Hunt the thimble (also known as hide the thimble or hide the handkerchief in both the US and the UK) is a party game in which one person hides a thimble, or other small object, somewhere in the room, while all other players wait outside. (In some versions of the game, it must be hidden in plain sight.) When everyone comes back in, they race to locate the hidden object.[1] The first to find it is the winner, and hides it for the next game.[2]
A thimble
Huckle buckle beanstalk (or Huckleberry bean stalk) is a similar childhood game which can be played with two or more players, one being the hider, or the person who is "it," and the other person or persons being seekers.
The game has also been known as hot buttered beans in the US since at least 1830,[3] and other names for it include hide the object and hide the key. William Wells Newell described a version called thimble in sight in his 1883 Games and Songs of American Children. The game is known in various European countries.[4]
In some versions of the game, the hider tell the searchers what "temperature" they are based on proximity to the hidden object—the closer they get, the hotter they are; thus, the farther they are from the object, the colder they are.[2]
Other variations involve only one person leaving the room and everybody else hiding the object.[2] In Singing Hunt the Thimble, the hiders sing louder when the searcher is close to the object and softer when they are farther away.[2]
Similar games exist in Germany (Topfschlagen, in which a blindfolded player must find a pot guided by calls of hot or cold [5]); in Poland (Ciepło-zimno) and in Russia (Kholodno-goryacho, both meaning Hot & Cold). In the Polish and Russian version a player is guided to find a hidden object by calls of cold, colder, warm, hot, boiling; blindfold is not used. The game exists also in Spanish speaking countries, where it is called La candelita (The Little Fire) or something similar.
The seekers must cover their eyes and ears or leave the designated game area while the hider hides a small, pre-selected object. When the hider says to come and find it, or after the seekers have counted to a specific number, usually sixty or one-hundred, the seekers come out and attempt to be the first to find the object. When a seeker has the object in hand, he can alert the other players of his success by yelling "Huckle Buckle Beanstalk!"
Brian Sutton-Smith and other writers put this in a category of "central person" games which give one individual child a central role. The set-up can be reversed with that role given to a single seeker, while all the other players try to keep an object hidden from the odd-one-out, either by sending him out of the room while hiding it, or by passing it round behind their backs. This is a common way of organising 'Hide the Key' or 'Hunt the Slipper'.
Variations
A variation of the game has the person who finds the object, continue by pretending to look for the object and then call out "Huckle Buckle Bean Stalk" to draw the other seekers attention away from the objects location. As the other seekers find the object, they perform the same deception until all the seekers have found the object. The winners take pride in how quickly they find the object and how much time passes between them and the next player who calls out "Huckle Buckle Bean Stalk"[citation needed].
History
Games played like this, sometimes with children forming a circle round the seeker, sometimes with one child blindfolded, pre-date Victorian parlour games. In 1838 Hunt the Slipper, played as a single-seeker circle game, was said by one writer to be "nearly out of fashion" in Southern England.[6] In 1766 Oliver Goldsmith described it being played in The Vicar of Wakefield, calling it a "primaeval pastime".[7]
Both one-seeker and one-hider approaches have been associated with Hot Boiled Beans. A seeker may be called to enter the room and look for something hidden with, "Hot boiled beans and butter; walk in and find your supper!" This can be traced back to at least the mid-19th century.[8] Several similar rhymes from different parts of England were recorded by 19th century folkloristAlice Gomme. They were sung or recited in games with one or more hiders: for example, "Little pigs come to supper/Hot boiled beans and ready butter." Other names were 'Hot Broad Beans' and 'Hot Beans and Butter.' In the US, the variations 'Hot Beans and Butter' and 'Hot Peas and Butter' require that the hidden item be a belt, which is placed in a secret location by a single hider. The other players are seekers. The first seeker to locate the belt can then attempt to whip the other players with it as they run for the safety of a designated home base.[9]
A modern and more adult variation of Huckle Buckle Beanstalk is Geocaching.
Playing with Hot or Cold
Often, especially when there is only one seeker, the game is played using "hot or cold," where the hider informs the seeker how near he is to the object, telling him he is cold when he is far from the object (or freezing or if he is extremely far off), and hot when he is extremely close to the object. If the seeker is moving farther from the object, he is told he is getting colder, and if the seeker is moving closer to the object, he is told he is getting warmer.
" . . . like the children in the game of hot boiled beans and very good butter, he was warm in his search when he saw the Tower, and cold when he didn't see it. "
In the season 4 episode of Full House titled "Ol' Brown Eyes," Michelle plays this game with Joey using Becky's engagement ring.
The game is also referenced in Planetfall where one of Floyd's behaviors mentions "Hucka-Bucka Beanstalk".
References
^Family Fun & Games. Sterling Publishing Company. 1994. p. 246. ISBN9780806987774.
^ abcdWelsch, Roger L. (1984). A Treasury of Nebraska Pioneer Folklore. U of Nebraska Press. pp. 300. ISBN9780803297074.
^Halsey refers to Eliza Leslie’s American Girls’ Book (1831)
Alice Gomme, The Traditional Games of England, Scotland and Ireland (1894), republished by Thames & Hudson 1984
Rosalie V. Halsey, Forgotten Books of the American Nursery (1911)
Lydia Maria Child , The Girl's Own Book (1856)
B. Sutton-Smith; B. G. Rosenberg, Sixty Years of Historical Change in the Game Preferences of American Children in The Journal of American Folklore Vol. 74, No. 291 (Jan., 1961), pp. 17–46
. North Seattle Community College, Early Childhood Education Web Site. North Seattle Community College. Archived from the original on 2006-12-09. Retrieved 2007-01-02.
hunt, thimble, also, known, hide, thimble, hide, handkerchief, both, party, game, which, person, hides, thimble, other, small, object, somewhere, room, while, other, players, wait, outside, some, versions, game, must, hidden, plain, sight, when, everyone, come. Hunt the thimble also known as hide the thimble or hide the handkerchief in both the US and the UK is a party game in which one person hides a thimble or other small object somewhere in the room while all other players wait outside In some versions of the game it must be hidden in plain sight When everyone comes back in they race to locate the hidden object 1 The first to find it is the winner and hides it for the next game 2 A thimble Huckle buckle beanstalk or Huckleberry bean stalk is a similar childhood game which can be played with two or more players one being the hider or the person who is it and the other person or persons being seekers The game has also been known as hot buttered beans in the US since at least 1830 3 and other names for it include hide the object and hide the key William Wells Newell described a version called thimble in sight in his 1883 Games and Songs of American Children The game is known in various European countries 4 In some versions of the game the hider tell the searchers what temperature they are based on proximity to the hidden object the closer they get the hotter they are thus the farther they are from the object the colder they are 2 Other variations involve only one person leaving the room and everybody else hiding the object 2 In Singing Hunt the Thimble the hiders sing louder when the searcher is close to the object and softer when they are farther away 2 Similar games exist in Germany Topfschlagen in which a blindfolded player must find a pot guided by calls of hot or cold 5 in Poland Cieplo zimno and in Russia Kholodno goryacho both meaning Hot amp Cold In the Polish and Russian version a player is guided to find a hidden object by calls of cold colder warm hot boiling blindfold is not used The game exists also in Spanish speaking countries where it is called La candelita The Little Fire or something similar Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Variations 3 History 4 Playing with Hot or Cold 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External linksGameplay EditThe seekers must cover their eyes and ears or leave the designated game area while the hider hides a small pre selected object When the hider says to come and find it or after the seekers have counted to a specific number usually sixty or one hundred the seekers come out and attempt to be the first to find the object When a seeker has the object in hand he can alert the other players of his success by yelling Huckle Buckle Beanstalk Brian Sutton Smith and other writers put this in a category of central person games which give one individual child a central role The set up can be reversed with that role given to a single seeker while all the other players try to keep an object hidden from the odd one out either by sending him out of the room while hiding it or by passing it round behind their backs This is a common way of organising Hide the Key or Hunt the Slipper Variations EditA variation of the game has the person who finds the object continue by pretending to look for the object and then call out Huckle Buckle Bean Stalk to draw the other seekers attention away from the objects location As the other seekers find the object they perform the same deception until all the seekers have found the object The winners take pride in how quickly they find the object and how much time passes between them and the next player who calls out Huckle Buckle Bean Stalk citation needed History EditGames played like this sometimes with children forming a circle round the seeker sometimes with one child blindfolded pre date Victorian parlour games In 1838 Hunt the Slipper played as a single seeker circle game was said by one writer to be nearly out of fashion in Southern England 6 In 1766 Oliver Goldsmith described it being played in The Vicar of Wakefield calling it a primaeval pastime 7 Both one seeker and one hider approaches have been associated with Hot Boiled Beans A seeker may be called to enter the room and look for something hidden with Hot boiled beans and butter walk in and find your supper This can be traced back to at least the mid 19th century 8 Several similar rhymes from different parts of England were recorded by 19th century folklorist Alice Gomme They were sung or recited in games with one or more hiders for example Little pigs come to supper Hot boiled beans and ready butter Other names were Hot Broad Beans and Hot Beans and Butter In the US the variations Hot Beans and Butter and Hot Peas and Butter require that the hidden item be a belt which is placed in a secret location by a single hider The other players are seekers The first seeker to locate the belt can then attempt to whip the other players with it as they run for the safety of a designated home base 9 A modern and more adult variation of Huckle Buckle Beanstalk is Geocaching Playing with Hot or Cold EditOften especially when there is only one seeker the game is played using hot or cold where the hider informs the seeker how near he is to the object telling him he is cold when he is far from the object or freezing or if he is extremely far off and hot when he is extremely close to the object If the seeker is moving farther from the object he is told he is getting colder and if the seeker is moving closer to the object he is told he is getting warmer Charles Dickens refers to this in Edwin Drood like the children in the game of hot boiled beans and very good butter he was warm in his search when he saw the Tower and cold when he didn t see it In the season 4 episode of Full House titled Ol Brown Eyes Michelle plays this game with Joey using Becky s engagement ring The game is also referenced in Planetfall where one of Floyd s behaviors mentions Hucka Bucka Beanstalk References Edit Family Fun amp Games Sterling Publishing Company 1994 p 246 ISBN 9780806987774 a b c d Welsch Roger L 1984 A Treasury of Nebraska Pioneer Folklore U of Nebraska Press pp 300 ISBN 9780803297074 Halsey refers to Eliza Leslie s American Girls Book 1831 For example as cache tampon in France de Topfschlagen William Holloway Dictionary of Provincialisms 1838 quoted by Alice Gomme Vicar of WakefieldChap 11 Archived from the original on 2006 09 13 Retrieved 2007 01 03 Games and Sports for Young Boys Routledge 1859 Nick Saban talks faith helps dedicate Saban Student Center 10 September 2016 Bibliography EditAlice Gomme The Traditional Games of England Scotland and Ireland 1894 republished by Thames amp Hudson 1984 Rosalie V Halsey Forgotten Books of the American Nursery 1911 Lydia Maria Child The Girl s Own Book 1856 B Sutton Smith B G Rosenberg Sixty Years of Historical Change in the Game Preferences of American Children in The Journal of American Folklore Vol 74 No 291 Jan 1961 pp 17 46External links Edit Huckle Buckle Beanstalk Ultimate Camp Resource Ultimate Camp Resource Retrieved 2007 01 02 Physical Games for Cooperative Play North Seattle Community College Early Childhood Education Web Site North Seattle Community College Archived from the original on 2006 12 09 Retrieved 2007 01 02 Parent Center Activity Planner Huckle Buckle Beanstalk Parent Center BabyCenter LLC Retrieved 2007 01 02 Alice Gomme Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hunt the thimble amp oldid 1111698634, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
