SLATE GAMES FOR CHILDREN.
A slate is one of the most useful presents which can be given to a child. Long before the little hands can fashion letters, or the infant mind comprehend them, the baby fingers can make marks and scratches upon the smooth surface and derive considerable amusement from the exercise.
As the little one grows older, these meaningless scrawls gradually change to more intelligible forms, and then it is that the “Tit-Tat-To,” so very old, and yet so delightfully new, to every little girl or boy in their turn, comes into play.
TIT-TAT-TO.
This game is played on a figure similar to the above, made on an ordinary slate. The players alternately mark in the figure, the one a cross, and the other a nought; he who first obtains a row, either horizontally, perpendicularly, or diagonally, wins the game, and calls out the following rhyme:
“Tit-Tat-To, my last go;
Three jolly butchers all in a row.”
The object of each of the players is equally to obtain such a row and to prevent his opponent from obtaining one.
AIR, EARTH, OR THE SEA?
This game—which is sometimes called Birds, Beasts, and Fishes—is instructive as well as interesting to children who have some slight knowledge of natural history. It is played as follows: Two boys take their slates, and each writes down the first and last letters of the name of some bird, beast, or fish, first stating whether it belongs to the air, earth, or water, or from which category the name is selected, and puts a cross for each of the intermediate letters. For example: James writes upon his slate T × × × r, and remarks, as he passes it to his companion, “the earth.” Charles selects a bird and marks upon his slate as follows: E × × × e, saying, at the same time, “the air.” They exchange slates, and each tries to guess the name of the beast or bird indicated, and fills up the blanks accordingly. It is evident that those indicated above are respectively tiger and eagle.
TURKS AND RUSSIANS.
The slate should be divided into three divisions, the top and bottom divisions each having a small compartment marked off therein, as shown in the annexed diagram.
One of the two end divisions should be allotted to the Turks, and the other to the Russians, and marks put therein, to represent the soldiers of the respective nations.
Each player having provided himself with a well-sharpened pencil, the game is played as follows: The players decide the order of play, and the first selected being supposed to be a Turk, places the point of his pencil at the spot marked in the smaller compartment of the Turkish division of the slate and draws it quickly across the slate in the direction of the opposing army.
The pencil will, of course, leave a line marking its track, and all the men of the opposite side through which the track passes count as dead. Each player plays alternately, and he wins who first kills all the men on the opposite side.
The track of the pencil must be rapidly made and must be either straight or curved; any track in which there is an angle does not count. Sometimes the players turn their heads or close their eyes when making the track.
THIRTY-ONE.
Although this game is usually played upon a board similar to the one in the cut, and with small wooden blocks made for the purpose, a slate properly marked off would answer very well for the board, and bits of pasteboard, marked with the necessary figures, do equally well for the blocks.
The game consists of playing these bricks or squares of pasteboard, so that the column added up makes just thirty-one.
As only two persons play together, suppose William and Mary are contestants. Mary commences the game by playing a six; that is, she slides one of the blocks numbered six over to the right-hand side of the board. Then William plays block No. 4. This makes ten. Mary then plays two, and William follows with a five, making seventeen total. Now, some calculation is necessary if either will win. Mary, after some study, ventures a five, and William plays a six. It is now only necessary for Mary to slide No. 3 over to the right side, to make the total thirty-one and beat.
That move of Mary’s—which was made after considerable deliberation—was not a safe one, as William could have moved over a one and made the total only twenty-three. This would require eight more to complete the required thirty-one, and as six is the largest number on the blocks, William would have had the last play and gained the contest.
Rules for Thirty-one.
The object of each player is to gain thirty-one, or nearer thirty-one than his opponent, without going over that number.
Put the blocks or bits of pasteboard on the left side of the board; and each in turn moves any piece they like to the other side.
Each player moves alternately one piece at a time.
Add together the numbers on all the blocks moved, until one or the other gains thirty-one, without going over that number.
The player gaining this number by his individual block wins.
The final honor is given to him who wins three out of five single games.
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