whole world of wonder in which to play. If they had few ready-made
amusements and
little planned play, they
quickly became skilled at inventing
their own fun, and
in a world of freedom, where
there were few "don'ts," they
became self-reliant.
Wild creatures formed part of a child's fun. Sometimes the lonely ranch child
would have a live pet, though this usually did not work out for long. Sometimes
a
clever boy would capture a prairie dog, but that required patience.
Youngsters used to
catch toads and tie a string to them. And there were
prairie chickens and rabbits to
chase, even if one rarely caught them by hand.
Ranch children could have a free rodeo anytime they wandered to the corral.
With calves to brand and young horses to rope, saddle, and ride for the first
time,
something was always going on.
There were swimming holes and creeks to fish in. One technique for fishing
without a pole was to stir up the water with your hands until the fish were
scared
into jumping into the frog holes in the bank. Then one simply reached
into the
hole and pulled out the fish, hoping all the while that there were no
water moccasin
snakes in there with it.
Youngsters did play some of the same games their cousins were playing
back
east—statue, for example, in which one person swings another very fast
by the hand
and then lets go. The one who has been swung reels a few paces,
then freezes into
some strange position, the funnier the better. Even
hide-and-seek and jump rope
took on a difference when played in the great
outdoors of the West.
For the days or months when weather forced children indoors there were
homemade
toys. Children also played cards, checkers, and dominoes. Small
children
played with cornhusk dolls or hand-carved toys. A popular toy was a
jointed wooden
bear that could, when properly handled, climb a rope.
Best of all, on long winter nights, was storytelling. This was the era of Indian
battles, and during most of the years of settlement in the West, the Civil War
was a
very real and recent memory to people still living. Youngsters would sit
on the knee
of a parent or grandparent and hear tales of battles won and lost.
For those youngsters whose families lived close enough to a town, a
Saturday
trip there was the highlight of the week. Sometimes there were
variety shows in
town. For a few precious pennies, a youngster might see a
sword swallower or a magician,
a snake charmer or a juggler. Those same
pennies might buy a peppermint or
licorice stick.
From holidays to ordinary everyday delights, the Old West was a place of
fun
and amazement. There was never any complaint of: "But there's nothing
to do!"
