SWANS AND CROWS GAME

A leader is chosen by reciting one Hare Krishna mantra. Then the other players from two teams of equal number. One team is called Swans and the other Crows. The game represents the swanlike devotees trying to bring the crow like men to Krishna consciousness, while the crow like men try to drag the swanlike devotees into material consciousness. Each team draws a goal line about one hundred feet (30m) from the other. Both teams line up behind their goal lines. The leader stands in the middle of the playing area to one side. When he calls “Start walking”, both Crows and Swans walk slowly towards him. The Swans chant Hare Krishna loudly while walking, but the Crows don’t. When they are quite close to him, he calls out “Crows!” or “Swans!” and whichever team he names starts to run for its goal line. The other team chases them and tries to tag as many players as possible before they are safe behind their own goal line. The tagged players join the opposing team. Both teams return to their goal lines, and the leader calls again. The game is won by the team that tags the most players after a fixed number of calls.