A Game Of Ludo
by Marion F. Eadie
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   "Here are your men", said the Basilisk, "and here are mine."
   "But these aren't proper men", objected Alice, in dismay. "They're ladybirds - you can't play Ludo with ladybirds, you know."
   "And what else would you play with but ludobirds?" inquired the Basilisk, staring so hard at her that she hastily began trying to arrange the ladybirds on the board, although it was a difficult task, for they kept wandering away, and crawling over each other, and trying to push each other off the board. Meanwhile the Basilisk was screaming at the top of his voice: "Where's the dice? Where's the dice?"
   Alice heard a pattering of little feet, and the dice came hurrying across the table. She was scarcely surprised to notice that it had a head on top where the "one" was marked, and little legs at the bottom where the "six" would be, and arms sticking out at either side. Its face was red with exertion.
   "I'm sorry, sir", it gasped out. "I didn't mean to be late, sir!"
   The Basilisk popped it into the cup and shook it out again without a word. The dice fell on its back, showing a four. It immediately sat up, and began mopping its brow and panting.
   "One", said the Basilisk.
   "But it was a four", corrected Alice, "only the dice sat up."
   "It always does", said the Basilisk, with a sigh. "we never get more than one. What else do you expect?"
   "Then you can't begin", said Alice, "because you must get a six to start a man."
   "Not with this dice, you won't", said the Basilisk. "He can't stand on his head, and he's too old to learn now. Besides, it doesn't matter. They start anyway."
   Alice looked at the board and saw that the ladybirds had indeed started - all out of turn. But since her men were all mixed up with the Basilisk's, and most of them had got off the board, it didn't seem worth while going on. Plucking up her courage, she quietly rose and walked out of the room.

ca 1939

 
 

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