One fat hen

One fat hen is a drinking game. It is based on the difficulty people often have in exactly repeating what the leader says, and the amusing possibilities when they get it wrong.

The normal mode of play is that the leader recites the first line of the game and then all the players take it in turns to repeat the line; if anyone makes a mistake he or she must take a drink (or pay a forfeit) and start again. When everyone has got it right, the leader starts again, and adds the second line. Each player must now say the first and second lines, and so on, like this:

Leader - One fat hen!

Player 1 - One fat hen!

Player 2 - One hat fen! (takes a drink, and must repeat the line)

Player 3 - One fat hen!

Leader - One fat hen, a couple of ducks!

Player 1 - One fat hen, a couple of ducks!

Player 2 - One fat hen, a pair of ducks (takes another drink, and starts again)

Player 3 - One fat hen, a couple of ducks!

and so on, with increasing mirth.

There are many variations of the text to say, appropriate for different audiences. Here is one suitable for rugby players and the like.

• One fat hen!
• A couple of ducks!
• Three brown bears!
• Four running hares!
• Five fat females fixing for a fight!
• Six Sicilian sea-men sailing the seven seas!
• Seven happy sheet slitters, happily slitting sheets!
• Eight saucy sock cutters, saucily cutting socks!
• I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son, I'm only plucking pheasants 'til the pheasant plucker comes!
• Mrs. Pugsy-Wugsy has a square-cut punt, not a punt cut square, but a square-cut punt!