Ethan's stomach was growling.
He had been hungry all day, even after eating lunch.
Mr. Dunn clapped his hands.
"All right, campers.
Let's clean up and head outside."
The kids put away their art things and followed Mr. Dunn outside.
"You've all played tic-tac-toe, right?" he said.
Everyone nodded.
"And normally you play on paper, right?"
Everyone nodded again.
"Well, today we will play a 3-D version of tic-tac-toe."
"What does 3-D mean?" Nina asked.
"It's when something isn't flat like a drawing on a piece of paper," Jason explained.
"If something has height, width, and depth, it's three-dimensional, or 3-D. Like us!"
"Right," Mr. Dunn said.
"Today instead of drawing X's and O's for tic-tac-toe, you'll toss beanbags."
He showed them the beanbags.
They were lumpy sacks tied at the top.
"The blue ones have X's on them, and the white ones have O's."
"Did you make those?" Izzie asked.
Mr. Dunn smiled. "Yes, I did. Last night."
Izzie nodded. "They look homemade."
"What's in them?" Ethan wanted to know.
"We'll find out at the end of the game," said Mr. Dunn.
"Now who wants to play first?"
Bobby and Izzie raised their hands.
"Okay, you two, stand behind this line.
Bobby, you can be X, and Izzie, you'll be O."
"You can go first," Bobby told Izzie.
"Thanks," she said.
She tossed her beanbag to the far-right corner of the board.
Bobby went next.
He tossed his bag to the space beneath her bag.
Ethan noticed two more beanbags by Mr. Dunn's feet.
"Are those extra beanbags?" he asked.
Mr. Dunn nodded. "In case one gets ripped."
He turned back to the board.
"Nice play, Izzie!" he said, clapping.
Izzie had gotten her three O's in a row.
"I win!" she cried.
"The winner gets to play again.
Who wants to challenge Izzie?" Mr. Dunn asked.
"I do!" said Jason.
He stepped up to the line.
"You can go first," Izzie said.
"Since I'll probably win."
Jason rolled his eyes and tossed his beanbag onto the board.
Meanwhile Ethan picked up an extra beanbag.
The beans inside felt a little soft.
They were definitely not regular beans.
Ethan sniffed the bag.
"I knew it!" he thought.
"Tic-tac-toe, three in a row!" Izzie cried.
"Nina, it's your turn!"
As Nina stepped up to the line, Ethan untied the beanbag.
He emptied it into his mouth.
"Oh no!" Nina cried.
"This bag has a hole in it!"
"Don't worry, we have extra bags.
And no peeking at the filling yet, Nina," Mr. Dunn said.
"Ethan, please toss me the extra O bag."
Ethan looked at the empty beanbag in his hand.
It had an O.
"I can't, Mr. Dunn," said Ethan.
"I ate all the beans inside!"
"Ethan!" Mr. Dunn scolded him.
"You didn't listen to me!"
"But they were jelly beans!" Ethan said.
"Delicious jelly beans!"
"You ruined the game, Ethan!" Bobby said.
"That's okay," Izzie said quickly.
"Maybe it's time for a snack?"
Mr. Dunn nodded. "Okay. Jelly beans for everyone."
"Even Ethan?" asked Bobby.
"Yes," Mr. Dunn said at last.
He smiled. "Even Ethan!"
[caption_out@