The game was in high-gear. The pieces were moving along, each one controlled by human figures above them. The pieces shouted out insults toward their opponents. Things like "We'll be feasting on camel tar-tar soon enough!" because usually these games were played while Food Network was showing on TV and they got reasonably hungry.
"Elephant steak sounds tasty tonight!" one water buffalo said to his comrades, just loud enough for the elephants to hear. The other water buffalos nodded in agreement, their stomachs making appropriate grumbling noises at the pho being cooked by Bobby Flay. Suddenly the game took a turn for the worst for the camels. Two of them were captured in a single blow by a water buffalo. It shot them a triumphant look as they were herded back to their leader on their start square.
"I told you not to go over there!" said the leader angrily. The camels rolled their eyes. The leaders never did figure out it was the humans who controlled their movements and the HUMANS were controlled by the little cube with many dots. Whenever they tossed it, it gave them their battle plans.
The cube having been tossed and its five-dotted side turned up, one camel was free to leave. As it left into the starting arena the leader hissed into its ear, "Take a quick turn around the corner and capture that water buffalo. I'll send another recruit to take care of the elephant." The camel cheerfully ignored his instructions as a six and a one was rolled and he went to the lily square of safety.
"Nah nah!" he taunted the water buffalo right next to him. The water buffalo was frightened, but his horns hid it nicely. He shook them warningly at the camel, not able to make a food-related insult because it was commercial break and all of the pawns had agreed that it made absolutely no sense to call someone a Swiffer duster.
Somehow the elephants had avoided all this, even the plan to "take care" of one of their recruits, and were skirting around happily to home, one at a time. At first no one noticed-they were too busy thinking up other tasty dishes that camels and water buffaloes could be made into. Then loud cheering and stamping and trumpeting was heard from the Elephant Camp. The camels and water buffaloes looked up to the home squares, where an elephant was going in.
"Ugh!" said a water buffalo.
"NO!" screamed a camel.
They had to move faster, but the dots were against them. Every time the dice was rolled the dots would be so small in number that they could barely get anywhere, but the elephants were silently and effectively moving in their group toward home. Finally one of the camels got a six and a seven and he ran hopefully by the water buffalo. The water buffaloes had a stroke of good fortune and actually got one of their recruits into their home camp. But it was too late.
The third elephant (there were four in the army) scooted into the home camp. The four was right on his heels and a three would tide him over. A few more desperate rolls happened for the camels and water buffalos but they were defeated when a quick three pushed the last elephant into the home camp.
The elephants celebrated with lots of food (none being made out of their opponents, despite their insults) and water, which elephants love sucking up in their trunks and squirting it in a most skillful way into their mouths.
As for the losing teams, they walked sadly back to their camps. The leaders were justly upset but because all were good sports they went over to the elephant camp and congratulated them on their clever victory.
The End