One of the most popular children's games of the late 19th century was called "Peter Coddles and his trip to New York," or some variation of that title. The game's true origins have been lost but it is thought that it was first developed by McLoughlin Brothers in New York, though nearly every competitor produced one or more versions. Some, such as this version, called "Yankee Pedlar," bore completely different titles but followed the same method for play. The game consists of cards, usually small printed strips, with word groups printed which are nouns. In Yankee Peddler there are also profession cards, such as "Doctor," and the player assuming this role takes only the noun cards associated with the doctor. A leader reads the 'story' supplied with the game and when he/she encounters a blank, the first player he looks at supplies the words from the card drawn. The play advances around the table, with nonsensical humor increasing with each blank in the story. The addition of the profession cards in this version made it even more fun to play.
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