CHINESE GAMES WITH DICE AND DOMINOES. 527 



spots is equal to i), called H<im-1on<j-tan-o-Uiem (Cbiiiese sdm fung idn'ng 

 f()u), " three alike and ouly five spots,'' and 3 pieces upon wliicli 3 of 

 the spots are alike and the sum of the other 3 spots is equal to or more 

 than 14, called sam-tong-sip-sd-tyem (Chinese sdm fung shap sz^ tim), 

 " three alike and fourteen spots." 



In forming these combinations, 3 contiguous ])ieces in a row may be 

 taken, or 1 or 2 pieces at one end of a row may be used in combination 

 with 2 pieces or 1 piece at the other end, the pieces thus taken being 

 always placed on the inner side. Thus the piece A may be mated with 

 C D to form a combination A C D, or B A may be mated with D to 

 form a combination A B D. The combinations thus formed are 

 removed and placed in a line face uj) above the 5 rows, the one found 

 nearest the bottom being placed to the left and successive ones to the 

 right of the line thus started. When no more combinations can be 

 discovered, 5 pieces are*drawn from the unused pile of 12 pieces which 

 have been left with their faces down, and one-of them placed face down 

 to the right of each of the 5 rows. These 5 pieces are then turned face 

 up, and an attempt made to form combinations of threes 'with their 

 aid. The results are successively placed to the right of the line at 

 the top and this process is continued until the 12- extra pieces are 

 exhausted. AVhen this happens, 5 pieces are withdrawn from the left 

 of the top line and added in succession to right of the 5 rows. If, by 

 chance, but 4 or a less number of rows remain, only a corresponding- 

 number of pieces are drawn. This process is continued over and over 

 until all the jneces are combined in sets of threes in a long row at the 

 top, or the top row is exhausted and a block ensues, determining suc- 

 cess or failure. The name of the game is said to have been taken from 

 a well-known episode in the life of Koau Ou* (Chinese, Kwdn tj), the 



*Kw:iu Yii {Kwdn tj) I). A. D. 219. Deaiguated Kwau Chwiiug Mift aud deified 

 as Kwan Ti or Wii Ti, tho God of War. A native of Kiai Chow, in Shan-si, who 

 rose to celebrity toward the close of the second century through his alliance with 

 Lin Pei aud Chang Fei in the struggles which ushered in the period of the Tliree 

 Kingdoms. He is reputed to have been, in early life, a seller of bean-curd, but to 

 have subsequently applied himself to study until, in A. D. 184, he casually encoun- 

 tered Liu Pei at a time when the latter was about to take up arms in defense of the 

 house of Han against the rebellion of the Yellow Turbans. He joined Liu Pei and 

 his confederate, Chang Fei, iu a solemn oath, which was sworn in a peach-orchard 

 belongingto the latter, that they would fight hencefortli side by side aud live and die 

 together. The fidelity of Kwan Yii to his adopted leaders remained unshaken dur- 

 ing a long series of years in spite of many trials ; and similarly his attachment to 

 Chang Fei continued throughout his life. At an early period of his career he was 

 created a t'ing how (baron) by the regent Ts'ao Ts'ao, with the title of Hdn shu 

 ting ban. * * * j^jy martial powers shone conspicuously in many campaigns 

 which were waged by Liu Pei before his throne as sovereign of Shu became assured, 

 but he fell a victim at last to tlie superior force .and strategy of Sun K'iian, who 

 took him prisoner and caused him to be beheaded. Long celebrated as one of the 

 most renowned among China's heroes, he was at length canonized by the superstitious 

 HweiT'suug, of the Sung dynasty, early in the Twelfth century, with the title Chung 

 hwui Kung. In 1128 he received the still higher title of Chwaug miu wu ngfin 

 Wiiug, and after many subsequent alterations and additions he was at length raised 

 in 1594 by Ming Wan Li to the rank of Ti, or God, since which date, and especially 

 since the accession of the Manchow dynasty, his worshij) as the God of War has been 

 firmly established. (Chinese Reader's Manual, No. 297.) 



