Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/404

 384 Cairene Folklore.

with a large ball as big as a foot-ball, which is made of leather and twisted rope. This is tied to a string and kicked from one party to the other with hockey sticks and the feet. Each party consists of four boys. Another game is to run after other boys ; the one who is caught is ridden by the catcher until he can catch another player.

A favourite Egyptian game with the backgammon board is qalb el-hurr, which is much more complicated than the ordinary taula or "backgammon." The players start from opposite ends of the board, each putting five men on the extreme point to the right, but on his adversary's side of the board, the point next to the left counting " one," the next counting " two," and so on up to " six," which is represented by the extreme point on the right of the second table (that on the left side of the player). A point which is occupied by a man belonging to one of the players cannot be played on by the other. If odd numbers are thrown the play is as in ordinary backgammon ; when five and three, for instance, are thrown, either a man is put on each of the points which represent five and three, or the men already on the board are advanced three and five points to the left. Doublets, however, are counted in a peculiar way. Double one is called abiak, double two dubdra, double three dosa, double four durgi, double five davash, and double six diish. If abiak is thrown the thrower first plays four ones, then four twos, then four threes, and so on up to four sixes. If dubdra is thrown he first plays four twos, then four threes, and so on as before. The object of the player is to occupy as many points as possible so as to prevent his adversary from advancing on them ; if his adversary cannot play, he plays instead. Each player tries to advance his men from the table in which they are first put upon the board to the table opposite it, i.e. the table from which the other player has started; as soon as all the men belonging to one of the players are in this table they are played off according to the throws. If five and three are thrown, for instance, a