This is the Italian version of "Rock, Paper, Scissors". It's a game used to decide something between two kids, like who goes first in a game.

MaestraMiry wrote from Italy: "Our children say it so: 'Sasso, carta, forbici!', the game rules are the same. Sasso is rock, carta is paper, forbici are scissors. It has a title too, do you know? Its name is 'Morra cinese' (Chinese morra for you)."

Morra cinese - (Sasso, carta, forbici) - Italian Children's Songs - Italy - Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World - Intro Image

Notes

There's a new version that's played around the world by teenagers. In some countries, when it's played by a girl and boy, the boy is slapped if he loses, but the girl is kissed if she loses. This version is played as a game in and of itself, not to choose something.

Game Instructions

Two players each hide one hand behind their backs. Then they say the line together at the same time, "Sasso, carta, forbici!". On "forbici" each puts a hand out at exactly the same time in one of three signs, "Sasso", "Carta" or "Forbici".

Here's how to make each sign:

-Sasso (Rock): Make a fist.
-Carta (Paper): Put out a flat hand horizontal to the ground.
-Forbici (Scissors): Put out the index and middle finger imitating scissors.

Here's how you determine who won the round depending upon which symbol each kid put out:

- Sasso beats Forbici (imagine a rock breaking the scissors).
- Forbici beats Carta (imagine the scissors cutting the paper).
- Carta beats Sasso (imagine a piece of paper covering a rock).

If both kids choose the same symbol, they have to replay the round.

Whoever wins the round is the winner of the game. Sometimes kids will decide that the winner is whoever wins 2 out of 3 rounds.

Comments

According to Wikipedia, Rock-Paper-Scissors is also called Roshambo and originally comes from China. It's so old that it dates back about 2,000 years to the time of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). This game is now played in many countries around the world.

According to Wikipedia, "Morra is a hand game that dates back thousands of years to ancient Roman and Greek times. Each player simultaneously reveals their hand, extending any number of fingers, and calls out a number. Any player who successfully guesses the total number of fingers revealed by all players combined scores a point."

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Recited by MaestraMiry.

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to MaestraMiry for sharing this game with the recording!

Image by Mama Lisa.