CHINESE GAMES WITH DICE AND DOMINOES. 493 



684, 701-710). Mr. Herbert A. Giles* tells me that this story is men- 

 tioned by a Chinese author, but I am inclined to regard the account as 

 fanciful, and think that it is probable that the color of the '' fours" 

 was derived, with the dice themselves, from India. 



Several sizes of dice are used by the Chinese, varying from a cube 

 01 two-tenths to one of seven-tenths of an inch. Difterent sizes are 

 employed in different games, according to custom. 



Dice are usually thrown by hand into a porcelain bowl, the jdayers 

 throwing around in turn from right to left, and accompanying their 

 efforts with cries of lot! "come !" 



The Chinese laborers in the United States play several games with 

 dice, but they are not a popular mode of gambling, and are generally 

 neglected for fan fan, and Chinese dominoes. 



sz' 'ng luk. 



The best known of these games is called sz^ ''ng lul\ " four, five, six," 

 commonly contracted to sing lul; and is played with 3 dice of the 

 largest size. The throws in it in the order of their rank are: ''Tliree 

 alike from three "sixes " down, called teat A " Four, five, six," called 

 sing Jul- or chiin fd.^ Two alike, the odd die countingfrom " six " down 

 to ace, the last throw being called yaf fat, "ace negative." One, 

 two, three, called mo lung, "dancing dragon," or she tsai, "little 

 snake." 



The first player is determined, on throwing around, to be the one 

 who throws the highest number of red spots. The other players lay 

 their wagers, usually in sums di\asibleby3, before them. The first player 

 throws until he makes one of the above mentioned casts. If he throws 

 sing litJc ("four, five, six"); 3 alike; or 2 alike, "six" high, each of the 

 players at once pay him the full amount of their stakes; but if he 

 throws mo lung or yat fat, he pays them the full amount of their 

 stakes. If he throws 2 alike, "five," "four," "three," or "two" high, 

 the next player on his left throws. If the latter makes a higher 

 cast, the first player must pay him, but if a lower cast, he must pay 

 the first player. The amounts thus paid are usually proportionate 

 to the difference between the throws with the odd die. If it is 4 

 or 3, the full amount; if 2, two-thirds, or if 1, one-third of the stakes 

 must be paid. 



The third player throws in the same way, and the game is continued 

 until the first player is out- thrown. 



* Chinese dice are the exact counterpart of our own except that the ace and four 

 are colored red; the ace because the combination of black and white would be 

 unlucky and the "four" because this number once turned up in response to the call 

 of an Emperor of the T'ang dynasty, who particularly wanted a "four" to win him 

 the jiarfie. (Strange stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol, ii, p. 145.) 



t Wai means "to inclose," and is a term that is also employed in Chinese games of 

 chess and cards. 



t Literally, "strung flowers." 



