"The wind blows east, the wind blows west, The wind blows under the cuckoo's nest. Where shall this or that one go? Shall he go east or shall he go west? Or shall he go under the cuckoo's nest?"
The player whose finger is indicated by the last word of the rhyme must then go to any place directed by the cuckoo, who, if he has any intimation of the identity of the player, may use considerable tact in choosing a difficult or interesting place; as on some high point to which it is difficult to climb, or under some low object under which it is hard to crawl, some distant place, etc. One player, however, must be directed to hide under the cuckoo's nest, and this player takes a position at the feet of the cuckoo. This is a favored position. When all of the players have been thus disposed, the leader calls, "Pom, pom, cooketty coo!" As soon as this call is heard, the players run back and pound the cuckoo on the back until the last one is in. This last one becomes the cuckoo for the next repetition of the game.
This game is played the same as Changing Seats, except that the pupils vault over the seats instead of sitting in them. The game may be played anywhere above the third year.
The teacher gives the order "Right, jump!" whereupon all of the pupils jump over their seats toward the right-hand side of the room. The row that is displaced, now standing in the right-hand aisle, runs at once around the room to the left-hand aisle. The teacher then repeats her command. The directions for the vaulting should be varied and unexpected, several being given to the right, then several to the left, etc.
The method of vaulting is to place one hand on the edge of the desk at the back of the seat to be vaulted over, and one hand on the desk that goes with the seat to be vaulted over. The hand should preferably be placed halfway between the two aisles, to assist both the jump and the landing. While placing the hands, pupils should crouch in a position ready to spring, with the heels raised, knees spread outward, and back straight and erect. They should land in the same position, as the bend of the ankle, knee, and hip joints breaks the jar of landing.
An objective line, fence, or wall is chosen, and from ten to twenty feet from it and parallel with it a starting line is drawn. The players stand behind this line and toe it. If there be a large number, they form in competitive files as for a relay race, the leaders of each division toeing the line. Each leader balances on the forefinger a gymnasium wand, the other hand being placed on the hip, and walks forward to the objective line, all starting at a given signal. Should the wand be dropped, it must be picked up and the effort resumed from the place where this happened.