The players who know how to play this game stay in one room, while the others go into the hall, or another room. Those knowing the trick sit down in chairs which have been arranged in two rows, with an aisle between.

The leader calls one in from the other room and explains to him that there is a whistle in the room, and as he hears it blown he must find it. He can make a long speech about the whistle so as to interest the player, because someone is then pinning the whistle, (which is on the end of a string) to the player's coat.

Both the leader and player stand at one end of the room, between the two rows of chairs. When the leader says "go," the player starts on his hunt. The rest of the players pretend they have the whistle, and blow it whenever it chances to pass their way. Thus the player is kept going from side to side until finally someone happens to pull the string and he feels it and discovers the whistle on his own coat. He then takes his place with the rest in the row and another one is called in and goes through the same hunt. Thus it continues until all the players know the game.