Enquire within upon everything

---------------------------- | | | | | | 16 | 3 | 2 | 13 | | | | | | |---------------------------| | | | | | | 5 | 10 | 11 | 8 | | | | | | |---------------------------| | | | | | | 9 | 6 | 7 | 12 | | | | | | |---------------------------| | | | | | | 4 | 15 | 14 | 1 | | | | | | ---------------------------- 2593. Fox and Geese. This old-fashioned game is played on a solitaire board. Seventeen geese occupy the upper part of the board lines, with the fox in the middle, thus: o--o--o | | | o--o--o | | | o--o--o--o--o--o--o | | | | | | | o--o--+--F--+--o--o | | | | | | | +--+--+--+--+--+--+ | | | +--+--+ | | | +--+--+ The object of the game is to confine the fox in a corner, so that he cannot move. The geese march forward in straight lines, not on the diagonals; and whenever a goose is on the spot next the fox, the latter can take him, as in draughts, by jumping over to the vacant spot beyond. The fox can move backwards, forwards, or sideways on the straight lines; but the geese must go forward, and are not allowed to retreat. Properly played, the geese must win; but when the number of geese is reduced to six, it is impossible for them to confine the fox. There are several ways of playing the game, by placing the fox and geese in other positions, or by insisting on the fox catching all the geese. In the latter case, the fox chooses his own starting place. The game may also be played with eight geese and a fox.