The (almost really) Complete Works of Lewis Carroll

A Game for two Players, or a round Game

The principal feature of this game consists in the linking together of words, so that any two consecutive words may differ in one letter only. Such a series of words is called a “Chain.” The simplest form of a Chain is where two words are given, and the Chain is so made as to have the given words at the two ends (such as “Head, Heal, Teal, Tell, Tall, Tail.”) The two given words are called a “Doublet,” and the words introduced to make the Chain are called “Links.” A more elaborate form of Chain is where there are three or more words given, (such as “Ale, Ice, Arm, Ant”) and the Chain is so made as to have two of them at the ends, and the others in the Chain, (such as “Ale, Are, Ire, Ice, Ace, Act, Ant, Art, Arm”). The given words are called “Jewels,” and all that have chain on both sides of them are said to be “set.” If Links can be found to unite the two ends (such as “Aim, Ail, All,” which would unite “Arm” to “Ale”) the Chain is called a ”Necklace”, and all the Jewels in it are then said to be “set.” The above Necklace may be written in this form:—

In making a Chain or Necklace, it is not allowable to use a word twice.

We will now suppose that each of the Players is provided with a large sheet of paper to work on, a number of slips to write out Chains on, a limited stock of patience, and an unlimited stock of good-temper. We proceed to the

Rules for 2 Players.

One player opens a book at random and hands it to the other, who selects, at the open place, 3 words of 3 letters each, 3 of 4, and 3 of 5: he then opens it in another place and returns it to the first Player, who selects 9 words in the same manner. These 18 words are written down by each Player, and are the “Jewels.”

The first Player then opens the book again and hands it to the other, who selects a word of 3, or 4, or 5 letters, as may be agreed: he then opens it in another place and returns it to the first Player, who selects another word of the same length. These words form the first “Doublet.”

Each Player then works this Doublet into a Chain, which he writes out on a slip of paper and lays face-downwards on the table.

When both are written, the papers are turned up, and the one who finished the first gets 2 marks for “speed”: and, if the Chains are of different lengths, the writer of the shortest gets so many marks, as represent the difference, for “brevity.” Another Doublet is then selected, and the game proceeds as before.

If one Player abandons the attempt to make a Chain, but the other succeeds; the successful one gets 2 marks for “speed” and 4 for “brevity.”

If both abandon the attempt, another Doublet is selected.

A Chain which contains an inadmissable word, or which violates any of the rules, is called “null.”

If both Players fail in making a Chain, he who first declared his to be “abondened” gets 3 marks for “decision,” but, if both Chains be “null,” neither Player gets marks.

The Player who first finishes (or abandons) his Chain may occupy his time, till the other has finished, in making “extra-Chains” of the Jewels. These are marked at the end of the game, by the following rule:— a Jewel at the end of a Chain gets as many marks as it has letters; a “set” Jewel twice as many; and every Link loses a mark. Thus, a Chain of 6 Jewels of 4 letters each, containing 30 Links, gets 10 marks: if, by adding 6 more Links, it is made into a Necklace, it gets 12.

In making a set of “extra-Chains,” it is not allowable to use any Jewel twice; but a word may be used more than once as a Link, so long as it only occurs once in each Chain.

If a set of extra-Chains violate any rule, there may still be portions which can get marks, and the writer is allowed to erase the faulty portions.

We now proceed to the

Rules for a Round Game,

which are the same as for 2 Players, with the following exceptions:—

A President is chosen to score the marks: he may play himself.

The President opens a book at random, and hands it to one of the players, who selects, at the open place, a word of 3 letters, a word of 4, and a word of 5. He then does the same with another Player, and so on, till the 18 Jewels have been selected.

The first Doublet is selected in the same way. As soon as any Player has finished his Chain, he writes it on a slip of paper and hands it, face-downwards, to the President, who places the slips in a heap.

When all have handed in (or abandoned) their Chains, the President turns over the heap, and marks for “speed” by the following rule — the first correct Chain finished gets as many marks as there are Players; the next gets one mark less, and so on, the last getting none. He then marks for “brevity” as follows:— the longest Chain gets no marks, and every shorter Chain gets as many marks as represent the difference. If any Chain be abandoned or null, it is taken as “longest” and considered to be 4 Links longer than the longest successful one.

If all fail in making a Chain, he who first declared his to be abandoned gets 3 marks for “decision,” and the one who declared next gets 2.

Before beginning a game, it should be settled how many Doublets it is to consist of: six will be found a convenient number.

The following form of scoring-paper is recommended:— [N.B. The first figure in a “Doublet” column is for “speed,” the second for “brevity.” “A” stands for “abandoned the first”; “a” for “abandoned second”; “0” represents “no marks.”]