Two persons only can play at this game, one player taking “noughts,” the other “crosses.”  The idea is for the one player to try and draw three “noughts” in a line before the other player can do the same with three “crosses.”  Supposing the player who places his “O” in the right-hand top corner, the player who has taken the “crosses” will perhaps place an “X” in the left-hand top corner.  The next “O” would be placed in the bottom left-hand corner; then to prevent the line of three “noughts” being completed, the second player would place his “X” in the center square.  An “O” would then be immediately placed in the right-hand bottom corner, so that wherever the “X” was placed by the next player, the “noughts” would be bound to win.  Say, for instance, the “X” has chosen the “noughts” commences and was placed in the center square on the right-hand side, the place for the “O” to be put would be the center square at the bottom, thus securing the game.  The diagram would then appear as illustrated: 

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“Tit, tat, toe”

[Illustration]

There can be two, three, or four players for this game.  First take paper and pencil and write the players’ names across the top of the paper in the order in which they are to play.  Next draw a large circle, in the center of which draw a smaller one, placing the number 100 within it.  The space between the inner and outer circles must be divided into parts, each having a number, as shown in the diagram.

This having been done, the first player closes his eyes, takes the pencil, and places his hand over the paper, the point of the pencil just touching it.  He then repeats the following rhyme, moving the pencil round and round while doing so: 

  Tit, tat, toe,
  My first go,
  Four jolly butcher boys
  All in a row. 
  Stick one up,
  Stick one down,
  Stick one in
  The old man’s crown.

At the word “crown” the player must keep the point of the pencil firmly on the paper, and open his eyes.  If the pencil is not within the circle, or if within but with the point of the pencil resting upon a line, then the player gives the pencil to the next player, having scored nothing.

If, on the contrary, at the end of the rhyme, the pencil is found to be resting in a division of the circle, for instance, marked “70,” that number is placed beneath the player’s name, and the section is struck by drawing a line across it.  If afterward the pencil rest in a division of the circle that has been struck out, the player loses his turn in the same way as if the pencil were not in the circle at all, or had rested upon a line of the diagram.

The game continues until all the divisions of the circle have been scored out, when the numbers gained by each of the players are added up, and the one who has scored the highest number of points wins the game.

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