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A Pussy Cat Party
WHEN Billy's mother decided to give him a birthday party, she pounced upon the pussy cat plan, partly because pussywillows are still flourishing in April, but mostly because she knew that kittens and cats are favorites with nine and ten year olds.
The invitations were folded kitty-cornered and inside of each appeared a fat fuzzy little gray puss taken from a real pussy-willow branch. "Puss" had pen and ink ears, whiskers and tail, and likewise a tiny redpainted fence post upon which to sit. The first game was a good romp at "Pussin-the-Corner." That was followed by the foolish but funny "Poor Pussy."
While the children were still in a circle for that, Billy's mother explained a new game.
It was called "Kitty Kitty" and was carried out on the lines of "Spin the Platter." In every child's ear Billy whispered the name of [84] some sort of cat, as for instance, tiger, "yaller," green-eyes, double-toes, maltese, Angora, black and white, gray. He then occupied the center of the circle and spun a tin pieplate. As he did so he called out one of the names he had assigned and counted rapidly out loud up to ten.
Thus, "Green-eyes, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."
The child who had been given the name "green-eyes" was supposed to jump up and snatch the pie tin before Billy had finished counting to ten. If "green-eyes" failed, then he had to take Billy's place. Billy, too, of course, had a pussy cat label.
Another circle game that was fun was called "Pussy's Prowlings." It was on the order of stage-coach. Billy's mother told the story of a kitty's wanderings and before she started to tell it, she whispered to each child the name of something which was to appear in the story. For instance, she gave out "haymow," "milk dish," "mouse hole," "catnip." [85] Every time she mentioned any such name in the process of telling the story, the child who had it was expected to rise from his chair, turn around three times and sit down again. When the words "pussy's prowlings" were mentioned, all the players jumped up and exchanged seats. The story teller also tried to get a seat, and if she succeeded the child who was finally left without one had to continue the story.
A children’s birthday party made entirely of games. There is no food on this page at all, and two of the four games are described completely enough to run tomorrow afternoon.
- The invitation is the craftA real pussy-willow catkin glued to folded card, with ears, whiskers and a tail added in pen and ink and a small painted fence post for it to sit on. It costs nothing, it requires a willow in bud, and it is the reason the party is in April.
- Two of the games are named and not explainedPuss-in-the-Corner, Poor Pussy, Spin the Platter and stage-coach are all referred to as common knowledge. They are not common knowledge now, so read past the references: the page gives full rules only for Kitty Kitty and Pussy’s Prowlings, and those two are the usable ones.
- Kitty Kitty needs a hard floorThe spinner is a tin pie plate, spun in the middle of a circle of seated children while a name is called and a count to ten runs. On carpet it will not spin and the game dies. A metal pie tin on boards or tile, or a plastic plate, and a caller who counts fast.
- Pussy’s Prowlings is musical chairs with a storyEach child is given a word — haymow, milk dish, mouse hole, catnip — and stands, turns three times and sits whenever it occurs in the story the adult is telling. At the phrase pussy’s prowlings everyone changes seats and the teller tries to take one. The structure is sound and it works with any theme and any set of words.
- Some of the cat names will not landThe labels assigned include yaller, maltese and double-toes. A child today will not recognise maltese for grey or yaller for ginger, and a game that depends on hearing your own name called will stall. Use words the children know: tabby, ginger, black, white, stripey.
- Nine and ten year olds, deliberatelyThe hostess chose the theme because she knew the age. Circle games with a secret word and a sudden scramble are pitched exactly at that age, and the page is a useful reminder that the organising decision came before the decorations, not after.
What this page records is a party with nothing bought in it. No entertainer, no venue, no hired activity, no purchased game: a mother cut a willow branch from outside, drew whiskers on the catkins, borrowed a pie plate from her own kitchen, and had read enough to know four circle games and invent two more. The whole afternoon rests on one adult willing to stand in the middle of a room and run it. That is the economy of a children’s party in this book, and the labour it assumes from the mother is considerable and entirely unremarked.