BED-TIME STORIES
DAS GROSSE KULLERN
GROUNDHOG RACE
There is a big party today up on the mountain at the groundhog cottage. Markus and Josephine are very excited about this. At long last, they can witness “The Big Rollabout“ in person.
The first groundhogs are already in position. And now Franz the Capricorn comes out of the cottage with his big megaphone and starts the welcoming ceremony: “A big hello to all participants and of course also to all spectators of today’s “Grab the Marble Competition”. Let me present our guests of honor to you: Markus and Josephine have been named Honorary Groundhogs a few months ago, due to their special courage enormous drive. As not all starters have arrived, we are still waiting for the current champions; we will have to delay the start of the event for a few minutes.”
“What did he say?” Josephine asks her big brother.
Markus starts to grin. „That we are only allowed here because you did safe the little groundhog.“
"Silly you! I want to know what he said after that!“
„Oh, you mean the part with the champions. Simply that they are not here yet and so they will start later in order to wait for last year’s winners.”
Suddenly the spectators at the cottage start to cheer. Manfred Murmel, captain of last year’s winning team, has arrived.
When all are quiet again, he takes the megaphone and announces; „I have retired from active sports and handed over the captaincy of the „Marble Monsters“ to one of my sons. But the team will hold up its position as a favorite, because, after all, I did train them.“
Just as Manfred ends his speech and puts down the megaphone Josephine can feel a tugging at her trouser leg. Just as she wants to start grumbling she recognizes the newcomer. It is Manni, the little groundhog she did save.
„Manni, what are you doing here? Do your parents know that you did run off again? “
"I did not run off. I am the new captain of the Marble Monsters and those are my siblings.”
There is no time for a prolonged greeting, because at this moment all teams are called to their starting positions. A quick wave and Manni and his siblings are gone.
Moments later the competition is started with a loud bang.
"In the past the competition was started with a whistle“, Manfred, who has joined the children, explains. “That resulted in a big chaos every time. Because when groundhogs are excited or frightened they whistle. And with so many whistles sounding nobody knew who was in the lead or when to start.”
“And what must the teams do now”, Markus asks the most important question.
“Each team has a Marble Roller, who is tasked with rolling the marbles downhill in a way that the other players can catch them. When it is a player’s turn he may hold only up to three marbles and can take one step for each marble he holds. If he should have caught more marbles he must let go of them and must himself go back to the nearest stone. If a player arrives at the cottage, he can sit down in a deck chair and rest. The team that is the first to have to members sitting in deck chairs wins the competition.”
„Sounds easy“, Markus says.
But his sister has kept watching the hill closely and is of a different opinion: „Look closely, that is not as simple as you think“.
Again and again the opposing team rolls down its marbles to Manni and his team mates. And if Manni cannot swerve in time he suddenly has more than 3 marbles and must move back. And his team mates have the same problem.
At long last they have achieved their goal. Two steps ahead of their opponents two players of Manni’s team reach the cottage and win the game.
As a prize they receive a big sack full of herb-marinated roots, a real tidbit for groundhogs.
All join in at the celebration party, because fun and joy are the most important things for a groundhog. And of course they enjoy some the roots immediately.
“You and your soccer friends could take a leaf out of the groundhogs’ n´book“, Josephine tells Markus. “They are not miffed for a week because they did loose.”
Games as exciting adventures for children, by Christoph Vavru
Players: 2-4
Age: 6+
Time: 30+
Designer: Jens-Peter Schliemann, Bernhard Weber
Artist: Michael Menzel, Walter Pepperle
Price: ca. 30 Euro
Publisher: Ravensburger 2011
Web: www.ravensburger.de
Genre: Race and action game
Users: For children
Version: de
Rules: de