FOX AND GEESE

Winter was short this year.

We had one fierce storm for a couple of days.

The snow lingered a few weeks and then was gone.

No children visited during that time. 

A pristine white expanse remained untouched for days.

I didn't even venture out for pictures.

I watched the birds and weather from my windows.

I missed my siblings. All ten of them.

I remember playing Fox and Geese with them. 

We loved the simple game when such snow came. 

We could play the game for hours - many days in a row.

Sometimes only a few played. 

Sometimes we played with many friends.

The more 'geese' in the game the better.

I found instructions while browsing the January 1990 'Friend' magazine recently. I am not sure this is exactly how we played the game. I think we made up our own rules and variations depending on the crowd playing.

I remember being able to run to the fox's lair and 'free' a trapped goose - seems like there was a rule that we had to run hand in hand together to the safe zone before the 'goose' was free.  Meanwhile watch out - if the fox tagged you then you couldn't be 'freed' until you counted - perhaps to 100.  

Fox and Geese

On a large area of untouched snow, trample paths according to the pattern that you see here. The Fox tries to catch as many Geese as he can. Both Fox and Geese must run only along the paths (no jumping across!). Only one Goose at a time may be in the Safety Zone. When a second Goose runs to it, the one already there must leave. When the Fox tags a Goose, the Goose must go to the Fox’s Den until the Fox decides that he has caught enough Geese for his family’s dinner. Then the first Goose tagged becomes the Fox, and the game begins again.

Did you ever play Fox and Geese? 

What were your rules like?

How many kids usually played?