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Fox & Geese
by Euriol of Lothian
Hala-tail, the Fox Game, is mentioned in the Icelandic Grettis saga believed to have been written after 1300 A.D. by an anonymous priest living in the northern part of the island. The Fox & Geese game popular in the Middle Ages is believed to have evolved from the earlier taft style game.
Rules of Play:
Thirteen geese are arranged on the board as shown below, and the fox is placed on any vacant point. The fox and geese can move in any direction along a line to the next contiguous point If the fox jumps over a goose and lands on an empty point beyond, the goose is killed and removed from the board. Two or more geese can be killed in one move by a series of short jumps by the fox.
The geese cannot jump over the fox, but they try to crowd him into a comer and make it impossible for him to move. If the fox is immobilized he loses the game, but if he can deplete the gaggle of geese until they are unable to trap him he wins.
Variation:
In latter versions of the game the geese were increased to seventeen, but were deprived of the power of moving backwards.
The Fox & Geese Board
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