Acting and Dramatic Games Under The Cuckoos Nest
( Acting and Dramatic, Choreographed, Hide and Seek, Leapfrog, Running, Singing and Song )One player is chosen as leader and stands up generally with his back against a wall or post while a second player who is the cuckoo bends down as for leapfrog with his head against the leader. The other players stand around in a circle each placing a finger on the back of the cuckoo. The leader then “counts off” the fingers of the players with the following rhyme indicating a finger for each accent of the rhyme —
“The wind blows east the wind blows west
The wind blows under the cuckoos nest.
Where shall this or that one go
Shall he go east or shall he go west
Or shall he go under the cuckoos nest ”
The player whose finger is indicated by the last word of the rhyme must then go to any place directed by the cuckoo who if he has any intimation of the identity of the player may use considerable tact in choosing a difficult or interesting place as on some high point to which it is difficult to climb or under some low object under which it is hard to crawl some distant place etc. One player however must be directed to hide under the cuckoos nest and this player takes a position at the feet of the cuckoo. This is a favored position. When all of the players have been thus disposed the leader calls “Pom pom cooketty coo ” As soon as this call is heard the players run back and pound the cuckoo on the back until the last one is in. This last one becomes the cuckoo for the next repetition of the game.