Limericks

This rare McLoughlin Brothers card game is undated, but the style of the box (fancy embossed gold lettering and borders on a pebbled maroon cardboard box) is very similar to that of an 1890s Logomachy. The game consists of a deck of 54 cards, divided into 18 books of three. Each book has cards labelled A, B and C. The A cards bear the first two lines of a limerick. The B cards have the last line of the limerick. And the C cards bear the middle two lines of the limerick. Each player is dealt an equal number of cards, and immediately set aside any complete books. On their turn, players may either try to force a card on another player or obtain a card. To force a card, a player must hold and A or B card or both, but not the C. He calls out the letter and number of his card(s), reads the line(s) on them, and the player with the C card must respond. The first player then hands his card(s) to the C player. To obtain a card, a player with a C card asks a particular player for the name and number of another card in that book. If successful, he receives it and gets another turn; if not his turn ends. Complete books are set aside as they are formed, and the first player to get rid of all his cards wins.