3 International Games

Original Source: Tiger, Quebec City, Canada, goldtiger@videotron.ca
Character: Active


I Sell Oil (Cyprus)

The players crouch in a circle, facing inwards. One of the players holds a handkerchief in the folds of her skirt (or pocket) and walks behind them saying, "I sell oil, I sell honey, my master is dead, and I need money," or something similar, and bending down, pretending to drop the handkerchief behind one of them. If one of the sitters realises that the handkerchief has actually been dropped behind her, she must jump up, run after the seller, and touch her. If she catches the seller before the seller reaches her empty place, she wins and goes back and crouches in her own place, but if the seller is quick and reaches the empty place before being caught, she squats and the other one sells oil. If she is caught, she carries on selling until she is successful.


Fire On The Mountain (Tanzania)

Play with any number of players and a leader. Players lie on their backs and choose a key word that is their signal to jump quickly to their feet. The leader begins by calling, "Fire on the Mountain!" and all the players shout, "Fire!" but remain on their backs. The leader continues to call, "Fire on the ....", changing the location with each call, and the players shout back "Fire!". At anytime and in any part of the sentence, the leader can call the key word and everyone jumps up. As children in Tanzania play it, the last person up is eliminated and the game continues until one winner is left, but you can simply have the last person up each time replace the leader.

Birds, Giants, Dwarfs (Greece)

The Brownies stand in a circle with one Brownie in the middle. She gives the orders: "Birds"; "Giants"; "Dwarfs"; or "Wicked Witch". When the order is "Birds" the Brownies pretend to fly. They walk tall for "Giants" and creep low for "Dwarfs". When the Brownie in the middle calls "Wicked Witch", all the Brownies run away to a place which has been chosen beforehand. The Brownie in the middle chases them, and the first one to be caught gives the orders next.

These three games are the way they play them in their countries. If you wish to make them more "politically correct" to suit your needs, feel free.