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Nearly all of our
most popular games are of very
ancient
origin, though
in many cases they have been considerably developed and improved.
Kayles—derived from the French word quilles—was
a great favourite in
the fourteenth century, and was undoubtedly the parent of our modern
game
of ninepins.
Kayle-pins were not confined in those days to any
particular
number, and they were generally made of a conical shape and set up in a
straight row.
At first they were
knocked down by a club that was
thrown at
them from a
distance, which at once suggests the origin of the pastime of "shying
for
cocoanuts" that is to-day so popular on Bank Holidays on Hampstead
Heath
and elsewhere.
Then the players introduced balls, as an improvement on
the club.
In the illustration
we get a picture of some of
our
fourteenth-century
ancestors playing at kayle-pins in this manner.
Now, I will
introduce to my readers a new game of
parlour
kayle-pins,
that can be played across the table without any preparation
whatever.
You
simply place in a straight row thirteen dominoes, chess-pawns,
draughtsmen, counters, coins, or beans—anything will
do—all close
together, and then remove the second one as shown in the picture.
It is assumed that
the ancient players had become
so expert
that they
could always knock down any single kayle-pin, or any two kayle-pins
that
stood close together.
They therefore altered the game, and it was
agreed
that the player who knocked down the last pin was the winner.
Therefore, in
playing our table-game, all you have
to do is to
knock down
with your fingers, or take away, any single kayle-pin or two adjoining
kayle-pins, playing alternately until one of the two players makes the
last capture, and so wins.
I think it will be found a fascinating
little
game, and I will show the secret of winning.
Remember that the
second kayle-pin must be removed
before you
begin to
play, and that if you knock down two at once those two must be close
together, because in the real game the ball could not do more than this.
See answer
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