Hop-The-Chicken| Latet anguis in herba there's a snake in the grass Virgil, Eclogue, iii, 64. |
D Vautier
11-2013
When I first came to the Salesian Junior Seminary at Richmond, California in 1957 I was impressed by several of the evening games they used to play that not only were intensely competitive and fun but also tended to be unusual, imaginative and challenging. Seminarians were strongly advised to participate in the evening games; it was not really a choice--you played. The games occurred after meals when we had about 30 minutes free time after 6:30 PM before study hall. I have only seen these games played at the Salesian minor seminaries. I will try to describe several:
Hop-The-ChickenPerhaps the most well known and insidious of these Salesian games was hop-the-chicken. The play area consisted of a hot zone no more than about half the size of a basketball court with a safe zone to one side. Everybody was armed with the standard equipment, a "chicken rag" which was a white handkerchief with a knot in the middle and two small knots on either end for grip. More experience players, like the seniors, had customized chicken rags that were sewn in the middle and therefore offered more length and much more killing power. Chickens were the ones who were captured. They could strike free players anywhere except the face. When chicken time was called, chickens could only beat free players on the legs. So far confusing but here are the rules:
Someone was volunteered to be the first chicken.
The chicken went to the hot zone with his chicken rag. Chickens had to hop on one foot. Free players used both feet.
All free players had to move to the hot zone and avoid chickens.
A chicken attempted to hop after free players and strike a free player with his chicken rag.
When a free player was hit the word "chicken" was called out and the struck player became a chicken.
All chickens could use both feet and beat everybody back into the free zone with their chicken rags.
This process went on increasing the number of chickens until the last free player never had a chance and was captured.
It was fun and exciting but some kids had a hard time jumping around for a long time on one leg. I could do it forever. I was a good chicken hopper.
Soon after I remarried in 1989 I challenged my wife to a one foot jumping contest. She was a world class hop scotch expert and never dreamed that I could possibly beat her. I did but it was so painful because she was so good at hoping. But after all, I played hop-the-chicken at Richmond.
I remember long flag so well. In fact I used to bug Bro. Jerry all the time to play it after dinner. The game was played on the full football field which was split lengthwise with a cone or marker. A player went out to the opposite goal line with two flags, one for each team. The idea was to get your flag back safely without being touched. Here's how it worked:
Two teams were chosen up each with a captain.
They take turns charging up to the line sending a runner out for their flag. The flag carrier had to stop when tagged.
The team huddles, selects their runner and a strategy.
You could have a fake runner or two, as long as the runner got back before being tagged. Another could go out.
The other team runners had to tag up again if you went after the fake runner or before the real runner came out.
The real runner would take the flag or free the flag carrier who had to try to get back home before being tagged.
First team to get their flag back won.
I know this game sounds complicated but after one or two times it all makes perfect sense. Quite a beautiful game, combining elements of strategy, strength, deception, sportsmanship and class.
A good deception was that one team charged up to the line in two or three waves, just to pull fast runners from the other team off side so that they had to retag. But the fast runners on the other side would wait and go with each succeeding wave so they always had one fast guy out that would not have to go back and tag up again. There was also a sweeper, a guy who would head straight parallel to the line and catch any false runner on the other team who could not get back.
Once I was selected to go in the third wave. Just as I shot out, the sweeper, (John Gibson) who had gone for the second wave, collided with me and actually knocked me out. I staggered around for half an hour or so. Still a Great game.
A more traditional game was dodge ball. It gets really fun when you use 2 or 3 balls. You can catch the ball but if hit you have to go out. Last one still free wins and becomes the first thrower for the next game.
This was not the sissy wimpy red rover you learn in grade school. This was serious business. Usually done on a football field, Red Rover meant everybody had to run across the field to the other goal zone. You start out with one rover. The rover tagged somebody who then became another rover. Last one tagged won (sort of) and got to be rover for the next game.