August 7. Story of the Day: Timbuctoo

This is a chain-game, rather than a story, and it comes from Games, Riddles, and Rhymes by A. L. Hately.

These types of games do not have an ATU tale type, but you can see that they follow the cumulative pattern. For a similar type of memory game, with information about the kinds of "forfeits" people might demand, see The Gaping, Wide-mouthed, Waddling Frog.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

THE CITY OF TIMBUCTOO 

(caravan en route to Timbuktu)

All the players arrange themselves in a row seated except one who represents a Traveller from the great African city of Timbuctoo and, taking a stick in his hand, goes from player to player saying the following words. These must be accurately repeated by each person. Whoever laughs while repeating them or makes a mistake pays a forfeit.

The Traveller begins with the first player. He says In the city of Timbuctoo.

The first person in the row repeats these words and the Traveller then goes to the second the third the fourth and so on until everybody has had his or her turn.

He then begins at the head of the row again: In the city of Timbuctoo I saw a street.

The third time he says: In the city of Timbuctoo I saw a street and in that street I saw a house. These words have to be repeated by every player in the same manner as before and forfeits are to be strictly exacted.

The game may be continued as long as the Traveller chooses and of course with each addition to the sentence he makes up, it gets more difficult as the players forget the proper words.

Perhaps the following sentence will be found long enough:

In the city of Timbuctoo.

In the city of Timbuctoo I saw a street.

In the city of Timbuctoo I saw a street and in that street I saw a house.

In the city of Timbuctoo I saw a street and in that street I saw a house and in that house I saw a chamber.

In the city of Timbuctoo I saw a street and in that street I saw a house and in that house I saw a chamber and in that chamber I saw a gold and silver bird cage.

In the city of Timbuctoo I saw a street and in that street I saw a house and in that house I saw a chamber and in that chamber I saw a gold and silver bird cage and in that gold and silver birdcage I saw a magnificent purple and yellow Bengal cockatoo.

In the city of Timbuctoo I saw a street and in that street I saw a house and in that house I saw a chamber and in that chamber I saw a gold and silver bird cage and in that gold and silver birdcage I saw a magnificent purple and yellow Bengal cockatoo and in the beak of that magnificent purple and yellow Bengal cockatoo I saw a ring made of emeralds, pearls, diamonds, and rubies.