Here’s the skinny on how to play “Happy Families.” The deck is composed of a series of families, and four members of each family like the suits in a deck of standard cards. Using this strip’s example, the four members of this “family” are Mister Bun, the Baker; Mrs. Bun, the Baker’s Wife; Master Bun, the Baker’s son; and Miss (or Mistress, depending on the deck) Bun, the Baker’s daughter.
Game play is essentially the same as “go fish,” except you don’t ask for “any _’s,” you have to specifically ask for the card you’re looking for. You also don’t (at least the way I was taught) asked “do you have Mr. Bun, the Baker?” you ask “is Mr. Bun, the Baker, at home?” If he is (i.e.: in the other player’s hand), then he “can come over” (into your hand).
The joke is, basically, that she’s playing “Happy Families” at a casino, and lost her entire bank because Mr. Bun “wasn’t at home.”
The man who invented “Happy Families” is also responsible for Ludo and Snakes and Ladders. The original Happy Families deck was illustrated with very grotesque figures by John Tenniel.
Here’s the skinny on how to play “Happy Families.” The deck is composed of a series of families, and four members of each family like the suits in a deck of standard cards. Using this strip’s example, the four members of this “family” are Mister Bun, the Baker; Mrs. Bun, the Baker’s Wife; Master Bun, the Baker’s son; and Miss (or Mistress, depending on the deck) Bun, the Baker’s daughter.
Game play is essentially the same as “go fish,” except you don’t ask for “any _’s,” you have to specifically ask for the card you’re looking for. You also don’t (at least the way I was taught) asked “do you have Mr. Bun, the Baker?” you ask “is Mr. Bun, the Baker, at home?” If he is (i.e.: in the other player’s hand), then he “can come over” (into your hand).
The joke is, basically, that she’s playing “Happy Families” at a casino, and lost her entire bank because Mr. Bun “wasn’t at home.”
The man who invented “Happy Families” is also responsible for Ludo and Snakes and Ladders. The original Happy Families deck was illustrated with very grotesque figures by John Tenniel.