Me: Are the puppies playing Bitey Faces?
Nell: Where?
Me: Outside in the front garden.
Nell: Let me see. Oh, no that’s not Bitey Faces. They are playing another game.
Me: It can’t be a serious game as they are wagging their tails like mad.
Nell: They’re playing Over To You. You must have heard of it.
Me: Over To You?
Nell: Yes, and Poppy is adjudicating.
Me: How do you play it?
Nell: David has to take the ball carefully from Harriet’s mouth without dropping it.
Me: Isn’t that just stealing?
Nell: Certainly not. There is a great deal of skill involved.
Me: We have a game like that which we play at parties, but we use balloons and our knees, or necks.
Nell: Don’t be ridiculous. Knees and necks, indeed, and balloons pop.
Me: That’s the idea. It’s hilarious. Can you play in teams?
Nell: Yes. Although not all teams stick to the rules. The llamas are particularly naughty and tend to fall over, or cartwheel, at the slightest opportunity.
Me: Dave seems to be winning.
Nell: Both he and Harriet are excellent players.
Me: I don’t suppose the smaller animals can play.
Nell: Anyone can play. You just need to choose your opponent carefully. Nobody likes to play with Poppy.
Me: Henry and Horst could play together. Not with a ball though. Well, maybe a very tiny one.
Nell: They use apples.
Me: Apples?
Nell: Malcolm cuts them into tiny little pieces.
Me: Have you tried the game with food, too?
Nell: Babycakes Gillespie plays with bagels.
Me: Imagine playing with scones. All that jam and cream. What a dreadful mess that would make.
Nell: The bagels don’t have cream cheese on them, you know. It’s called Over To You, not All Over You.
Me: Yes. Sorry.
