Chichi covered her eyes and counted. 'One, two, three!' Behind the big green bush, Dende scrambled and disappeared into the leaves.
Dende covered his nose and counted. 'One, two, three!' He squeezed behind the rusty barrel, but his leg got stuck halfway.
Chichi peeked behind the wheelbarrow. Nothing. She tiptoed to the fence and pulled it aside. Dende was already there, peeking through a gap with one eye wide open.
The garden gnome tipped over with a soft clack. They both jumped. Then they burst out from behind the house and tumbled into the warm grass, laughing until their bellies ached.
They lay side by side, sunlight warming their faces. Chichi thought, This is the best game ever.
Dende wiggled and giggled, and a tiny ladybug crawled onto his knee. He held very still.
Chichi found him and grinned. 'I got you!'
Dende stood up and ran around the barrel. 'Your turn to hide!' he called. Chichi laughed and covered her eyes again.