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582 The Book of Indoor and Outdoor Games
hosts insisted must be obeyed. One young woman, who had a fresh, sweet voice, was ordered to sing a song; a man with a special talent for mimicry paused mid-way in his search to imitate a German brass band of itinerant musicians—according to the command upon a bit of paper that he found upon his string. A third recited a poem, a fourth told a story, a fifth did a "stunt"—the rest pausing in their search to enjoy and applaud.
One fair maiden found at the end of her string a watch-pocket in the form of a slipper, of white satin, with its little rosette made of orange blossoms. These lines accompanied it:
Since your thread of destiny is all of bridal white, Its interesting significance will not be hard to guess;
In spite of tortuous windings through places dark and bright, It leads to happy marriage and to ultimate success.
The man who was known to be very ambitious had to follow the leading of his red string almost to the top of the house, where, tied to a penny trumpet, marked as "The trump of fame," he found this doggerel:
"Red is the symbol of courage,
Red is the colour of flame, And red is your Ariadne's thread
That leads to the temple of fame; Aglow with the fire of ambition,
Full of zeal to make famous your name, The best of life's gifts will be yours with the rest,
You'll be loved by a beautiful dame."
Another young woman found at the end of her blue string a coronet of gilt paper covered with gilt spangles, and read: |
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