Childhood Games ~ Hares and Hounds

I was just sat here behind the computer, late last night, with a glass of wine, waiting for a friend to pop online,  when I got around to reminiscing about my long ago childhood. Well, it wasn't a recent thing this reminiscing, I've been reminiscing for years about all the ridiculous things I could do to get myself in trouble as a know-it-all kid. But last night’s reminiscing (I love that word for some reason) has been brought about by realising that I don’t quite have the energy levels as I did in my formative years (I tried sprinting after the dog earlier and thought I was going to friggin’ die).

So this got me thinking about some of the games I used to play as a kid (trust me, with the way my mind works that’s natural thought progression). So I'm going to bore you all with my favourite games, this could become a series so be well warned.

Most of these games, probably all, required a group of people to play them. So if you lived in your bedroom, played Commodore games and your only friend was Gordon who lived in your wardrobe, well then basically you were fucked and you don’t need to read any further (apologies to the friendless ones reading this, I’m not totally heartless).

Anyways, we’re going to start off by looking at a game known as hares and hounds (where I'm from that’s what we called it). It’s a simple game that requires a large and preferably urban area with lots of streets and side-streets to play in. To play the game you ideally need a minimum of eight people, preferably a lot bloody more, but anything less than eight and it isn't much fun, and is over far too quickly.

The rules - you and your friends split yourselves up into two teams, one known as hares, the other known as hounds. I know I'm stating the obvious there, but I can because I'm explaining this shit. Anyhow the hares are generally given a one minute head start, so they proceed to sprint off in all directions hoping to get as far away as they can before having a breather. Meanwhile the hounds stand around playing pocket pool and talking about how unfair life is that they have a curfew and how they won’t get into a strangers car if he’s offering sweeties. Finally, after much checking of cheap digital watches the minute is up.

A group of hounds preparing to hunt!

Now we’re into the exciting part of the game - the running around like idiots, the hares trying not to be caught, the hounds whooping and hollering and taunting their prey with childish insults. The biggest difference between the teams (other than hunter and hunted), is that the hares are all soloists, they’ll run about and hide and never have any help. The hounds on the other hand will often work as a team, luring their prey into cunningly disguised ambushes (chasing some kid right into another). When a hare is caught he isn't torn savagely limb from limb; that would cause the game to be classed as dangerous and possibly be outlawed. Hollywood would then probably make a movie of it, upgrading the kids to adults and casting Keanu Reeves into a heroic hare role. Instead the hare is transformed into a hound, via some sort of magic spell known only to children and cast with a touch of the hand. Once transformed, the new hound is accepted gratefully into the hive mind of the hounds, and joins their quest to capture his former friends.

A terrified hare fleeing the feral hounds!

Basically the game carries on in this vein until there’s only 1 hare left to hunt and he is then declared the winner. Of course they still have to hunt him down to tell him the good news and inform him that he’s won a Mars bar as a prize. Then after a few minutes rest the whole fucking thing begins again, with new teams. Kids have far too much energy.

There is a moral to this game and that is, don’t get bloody caught!

Here’s a word of advice - don’t ever play this game while on bikes; it can cause injuries up to and including broken limbs.