Let Them In

The Blue-Stocking Game

When I was a little girl, there was a game my girlfriends and I used to play at our sleepovers. We called them "slumber parties," which might be a word your mother uses but probably not you! On those long, boring nights when the curfew was up, we would get so sick of staying inside. In those days we didn't have EveryGirl Magazine for fun activities and crafts like Perfect Plaits Hairstyles and Wacky Animal Stationery to keep us busy when the moon was full! Instead, we played games like Blind Man's Bluff, Truth-or-Lie, and of course, guessing which of the boys each of us liked. But when we grew tired of all that, there was one other game we loved to play. It was called "The Blue-Stocking Game."

The Blue-Stocking Game was probably a little like games that you yourself have heard about: games like Mirror, Mirror or Mary-Behind-You!. There's a few steps you need to follow, and if you're lucky, you may learn something cool about yourself by the end.

To start, you're going to need two friends to play this game with. If there are other people at your sleepover, they can follow along and watch, but they can't play. You're going to need a dark room and a mirror, two flashlights, and a bandanna or handkerchief you can use as a blindfold. Don't worry – this game is perfectly safe! If you can believe it, back when I played this game, my friends and I actually used lit candles instead of flashlights! The times were very different back then. In order to be safe, though, you should use flashlights instead – it's much cooler not to risk burns or fire. I promise, the game will still work if you do!

You'll also need a big, empty house you can walk around in without disturbing anyone. Make sure you ask your parents for permission first, if they're around: you don't want to get in trouble or bother anyone.

You're going to want to start the game at just before ten o'clock at night. First, turn off all the lights in the house. The Blue-Stocking Girl won't show if there aren't shadows for her to hide in. Then, everyone who is playing or watching should gather in the dark room in front of the mirror, and just before the clock strikes ten, you should all say this rhyme:

"Elizabeth, Ellie, Jean and Jen,
Show me a secret when the clock strikes ten."

When the clock strikes ten o'clock, your two friends should tie the blindfold around the eyes of the girl in the center – this can be you, if you're playing. They will then turn on their flashlights.

Now, you're going to concentrate. If you did everything right, and you're in the right kind of mood, you might start seeing shapes and shadows form in front of your eyes. Wherever these inspire you to go, you should follow. Walk slowly and carefully with your hands out – you don't want to fall or hurt yourself! The two people with the flashlights will be there to guide you as well, and make sure you know if there are obstacles ahead of you. For this reason also, it's important you don't go too fast. Don't lose your friends! Their job is to help you.

Now, you're going to keep following the shapes until you've either walked through the whole house (which your friends should tell you when you do), or until you see the Blue-Stocking Girl. You'll know when you see her. If you do, you should tell your friends, and they will remove the blindfold. Where you stop in the house will allow you to learn the secret the Blue-Stocking Girl was trying to tell you! I've listed these all below, and you'll want to keep the list with you – unless you can remember them all!

Once you learn your secret, you will wait until 11. Feel free to play other games in the mean time, and turn on the lights: the game doesn't start again until right before eleven o'clock. Now it's time for one of your two guides to be the blind girl, and you to be one of the guides. Stand to the left or right of the girl in the middle, and keep your flashlight off. Just before the clock strikes eleven, you're going to say this rhyme:

"Jacob, Jeffrey, Samson and Stephen,
Show me my future when the clock strikes eleven."

Now, you're going to go through the same steps as before: the blind girl will lead you around the darkened house, and stop when she sees the Blue-Stocking Girl. Based on where she stops in the house, that will signal what her future is.

Finally, you're going to wait until just before midnight. The girl in the middle is going to switch again, and now it will be the chance for the third girl to be the blind girl. Just before the clock strikes midnight, you are all going to say this rhyme:

"Hope, Honour, Delilah and Delight,
Show me my death when the clock strikes midnight."

Once again, you're going to repeat the same steps as before, and where the blind girl stops will reveal her death. Below is a list of what each stopping point means for your secret, future, or death:

If the blind girl stops beside a bed:
Secret: Your dreams will tell you answers if you listen.
Future: You will marry someone handsome.
Death: You will die in your sleep.

If she stops beside a mirror:
Secret: You have the ability to solve the problems in your life, because you are the cause of them.
Future: You will grow up to be very beautiful, more beautiful than any of your friends.
Death: Someone close to you will betray you.

If she stops on the stairs:
Secret: If she stops one-fourth of the way up: The boy you like likes you back. Talk to him!
If she stop three-fourths of the way up: The boy you like does not like you back. Stay away from him. Do not talk to him ever again.
Future: Be wary of people who promise great gifts for no reason.
Death: Your greed will be the end of you.

If she stops in the cellar:
Secret: You buried something when you were very young. If you dig it up, you will learn something important.
Future: Times will be lean soon. Save food, money, and clothing for when the going gets hard.
Death: A long fall will be your end.

If she stops in or by a closet:
Secret: Ask the person to your right what she has been hiding from you. What she tells you will be your secret.
Future: You and the person to your left will remain friends all your life.
Death: By your own right hand will you perish.

If she stops by a window:
Secret: If there is someone missing in your life, they are dead and will not return.
Future: When tempted, you will find your will is weak.
Death: You will die young and feared.

If she stops in the kitchen:
Secret: Something terrible happened to your family before you were born.
Future: You will try to find out what it is.
Death: You will succeed in finding out what it is.

If you play the game correctly, you can learn a lot about your life! Sometimes you might get a fortune or secret that you don't really like. If that's the case, it's okay to remember: It's just a game, and it can't hurt you.

There's also some important things to remember: Sometimes, it may look like the shadows are leading you some place you shouldn't go, like outside. Other times, the blind girl may think she sees the Blue-Stocking Girl somewhere wrong, like outside of a window. This is wrong. If curfew is in effect, you are not allowed outside, and you will get in a lot of trouble. If the blind girl thinks she sees the Blue-Stocking Girl outside, you should not open the blinds and definitely not open the windows. Instead, you should turn on the lights, check the locks, and play a different game. Remember: the curfew is there for a good reason: to keep you safe!

Most importantly, though, you should remember to be kind to your friends, stay safe, and to have a good time! Games like these are a good way to spend the long, nighttime hours, and there's a lot of fun to be had by playing.

For more sleepover tips, turn to page 12 to learn how to make Frosted Cake Pops, or to page 14 to take a quiz that will tell you what your perfect sleepover theme is!