Madame D’Hernilly’s birth-day was celebrated by her family without
parade or ceremony: the offerings upon this occasion were those of the
heart alone. The neighbouring farmers, and superior class of peasants,
presented themselves at the castle, to offer their congratulations to
Madame on the return of the day; their little girls, dressed in white,
brought her flowers. Madame D’Hernilly received with pleasure the
simple offerings of these worthy people, for whom she prepared
pleasures suited to their taste. The court of the castle became the
theatre of a _fête champêtre_, which not only lasted the whole day,
but was prolonged during the evening, by the light of a number of
small lamps. The villagers amused themselves with dancing, and at
night they were regaled with a simple collation.
[Illustration: Girls amusing themselves outdoors]
While the villagers were enjoying the dance, their children were
diverting themselves in the gardens of the castle with the young
ladies and their visitors. As the games which they commonly played
would not suffice for the amusement of so many, Ernestina, who had a
very ready invention, proposed to them a new game, which she assured
them was quite original. We know that children, and particularly young
persons who are just past childhood, play sometimes at a game called
“_Who will laugh last?_” The mode of playing this game is very simple;
they look each other full in the face, using at the same time every
effort to preserve their gravity, and the first who smiles, even in
the slightest degree, gives a forfeit, or else her companions impose a
slight penance upon her.
Ernestina invented a game of this sort, in which a great number of
persons might be engaged at once. It was a trial who should remain the
longest time motionless in the same place. This play, it must be
confessed, did not promise much amusement, but the preparations were
entertaining enough. Madame D’Hernilly’s daughters had the greatest
trouble to make the young villagers comprehend what they were to do;
some of them, as soon as they were placed in proper positions, and
desired to remain without moving as long as they possibly could,
turned round immediately to the opposite side, and asked, with great
simplicity, what they were to do? The confusion which resulted from
these blunders was very diverting to the lookers-on. At last every
thing was arranged, and the game might have gone on smoothly enough,
but for want of patience in the players, who very naturally got tired
of this silent amusement as soon as they began it; and, passing at
once from one extreme to the other, in which, by-the-by, they
resembled many grown people, they adopted the proposal of a pretty
little peasant, to play at the game of “_Thread-my-needle_.” They
comprehended with great facility the explanation which she gave them
of it, and they began to play at it immediately.
The young ladies, their visitors, and the villagers, took each other
by the hand, and formed a long file: they arranged themselves in such
a manner that the two tallest girls were at the end of this file, and
one of the most active at the opposite extremity. The lot fell to
Aglaé to conduct the joyous band; and while the two last remained
fixed in their places, with their arms raised, she passed under them,
and all those who followed her did the same: after making a circuit,
Aglaé returned between the second and the third, then between the
third and the fourth, and so on, till by coming nearer and nearer, she
found herself obliged at last to make a turn under the arm of the
young girl who was next her; this is the termination of the game. Each
of them took her turn in this manner to pass under one another’s arms,
as a thread drawn through a needle, and, directed by a skilful hand,
successively runs through all the meshes of a web.
This exercise does not require any particular degree of agility, the
main point is to hold each other by the hand firmly, and to take care
that you do not lose your hold. Half an hour was long enough to tire
our young revellers of this game, and they had recourse to another
somewhat similar to it, called _queue-le-leu_, or sometimes more
simply termed the _wolf_.
They tossed up to see who should be _wolf_; the chance fell upon
Adriana, who stood alone on one side during some time; her companions,
holding each other by the tails of their gowns, ranged themselves
behind a tall and active female villager, who was to play the
shepherdess. It was expressly agreed upon, that Adriana should only
take the last of the flock, and the shepherdess took all possible care
to prevent her getting at that one. The struggle was a little unequal,
because the shepherdess’s movements were quicker and more abrupt than
those of the poor little wolf. Fortunately, those girls who formed the
tail of the flock, had not so much strength or agility as their
shepherdess, they relaxed by degrees in their exertions, and Adriana
took advantage of it to catch the last; the file was then thrown into
disorder, and they suffered themselves to be taken one after another.
As fast as Adriana made a captive, it was placed behind her, and the
flock of wolves became at last so formidable, that they completely
surrounded the sheep, and not one of them could escape. Valeria,
Ernestina, and the others, each in their turn, became the _wolf_; and
when they were tired of this game, they divided into groups, and
played at “_hide and seek_,” “_puss in the corner_,” “_paquets_,” and
other sports, which the villagers delight to play at in their rustic
_fêtes_.
[Illustration: Girls playing with yoyo and balls]
THE CUP-AND-BALL, THE DEVIL, THE SOLITAIRE, EMIGRANT, DOMINOS, &c.
The Misses D’Hernilly received from their brother a delightful
present, and one worthy of the affection which these amiable children
bore to each other. Young D’Hernilly had learned by a letter from
Ernestina, that the companions whom his sister met with at the castle,
were younger than themselves, and that, in conformity to the taste of
their little friends, the Misses D’Hernilly had resumed the trifling
and puerile amusements of their childish days. Upon receiving this
intelligence, Victor D’Hernilly went immediately to one of the most
elegant toy-shops, and purchased a complete collection of all sorts of
games, which he sent to his sisters by the first opportunity.
My little readers will easily conceive, that the arrival of this
present occasioned a grand rejoicing among the young inmates of the
castle. Each vied with the other who should first try the
“_cup-and-ball_,” the “_solitaire_,” and the other play-things, some
of which were unfortunately gone a little out of fashion, such as the
“_Devil_,” and above all, the “_Emigrant_,” the name of which alone is
sufficient to indicate its origin.
Madame D’Hernilly who still continued to share in the amusements of
the children, was particularly attentive to them while they were
engaged in these new games; she made them keep at certain distances
from each other, lest they should be hurt by the ball of the
_cup-and-ball_, or by the fall of the _devil_.
The cup-and-ball, in the management of which the celebrated Marquis of
Bièvre is said to have excelled, is of ancient origin, since mention
is made of it in Rabelais. It is composed of two parts, which are
united by a small cord, the strongest, and at the same time, the most
flexible of its kind that can be procured. One of the parts is a
wooden or ivory stick, pointed at one extremity and rounded at the
other; the cord fixed in the centre of the stick, supports a large
ball, pierced through the middle by a hole, the cord which is passed
through the smallest opening, comes out at the large one; then a knot
is tied at the end, which secures the ball from falling down.
The player begins by twirling the ball so as to give it a very quick
motion in a perpendicular direction; you must wait a few seconds till
you feel that the ball begins to move less quickly; this is the moment
to throw it up, and if the aim is good, the ball will be caught in the
cup, or with a more skilful player upon the point, which is called the
spindle. There are some players so clever, that they will catch the
ball every time; two people may play at this game by trying in a given
number of throws, which will first be able to catch the ball.
An ancient historian, named Estoile, tells us that King Henry the
Third of France amused himself very frequently at cup-and-ball. This
game came suddenly into very great favour in the middle of Louis the
Fifteenth’s reign; it was in fact so much the fashion, that the
actresses had the cup-and-ball in their hand even upon the stage.
The _Emigrant_ was at one time quite as much in vogue, and it deserved
it, on account of its singular mechanism, which though very simple
causes it to remount of itself the whole length of the cord from which
it descends. The _Emigrant_ is a double disk, made of ebony or ivory;
the two parts of this disk are united in the centre by a ball, which
is of the same shape, and which forms a single piece; the ball is
pierced with a hole, through which a cord is passed, the cord is
knotted at the extremity in the same manner as the string of a
cup-and-ball. You wind this cord round the ball, and then raising it
by one end, you let the toy drop, retaining only the end of the cord;
the toy falls, but it has acquired a force of rotation, which obliges
it to roll itself round the cord in an opposite direction, and it thus
winds itself up almost to the very end of the cord. It would in fact
return of itself into your hand, only that a part of its impulse is
destroyed by the friction and the resistance of the air; you are
therefore obliged to second its motion by the alternate play of the
hand. The _Emigrant_ descends and ascends without ceasing, unless it
gets deranged by the string getting out of the rut, which is formed by
the middle of the ball.
You may play with the _Emigrant_ not only by giving it a vertical
motion, but also a horizontal one; and you may make it go, if you
choose, like a censer, but this last method is not free from
inconvenience, for if the string should chance to break, the disk may
hurt the people who are near the player, or it may smash the
looking-glasses or china.
The _Devil_ is a toy still more dangerous to furniture; it is indeed
so much so, that one cannot without imprudence play with it in a room.
Most people remember this noisy plaything, for it was much in vogue a
few years ago. It is in some respects, the reverse of the _Emigrant_;
but it is moved by the same principle. It consists of two hollow
balls, which are cut out of the same piece of wood, and united by a
common stalk. Sometimes instead of wood, the toy is composed of tin,
pewter, or even crystal; it is hardly necessary to observe that the
_Devils_ of this last substance are the most expensive and the most
fragile. Each ball is pierced with a hole into which the air enters,
and from which it escapes with impetuosity as the instrument turns
round; a continual noise results from this, similar to that made by a
German top. The rotation of the Devil is kept up by the alternate play
of a small cord, suspended between two sticks placed in each hand of
the player. You may throw this plaything very high, even to the
distance of fifteen or twenty feet, and yet retain it upon the string;
but this cannot be done without exposing the poor _Devil_ to the
chance of falling every instant; and it does not long survive repeated
falls.
It seems likely that this game has been brought from India by the
English, for it has been long known in China, and it is represented in
some engravings sent from China, by the missionaries thirty years ago.
Adriana, although the youngest of the girls, had seized upon a toy,
the use of which requires both stillness and reflection; consequently,
she did not expect much amusement from it. It is called the
_Solitaire_, because it can be played by a single person.
The _Solitaire_ is a sort of octagon table, in which thirty-seven
holes are made in the following order; three upon the first row, five
upon the second, seven upon the third, fourth, and fifth, five upon
the seventh, and three upon the eighth and last row.
The thirty-seven holes receive little pegs of bone or ivory which are
taken out at pleasure; but you must leave one of the holes towards the
middle empty. You take the pegs at this game in the same manner as at
draughts, jumping in a straight line over those who leave behind them
an empty space. You may take away the pegs in whatever way you think
proper, but at the end of the game there must remain only one peg; if
two or three, or a greater number, should remain so separated, that
they cannot be taken one after another, the game is lost.
The combinations of this game are very varied, and after you have won
one game, you find it very difficult to play another exactly in the
same manner. This difficulty is a good deal increased by the manner in
which players exercise themselves, in leaving at different times a
hole empty in various parts of the board, first in one place, and then
in another.
There was at this time a continued and heavy fall of rain, which
obliged our young friends to remain for some days within doors.
Fortunately, Victor’s liberality enabled them to amuse themselves as
well in the house as in the open air. In the parcel he had sent to
them, there were two sorts of shuttlecock; the one we have already
described, and another in which the shuttlecock is received on each
side in a sort of funnel attached to a long handle. This exercise is
less active than battledore and shuttlecock, because it is necessary
that both the players should stand in a straight line. The dining-room
was sufficiently spacious to admit of their playing this game with
perfect convenience[1].
Adela and Ernestina laughed very heartily at seeing Tee-totums among
their brother’s presents; even Adriana herself thought that this play
was somewhat too childish; nevertheless, after they had ridiculed
Victor for sending them Tee-totums, they demonstrated at last by
playing with them, that his foresight was not useless. When they had
played at this game in their infancy, they had never troubled
themselves to seek the signification of the letters marked on each
side. All their pleasure consisted in trying who should make the totum
spin the longest. Sometimes they themselves made a totum of a
button-mould into which they drove a nail, a pin, or a little wooden
peg. When Madame D’Hernilly explained to them what was meant by the
letters engraved in black on the sides, they conjectured that the
amusement had been invented by grave professors of science, or at
least by some of their pupils, who had made a certain progress; for
each of these letters P. A. D. T. is the initial of a Latin word
expressing divers chances of the game. The letter P. is the beginning
of the Latin word _pone_, which signifies put down; the person who
throws it is obliged to put down a counter to the pool. The letter A.
is the initial of _accipe_, that is to say, _receive_; the player who
throws it gains a counter. D. the first letter of the Latin word _da_,
in English _give_, obliges you if you turn it up, to pay a counter. If
T, the first letter of _totum_, which signifies _all_, should turn up,
you take all that is in the pool.
We need hardly tell our young readers, that it is from this word
_totum_, that the game takes its name. There are some totums that have
a greater number of sides than others; this causes an infinite variety
in the game, and greatly increases the chances of gain or loss. The
totums with twelve sides, do not differ much from a ball in form; but
they are not turned upon a pivot, they are only rolled by the hand.
The sides are numbered up to twelve, he who gains the highest point
wins the game, and as this play does not require any profound
combinations, they have given it the familiar name of _Jack_.
“It is a pity,” said Adriana, “that Victor did not send us a _Jack_.”
“Oh,” cried Adela, “we may manage to have one with two dice, which
will produce the same numbers from two to twelve.” Madame D’Hernilly
surprised her daughters very much by proving to them, that at the game
of dice, the chances were not equal, and that they would find by
calculation, it was probable they might throw one number more
frequently than another.
In the first place, you can never throw the simple number 1, because
you are obliged to make use of two dice; the lowest number you can
produce, must therefore be 2, which is formed by the two aces; there
is consequently only one means of producing this number: 3 may be
formed in two ways, that is to say, with the ace of one die, and the 2
of another; and then with the 2 of the first, and the ace of the
second.
Number 4 may be formed in three ways, by the double 2, by 1 and 3, and
by 3 and 1. Number 5 has four chances, namely, 2 and 3, 3 and 2, 4 and
1, 1 and 4.
6 may be thrown in five different ways; first, the double 3; second, 2
and 4; third, 4 and 2; fourth, 5 and ace; fifth, ace and 5.
The chances are most in favour of the number 7; it may be formed first
by 6 and ace; second, by ace and 6; third by 5 and 2; fourth, by 2 and
5; fifth, by 4 and 3; sixth, by 3 and 4.
The numbers which follow these, decrease in the same proportion as the
preceding ones have augmented; therefore there are five chances for
number 8, as there are for number 5; the 9 like the 4 has four
chances; the 10 is gained in three ways like the 3; and the 11 is made
by two different combinations like the 2; lastly, the number 12 can be
produced only by the double 6.
It is very necessary to understand these combinations at the games of
tric-trac, or backgammon; the knowledge of them, in fact, constitutes
the whole art of placing the men skilfully.
Players at different games, down even to the very game of _goose_,
have made use of these combinations in order to calculate the probable
chances of the different numbers. There is an infinite variety of
drawings upon pasteboard designed for these games. The game of the
_goose_, and similar ones, are disposed from 9 to 9; but you cannot
stop there, and it is not possible to arrive at the last number 63,
till you have surmounted a great number of obstacles. As a proof of
this, we need only observe how often it happens, that when a person is
nearly at the end of the game, and upon the point of winning it, he
throws 6, which is one of the most common throws, and thus going
beyond the required number is obliged to begin the game again. The
_bridge_, the _well_, the _prison_, and _death_, that is to say, the
figures which represent these quicksands, are arranged in such a
manner, that one falls into them by the numbers 6, 7, and 8, which
come every instant. In speaking upon this subject, Ernestina said
facetiously, that a comic poet was not in the wrong in making one of
his personages say:――
These games I prefer, which the spirit amuse,
And ’tis a nice game, this same game of the GOOSE.
Adela, who had seen her parents play at tric-trac, asked the meaning
of the words carmes, sonnes, &c., which she had heard pronounced at
this game. Madame D’Hernilly informed her, that they call the two aces
_leset_; the two trays _ternes_; the two fours _carmes_; the two
fives, _quines_; the two sixes _sonnez_. There is no particular
denomination for the double deuce.
With three dice, the chances are still more multiplied, and it would
be very easy to calculate them; three points alike are called
_raffle_, that is to say, a raffle of aces, a raffle of trays, a
raffle of sixes, &c. &c.
From explaining the chances of the dice, Madame D’Hernilly turned to
that of the _osselets_, or knuckle bones, which the ancients used
nearly in the same manner as we do dice. They placed two or three in
the dice box, and they reckoned a certain number of points according
to what was turned up. The game was, however, looked upon only as a
childish amusement. Phrates, king of the Parthians, wishing to
reproach Demetrius, king of Syria, for his habitual levity, sent him
some golden _osselets_.
Our children employed the little bone which is found in the leg of
mutton, and which we call cramp-bone, or else small pieces of ivory
cut to resemble it. The convex side is called the back, the opposite
side which is concave, is called the hollow, and the two other sides
are called the flat sides. The _osselet_ is thrown up into the air,
and before it falls, the player is obliged to place those which remain
upon the tube one after another upon the back, upon the hollow, and
upon the concave side; another osselet is then thrown up, and before
it returns into his hand, he must successively snatch up all those
which are on the table, or else he must make them pass under the thumb
and forefinger of his left hand, which is extended; these different
combinations are called making the _back_, the _hollow_, the _wells_,
the _fricassee_, the _raffle_, &c.
The Misses D’Hernilly, and their young friends amused themselves very
little with the _osselets_ which Victor had sent them; they declared
that such a fatiguing game was fitter for boys than girls. But though
they thought little of the _osselets_, they prized very highly a
superb set of dominos, which were made of mother-of-pearl, and had the
spots marked with golden nails. Madame D’Hernilly thought that this
elegant token of Victor’s affection for his sisters, would not be very
long safe in the hands of those little rattle-pates and their giddy
associates; she therefore took charge of them herself, and presented
the children with a common set in their stead.
Each Domino is divided into two parts, and each part presents seven
combinations; namely, the six points of the dice, and the white space:
it is for this reason, that the dominos are 28 in number. Each player
takes at random a certain number of dominos, which he places before
him in such a manner, that his adversary cannot distinguish how many
there are. The person who has a double six, or for want of that, a
double five, or any other number doubled, begins the game: the others,
for three or four may play at it, place by turns, a corresponding
domino to one of the extremities of the domino which is put upon the
table. If any one has not a domino to correspond with the others, he
is passed by, and loses his turn; this is called _sulking_. When there
are only two, it is called _fishing_. You take at first very few
dominos, for example, three, or at most five. When you _sulk_, instead
of letting your adversary play, you draw from the dominos which
remain, until you have drawn the required number; in consequence of
this, it sometimes happens, that the player draws more than half the
set. The game is won by the player who has first used all his dominos.
If the game is closed, and that no one can place their remaining
numbers either to the right or the left, he who has the smallest
number of points, or if the points are equal, who retains the least
number of dominos, wins the game. The winner reckons in his favour the
number of points which his adversary has not been able to place, and
they begin again until one of the players has gained the number 100 as
at picquet.
The young neighbours were obliged to absent themselves for a few days
from the castle, they soon however returned; and they passed whole
evenings in playing at domino. Each of the players marked by means of
a card the numbers they had gained. Madame D’Hernilly informed them,
that their manner of reckoning up their numbers, by cutting a card in
different places, had a great resemblance to the _abacus_, which the
ancient Romans made use of in counting; and the _souan-pan_, which the
Chinese employ for the same purpose.
On one side is a large hollow, with four slits to mark the units; on
the other side is a mark reckoned equal to fifty, and four others,
which are each equal to ten. You might by this means, count beyond
ninety-nine, but in multiplying the slits, you might go to several
millions, or even millions of millions.
This kind of arithmetic is much more expeditious than that of writing
down and adding up columns of figures, but it is attended with one
very great inconvenience, that of leaving no trace of detached
calculations; so that you cannot ascertain afterwards whether you have
not committed some error.
The children’s fondness for dominos, subsided at last like their other
whims, and they condescended to play with the _onchets_. Adriana
deceived by the similarity of sound between this word and _échecs_,
the French name for chess, supposed they were the same game; Madame
D’Hernilly explained the difference, which was very considerable; but
although she was tolerably skilful at chess and draughts, she thought
that their combinations were too complicated for young people. “When
you are older,” said she, “I will make you acquainted with a charming
poem, written by Cérutti on the game of chess; but in order to
comprehend the poem, you must be acquainted with the rules of the
game. I shall content myself to-day with reading you some verses
descriptive of the subject.”
[1] This game and those that follow are represented in the
border of the print.