The New International Encyclopædia/Jack-Stones

JACK-STONES. A game played with five small pebbles, marbles, or pieces of specially shaped metal (iron). The popular forms of the game are as follows: (a) All five stones are tossed into the air, and caught, so far as is possible, on the back of the hand; or else one of the stones at a time is tossed up and caught in various methods agreed upon. (b) Ones.—In this exercise the stones are at first held in the hand: the Jack (any one of the five) is then tossed into the air; the remaining four are laid upon the floor, and the Jack is caught before it can land. In Twos, Threes, and Fours the stones are picked up, while the Jack is in the air, by twos, threes, or fours, as the case may be. Other games with Jack-stones are: Riding the Elephant; Set the Table; Peas in the Pod; and Horses in the Stable. According to Aristophanes, Jack-stones was a girls' game, and exceedingly popular, and, according to ancient writers, was originally played with the knuckle-bones of sheep.