XXVIII

THE CORONA (WITH TWO WHIST PACKS)

THIS is a pretty variety of an older game known as "Round Dozen." Deal round twelve cards in a circle, the cards radiating lengthwise from the centre, and at equal intervals. Then deal a second circle of twelve cards outside the first, placing the cards end to end on the first circle; and then a third circle in the same way. You will now have a corona of twelve rays, making thirty-six cards in all.

The exposed cards are the twelve which lie on the outer point of the rays, and these alone can be used for building. Any exposed card can be moved on to any other exposed card that is of the same suit, and next in order of sequence, upward or downward. Any vacancy thus made can be filled by moving into it any other exposed card, but only one card can be moved in this way at a time. That is to say, a sequence may not be moved bodily, from one ray of the corona to another, but it may be built card by card, in reverse order, if any suitable exposed card will serve as a foundation.

Any ace or king that is (or becomes) exposed is removed and placed aside to become a foundation card, and building is done according to suit, upward from the aces and downward from the kings. Upon these foundation packets sequences can be lifted bodily from the Corona, although, as has been said, this cannot be done from ray to ray of the Corona itself.

When you have done all that is possible with the Corona as first dealt, go on dealing from stock, either filling up the vacancies that have been made in the rays, or forming a rubbish-heap, whichever may be preferable.

Begin by putting out the ace of clubs from the 8th ray; then, moving the 2 of diamonds from the 4th ray to the 3 in the 7th, you release the ace of diamonds and can build upon it the 2 and the 3. Put out also the king of diamonds from the 5th ray. Then, moving the 8 of spades in the 6th ray to the 7 in the 5th, you free the king of spades. You may get the spades into their proper order by removing the 8 to the 9 in the 12th ray, and then putting the 7 upon the 8. No more building can be done at present. After some cards have been dealt into the rubbish-heap, the aces of spades and hearts turn up, and the 2 of hearts goes out. By placing the now released 8 of diamonds on the

EXAMPLE.

Under the 9 of diamonds in the rubbish-heap is an 8 of hearts, which can go on the 9 in the 5th ray. The 7 and 6 are next exposed in turn, which is fortunate, as now you may remove the 5 and 4 of hearts in the 1st ray, and (getting them into their proper order by placing the 5 on the 6) may make two spaces by running out the sequence of hearts. Into these spaces it will be well to put the remaining cards of the rubbish-heap (the queen of hearts and the 4 of spades), which will soon be needed. Deal again. You soon turn up a 5 of clubs, which you place on the 6 in the 6th ray, and upon the 5 you can then put the 4 from the 10th ray. The 6 of diamonds is now released. You place it on the 7; put out the 10 and the 9, and again you have two spaces. Deal again before filling them, as all your sequences are running the right way.

The game is so far forward that it looks as if it would come out. If you keep the spaces open for cards that will be wanted the latest, and if you lose no opportunity of building on the foundation packets, or freeing imprisoned cards in the Corona, it is sure to do so.