XXII

THE FLOWER GARDEN (WITH ONE WHIST PACK)

THIS is one of the best and most interesting games, and is widely popular. Lay out six groups of six cards each, spreading each group fanwise, so that the faces of the cards may be visible. These are the flower beds. The remaining sixteen cards are kept in the hand, and are called the bouquet. They may be conveniently sorted into suits, as is shown in the diagram below.

The object is to get out the four aces as foundations, and to build upon these, in suit, up to their respective kings. Any card may be taken from the bouquet; but only the "exposed" card of each flower bed (i.e. the outer card of the fan) is available. When straightforward building on to the ace-packets cannot be done for want of available material, the cards must be skilfully manipulated by building on the exposed cards of the flower beds in downward sequence, regardless of suit. Exposed sequences (i.e. sequences which terminate in an exposed card) may be shifted bodily, whenever they fit; and cards from the bouquet may at any time be put out to help in forming any sequence that will carry the game forward. Whenever all the cards of one of the flower beds have been cleared, and a vacancy thus made, you can either fill the space from the bouquet, or can transfer into it an exposed card or sequence from another flower bed. There is much scope in this game for thought and ingenuity, which is what makes it so fascinating. The rules will be best understood by playing attentively through the subjoined. (See diagram, p. 95.)

At first sight this deal looks a very difficult, if not an impossible one, as all the four aces are buried. A little thought, however, will show that it can be successfully worked out, one method being as follows. Cards taken from the bouquet are distinguished by an asterisk (*).

Put knave of clubs on queen of clubs. Put 6 of spades on the 7 of spades, then 5 of spades on the 6. Put 8 of hearts on 9 of clubs, and ace of diamonds will go out for our first foundation.

Put 7 of hearts on the 8, and the 6 on the 7, making a space, into which transfer queen and knave of clubs. The 2 of diamonds goes out on the ace. Put 5*, 4*, 3* of clubs on 6 of hearts.

Put 2 of spades on 3 of clubs. Put 4 of diamonds on 5 of spades. The 3 of diamonds goes

EXAMPLE.

Put 4 of spades on 5 of spades, knave of diamonds on queen of diamonds, 10 of clubs on knave of diamonds, 9* of diamonds on 10 of clubs, and 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 of spades on 9 of diamonds. The ace of clubs goes out for our third foundation. The 2* of clubs goes on the ace. Move the sequence from queen of diamonds to 4 of spades on to the king of diamonds, and the ace of spades goes out.

Now build up spades to the 8, using the 3* in the bouquet. Build up clubs to the 5. Move the 9 of clubs four-card sequence on to the 10 of diamonds. Transfer queen of hearts into the vacant space. The 6 of clubs goes out. Put 8 of diamonds on to 9. The 2 of hearts, 5 of diamonds, 6 of diamonds go out. Then 7* of diamonds, followed by the 8 and 9. Move the six-card knave-of-hearts sequence on to the queen of hearts. The 3 of hearts goes out; then 7* of clubs, followed by 8 of clubs, and we put into the vacancy the 10 of spades and 9 of hearts. The 4* and 5 of hearts are built on the 3, and the rest of the cards run out quite easily.