What Shall We Do Now? by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (unputdownable books .TXT) 📕

"There's the railway, of course," said Mr. Burly, "and there's the motor wagonette, and you've all got bicycles; but let's go to London in the old-fashioned way for once; let's go in the Family Coach." These words delighted everybody. "Oh, yes," they all cried, "let's go in the Family Coach." It was therefore arranged, and John the Coachman had orders to get everything ready. This was no light matter, for the Family Coach had not been used for many years, and it would need to be taken to the coachbuilder's at once and be overhauled. So the next morning it lumbered off, and it did not come back for a week; but when it did there was a change indeed. The wheels had been painted red, the axles had been tested, the springs renewed, the inside re-lined, the roof freshly upholstered, and the whole made bright and gay. At last the morning came, a clear, sunny day, and punctually at nine John rattled up to the door. The horses stood there pawing the ground, as if ready to gallop all the way. John had a new coat and hat, and Tim and Peter, the grooms, were also in new livery. Every one was ready. First came Mr. Burly in a wonderful great overcoat, and then Mrs. Burly in furs. Then Uncle Joshua, then Aunt Penelope, and then the three girls and two boys. How they all found room I don't know, but they did. "Are we all ready?" said Mr. Burly. "All ready," said Uncle Joshua. So Tim and Peter sprang away from the horses' heads, crack went the whip, round went the wheels, Uncle Joshua blew the horn, and the old Family Coach was fairly on its journey.

It was a splendid ride. John kept his horses going at a grand pace and hardly used the whip at all, the wheels ran smoothly over the road, and whenever we passed through a village Uncle Joshua blew the horn. We stopped at Thornminster for lunch. John brought us up to the inn door in style, and the landlord came out rubbing his hands and helped Mrs. Burly and Aunt Penelope down with a flourish. "Proud to see you, sir," he said to Mr. Burly. "It is seldom enough that folks travel nowadays in an old Family Coach. I wish there were more of them."

After lunch we went along in the same splendid way until suddenly round a corner came a donkey-cart with the donkey braying at the top of his voice. John pulled the horses well over to the side, but the braying was too much for them, and they rolled into the ditch. In a moment the old Family Coach was overturned. Mr. Burly was shot into the field across the hedge, Uncle Joshua, grasping the horn, landed in a pond, John and Aunt Penelope, Mrs. Burly and the grooms all stuck in the hedge. No one was hurt, but two of the wheels were broken to pieces and one axle was bent, and that was therefore the last of the old Family Coach. So we never got to London in the old way after all.

If this story is not long enough, it can be lengthened. The words in italics are those to be distributed among the company, each player taking more than one if necessary. When the accident comes they might all fall down as they are mentioned. In the case of the wheels and the horses, these may either be taken all four by one player, or eight players may share them. Thus, when the wheels are mentioned, all four players who have taken the wheels would stand up and turn round, and four others when the horses were alluded to.

"The Traveler" is a favorite variety of the "Family Coach." In this game a player with a ready tongue is chosen as traveler, and the others are given such names as landlord, bell-boy, clerk, waiter, chambermaid, electric light, elevator, bed, supper, paper, sitting-room, bedroom, steam-radiator, slippers, and so on. The traveler is then supposed to arrive and give his orders. "Can I have a room to-night? Good. And how soon will supper be ready? Ask the bell-boy to take my satchels up to my room. Show me to my room and send up the papers." And so on, each person named having to stand up or be booked for a forfeit.

This game lends itself to various new forms. One might be called "The Bicyclist" and run thus:—A player having been chosen as the bicyclist, the others take as many bicycling names (or two names each might add to the fun) as there are players. Thus—lamp, wick, oil, handle-bars, spokes, tires, chain, pump, nuts, bell, hedges, fields, sheep, roads, hill, dog. This settled, the bicyclist will begin his story, something in this style:—