MOTHER'S SONG GAME

I have written previously about my mother's "SONG GAME" (CLICK HERE to see "MY BROTHER BODE" blog article) and recently I told a new group of acquaintances about the game and they said they would like to play.

GLADYS' SONG GAME RULES:

ANY NUMBER CAN PLAY
PRIOR TO THE START OF THE GAME, THE CONTESTANTS WILL AGREE ON THE NUMBER OF POINTS TO BE DECLARED A WINNER.
A SCOREKEEPER WILL BE CHOSEN.

FIRST PLAYER: chosen by coin toss or someone volunteering to start and the SECOND PLAYER is the one who yells out "I KNOW!".

FIRST PLAYER: begins by starting to sing a song and then stops on a word.

The SECOND PLAYER has two options:

SECOND PLAYER: must be able to sing a different song using that same word the first player ended with. The SECOND PLAYER receives a point!

The SECOND PLAYER can also challenge the FIRST PLAYER because the FIRST PLAYER must also be prepared to sing a different song using the word he/she chose. IF the FIRST PLAYER does not have a song, he is penalized a point and the SECOND PLAYER receives two points. IF the FIRST PLAYER is challenged and does have a song ready, he receives two points!

If there's a CHALLENGE it must be entered before the SECOND PLAYER begins his/her song.

THE SECOND PLAYER must have a song ready even if he/she challenges. IF the SECOND PLAYER would not have a song ready, he/she would be penalized a point and would lose his/her turn.

THE SECOND PLAYER then begins to sing a new song and stops on a word.

FOR EXAMPLE, on a current game with the new acquaintances: The FIRST PLAYER started with "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" and I was the SECOND PLAYER and I came back with "Doo dah, doo dah, Camptown Racetrack's 5 miles long, oh, the doo dah day." I received ONE point. IF I had challenged, which I would normally have done, and the FIRST PLAYER did not have a song ready, I would have received TWO points. (See my generosity by stopping on the word "day"? I'm only generous with novices!)

Mother's rules were VERY strict. With her rules, I would have had to have started with a song starting with "DAH", rather than the DOO DAH, but with our relaxed rules, one can start anywhere within the lyrics of a song.

In relating the story to my brother, he guffawed at my claimed "generosity" and said, "Yeah, if you'd been playing with me, you would have stopped on "gwan", "bobtail" or "nag". Now, that's funny: "gwan ta run all night, gwan to run all day, bet my money on a bob-tail nag". I said, "No, I would have been generous with you; I would have stopped on somebody bet on the BAY!"

My brother and I play the game frequently; usually Gerald just shrugs and avoids us. I don't know why I have the reputation of being competitive!