Banana Hunting
Click here for Banana Hunting
Click Spike's portrait of John
Ticklesock to start Banana Hunting

Banana Hunting is a Board Game that was inspired by the following passage from Spike Milligan’s children’s book ‘Dip the Puppy’:

As they were talking along came a man paddling a pink canoe full of little white mice. "They keep the cats away" he said, “my name is John Ticklesock...I’m a banana hunter"...
How do you do that?” said Dip
Well, I creep up on them at night when the bananas are asleep, and I catch them before they run away
Dip laughed “I’ve never seen bananas running” he said,
That’s because they’re always asleep” said John.
You’re a funny man,” laughed Nibbles.
Well, I’d rather eat bananas than eat animules,” said John.

(:Good Luck! from Rowena:)

John's Ticklesock
Ticklesock
Jean's Boot
Jean's Boot
Banana Tree
Banana Tree
Banana (right way up)
Banana
(right way up)
Banana (upside-down)
Banana
(upside-down)
Mouse
Mouse
Cat
Cat
Instructions:

    First decide who is to be John Ticklesock (with the pink canoe) and Jean Le Boot (with the blue canoe).
    1. Both Banana hunters start at the same end of the river taking turns to roll the dice and paddle forward that number of spaces until both reach the other end.

    2. If you bump into your opponent's canoe (by landing on the space they are occupying) then you must give them your last acquisition to apologise (even at the very end of the river).

    3. When you land next to a banana tree click it to see what you can see (remember to keep all your finds in order):
      • If you find a sleeping banana or six put it/them in your canoe and paddle that number of spaces. Go forward if the banana is the right way up and backwards if it is not (for upside-down bananas make everything go a little go topsy turvy:).
      • If you find a mouse invite it into your canoe to "keep the cats away".
      • If you find a cat (unless you have a mouse on board to frighten it away) you must give it your highest number of bananas (if you have no bananas then just give it a cheeky grin:).

      • If there are mice in your canoe when you reach your destination you must give each of them your smallest banana find.
      • Every time you land next to an empty tree have another turn.
    4. Once both Jean and John have arrived on the last space, the player with the most bananas in their canoe wins.

Variation:
    Follow the above rules but have the players start at opposite ends. The object of the game is to be the first to canoe all the way to the opposite end and back or be the first to have 21 or more bananas in your canoe (whichever comes first). Note: Mice on board must be fed before victory declared.