Before the first game, carefully punch out the fairy-tale cards and the round chips from the die-cut sheet.
Press the round chips into the trees with the picture side facing outward (see illustration). Once pressed in, they cannot be removed again.
Assemble the four pieces of the game board, shuffle the trees well, and distribute them face down onto the round tree spaces.
Each player chooses a pawn and places it on the village square.
Shuffle the fairy-tale cards well and place them face down as a stack next to the game board, by the castle. Turn over the top card. The motif shown on it is the first secret you must find under the trees.
Finally, place the two dice within reach and begin.
Sequence of Play
The youngest player begins. Play then continues clockwise.
On your turn, roll both dice and move your pawn on the game board according to the dice.
You may add the pips of both dice together, or move using each die separately.
You may move forward and backward, but the full value of one die must be moved in the same direction.
Example: one die shows 3 and the other shows 5. You have the following options:
Move your pawn 8 spaces forward or backward.
Move your pawn 3 spaces forward and 5 spaces backward.
Move your pawn 3 spaces backward and 5 spaces forward.
You may move past other players' pawns, but the occupied space is still counted.
Sending Pawns Home
If your turn ends with both dice on a space occupied by another player's pawn, send that pawn back to the village square.
Finding a Secret
If your turn ends with one or both dice on a blue space next to a tree, you may look at the secret hidden there. Take the tree and look secretly underneath it. Then put it back in its place and remember well which secret this tree guards.
If you moved onto the blue space using only one die, the value of the other die is lost.
Moving to the Castle
Once you have discovered under one of the trees the secret shown on the fairy-tale card, you may hurry to the castle.
You must reach the target space in the castle (the key space) with an exact count. You may let the value of the second die lapse.
If you do not reach the key space with an exact count, you must move past it.
Once you reach the key space, immediately take the tree that you think is the right one and look secretly underneath it.
If the picture under the tree matches the picture on the card, well done! Show the tree's secret to your fellow players as a check. As a reward you receive the fairy-tale card. Place it in front of you and immediately turn over a new fairy-tale card from the stack.
Place your pawn on the horseshoe space in front of the castle. From there, in your next turn, you can hurry back to the castle right away if you already know under which tree the new secret is hidden, or you can go back into the forest to search for further secrets.
If the picture under the tree does not match the picture on the card, too bad! Put the tree back in its place without showing it to the other players. Your pawn goes back to the village square.
Magic
If you roll a pair of "1" (double one), you may do a little magic. Choose one of three options:
Swap two trees.
Move to any tree space of your choice and look under the tree.
Shuffle the stack of fairy-tale cards and turn over a new fairy-tale card.
End of the Game
The game ends as soon as the last fairy-tale card has been awarded.
The player who then has the most fairy-tale cards wins. In case of a tie there are several winners! Better yet, play another round to find the new king.
