Ninety-eight dice on a shelf on the wall, ninety-eight dice on a shelf ….
Red Dice.
I mentioned them the other day in a post. (Click photo for the previous post.)
Did the original red die get shaken out of that shaker cup?
The shaker cup, one of two left from a set of four, belongs to the Parcheesi game that my folks had way-back-when. I vaguely recall them playing Parcheesi with friends. I betcha they sat at the table I have now. I don’t really know where that red die came from. Was it a pair of dice once? I think so. Where did the mate go? I don’t know. For some reason, it’s just … special to me. And I was greatly disappointed to discover I only had one of them. You know, there’s this memory stuffed in the back of my mind. Did my younger brother and I split up that pair a hundred years ago? Seems we might have.
Several years ago I brought that die out, thinking there were two, as we set up the Parcheesi game for playing. It fits so nicely in the cup. But if it came with the game, then where did the ivory dice come from? They’re old too. Maybe they are ivory and maybe they aren’t. They are definitely old and yellowed with time. They fit in the cup but they don’t shake well. And, you have to shake them hard to get them out of the cup.
The search for red dice began. Our son began the search for a Christmas surprise one year. He ordered some dice on line and was he surprised when they arrived. Teeny-tiny red dice in their own little black velvety bag. Dice about the size of the dots on the other dice. Definitely a fit for the shaker cup and they rattle around in it quite well, but hardly worth rolling, he said, for you can’t exactly see the count easily. But they are fun to have, all the same.
Time passed and then he brought me a gift the other day. I kind of knew what it was just by looking at it. He had wrapped the two red dice together in a small piece of wrapping paper. Very nicely done, by the way. Well, it was in some tissue and almost got thrown away since it sat in gift bag. I grinned as I saw it, then smiled and laughed when I opened it. Red Dice! Woo-Hoo! Regular sized red dice. And, a pair!
The story that goes with procuring the dice is really neat. But let me just say, my son has 98 red dice so I can have two. What does one do with 98 dice? We suggested he bring three more pair over just to even out the 4-player game of Parcheesi. And the balance of dice? We suggested he put them in a vase or decorative jar and put it out somewhere on a shelf in his house where it can be seen. It would make quite the conversation piece. And, the telling of the story by him is quite neat too.
And now you know why the title. Did you remember the tune?
2 Responses to “Ninety-eight dice on a shelf on the wall, ninety-eight dice on a shelf ….”
I certainly remembered the tune. Nice you were able to replace the dice. My son has quite a few, also. He and his friends used to play games that called for them, and he, too, has all different sizes…even little teeny ones.
Blessings,
Marianne
Hey – I can reply via notifications! Just wonder where the reply gets posted? My blog or to you? Maybe your notifications. That’s a neat find. Like it. Always enjoy your visits and comments. Thanks.