The Smoke-Signal Snack Game — Under the tall yellow trees, Felix set three acorn cups on the cabin porch and whispered the rules of his brand-new game. Read the full story →
Under the tall yellow trees, Felix set three acorn cups on the cabin porch and whispered the rules of his brand-new game. One cup for anyone with paws, one for anyone with wings, and one for “mysterious crunchers.” The creek clattered over stones, the porch boards smelled like sun-warmed pine, and smoke from the chimney curled up in one lazy question mark.
Felix tiptoed along the fence, leaving apple chips by the bridge, oat crumbs near the spruce, and a raisin on the flat rock he called Snack Island. “No peeking,” he told himself, which was hard, because the leaves went skitter-skatter as if they were giggling. When he returned, every treat was gone, and nobody had clapped.
Then the smoke bent into three curls, paused, and made one extra tiny loop. Felix stared. The cabin had counted four players. He laughed so loud a jay dropped a beech leaf. Before supper, he filled a fourth acorn cup and set it beside the warm chimney bricks for whoever had been playing in steam and soot. If you follow the curling smoke, can you spot where the game is keeping score under the tall yellow trees?
