I first learned this game when I was in my early 20's and then passed it on to my own family. We've especially enjoyed playing it when sitting around a campfire but it can also be played anywhere such as at the supper table when families have a better chance of being all together. Kids can share it with their friends at birthday parties or when just hanging out. It's a great way to enhance ennunciation and communication skills, and of course exercise your memory, including your tummy muscles from bouts of laughter.
There are ten lines altogether to be recited and your chances of remembering them increase with more players. It's a bit reminicent of the Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas", but some of the lines are a bit of a tongue twister and long.
To play, one person starts by reciting the first line only, and then everyone takes their turn to repeat it. When everyone has completed the first round, the first person then starts the second round by reciting the first and second lines only, and again everyone does the same. The third round consists of the first, second and third lines only, and so on. At anytime if someone forgets a line, the game is started all over again. A successful outcome is when all players have recited all the lines in only ten rounds. If playing with really young children this may not be reasonable so the round can be continued by giving them a little help.
Here are the lines:
- One Red Hen
- A couple of ducks
- Three brown bears
- Four Running Hares
- Five fat females
- Six simple simons
- Seven slant-eyed siamese
- Eight elongated elephants elevating in an elevator
- Nine trillion trumpeters trilling a terrible tune
and
- I'm not a pheasant plucker nor a pheasant pluckers son, but I'll pluck the pheasants till the pheasant plucking's done.
This game can be varied by putting a time limit on it so if you become really good, try to become really good
and really fast! The outcome can be really hilarious. Or you can make up new lines to challenge your family and friends.
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