ABSTRACT
Mah Jong, which took America by storm in 1923, appears to have been invented by an ancient fishing captain (c. 3,000–2,000 B.C.) to keep his crew contented in between schools of fish; he used tiles instead of cards so they would not blow off the windy deck. The game continued to evolve over the ages. A medieval general responsible for guarding the Great Wall is reputed to have adapted the game to keep his soldiers quiet between wars. His inventions included building the wall in the game itself as well as the incorporation of winds and dragons. A beautiful princess supposedly added flowers and seasons later.
