Published by : Gold Sieber
Copyright © 1997 Simba Toys
Designed by Klaus Teuber
Illustrations by Gabriella Silveira
Translated by C. Soubeyrand, May 1997
15 - 20 Dm
3 to 4 players
Age 6 and up
20 to 30 minutes
Oh look! The thieves Max the Marten, Fritz the Fox and Leo the Lynx are on the watch. What are going to do the small squirrels who gather up some hazelnuts? Well, they do not let themselves be pushed around. Bravely, they have made armors with the fruits of the forest and yet they gather themselves under the name of "Knights of the Hazelnut" to face the thieves. They will have to be especially cautious and watchful towards the thieves who might hide in the hazeltrees.
A small squirrels path is drawn on the board. On eight squares of the course a hazeltree is drawn, the cards stacks are put on them. Here it is possible to find hazelnuts. In the upper left corner and in the bottom right corner two hiding-places, when a player puts here the hazelnuts collected, he can move his score-keeper. Aim of the game : to be the first to reach the coat of arms at the top of the scale of mark.
Two types of cards :
The hazelnut cards
An hazelnut is drawn on the majority of the cards. A drawn card, is
put, face visible in front of the player. Points are given for the collected
hazelnuts. More hazelnuts are put in the hiding-place, more points are
earned.
The thief cards
On the other cards one of the three thieves is drawn - Max the
Marten, Leo the Lynx or Fritz the Fox. The drawn card is put back on the
top of the stack. Later by remembering who is represented on the card,
it will be possible to earn points.
On turn the player throws the dice and moves his knight of the number of squares given by the number of footprints on the dice. He can go in any direction, but the go in and out between two squares are forbidden. Many knights can be present on the same square.
Square of the path : draw a card
As soon as his knight arrives on a square of the path, the player has
to draw a card at the top of the stack of the hazeltree, look at it - the
other players must not see what is represented on the card.
Hazelnut : put the card visible
If the player draws a card, he puts visible in front of him.
Thief : notice and put back
If it is one of the three thief, the player quickly puts back the card
on the stack. Before, he should carefully notice the thief who is printed.
Who knows the thief?
When later an other knight arrives on the square and takes the card, the other players could earn points. In order to do that, they have to shout the name of the thief - either Max the Marten, Leo the Lynx or Fritz the Fox. It is possible, as long as the turn of the player is not ended, until the next player has not throw the dice.
A player gives the good name,
he moves his score-keeper two squares towards the coat of arms.
If many players have given the good game, only the first of them moves.
The player who drawn the card, loses all the hazelnuts in front
of him. They are discarded. If he has none, well he is lucky.
The player gives a wrong name or a hazelnut is represented in the
card,
he moves his score-keeper two squares back (even if he is on
the starting field, the one with the arrow), at least until the last square
of the scale of mark. If many players have given a wrong name, only the
first of them is penalized.
Once a player has given the name, the thief's card is discarded and put in the box. If nobody says nothing then the card is put back on the stack.
Hiding-places : leave hazelnuts
When a player has collected hazelnuts, he may go to one of the two hiding-places
in order to leave them there and earn points.
For 1 hazelnut the score-keeper is moved 1 square.
For 2 3 squares.
For 3 6 squares.
For 4 10 squares.
More than four hazelnuts brings nothing more, all the hazelnuts cards are discarded and put in the box.
Hazeltree without cards
When a knight squirrel reaches a square with an empty stack, he ends
his move. It is the next player turn.