_House party; out of doors._

One player is chosen as leader, and stands up, generally with his back
against a wall or post, while a second player, who is the cuckoo,
bends down, as for leapfrog, with his head against the leader. The
other players stand around in a circle, each placing a finger on the
back of the cuckoo. The leader then "counts off" the fingers of the
players with the following rhyme, indicating a finger for each accent
of the rhyme:--

"The wind blows east, the wind blows west,
The wind blows under the cuckoo's nest.
Where shall this or that one go?
Shall he go east or shall he go west?
Or shall he go under the cuckoo's nest?"

The player whose finger is indicated by the last word of the rhyme
must then go to any place directed by the cuckoo, who, if he has any
intimation of the identity of the player, may use considerable tact in
choosing a difficult or interesting place; as on some high point to
which it is difficult to climb, or under some low object under which
it is hard to crawl, some distant place, etc. One player, however,
must be directed to hide under the cuckoo's nest, and this player
takes a position at the feet of the cuckoo. This is a favored
position. When all of the players have been thus disposed, the leader
calls, "Pom, pom, cooketty coo!" As soon as this call is heard, the
players run back and pound the cuckoo on the back until the last one
is in. This last one becomes the cuckoo for the next repetition of the
game.

VAULTING SEATS

_10 to 60 players._

_Schoolroom._

This game is played the same as Changing Seats, except that the pupils
vault over the seats instead of sitting in them. The game may be
played anywhere above the third year.

The teacher gives the order "Right, jump!" whereupon all of the pupils
jump over their seats toward the right-hand side of the room. The row
that is displaced, now standing in the right-hand aisle, runs at once
around the room to the left-hand aisle. The teacher then repeats her
command. The directions for the vaulting should be varied and
unexpected, several being given to the right, then several to the
left, etc.

The method of vaulting is to place one hand on the edge of the
desk at the back of the seat to be vaulted over, and one hand
on the desk that goes with the seat to be vaulted over. The
hand should preferably be placed halfway between the two
aisles, to assist both the