ABSTRACT
The exercise is particularly useful to reduce physical restlessness in children and teenager groups, but it also helps adults to dampen down nervousness and restlessness. Playing a rhythmical instrument during the game facilitates the mime, especially for players who are out of practice or self-conscious about their movements. The player the pussy cat has stopped in front of has to stroke it and say three times in a row, ‘Poor black pussy cat’, in a sympathetic tone of voice. Blinking requires an uneven number of players to stand in pairs, one behind the other, in a circle. The puppet play can also be accompanied and guided by music. The players use their bodies to build a ‘machine’ that moves and makes noises. The rat-catcher speaks the magic word everybody is waiting for, ‘Simsalabim’, and all players take a deep intake of breath.
