Beaver was introducing Goose to Porcupine, Hedgehog, Squirrel, and Raccoon. Those four met at Porcupine’s house every Tuesday to play Acorn Caps, a game they loved, but that they couldn’t get anyone else to play. Not even Otter or Muskrat, who loved games.
“Goose is just visiting,” said Beaver. “She stopped in my pond on her way south.”
“Pleaztameetcha,” said Squirrel, who was thinking very hard about his next Acorn Caps move. Should he cap the third acorn, which would mean his pine cone advanced to the second walnut, or should he move his stick laterally, which would get him an extra turn in the next round, but would mean his gray pebble wouldn’t get paired with a bayberry? Acorn Caps was a game with a great deal of strategy.
The other players weren’t quite as busy as Squirrel, since it wasn’t their turn. “Hello Goose,” said Porcupine, “will you be visiting long?”
“No,” honked Goose.
“Do you stop in the forest every year?” asked Hedgehog.
“No,” honked Goose.
“Meeting up with your flock?” asked Raccoon, who knew that geese usually booked group excursions rather than traveling alone. She had always suspected it was because of the great deals they got from Goose Egg Travel, the travel agency that all the geese used to reserve their trips. Goose Egg always delivered excellent deals, and their motto was “Book your trip with us. It’ll only cost a goose egg!” Raccoon wasn’t quite sure whether the ‘goose egg’ was supposed to mean ‘zero’, or if you really had to trade them an egg.
“No,” honked Goose. Goose was turning out to have very little to say.
Porcupine decided to try a question that Goose couldn’t answer with just a ‘no.’ “Goose, how was the weather up north when you left?” she asked.
“Fine,” honked Goose, and left it at that.
“Well if the weather was fine,” said Hedgehog, “why did you leave?”
“Because,” honked Goose.
Squirrel finally decided that the best move was to aggregate three bayberries next to his chestnut, which protected his third acorn and meant that Porcupine’s gray pebble couldn’t flip the fourth acorn cap until the pine cone was three steps closer. It was a defensive move, but Squirrel was worried about Raccoon’s first acorn; it was threatening the oak leaf. And everybody knew what that meant. His move complete, he turned to Goose.’
“Goose, pleased to meet you!” said Squirrel, more carefully this time. “Do you remember your cousin Wood Duck? He stopped by just to say hello the other day, and was asking about you and whether you’d be visiting the forest this season. And what do you hear from the Swans lately? You know, Cygnus and Celia?”
Goose was taken aback at all this talking, and blinked at Squirrel for a moment. Then finally Goose just said “Dunno” to Squirrel and that was that.
Raccoon had an idea. “Goose,” she said, “Hedgehog, Squirrel, Porcupine, and I were just playing a game of Acorn Caps. It’s an excellent game — sit down over here and I’ll show you how to play. You’re going to love it!” She took Goose by the shoulders — which is not easy with a goose — and ushered her over to a spot next to Raccoon’s side. Then she started explaining the game pieces, and the rules, and how to play.
“Oh my,” said Beaver, “I wonder if you’re finally going to get someone new to play Acorn Caps.”
“Maybe,” said Squirrel, “but it won’t be today, either way.”
“Why not?” asked Beaver.
“It’s obvious,” said Porcupine. “It takes one whole day to explain the rules, and most of the next day to get the playing pieces straight. There’s the acorns, of course, and the oak leaf — very important. But there’s also the chestnut, the stick, the gray pebble (each player has just one of those), the bayberries (you get five), the pine cones, the walnuts, the small pile of sand, the larger pile of sand, the other stick, the maple leaf, the white pebble (there’s only one of those in the whole game), the blades of grass, the cattails, the…”
“Wait,” said Beaver, “I don’t see any cattails.”
Hedgehog rolled his eyes. “Well DUH,” he said, “we haven’t even gotten to that part of the game yet, so why would you see cattails?”
“Oh, sorry,” said Beaver. “I don’t really understand all the rules, you know.”
“No excuse,” said Hedgehog, “I can see not getting the rules about the flakes of oats or the blueberry gambit, but everybody knows about the cattails. It’s practically the most famous part of the game.”
“The game is famous?” said Beaver. “I thought you four were the only ones who knew how to play.”
“That’s true,” said Porcupine, “we are the only players in the forest. Worldwide, though, there must thousands of avid players. Maybe even hundreds.”
“I think you have that backwards,” said Squirrel.
“You mean there are lots of players in the forest, but not in the whole world? That doesn’t make any sense,” said Porcupine, “the forest is part of the world too.”
“That’s not what I…” began Squirrel, but just then there was a very loud “HONK” from where Raccoon was teaching Goose about Acorn Caps. It was Goose, of course (nobody else honked like Goose). Goose was standing up, staring at the game and backing away. She held up her wings as if to shoo the game away.
“No,” said Goose, “not playing. Flying. Bye.” And she rushed out of Porcupine’s door, flapped into the sky, and was gone.
“Huh,” said Raccoon, “I hadn’t even gotten to the lily pads or the sand yet. I wonder what the problem was?”
“Goose probably remembered her schedule, and she had to get going in a hurry,” said Beaver, who had a pretty good idea what the problem was. “You all might as well get back to your game. I’ll be running along as well.”
“No wait,” said Hedgehog, “why don’t you stay and watch us play? That’s the best way to learn, you know. You can even sit in on some turns. It’ll be fun!”
“I’d, um, love to,” said Beaver, “but I have an important chore back at my pond. The dam needs some urgent attention, and it can’t wait a moment longer. Maybe next time. Bye!” Beaver rushed out of Porcupine’s door, hustled down the path, and was gone.
“That was weird,” said Raccoon. “But that was the most I heard Goose say. I think I counted five words, am I right?”
“Yes,” agreed Hedgehog, “five words all in one go.”
“Ha,” said Raccoon, “that’s excellent. That means I get, what, five divided by…two more blades of grass!”
“It does,” grumbled Squirrel, eyeing Raccoon’s bundle of blades of grass. She already had more than anybody else. “Porcupine, it’s your turn.”
“Oh goodie,” said Porcupine, “it’s almost time for the apple seeds! That’s one of my favorite parts of the game!”
