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Show SOME OLD TIME GAMES. Miy of the Present Day Sports Were Borrowed Bor-rowed From, the I'asU It is curious to note how some of the games of the early ages have been handed hand-ed down to the present time. The game, for instance, known to most of us as odd and even was also a favorite with the young Egyptian, and many of tho little counters that he nsed are still preserved in the British museum. There is also the game of drafts, which was played on a checkered board in the earliest earli-est times. The poor children were content con-tent with draftsmen and boxes made of rough pieces of clay, but the richer ones usually had beautifully carved iron headed draftsmen and boxes. The young Greeks, too, were well provided with toys and games for their amusement. The toys were chiefly dolls mado of baked clay, the arms and legs being jointed with etring, and therefore there-fore movable. They had a favorite game called Chytriand, which has been preserved pre-served through many ages, and is now played by boys of today under the well known name of pass in the corner. In France the game is called quatre coins, or four corners. Both in the old game and in the modern version five players are required, ope occupying each of the corners, while the fifth player stands in the middle. In ancient Greece he wore an earthen pipkin on his head and was called pot; in France at the present pres-ent day he is the mgaud, or simpleton, and by us is called puss. To guess the number of fingers another anoth-er held up was also a favorite amusement, amuse-ment, and this, too, is frequently played play-ed at the present time. So you see how carefully the character of the amusements amuse-ments and the playthings of the very early ages has been maintained in the toys and games in use today. Newcastle New-castle Chronicle. |