Kings and Queens
One unusual feature was the ritual which began the game. We are stood in acircle and the facilitator closed his eyes and dropped the ball on someone'sshoe and that person was IT right then and there. IT could throw the tennis balldirectly at any one at any time, and if the second person was hit on any part ofthe body except the fists, that second person was automatically then part ofIT's team. The IT folks could of course pick up the ball with bare hands andthen run with the ball or toss to each other in order to position to get moreITs.
Another unusual feature of the game was the way in which the ball could belegally carried by non-ITs between ones fisted hands and also "batted"around to any part of the field with a fisted hand. Non-ITs sometimes displayedexcellent form in keeping the ball away for the ITs by batting it to each otherquite deftly. Touching the ball with an open hand put you on IT side but no onewas ever really "out" in the sense of just sitting around......it wasjust a superior game which continued until the second last person was hit. Thevery last non-IT person surviving was then hauled up on mates' shoulders andduly celebrated as either the "King" or "Queen."
There is no way to really appreciate this game without actually playing itand I remember large numbers of both girls and boys coming out of nowhere toplay this game.
Contributed by Rabbi Monty from South Africa
