asks, "Avez vous des pommes?" (Have you any apples?) The marchande de poires answers, "Non; demandez-en au porter d'eau." (No; ask them of the water-bearer.) As soon as the water-bearer hears his name, he calls out, "A l'eau ! a l'eau!" (Water! Water!) The pear-merchant then asks, "Avez vous de l'eau d'Arcueil?' (Have you any water from

the fountain of Arcueil?) He answers, "Non: demandez-en au marchande de parapluies." (No; ask the umbrella-merchant for some.) The umbrella-merchant sings, "Parapluie! Parapluie!" The water-bearer then asks the umbrella-merchant, "Avez vous des parasols?" (Have you parasols?) The one addressed answers, Non; demandez-en à la marchande de cerises." (No; ask the cherry-merchant.) The cherry-mer

66

chant sings, "A la douce! cerises à la douce! quatre sous la livre" (Sweet cherries! four cents a pound.) The umbrellamerchant asks, "Avez vous des cerises noires?" (Have you black cherries?) She answers, "Non; demandez-en à la marchande de bouquets!" (No; ask them of the flower-merchant.) The flower-merchant hearing her name, begins to

"Avez vous des oeillets?

The cherry-merchant asks (Have you pinks?) She re

her, plies, "Non; demandez-en au marchand d'habits." (No; ask the old clothes man.) He begins to sing, "Vieux habits! vieux galons!" (Old clothes! old trimmings!) The flower. girl says, Avez vous des bonnets?" (Have you any caps?)

66

He answers, "Non; demandez-en a la marchande de maree.' (No; ask the fish-woman.) She, hearing her name, begins to sing, "Ah! qu'il est beau le marquereau!" (Ah! what beautiful mackerel !) The clothes man asks, "Avez vous des soles ?" (Have you any soles?) She says, "Non; demandezen au marchande de gateaux." (No; ask the cake-merchant.) She then begins her cry, 66 Ils brulent! ils sont tout chauds!" (They burn! they are all hot!) The fish-woman asks, "Avez vous des gateaux de Nanterre ?" (Have you any Nanterre cakes?) "Non; demandez-en a la marchande de pois." (No; ask the pea-merchant.)

These examples are sufficient to give an idea of the play. To make it more complicated, they often ask the same pedler for three or four different things, and he refers you to as many other pedlers. Any pedler who forgets to utter his cry when his name is mentioned, must pay a forfeit; and if you ask a pedler for anything not belonging to his trade, or ask for the same thing twice, you must pay a forfeit. The continual inotions and strange tones of the criers, afford much amusement. It is a good plan to commit a large number of cries to memory before beginning the game; such as "Pois 6cosses!" (Shelled peas!) "Mes gros cerneaux !" (My great walnuts!) "Des bon fromages!" (Good cheeses!) "En voulez vous de la salade?" (Will you buy some salad?) "Vieux chiffons!" (Old millinery!) "Les pommes de terrc!" (Potatoes!) The more there are engaged in the game, the merrier it is.

THE MUSICAL ORACLE, OR MAGIC MUSIC.

One of the company goes out of the room," and while she is absent, it is agreed what she shall be required to do when she comes back. The person at the piano begins to play as soon as she re-enters the room; and the music is more and more lively the nearer she approaches what she is destined to do, and as she moves away from it, the sounds become fainter and fainter. Thus, if it has been agreed that the absent person shall touch the right cheek of a certain individual in the room, the nearer she approaches that person, the louder and more rapid is the music; if she raises her finger, it is still more lively; but if she touches the left cheek, the sound instantly dies away.

If she cannot guess exactly what they wish her to do, she must pay a forfeit.

THE PUZZLE WORD.

One goes out of the room; and the others agree upon a word, which she is to find out by asking questions. "Does the thing you have named fly?" "Does it walk?" "Does it wing?" "Does it speak?" "Does it grow?" &c. If she cannot ascertain the word from the definitions given, she must pay a forfeit.

Those who make a mistake in this difficult game must have a paper horn twisted fantastically, and so placed in their hair that it will shake about at the least motion. Two mistakes receives two horns, three mistakes three horns, &c. When a large number of twisted papers are prepared, one begins the game by saying to the one who stands at her right hand, "Good morning, genteel lady, always genteel; I, a genteel lady, always genteel, come from that genteel lady, always genteel (here she points to the left), to tell you that she owns an eagle with a golden beak." The next one attempts to repeat the phrase, word for word, only adding, "an eagle with golden beak and silver claws." If she make the slightest mistake in repeating the sentence, she must have a paper horn put in her hair; and her next neighbour takes up the phrase thus, to the one on her right hand: "Good morning, genteel lady, always