Jason ran into Kids Central.
Today was Board Game day.
"Did everyone bring a board game?" Miss Shelly asked.
"I brought Land of Candy!" Izzie said.
Nina laughed.
"That game always makes me hungry."
"I brought chess."
Bobby started setting up the board.
"Who wants to try and beat me?"
"I do!" Ethan said.
"Let's play something all together," Miss Shelly said.
"Uh, I brought something everyone can play."
Jason's cheeks turned pink.
"Is it Knights' Quest?" Bobby asked.
Jason shook his head.
"I don't think you've heard of this game. I made it up."
"What's it called?" Izzie asked.
"Zoom dreidel."
"A dreidel is a top, right?" Ethan said.
"Yep. It's a spinning top," Jason said.
"Dreidel is also the name of a traditional Hanukkah game."
"You invented zoom dreidel?" Miss Shelly asked.
Jason nodded. "My dad is away on a business trip.
I want to surprise him with a new game when he gets back."
"Cool," Izzie said.
"Can you teach us how to play?" Miss Shelly asked.
"Sure." Jason set up the game board.
There were six dreidels with letters written on all four sides.
He also had game pieces and chocolate coins.
"Did you make the board yourself?" Nina asked.
"Yes. And I changed the dreidel rules to make the game go faster," Jason said.
"Regular dreidel is slow sometimes."
He gave everyone eight gold coins.
"We call these coins 'gelt.'
It means 'money.'
Everyone, choose a dreidel and a game piece."
Izzie took the green dreidel.
"This reminds me of Gurpy."
The others chose their dreidels, leaving the purple one for Nina.
"Thanks, everybody," she said.
"Each dreidel has Hebrew letters," Jason said.
"I'll explain as we play.
First we each put one coin in the center of the board.
That's the pot. I'll go first."
Jason spun his dreidel.
It finally landed on one side.
Jason looked at the letter.
"I got nun. That means I don't do anything."
Nina spun her dreidel next.
"You got shin, Nina.
Add a coin to the pot, and move back three spaces."
Nina groaned and backed up her piece.
"What's this letter?" Izzie pointed to gimel.
"It's the best one!" Jason said.
"You get to move ten spaces and take the whole pot!"
"That's the letter I want!" Bobby spun his dreidel hard.
It spun . . . and spun . . . and finally landed on hey.
"Move five spaces and take half the pot," Jason said.
Bobby laughed and grabbed some coins.
"That's half as good!"
"How does the game end?" Miss Shelly asked.
"The first player to land on the last square is the winner," Jason said.
"That player gets all the gelt."
"This is better than Land of Candy," Izzie said.
"We actually get to eat candy!"
"Only the winner does," Bobby said.
"Well, if I win, I'll share my gelt," Nina said.
Jason smiled.
"That's just what you're supposed to do during Hanukkah.
Share gifts with friends and family members!"