"Catch the Draard'le" is a game mainly Shendar children play, inspired by the mating rituals of a small kind of lizard ("drake" as some say) common in the Ráhaz-Dáth, the draard'le or falserock lizard. It is a simple game, a hide-and-seek variety, which is enjoyed very much by the little ones...

History. The Shendar children know a song and a game, which is centred around the Falserock Lizard. The song is sung as follows:

It is not known, who invented this game or when it was played the first time, it just exists as long as Shendar memory goes.

Equipment. None needed, except your body and voice!

Game Set-Up. As many children as like to play this game can join a circle. At the beginning, they all cower on the ground, silent.

One of the children stands in the centre and starts to sing: "Dragon small, dragon tall, fly up in the air!" - It crouches first on the ground, when singing "dragon tall", it rises and stretches the hands high in the air. Then all other children in the circle repeat the line and the movements.

The child in the centre goes on with singing: "Dance around, without sound, glister light and fair!" - Now the children in the circle turn around themselves and do movements with the arms while singing "glister light and fair". The child in the centre only claps his or her hands.

The child in the centre repeats the second line several times, while the children in the circle try to find various other forms of dance, either turning around themselves like the first time, or turning in pairs, hooked in with the elbows, some form tiny circles of three or four. None of the children of the circle however know, how often the child in the middle will repeat the second line.

Then, suddenly, the child in the middle of the circle stops clapping and shouts: "Dragon small, dragon tall, flee the risky air!" - It then hides its eyes, while the other run screaming away, looking for a place to hide. The third line is repeated two more times, then the 'hunter child' sings the last line: "Hide away, without delay, time to search your lair!"

This line is the sign that it removes his hands from the eyes and starts searching the other children who have hopefully found a hiding place by now

Rules. If the 'hunter' has found a child, it has still to touch it, which might not be easy, for the other is allowed to run away. During this hunt, the 'hunter' might well find a second child and decide that this one is easier to catch. The one who is caught finally, is the new 'hunter'.