04 January 2012

Marpheo

From December 2005.

"It is interesting to watch children play, to see the games they devise. One of these days I will comment on the games I watched the children playing in Africa, but today I would like to comment on one of the games we played as children. It was called Marpheo. If I remember the rules properly, when someone belched or passed gas, everyone had to put their thumb to their nose and with their wigging fingers extended they would yell marpheo. Oh yes, I forget, you also had to stand on your chair to perform the ritual. The last person to yell marpheo had to 'eat it'. I recall a particular day this game was played (it was likely the last). The family was sitting together in church, during the sacrament, when someone on a neighboring row passed gas. Steven quickly jumped up on the seat of the pew, put his thumb to his nose and yelled marpheo amidst silent solemnity. To this day Steve still denies that the event ever took place."