Forfeits are used in many games as a penalty for failure and may be an occasion for much merriment. The usual method of collecting and disposing of the forfeits is for each player when he fails to deposit with some one person designated for the purpose some article which shall serve to identify him when the penalties are assigned. This may be a ring some small article from the pocket a bonbon a pebble or flower a bit of ribbon or other ornament of dress.

When the game is over the forfeits are redeemed. For this purpose one player is chosen as the judge who is seated. Behind him stands a player who takes one article at a time from the pile of collected forfeits holds it over the head of the judge so that he may not see it and says “Heavy heavy hangs over thy head.”

The judge then asks “Fine or superfine ” (meaning boy or girl )

The holder answers “Fine ” if a boy and “Superfine ” if a girl and adds “What must the owner do to redeem it ”

The judge then pronounces sentence. Part of the sport of this imposing of penalties for forfeits is the ignorance of the judge as to who is the owner of the forfeit.

The following penalties are appropriate for the paying of forfeits and many of the feats previously described are also suitable.

The practice of forfeits is prehistoric and is thought to have originated in the custom of paying ransom for immunity from punishment for crimes. As used in games of later years the main object has been to make the offender ridiculous.