PLAYING A BALL GAME


One day Jimmie Wibblewobble was going over to where Bully, the frog,
lived.

"Come on!" cried the little boy duck, to the frog. "Let's get up a ball
game. We'll find Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, and Sammie Littletail, and
have some fun. Have you seen Uncle Wiggily Longears? He will umpire for
us, I know, and tell who's out, and when the balls go straight, and all
that. Have you seen him?"

"I saw him limping along a while ago," answered Bully. "He can't have gone
very far, for his rheumatism is bad again."

"Let's hurry up and catch him," suggested Jimmie. So they ran on through
the woods as fast as they could and, sure enough, they soon saw the old
gentleman rabbit.

"Will you come to our ball game?" asked Jimmie.

"Why, of course, to be sure," answered Uncle Wiggily. "But I can't play
very well, you know, on account of--Oh my! Ouch! Oh dear! Um Um! Present
arms! Ready! Aim! Fire! Oh! Oh! Oh!" That's the way he cried all of a
sudden.

"What's the matter?" asked Jimmie.

"Matter? Why my rheumatism; that's what's the matter! It does seem to
catch me at the wrong time. I'm afraid I won't be able to play ball to-day