Q. What have horses, pigs, cats and false teeth got in common? A. They're all steps in the game of Knucklebones. Knucklebones is an ancient game. Bones, thought to be playthings, have been found in prehistoric caves in Russia. Nobody knows how the game was played in prehistoric times, but in classical times 'Pentalitha' (Fivestones) as it was known, was played with five little pebbles or knucklebones. They were thrown into the air and caught on the back of the hand. The pieces on the floor were then carefully picked up with the fingers while balancing the rest on the back of the hand. There is no record of the other variations in play, but it is highly probable that the pieces were thrown and picked up in much the same way as children play now. Later, a pottery ball, slightly smaller than a golf ball, was added, which made the game a little easier to play, as the bounce of the ball allowed more time to snatch the pieces up from the floor. The use of a ball or marble was recorded as early as the mid-16th century. By the 19th century, the game was highly developed, with many steps, some of which are still played today. For instance, 'passes-passes' (France, 1800s) was played in the same way as 'Through the Arch' in Australia and Kopru (Gate or Bridge) in Turkey, where the pieces are pushed through an arch made by the thumb and index finger of the left hand. The game is known throughout the world, and probably has as many names as there are countries. Dibs, Chuckstones, Snobs, Chucks, Dabs, Bestas, Diketo, Terrespil, Pacheta, La Payanita, O-Tedama - the list is endless. In English-language countries, the game is usually called by the universal name of Jacks, which has also been adopted as the name for the small spiked metal playing pieces produced in America. Jacks is one of the most accommodating of games - almost anything of the right size can be used. Pick up a few stones or pieces of tan-bark from the playground and you can start playing immediately; although the playing pieces should have enough weight to land on your hand without bouncing off - a common failing of the cheap, mass-produced plastic knucklebones currently available from toy shops and novelty stores. From earliest times, knucklebones have been replicated in a wide range of materials, including precious stones and metals, ivory, wood and finally plastic. In the days before coloured plastic pieces were so readily available, children in Australia dyed their sheep's knucklebones by soaking them in ink or boiling them on the stove in a tin filled with water and flower petals. The game is also played with ceramic cubes, spiked metal jacks and little bags filled with beans, rice or sand. One very skilful version, played in Vietnam and Thailand, uses chopsticks or lengths of bamboo as playing pieces, and a lime or lemon in place of a ball. The steps in this game are based on the traditional work of women in the home. The eminent American folklorist, Dorothy Howard, visited Australia in the 1950s, collecting the play lore of Australian children. She subsequently published a paper entitled ‘The Game of Knucklebones in Australia’, largely based on material collected in Western Australia, where the game was played with a passion. Her research material is now in the Australian Childrens Folklore Collection, which has recently been donated to the Museum of Victoria by Dr June Factor, co-founder of the Collection and its Director for over twenty years. In case you've forgotten, here are some of the steps for Knucklebones from the 1950s. No doubt there will be more to add to the list: Ones, Twos, Threes, Fours Scatters - Ones, Twos, Threes, Fours Sweeps - Ones, Twos Threes, Fours Dumps Colour Dumps Clicks No Clicks Little Jingles Big Jingles Juggles Horse in the Stable Through the Arch Over the Line Pigs in the Sty Thread the Needle Catching Flies My Pussycat Likes Fresh Milk If you're still wondering about the 'false teeth' from the riddle at the beginning, it comes from a step common in the 1920s and 30s, called Granny's False Teeth, where the knucklebones are picked up and placed between the fingers of the left hand. Ref: Opie, Iona & Peter, Children’s Games with Things, Oxford University Press, London, 1997 Judy McKinty If you have stories of memorable Jacks games, or any other information about games and child lore, please send them to Judy McKinty, 54 Erica Avenue, Glen Iris, 3146, or email them to judy@pixeltech.com.au listing where and when you played the game. Contributions will be used in future articles on children's folklore.