A barn with a captivating hay-loft, a stout ladder with a vine thickly twined around it, some croquet-balls, four Indian clubs, a pointer, and a supply of apples, oranges, and small bags of nuts or cracker-jack, are all that you will need—except the Juniors, who are most necessary of all.

“Climbing the bean-stalk” consists of going up the ladder to the giant’s castle,—the very same castle, in imagination, explored by the immortal Jack,—and finding and taking possession of the treasures. This means a hunt in the hay for the apples and other things previously hidden there. The pointer, croquet-balls, and Indian clubs may be tucked in to add variety to the store.

After the treasures are all discovered and safely brought down the bean-stalk, the Juniors will enjoy a game of “croquet-bowling.” A sufficient space should be cleared on the barn floor, and the four Indian clubs should be set up at one end as pins, three in a row behind the king-pin. The bowling is then done with the croquet-balls.

The party may conclude with an impromptu “freak show,” using the hay-loft as a pedestal from which to display the “freaks.” This is where your pointer comes in. The amount of fun to be had from a “freak show” can be best understood if I give you the description of Vincent Van M. Beede’s, in his own words, only remarking that the barn adds to the general hilarity, and that one of the Indian clubs would do very well instead of the suggested andiron.

“One rainy morning last summer the children and I had great fun getting up a freak show. As we had not thought out beforehand what we were going to do, things were all the funnier. Little Marvyn, seven years old, stood on a table and chose to be Pullaway, the Boy with the Rubber Skin.

“I was asked to be lecturer, so with a pointer in my hand I explained as glibly as I could how marvellous a boy this was. Why, he could stretch out the skin of his cheeks two feet, and then let it snap back again! (Pullaway now showed his power.) Martin, a handsome fellow of twelve, was Stickeminus, the Human Pincushion. I showed the (imaginary) audience that pins had no effect on the feelings of this wonder. ‘I will stick a pin into his arm this very minute,’ I said. Strange to say, the Human Pincushion squealed! Fritz, thirteen years old, who has a beautiful physique, was Lomposo Musculario, the Strong Man. ‘See him lift that mighty andiron,’ I remarked. ‘It weighs 555¹/₅ pounds.’ Lomposo puffed and groaned under his heavy burden. Essie wanted to be the Fat Lady; I suppose because as a matter of fact she is very slender. It was surprising how much she succeeded in blowing out her cheeks. Madeleine, Champion Pie-Eater of the World, gobbled up anywhere from fifty to seventy-five (imaginary) mince pies, and Jolliby, as Burroo, the One Armed Wild Man of Borneo, seized my arm in his teeth while I was telling what a dangerous creature he was. The other freaks set up a chorus of alarm, and I do not know what would have become of me if Winkles, who was the Very Wildest Man, had not grappled in deadly combat with Burroo; and, if Madeleine had not offered them her best (imaginary) pies, they would, I fear, have devoured each other on the spot.”