the line,
which moves up one place each time that a jumper starts out, so that
the next following player will be in position on the line.

The file wins whose last player first gets back to the starting line.

[Illustration: JUMPING ROPE ON THE ROOF PLAYGROUND OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL]

JUMPING ROPE

(Skipping)

_3 to 100 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

Jumping a rope is admirable for both boys and girls, combining much
skill with invigorating exercise. It should always be done on the
toes, with a "spring" in the ankles and knees to break the jar, and
should not be carried to a point of exhaustion. It may be made one of
the most interesting competitive games for large numbers, lined up in
relay formation and jumping in turn over a long rope. There should
then be one rope for each line. A score should be kept for each team,
each feat successfully performed by a player scoring one point for his
or her team. For each round, each player in all teams should perform
the same feat.

The different series following are for:--

I. Small single rope.
II