Rules Of Potato

Sweezie! What's in the box? asks Belle.

Prizes, says Sweezus.

Prizes, that's so sweet, says Belle.

What sort of prizes? asks Marie.

Sweezus plonks the box on the fold up table and takes off the lid.

Biscuits. And knuckle bones. And a medal for coming first in the hundred metres (a long time ago).

Some of it's old stuff, says Sweezus. But the biscuits are new.

Monte Carlos, says Belle.

Yeah, says Sweezus. Couldn't get macarons.

Your favourite, says Belle. Never mind. Monte Carlos are good. Look. We've got the potatoes.

Cool, says Sweezus. How do we run this?

Ask Marie, says Belle. It was her idea in the first place.

Um, says Marie. I thought we could do it one of three ways. One, a race to eat the most potatoes, in situ.

That's not a race, says Sweezus.

Okay, says Marie. Two, we can run to an end point with the potatoes, and then eat the potatoes,

What's three? asks Sweezus. (He's giving up his old knuckle bones for this, it'd better be worth it).

Three, says Marie. Set potatoes along the course at intervals, first one to reach the first potato picks it up and starts eating it, while still running. The others keep running until they reach the second potato and so on.

Far out! says Sweezus. Let's go with three.

They'll be sandy, says Belle.

Thought of that, says Marie.

She whips out some paper plates which were tucked into a side pocket of the picnic basket.

Want me to set up the potatoes? asks Sweezus.

Would you? says Belle. We'll set up the rest of the picnic. O, and if you catch Arthur and Kierkegaard's attention, call them in.

No worries, says Sweezus.

He heads off with the paper plates, and the potatoes.

Belle looks at Marie.

He's really got into it!

I know, says Marie. Monte Carlos!

And this old medal, says Belle. I'd love to know how he won it.