The (almost really) Complete Works of Lewis Carroll

A Game for two Players, or a Round Game.

A series of words of the same length, where any two consecutive ones differ in one letter only (e. g. ‘Head, Heal, Teal, Tell, Tall, Tail’), is called a ‘Chain.’ The game consist in forming Chains so as to contain two or more given words, one of which must be at each end. Two given words are called a ‘Doublet’; three or more, ‘Jewels’; connecting words are called ‘Links.’ (Thus the above Chain might have been made for the ‘Doublet’ ‘Head, Tail,’ or for the four Jewels ‘Head, Teal, Tell, Tail.’) A Jewel that has chain on both sides (e. g. ‘Teal’ in the above Chain) is said to be ‘set.’ If Links be found to unite the two ends (e. g. ‘Hail, Hair, Heir, Hear,’ which unite ‘Tail’ to ‘Head’), the Chain is called a ‘Necklace,’ and all the Jewels in it are said to be ‘set.’ A Necklace must contain at least three Jewels. The above Necklace might be written thus:—

In making a Chain or Necklace, it is not allowed to use a word twice; and no word is admissable that is not in ordinary use in good society.

The Rules for Two Players.

Each Player should be provided with writing-materials and an English book; and one of them should also have a scoring-paper, ruled as follows:—

Each opens a book, and selects two words of three letters, two of four, and two of five. These twelve words are written down by each, and are the ‘Jewels.’

Each again opens a book, and selects a word of three, four, five, or any other number of letters, as may be agreed. When both words are fixed on they are read out, and are the first ‘Doublet.’

Each now tries to make a Chain of this. As soon as a Player has decided with how many Links he will undertake to make it, or that he will abandon the attempt, he says, ‘— Links,’ or ‘Abandoned,’ as the case may be. He who does this first is marked ‘I’ in the first ‘Declaration’-column, followed by the number he named or by the letter ‘a’: the other is marked ‘II’ in the same way.

A Chain is reckoned as having the ‘declared’ number of Links, even if it really have fewer: if it have more, it is ‘null.’

When both have ‘declared,’ each must at once write out his Chain (if he has not already done so); if he cannot do this, it is ‘null.’

The Chains are now examined, and correct Chains are marked as follows:—He who first ‘declared’ the length of his Chain gets 2 for ‘decision;’ also the writer of the shorter gets, for ‘brevity,’ 3 for every Link saved. (N.B. A ‘null’ Chain is reckoned as being two Links longer than a correct one.) If neither be correct, he who first ‘abandoned’ gets 2 for ‘decision.’ All these numbers are entered in the first ‘Marks’ column.

A second Doublet is then selected, and the game proceeds as before, four Doublets making one Game.

Each Player may employ his spare time in making extra Chains or Necklaces of the Jewels. These are marked at the end of the game, thus:—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 with three Jewels, of four letters each, and seven links, gets 9; if, by adding four links, it be made into a Necklace, it gets 13.)

In making extra Chains, it is not allowed to use any Jewel twice; but a word may be used more than once as a Link, provided it does not occur twice in one Chain.

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

The Rules for a Round Game

are the same as the above, with the following alterations:—

Each Player should have, besides a large sheet of paper for working on, a number of slips for writing out Chains when finished.

One of the Players is chosen as President: he keeps the score, and settles all disputed points.

Each Player in turn opens a book and selects a word of three letters, one of four, and one of five; till the twelve jewels have been selected.

Two Players, named by the President, select the first Doublet.

Correct Chains are marked as follows:—He who first ‘declared’ the length of his Chain gets, for ‘decision,’ as many marks as there are Players, the next gets one mark less, and so on down to ‘2,’ which is the lowest mark given; also the writer of any Chain that is not the longest gets, for ‘brevity,’ 3 for every link saved. (N.B. A ‘null’ chain is reckoned as being two links longer than the longest correct one.) If none be correct, he who first ‘abandoned’ gets 4 for ‘decision,’ and the next gets 2.

The following Doublets may be useful for practice in making Chains:—

‘Hare, Soup,’ has been done with six links; ‘Tree, Wood,’ with eight; ‘Pen, Ink,’ with eight; ‘Castle, Butler,’ with ten; ‘Mine, Coal,’ with six; ‘Grub, Moth,’ with twelve; ‘Quilt, Sheet,’ with eighteen; ‘Bread, Toast,’ with twenty-one.