joined Jimmie's baseball nine, and to-morrow night I'll tell
you about a game of ball that was played. That is if the man in the moon
doesn't tumble down and hurt his nose.

STORY XV

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
after all, boys. I'm sorry, but--Oh dear! There it goes again!" and that
poor, old gentleman rabbit had to lean on his crutch, because his legs
hurt him so.

"Oh, we only want you to look on, and tell us when the game is going all
right," said Jimmie very kindly. "You can have a seat in the shade, and
you will decide who's out, and who makes a run, and which side wins."

"Well, I might manage that," replied Uncle Wiggily. "Come on, but please
walk very slowly."

So they walked on very slowly, and pretty soon they met Johnnie and Billie
Bushytail with Sister Sallie. And the little girl squirrel was singing:

"Hippity-hop to the barber shop
To buy a lolly-pop-lally.
One for me and one for thee
And one for Sister Sallie."

"Come on, let's play ball," called Jimmie to Johnnie and Billie. The
Bushytail brothers said they would, and on they all went, through the
woods and over the fields, and pretty soon, oh, maybe in about two quacks
and a half, whom should they meet but Sammie and Susie Littletail. Sammie
said he would play ball, and Susie said she would look on.