The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

JACKS

THIS GAME OF JACKS IS PLAYED WITH TWELVE JACKS.
THE JACKS ARE SCATTERED OVER THE PLAYING AREA,THE
PLAYER BEIGN PICKING UP THE JACKS STARTING WITH ONES
AND WORKING UP TO THE TWELVES.
AS A PERSON PICKS UP THE JACKS THEY MUST KEEP THEM IN
THE HAND NOT USED TO THROW THE BALL WITH. IF ANY OF THE JACKS
ARE DROPPED FROM THIS HAND BEFORE THEY COMPLETE THE NUMBER
THEY ARE ON THEY ARE OUT.
WHEN YOU GET TO THE TENS YOU HAVE TO SLIDE TEN JACKS
IN THE HAND NOT USED TO CATCH THE BALL WITH.
WHEN DOING ELEVENS YOU HAVE TO PICK UP ONE JACK AT A TIME
AND TAP IN ON THE FLOOR TWO TIMES BEFORE CATCHING THE BALL.
ON YOUR TWELVES YOU MUST SAY JACK-BE-NIMBLE-JACK-BE-QUICK
JACK-JUMPED-OVER THE CANDLESTICK;BEFORE CATCHING THE BALL.

Submitter comment: THE VARIANT IN THIS GAME AND THE WAY I LEARNED TO PLAY
IS IN THE PART WHERE YOU MUST KEEP THE JACKS IN YOUR HAND.
WE WERE ALLOWED TO SIT OUR JACKS DOWN AFTER WE PICKED THEM UP.

Date learned: 01-00-0198