_=DICE BOXES.=_ Although the dice may be perfectly fair, the box may be “crooked.” A fair box may be of leather, perfectly smooth inside, or it may be of bone, ivory or wood, with the interior “screwed” or grooved. If the upper edge of the inside presents a sloping flat surface, slightly roughened with sand paper, it will be just as well to refuse to allow such a box to be used, as your adversary _is_ probably an expert at _=securing=_, which is a method of holding one of the dice securely against this upper edge while the others are shaken and rattled about in the usual manner. A person who is securing dice can be detected by the manner in which he holds the box, keeping his fingers, instead of his palm, over the mouth. When he turns the box face downward on the table, he will still have his fingers under it, and will withdraw them in regular order, the second and third fingers being first separated. _=THROWING DICE.=_ There are three methods of throwing dice: The first is to shake them in the box with the palm over the top, and then to shift the hold to the sides, completely exposing the mouth. The box is then turned mouth downward on the table, leaving all the dice completely covered. The box must be lifted by the person who is recording the throws, in a raffle, for instance, after the spectators have had time to assure themselves that all the dice are covered.
This is a very popular boys game. Newell (_Games_, 164) mentions it as prevalent in Pennsylvania. See Tom Tiddler s Ground. King Plaster Palacey The players are a King and his three sons named White Cap, Red Cap, Brown Cap. Red Cap says, Plaster Palacey had a son, whose name was old daddy White Cap. White Cap, in an injured voice, says, Me, sir? The King says, Yes, sir. White Cap answers, You re a liar, sir. The King then says, Who then, sir? White Cap answers, Old daddy Red Cap. --Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase). The game as given above is obviously incomplete, and no description as to how the game was played was sent me.
Ye shall get a duke, my dear, And ye shall get a drake; And ye shall get a young prince, A young prince for your sake. And if this young prince chance to die, Ye shall get another; The bells will ring, and the birds will sing, And we ll clap hands together. --Chamber s _Popular Rhymes_, pp. 137-38. II. A-diss, a-diss, a-green grass, A-diss, a-diss, a-dass; Come, my pretty fair maid, And walk along with us. For you shall have a dik-ma-day, You shall have a dr[=a]gon; You shall have a nice young man With princes for his th[=e]gan (or s[=e]gan). --Lanarkshire (W. G. Black).
_=After a Force.=_ If the player is forced before he can answer the call, he may indicate the number of trumps originally held by playing them in this manner:-- With 3 or less; trumping with the lowest; leading the highest. With 4 exactly; trumping with the 3rd-best; leading the highest. With 5 or more; trumping with the 3rd-best; leading the 4th-best. These methods of taking the force must not be carried to extremes. For instance: A player holding K J 10 2, would hardly be justified in trumping with the 10 to show number. Some experts, holding the best trump with at least four others, will not lead it; preferring to show number first, by leading the fourth-best. Others, holding four, lead the lowest after trumping with the third-best. _=The Echo in Trumps.=_ When the partner leads high trumps, the Third Hand should echo with four or more, by signalling in the trump suit.
The game then proceeds in the usual way. Payments are made to the pool for all hearts taken in, and the pool is then won, divided, or remains to form a Jack, just as at Sweepstake Hearts. The chief difference in the game is that the other players do not know whether the winner of the first trick is loaded or not, and he is the only player who knows how many or what hearts are still to be played. _=DOMINO HEARTS.=_ In this variation, six cards only are dealt to each player, the remainder of the pack being left face down on the table. When a player is unable to follow suit, he must draw cards from the stock, one at a time, until he can. The last player with any cards left in his hand must take what is left of the stock, if any. The hearts taken in are then counted as usual. Thirty-one points is game, and the winner is the player who has the least hearts scored when some other player reaches thirty-one. SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.
| | 7.|Come and play with us.| | 8.| -- | | 9.| -- | | 10.| -- | | 11.| -- | | 12.| -- | | 13.|We will give you pots | | |and pans. | | 14.
s time. It is thus played, according to Stevens. A stake is fixed in the ground; those who play throw Loggats at it, and he that is nearest the stake wins. Loggats, or loggets, are also small pieces or logs of wood, such as the country people throw at fruit that cannot otherwise be reached. Loggats, little logs or wooden pins, a play the same with ninepins, in which the boys, however, often made use of bones instead of wooden pins (Dean Miles MS.; Halliwell s _Dictionary_). Strutt refers to this game (_Sports_, p. 272). London A diagram (similar to Fig. 9 in Hopscotch ) is drawn on a slate, and two children play.
This pool may be increased from time to time by penalties; such as one red counter for a misdeal; four for a revoke, or for not having the proper number of cards, etc. The whole amount in the pool may be won or lost by the players, according to their success or failure in certain undertakings, which will presently be described. When empty, the pool is replenished by contributions from each player, as at first. The pool proper is usually limited to 25 red counters. When it exceeds that amount, the 25 are set aside, and the surplus used to start a fresh pool. Any player winning a pool is entitled to 25 red counters at the most. It will often happen that several such pools will accumulate, and each must be played for in its turn. At the end of the game any counters remaining in the pool or pools must be divided among the players. _=PLAYERS.=_ Boston is played by four persons.
Then follows--] She was coming downstairs with a basin of water, and she fell down and broke her toe, and she s dead. And what shall we dress her in, dress her in, dress her in? And what shall we dress her in? Dress her in red. Red for the soldiers, soldiers, soldiers, Red for the soldiers, and that shan t do. [Then follow blue for the sailors, black for the mourners, and finally--] What shall we dress her in, dress her in, dress her in? What shall we dress her in? Dress her in white. White for the dead people, dead people, dead people, White for the dead people, and that will do. --Auchencairn, Kirkcudbright (A. C. Haddon). XVII. How s poor Jenny jo, Jenny jo, Jenny jo? He s very ill.
The first verse is then repeated, and the fourth sung in the same way as the second, and so on. Another way of playing is that the children do not dance round and round. They form a ring by joining hands, and they then all move in one direction, about half way round, while singing the first line, lubin; then back again in the opposite direction, while singing the second line, light, still keeping the ring form, and so on for the third and fourth lines. In each case the emphasis is laid upon the Here of each line, the movement being supposed to answer to the Here. The Dorsetshire version (Miss M. Kimber) is played by the children taking hands in pairs, forming a ring, and dancing round. At Eckington (S. O. Addy) the children first pretend to wash their hands, then their face, while singing the words; then comb their hair and brush their clothes; then they join hands and dance round in a ring singing the words which follow, again suiting their actions to the words sung. In the Scottish version a ring is formed as above.
The following are Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co.’s rules: The WHITE BALL is spotted. RED BALL plays upon WHITE. YELLOW ” RED. GREEN ” YELLOW. BROWN ” GREEN. BLUE ” BROWN. PINK ” BLUE. SPOT-WHITE ” PINK. SPOT-RED ” SPOT-WHITE.
On page 332, diagram of London omitted. [Illustration] CHILDREN S GAMES. Accroshay A cap or small article is placed on the back of a stooping boy by other boys as each in turn jumps over him. The first as he jumps says Accroshay, the second Ashotay, the third Assheflay, and the last Lament, lament, Leleeman s (or Leleena s) war. The boy who in jumping knocks off either of the things has to take the place of the stooper.--Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 58). See Leap-frog. All-hid A meere children s pastime (_A Curtaine Lecture_, 1637, p. 206).
Such a habit exposes them to the common artifice of the dealer’s turning it down for a euchre. A dealer holding a bower and three cards of the next suit, will often turn it down, and trust to the eldest hand making it next, which will give the dealer four trumps instead of two. The eldest hand should be on his guard against this when the dealer’s side has 3 scored. The dealer’s partner, on the other hand, should cross the suit almost as invariably as the eldest hand should make it next; for if his partner cannot take up the trump, and the eldest hand cannot make it next, their hands must be weak, and if it is passed to the pone, he will probably turn out to have a lone hand. The best chance is to cross the suit, unless the player has three certain tricks in his own hand by making it next, such as five trumps to the ace, or four trumps and a plain-suit ace. With such cards he should play alone. The pone should never make the trump unless he has three certain tricks, and is willing to play a lone hand. If the dealer turns it down, and both the eldest hand and the dealer’s partner pass a second time, there must be a nigger in the woodpile somewhere. _=LEADING.=_ The general principle of leading is to make tricks while you can.
_=Playing.=_ All the regulations for leading, following suit, drawing from the talon, etc., are the same as in Bézique, but the declarations and their values are quite different. _=Brisques.=_ There are twelve brisque cards, the Seven of each suit being added to the usual Aces and Tens. The brisques are not scored as taken in, except in the last six tricks. At the end of the hand all the brisques are counted, whether already scored in the last six tricks or not, and the player having more than six counts ten points for each above six. If each has six, neither scores. By this method, a player may make and score several brisques in the last six tricks, all of which he will reckon over again in the total count at the end. _=Declarations.
Castles. Cat and Dog. Cat-Beds. Cat s Cradle. Cat-gallows. Cat i the Hole. Cat after Mouse. Catchers. Chacke-Blyndman. Chance Bone.
He must have the 2 3 8 and 10 all in his own hand to do this. Some players imagine that a player cannot increase his own build in this manner, even if he has both the cards for the first and last build; but there is no reason why a player should be denied a privilege which is freely granted to his adversary. If any player can legitimately make or increase a build, all may do so, provided they have the proper cards. _=Double Builds.=_ When two cards of the same denomination, or two builds of the same value are put together as one, they cannot be increased. For instance: A player holds 7 and 3, and there are upon the table a 5 2 and 4. He places his 3 on the 4, and gathers the 5 and 2 together, announcing the build as “Two Sevens.” This cannot be increased to 8, 9, or 10 under any circumstances, and nothing but a 7 will win it. Pairs may be doubled in the same manner. If a player has two Nines in his hand, and there is one on the table, he may build on the latter with one of his own, announcing, “Two Nines,” which will prevent any player from building either of them to 10, and will entitle the builder to take in both cards with his third Nine when it comes round to his turn.
If a player bids nap and fails, he is usually called upon to double the amount then in the pool, besides paying his adversaries. _=Purchase Nap=_; sometimes called _=Écarté Nap=_, is a variation of the pool game. After the cards are dealt, and before any bids are made, each player in turn, beginning on the dealer’s left, may discard as many cards as he pleases, the dealer giving him others in their place. For each card so exchanged, the player pays one counter to the pool. Only one round of exchanges is allowed, and bids are then in order. A player having once refused to buy, or having named the number of cards he wishes to exchange, cannot amend his decision. Any player winning five tricks on a nap bid takes the entire pool. This is a very good game, and increases both the bids and the play against them. _=Widows.=_ Another variation is to deal five cards in the centre of the table, face downward, the dealer giving the cards to the widow just before helping himself in each round.
=_ At the end of the game, the players cut to decide which shall give way to those awaiting their turn to play, the lowest cuts going out. After the second game, those who have played the greatest number of consecutive games give way, ties being decided by cutting. _=Dealing.=_ Every player has the right to shuffle the cards, the dealer last. The dealer must present the pack to the pone to be cut. At least four cards must be left in each packet. If a card is exposed in cutting, the pack must be reshuffled, and cut again. If the dealer reshuffles the pack after it has been properly cut, he loses his deal. Beginning on his left, the dealer must give to each player in rotation three cards at a time for three rounds. No trump is turned.
, _=by cards=_. At the conclusion of each hand, the side that has won any tricks in excess of the book, scores them; the opponents counting nothing. As soon as either side has scored the number of points previously agreed upon as a game, which must be 5, 7, or 10, the cards are again shuffled and spread for the choice of partners, etc., unless it has been agreed to play a rubber. _=SCORING.=_ There are several methods of scoring at whist. The English game is 5 points, rubbers being always played. Besides the points scored for tricks, honours are counted; the games have a different value, according to the score of the adversaries; and the side winning the rubber adds two points to its score. In scoring, the revoke penalty counts first, tricks next, and honours last. _=The Revoke.
The Berkshire game (Miss Kimber) is played by the children forming two long lines, each line advancing and retiring alternately while singing their parts. When the last verse is begun the children form a ring and gallop around, all singing this last verse together. In the Cork version (Mrs. Green) the children form a circle by joining hands. They march round and round, singing the verses to a sing-song tune. When singing, If the cock should meet a hen, they all unclasp hands; two hold each other s hands and form an arch. The rest run under, saying the last verse. The arch lower their hands and try to catch the last child. (_c_) The analysis of the game-rhymes is on pp. 342-45.
The ball was thrown into the market-place from the Town Hall. The moment it was thrown the war cries of the rival parishes began, and the contest, nominally that of a football match, was in reality a fight between the two sections of the town; and the victors were announced by the joyful ringing of their parish bells (Dyer s _Popular Customs_, p. 75). At Chester-le-Street the game was played between what were termed up-streeters and down-streeters, one side endeavouring to get the ball to the top of the town, whilst their opponents tried to keep it near the lower or north end. At one o clock the ball was thrown out from near the old commercial hotel, the Queen s Head, in the centre of the town, and it has often been received by over three and four hundred people, so great was the interest taken in this ancient sport. At Asborne the struggle was between the up ards and down ards. At Dorking the divisions were between the east and west ends of the town, and there was first a perambulation of the streets by the football retinue composed of grotesquely dressed persons. At Alnwick the divisions were the parishes of St. Michael s and St. Paul s.
Penchant is a complicated form of Cinq-cents and Bézique, played with a single pack of thirty-two cards, which rank as at Piquet; A K Q J 10 9 8 7, the ace being highest both in cutting and in play. _=Cutting.=_ The higher cut has the choice of seats, and the lower cut deals the first hand. _=Dealing.=_ After the cards have been cut by the pone the dealer gives one card to his adversary, then one to the stock, and then one to himself, all face down. Two more are then given to the stock, one to the pone, two to the stock again, and one to the dealer. This is continued, giving two cards to the stock between the ones given to each player, until the last round, when only one card is dealt to the stock. This will result in each player receiving six cards, and twenty being left in the centre of the table for the talon. No trump is turned. Very few players trouble themselves with this method of dealing, preferring to deal three cards to each player alternately, leaving the remaining twenty for the stock.
Here s your ticket for Lake Tahoe, he added, holding out an envelope from a travel agency. I m staying here, Maragon, I said. I m a TK surgeon. I m all through tipping dice. You may not find it practical, he said, getting up to leave. Well, I hadn t. Three snakes inside my head had made me a sucker for the real one on my arm. Maragon had made his point. I might have reached the thirty-third degree, but I wasn t quite as big a shot as I thought I was. I could feel that rattler on my arm all the way to Lake Tahoe.
May. Southampton Mrs. W. R. Carse. ISLE OF MAN Mr. A. W. Moore. ISLE OF WIGHT-- Cowes Miss E.