difficult a position as
possible for his successor; and here comes in a peculiarity which
leaves this game unique among the games of the world. If the position
in which the balls are left is too difficult for the other to play he
may refuse to kick and the first is compelled to play his own difficult
game--or like Haman--to hang on his own gallows. It recognizes the
Chinese golden rule of not doing to others what you would not have
them do to you.

The boys spent a long time playing this game--indeed they seemed to
forget they were playing for us, and we were finally compelled to call
them off.

Chi had turned the marbles over to the others as soon as he had fairly
started it, and stood in that peculiar fashion of his with one leg
wound around the other, and when we called to them, he simply said as
though it were the next part of the same game:

"Kick the shoes."

The boys all took off their shoes--an easy matter for an Oriental--and
piled them in a heap. At a given sign they all kicked the pile
scattering the shoes in every direction, and each snatched up, and, for
the time, kept what he got. Those who were very agile got their own
shoes, or a pair which would fit them, while those who were slow only
secured a single shoe, and that either too large or too small. It was
amusing to see a large-footed boy with a small shoe, and a boy with
small feet having a shoe or shoes much too large for him.

The game was a good test of the boys' agility.

On consulting our watch we found it would soon be time for the boys to
enter school, but asked them to play one more game.

"Cat catching mice," said Chi.

The children selected one of their company to represent the cat and
another the mouse.

The remainder formed a ring with the mouse inside and the cat outside,
and while the ring revolved, the following conversation took place:

"What o'clock is it?"
"Just struck nine."

"Is the mouse at home?"
"He's about to dine."

All the time the mouse was careful to keep as far as possible from the
cat.

The ring stopped revolving and the cat popped in at this side and the
mouse out at the other. It is one of the rules of the game that the cat
must follow exactly in the footsteps of the mouse. They wound in and
out of the ring for some time but at last the mouse was caught and
"eaten," the eating process being the amusing part of the game. It is
impossible to describe it as every "cat" does