Burdock
THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN
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Burdock is a sturdy badger with a black-and-white striped face. He wears soft green gardening gloves and carries a small blunt trowel. Burdock loves tidy paths.
In Hollowmere Valley, there are brambles. Briar the bramble never moves. She sits very still, often right next to a village's Moonstone, keeping it safe. When anyone bumps into Briar, there is a soft pop! and that animal has to go home.
Anyone, that is, except Burdock.
One evening, the Moss village was stuck. They had found a quiet corner of the Reed village where one piece had not moved all game. "That might be the Moonstone," said Lupa. "Or it might be a bramble."
"I'll go and see," said a hare, and hopped over. Pop! It was a bramble. The hare went home.
"I'll try," said a wolf. Pop! Home went the wolf.
The Moss animals looked at each other. Nobody wanted to bump that bramble again.
Burdock tugged on his gloves. He felt a little nervous, because everyone was watching. But he also felt something warm and useful inside. This is my job, he thought. I'm the only one who can do it.
He shuffled across the meadow, shuff, shuff, shuff, and bumped the bramble gently with his trowel.
No pop. Briar gave a sleepy smile and rolled aside. The path was clear.
And right behind where she had been sitting was a soft glow. The Reed village's Moonstone!
"Burdock did it!" shouted Puck.
Burdock went pink under his stripes. "I just did my job," he said. But he was very proud.
That is Burdock's place in the game. Everyone else goes home when they bump a bramble. Only the badger can clear it. So when a piece sits very still, the Moss village sends Burdock first.
Reading together with a grown-up? A card for the grown-up
For the grown-up: ask one question, then wait. When they answer, add one word to what they said. Tap the button when they have said something — that is one turn each, a circle. Nothing is recorded or kept.
Let them finish it
Say “Burdock says: when there's a bramble in the way, …” and stop. Let them finish it.
Now wait. Count slowly to five in your head. Their answer is worth the quiet.
Circles together: 0
The HollowPals ensemble
Burdock is one of the friends in HollowPals. Each friend shows you one idea by how they act; meet them all and you have the whole subject.
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Ursa
A big bear - the strongest; she tags anyone home except Puck, if he reaches her first
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Lupa
A wolf - next biggest; only Ursa is bigger, and a bramble pops her too
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Puck
A tiny mouse - the smallest, but he tickles Ursa home when HE strikes first
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Skipwell
A hare - runs many squares in a straight line, so moving far gives him away
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Hopwell
A hare - looks first and runs fast; cheap to send, often goes home
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Briar
A bramble - never moves; anyone who bumps her goes home, except Burdock
