On Shabbat afternoons, I used to go to a 'youth group' sort of gathering. Basically it meant I'd spend an hour or two with other kids my age, playing games and stuff. When I was 8 or 9, I was lucky enough to have my sister as the leader of my group, wheeeee. She may have overdone herself in the 'not-showing-favoritism' department, choosing me last (I had to wait 3 months) to be the 'girl of the week'. The funniest thing she ever did was teach us how to play King Moo. I am still not sure if my sister made this game up on the spot out of desperation, it is extremely likely, though.

Everyone sits in a circle on the ground, and one person volunteers or is picked to leave the room. Once they are out of earshot, a King Moo is chosen, and they are called back in. At the count of three, what everyone must do is say 'Mooooo'. King Moo's task is to say it the loudest, and the person who was sent out has three guesses to figure out who the King is. (This game bears a disturbing similarity to Indian Chief, incidentally.)

So we are sitting in a circle, a dozen odd kids, and I have grown used to not being picked for games. Round after round, and I finally say something to my sister. Hannah? Can you pick me next? Another round and when there are four girls left who have not had turns, Hannah picks me to leave the room. I am in heaven .

When I come back into the room there is a lot of hushed giggling, but I cannot be sure it is more then there has been before. Are they playing a trick on me? I immediately dismiss the thought as ridiculous. Two guesses has me as a very astute guesser, and when King Moo leaves the room, I near heaven once again as Hannah picks me to be the next King Moo. The guesser is called back in and Hannah counts.

'Alright, everybody. One. Two. Three',

Mooooooooo

Some silence punctuated by giggles, and the guesser guesses wrong. My 8 year old face is a study in masked secrecy, and Hannah counts again.

'Alright, everybody. One. Two. Three',

Mooooooooo

Again, the suspicious silence and a wrong guess.
'King Moo. We're going to need to hear you a bit louder, alright? One. Two. Three',

Mooooooooo

This time, the silence reaches my ears before I finish exhaling my Moo, and it begins to sink in.

I've been duped! I've been screaming my lungs out and they've been just mouthing the word!

'It had to be you, Jane. I couldn't do it to anyone else but you're my sister.'

Hannah gave me an extra chocolate bar that day. I didn't speak to her for a week.

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