Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium

by Jessie H. Bancroft

This is a Chinese game, recorded by Dr. Headland, who has kindly supplied additional points to the author. Some modifications for large numbers have been found advisable under American school conditions.

FORTRESS

10 to 100 players.

Out of doors; gymnasium.

This is one of the very strenuous games based on the idea of warfare. The underlying idea is exactly opposite to that of Robbers and Soldiers, being a game of attack and defense rather than of chase and capture.

Fortress

A fortress is marked on the ground, in the shape of a large square or oblong, the size differing with the area at disposal and the number of players. It should be not less than twenty-five by forty feet in dimensions. One or more sides of this may be situated so as to be inclosed by a wall or fence. A line should be drawn five feet inside of the fortress boundaries and another five feet outside of it; these mark the guard lines or limits for making prisoners. Each party should also have its prison—a small square marked in the center of the fortress for the defenders, and another at some distant point for the besiegers.

The players are divided into two equal parties, each under the command of a general, who may order his men at any time to any part of the battle. One party of players are defenders of the fortress, and should scatter over it at the beginning of the attack and keep a sharp lookout on unguarded parts at any time. The other players, forming the attacking party, scatter under the direction of their general to approach the fortress from different directions. This may be done in a sudden rush, or deliberately before attacking. At a signal from their general, the besiegers attack the fortress.

The method of combat is entirely confined to engagements between any two of the opposing players, and is in general of the nature of a "tug of war." They may push, pull, or carry each other so long as they remain upright; but wrestling or dragging on the ground are not allowed. Any player so forced over the guard line becomes a prisoner to his opponent and is thereafter out of the game. If he be a besieger, captured by a defender, he is placed within the prison in the center of the fortress, and may not thereafter escape or be freed unless the general should make an exchange of prisoners. Should he be a defender, pulled over the outer guard line by a besieger, he is taken to the prison of the attacking party, subject to the same rules of escape. In the general engagement, players of equal strength should compete, the strong players with strong ones, and vice versa. The commanders should each give general directions for this to their men before the engagement opens.