[Cz-L] Messerlech

Messerlech in Yiddish means " Little Knives " and was the name of a game we
played in old Czernowitz.
  Contrary to "Buttons" , which was an indoor game, this was an outdoor
game.
  All you needed was a piece of ground ,a litle humid and without vegetation
   and a jacknife..
  At the beginning the plot was marked. a big circle about a meter across.
   This was than divided in two (it was a two-party game) and the game
started.
    The target was to increase your territory- by throwing the
knife at your opponents territory and cutting along the direction of the
blade annexing your opponents territory.
   There were more rules - if any of you want to play and need additional
   info please ask -I will let you know.
  Now abot knives - the aficionados used to make their own . How ?
  We took 4-6 inch nails and went down the Waechterweg to the railroad
  and placed them on the rails.
    Around 6 o'clock the Bucharest -Lemberg express would come in and
    roll the nails flat ( if it did not derail) .
     These flattened nails were fitted to cherry tree branches and
sharpened.
    This was then used in playing "little knives "- Messerlech.
        Once upon a time in Czernowitz.

          Hardy

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Received on 2009-11-23 23:14:28