Quincy’s Picnic Shout Game — Under a sun that made the grass smell warm and peppery, Quincy tapped a spoon on his cup. Read the full story →
Under a sun that made the grass smell warm and peppery, Quincy tapped a spoon on his cup. He had just invented the Picnic Shout Game: every time someone took a bite, they had to shout what the bite sounded like. “Crunch-roar!” yelled Jessa through an apple. “Sip-pop!” cried little Fenn, sloshing tea onto the blanket. Sandwiches rose like towers, cake crumbs flew, and Quincy’s joy bounced bigger than his voice.
The game rolled across the park. “Berry-boom!” “Pickle-pow!” “Cake-kapow!” The path beyond the hill curved past old trees with grinning bark and leafy hair. Between shouts, a funny rustle answered from the branches: “Boom… pow… kapow…” Quincy froze with his sandwich halfway up. The trees were not echoing. They were taking turns.
So Quincy lifted both paws and called, “Tree turn!” Leaves shook like a thousand paper fans. One oak rumbled, “Rooty-tooty!” and everyone laughed so hard the teapot lid rattled. They played until crumbs, cups, cubs, and trees all had voices. Next time you spot the smiling trunks beyond Quincy’s blanket, listen for the last warm, peppery shout.