Marbles a kid's game 08.13.2020

            Before we get started with Marbles, allow me to say, the Tres took me for a walk this morning and upon returning home, his upset stomach seems to have been corrected. Now before that one person who is, “The north end of a south bound horse” asks, I did not get a photo of the Tres’ dropping! I don’t know why I allow that person to read these wonderful postings? 

            Marbles, do you have all your marbles? Heck, do I have all my marbles. I am not writing about mental acuity; I am writing about an old-time kids’ game of marbles. I do not have all the answers about the game, I am hoping someone has a better memory and can enlighten this author. 

            I remember being at May Green School, which is in Missouri. Along the west side of the playground there were trees and in that area the grass had been trampled to a point, of only having dirt and dust. That is where we would play marbles.

            Consider for a moment, kids getting down on their hands and knees in the dirt playing marbles during recess, and then returning to the class room for an exceptional learning experience.

            To play this game one would draw a circle in the dirt. Then the players would drop marbles into the ring, each dropping the same number of marbles. The players would determine whether they were playing for keeps or for fun. Obviously, keeps means you kept the marbles that you were able to knock out of the ring.

            It seems that each boy had a marble that he used to shoot with. I do not know why but these were called his Tall. There were situations where ones Tall became stuck in the ring, and if the opponent could shoot it out of the ring, he would say, “Two or your Tall”, meaning, give me two marbles or I keep your Tall.

            There were steelies, these were metal ball bearings. They were band in most games. There was a large glass marble and we called them lobbies, due to their large size. There were cat eyes, and they got their name from their appearance, they were not a solid color.

            Most boys who played marbles, had a small pouch like container in which he carried his marbles.

            If you have additional input about the game feel free to share them with me.

 

Winners wear masks and wash their hands!

 

Senior marble-ologist and one time covered in dirt or dust, Don the Ford