Ball and chain

Have you ever seen those big heavy things that prisoners have to drag around with them? They're called ball and chains.

Okay, so imagine you're a prisoner and you want to run away. But you can't because this big heavy ball is attached to your ankle by a long chain. The ball is so heavy that it's really hard to move around quickly or escape.

The ball and chain was a punishment that was used a long time ago to keep prisoners from escaping. Nowadays, it's mostly just used in movies and books to show what it was like in the old days.

So remember, if you're ever thinking about escaping from jail, watch out for the ball and chain!