=_ Muggins is sometimes played by making the object to get multiples of three at the ends, instead of multiples of five. Otherwise the game is the same as All Fives. There are several _=card games=_ with dominoes, but they are little used, and hardly worth description in a work of this kind. DICE. Dice are probably the oldest gambling instruments in the world. Chatto thinks that man acquired the passion for gambling as soon as he could distinguish odd from even, or a short straw from a shorter. Simple gambling instruments were probably very early articles of manufacture, and Chatto says that it is not unlikely that after a simple dinner of mutton some enterprising gamester may have taken the small bones from between the shank and the foot, and after burning spots in them to distinguish one from the other, put them into _a_ cow’s horn and shaken them up, afterward rolling them upon the ground. From some such beginning Astragali was developed, a game which Dr. Thomas Hyde thinks was known at the time of the Deluge. Later on, other instruments were used in connection with dice, and so the earliest forms of Backgammon were developed.
=_ Should a player lead out of turn, he may be called upon to lead or not to lead a heart when it is next his turn to lead. This penalty can be enforced only by the player on his right. If all have played to the false lead the error cannot be rectified; but if all have not played, their cards must be taken back, and are not liable to be called. If any person plays out of turn in any trick, the player on his left, not having played, may demand that the card be taken back, and after the proper player has played the player in error may be called upon to play his highest or lowest of the suit led, or not to discard a heart. If the person on the left of the player in error was the leader in the trick, either he or the player whose proper turn it was to play may demand the penalty. _=Revoking.=_ Any player failing to follow suit, when able to do so, may amend his error if he discovers his mistake before the trick in which it occurs has been turned and quitted. The card played in error then becomes an exposed card. Those who have played after him have the privilege of withdrawing their cards and substituting others, without penalty. Should the revoking player not discover his error in time, the hand must be played out, and if the revoke is detected and claimed the player in error must pay all the losses on that hand.
Whichever colour the chosen hand contains the chooser must take for the first game. _=The Moves.=_ The men never leave the colour of the squares on which they are originally set up, so that they always move diagonally. At the beginning of the game the men move only one square at a time, and always forward, and can be placed only on squares which are unoccupied. If an adverse piece stands upon a square to which a man might be moved, and there is a vacant square beyond, the man must jump over the adverse piece to the unoccupied square, at the same time removing from the board the piece so jumped over. In the position shown in Diagram No. 1, for instance, it being White’s turn to move, he must jump over the black man, removing it from the board. Black will then have a choice of two jumps, over one man or over two, and will of course select the jump toward the right of the board first, and then over the second man, removing both from the board. A man may jump over and capture several men at one move, provided there are vacant squares between them, and beyond the last man. [Illustration: No.
=_ The first player who holds cards on the left of the age must make the first bet, whether he has straddled or not. If he declines to bet he must abandon his hand. The fact that the age is not playing makes no difference, as his privilege cannot be transferred to any other player. Bets may vary in amount from one counter to the betting limit. If no player will bet, the age takes the pool without showing his hand; or, if he has passed out before the draw, the last player on his right who holds cards wins the pool. _=29. Raising the Bets.=_ Should any player make a bet, each player in turn on his left must either bet an equal amount or abandon his hand. Should any player bet an equal amount, he has the privilege of increasing the bet to any further sum within the betting limit. The players on his left must then either meet the total amount of the original bet and the raise, or abandon their hands.
Chess is a kind of mental alcohol. It inebriates the man who plays it constantly. He lives in a chess atmosphere, and his dreams are of gambits and the end of games. I have known many an able man ruined by chess. The game has charmed him, and, as a consequence, he has given up everything to the charmer. No, unless a man has supreme self-control, it is better that he should not learn to play chess. I have never allowed my children to learn it, for I have seen too much of its evil results. Draughts is a better game, if you must have a game.” Chess is generally believed to have originated in India, and in its primitive form was called Chaturanga. It is mentioned in the Hindoo Puranas, at least 3000 years B.
Should any player bet an equal amount, he has the privilege of increasing the bet to any further sum within the betting limit. The players on his left must then either meet the total amount of the original bet and the raise, or abandon their hands. Any player meeting the amount already bet has the privilege of increasing it to any further amount within the limit, and so on, until no further raises take place. Any player whose bet has been raised must abandon his hand or meet the raise, with the privilege of raising again in return. Should one player make a bet or raise which no other player will see, he takes the pool without showing his hand, and the cards are shuffled and cut for the next deal. _=30. Calling the Bets.=_ As long as one player raises another’s bets, he gives that player the privilege of raising him again; but if a player who has made a bet is not raised, the others simply betting an equal amount, the first bettor is called, and all betting must cease. The players must then show their hands to the table, in order to decide which wins the pool. _=31.
His play would be to separate all his men in the outer table, so that no matter what White might throw he could hardly escape being caught. The black men might be placed on the points marked with small crosses, and then if the white man cannot be caught and set back long enough for Black to get home, the game cannot be saved. If Black succeeds in picking up this man, he should then complete his home table as rapidly as possible, still keeping his outside men spread, and not disturbing the two men on White’s trey point until necessary. _=Throwing Off.=_ Always throw off every man possible; never move up instead of throwing off, unless there are some adverse men in your home table. If you make a throw which will not take off a man, do not move two men, but move up and take off one man if possible. _=Chances.=_ Some players profess to attach great importance to the chances of the dice, but such matters are of little practical value except in a general way. It may be interesting to know that the odds were thirty-five to one against a certain throw, but that knowledge does not prevent your adversary from winning the game. It should always be remembered that it is more difficult for your adversary to hit a man that is very close to him or very far from him, than one that is about half way.
The other players repeat the words in turn, and then the leader goes over them again, adding, with bronze bark. The sentence goes round once more, and on the next repetition the leader continues, with golden branches. He afterwards adds, and silver leaves, and purple fruit, and on the top a milk-white dove, and, finally, mourning for the loss of his lady-love. If a player should fail in repeating the rigmarole, there is a fine to pay. A pipe-lighter is stuck in her hair, and she must say one-horned lady instead of genteel lady. When a second horn is added, of course she says two-horned, and so forth. Some players wear half-a-dozen before the conclusion of the game. The game is called The Wonderful Tree. --Anderby, Lincolnshire (Miss M. Peacock).
Any player failing to follow suit or to win a trick, when able to do so, may be compelled to take back his cards to the point where the error occurred, and to replay the hand from that point. In France he is penalised by counting nothing from that point on, either for brisques or for the last trick. The winner of the _=last trick=_ scores fifty points for it immediately. _=SCORING.=_ Each deal is a complete game in itself, and the winner is the player who has scored the most points for carte blanche, combinations, and the last trick. The brisques are not counted, unless they are necessary to decide a tie, or save a rubicon. The value of the game is determined by deducting the lesser score from the higher, and then adding 500 points to the remainder. In this deduction all fractions of a hundred are disregarded. For instance: A’s score is 1830; while B’s is 1260. A wins 1800, less the 1200 scored by B, which leaves 600; to this must be added the 500 points for game, making the total value of A’s game 1100 points.
How long since you ve tackled a twenty-ounce sirloin? * * * * * The Lodge has unmentioned influence. No, Psi powers aren t a secret government. But what high official can afford to be at odds with us? They know where the Lodge stands. A little while on the visor as the east pinked up got me what I wanted. Because of the three-hour time difference, the Washington brass got me _carte blanche_ before banking hours at the Tahoe bank that supplied the Sky Hi Club with its cash. Working with the cashier, who hadn t even taken time to shave after getting his orders from the Federal Reserve Bank, I went over their stock of thousand dollar bills, as Pheola had PC d I would, and marked down the edges of the stacks with grease pencil. Mostly I did it to make my grip firmer. When the time came, I could make that money jump. Pheola let me get her a cocktail dress in one of the women s shops. The right dress helped, but more steaks would have helped even more.
If this is not done at once the captured one is at liberty to return to her own side. In some versions (Shropshire and London) the player who is selected for Nuts is always captured by the one sent to fetch her. Some Barnes children also say that this is the proper way to play. When boys and girls play the boys are always sent to fetch away the girls. In Sheffield (a version collected by Mr. S. O. Addy) a boy is chosen to fetch the girl away; and in the Earls Heaton version the line runs, We ll have a girl for nuts in May. (_e_) There is some analogy in the game to marriage by capture, and to the marriage customs practised at May Day festivals and gatherings. For the evidence for marriage by capture in the game there is no element of love or courtship, though there is the obtaining possession of a member of an opposing party.
In case an adversary of the dealer plays alone, he must distinctly announce it when he orders up the trump. The usual expression is: “_=I order it alone=_.” His partner then lays his cards face downward on the table and takes no further part in the play of that hand. If he exposes any card of the abandoned hand, the adversaries can call upon him to take up the hand and play it, leaving the exposed card on the table as liable to be called. This of course prevents the lone hand. If the dealer’s partner wishes to play alone, instead of assisting, he says: “_=I play this alone=_,” and the dealer lays down his cards, leaving the trump on the pack. _=PLAYING ALONE.=_ No player but the one that takes up, orders up, or makes the trump can play a lone hand. If the dealer takes up the trump card of his own accord, he can play alone. If any player orders up or assists, that player can play alone.
--London (A. B. Gomme). See Corsicrown, Kit-Cat-Cannio, Nine Men s Morris. Nur and Spel A boys game in Lincolnshire, somewhat similar to Trap Ball. It is played with a kibble, a nur, and a spell. By striking the end of the spell with the kibble, the nur, of course, rises into the air, and the art of the game is to strike it with the kibble before it reaches the ground. He who drives it the greatest distance wins the game.--Halliwell s _Dictionary_. Strutt (_Sports and Pastimes_, p.
The game is elsewhere called Cobbet (Meole Brace) and Cobbleticuts (Burne s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 531). In Conquer-nuts obbly was probably nobbly or knobbly, expressing the appearance of the string of nuts; and onkers was probably invented as a rhyme to conquers (_Upton-on-Severn Words and Phrases_, by R. Lawson). Contrary, Rules of I. Here I go round the rules of contrary, Hopping about like a little canary. When I say Hold fast, leave go; When I say Leave go, hold fast. --Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 52). II.
It consists in sitting on the ground, raising the knees and clasping them with the hand, and then using an undulatory motion, as if they were kneading dough. My granny is sick and now is dead, And we ll go mould some cocklety bread; Up with the heels and down with the head, And that is the way to make cocklety bread. --Hunter s MSS.; Addy s _Sheffield Glossary_. (_b_) The _Times_ of 1847 contains a curious notice of this game. A witness, whose conduct was impugned as light and unbecoming, is desired to inform the court, in which an action for breach of promise was tried, the meaning of mounting cockeldy-bread; and she explains it as a play among children, in which one lies down on the floor on her back, rolling backwards and forwards, and repeating the following lines:-- Cockeldy bread, mistley cake, When you do that for our sake. While one of the party so laid down, the rest sat around; and they laid down and rolled in this manner by turns. These lines are still retained in the modern nursery-rhyme books, but their connection with the game of Cockeldy-bread is by no means generally understood. There was formerly some kind of bread called cockle-bread, and _cocille-mele_ is mentioned in a very early MS. quoted in Halliwell s _Dictionary_.
Will you come? Yes! Now we ve got our bonny lass, Bonny lass, bonny lass, Now we ve got our bonny lass, To help us with our dancing. --London (A. B. Gomme). XII. Here we go up the green grass, The green grass, the green grass; Here we go up the green grass, So early in the morning. Fair maid, pretty maid; Give your hand to me, And you shall see a blackbird, A blackbird on the tree; All sorts of colours Lying by his side, Take me, dearest [----], For to be my bride-- Will you come? No! Naughty old maid, she won t come out, She won t come out, To help us with our dancing-- Will you come? Yes! Now we ve got the bonny lass, Now we ve got the bonny lass, To help us with our dancing. --Liphook, Hants (Miss Fowler). XIII. Trip trap over the grass, If you please, will you let one of your [eldest] daughters come, Come and dance with me? I will give you pots and pans, I will give you brass, I will give you anything For a pretty lass-- No! I will give you gold and silver, I will give you pearl, I will give you anything For a pretty girl.
Elworthy (_West Somerset Words_) says a piece of tile is kicked over lines and into squares marked on the ground. It is called Hickety-Hackety, also Huckety. Cope (_Hampshire Glossary_) says it is played in Hants. Moor (_Suffolk Words and Phrases_) describes this game under the name of Scotch-hob, by hopping and kicking a bit of tile from bed to bed of a diagram which he gives (fig. 5, here printed). Brockett (_North Country Words_) calls it Beds. Barnes (_Dorset Glossary_) only says hopping over a parallelogram of scotches or chalk-lines on the ground. F. H. Low, in _Strand Magazine_, ii.