Then it came Sammie Littletail’s turn, and he knocked the ball so high that it went up in a tree and stayed there, and didn’t come down.

“Oh, that’s no way to play!” exclaimed Jimmie Wibblewobble.  “Now we haven’t any ball.  What did you do that for, Sammie?”

“Well, I couldn’t help it; could I?” asked Sammie, and he threw the bat up, trying to knock down the ball.

But it wouldn’t come down, and then they all threw up stones and sticks, but still that ball wouldn’t come down, and then Billie and Johnnie Bushytail climbed up and they had it down in about two frisks of their big, long tails.

Well, they said that Sammie Littletail was out for knocking the ball up in the tree, and he didn’t like it, but he gave in, and the game went on.  Then Jimmie Wibblewobble knocked a ball, oh! so far and so high that it was almost out of sight.

“Nobody can catch that!” cried Jimmie, as he started for first base.

But just you wait and see.  Buddy Pigg was out in the field, waiting for a nice ball to come along so he could catch it, and now was his chance.  He had such bright eyes, almost like his sister’s, and he could see the ball away up in the white clouds, even though none of the other players could.

He kept his eyes on it, and got his paws all ready to catch it when it came down.  And pretty soon it did begin to come down, for you know it couldn’t stay up there in the air, with nothing to hold it.  Of course not, and I know you understand how that is.

Well, Buddy managed to catch that ball, though it came down very swiftly, and Jimmie Wibblewobble was out.

“Fine catch, Buddy!  Fine!” cried Billie Bushytail.

“Yes, and now it’s Buddy’s turn to bat,” said Bawly, the frog.  “Get up, Buddy.  I’ll pitch you a nice one.”

So Buddy got up to home plate, which was a flat stone, you know, and he held his bat ready to knock the ball out of sight, if possible.

Bawly threw him a nice, easy ball, and Buddy struck at it.  He hit, too, which is better.  Oh! such a hit as he gave that ball!  It’s a good thing balls don’t have feelings, I think, or bats either, for that matter.

Well, as soon as he hit the ball Buddy started to run for the bases.  Oh, how fast he ran, but something happened.  The ball didn’t go as far as he thought it would.  No, it fell down right near Sammie Littletail, and Sammie picked it up and ran toward Buddy with it.

He knew if he could touch Buddy with the ball before Buddy got back to home plate, that Buddy would be out and then Sammie could bat again.

So Sammie ran after Buddy, and Buddy ran all around the bases, hoping he could make a home run and get there safe.  But it was hard work.  Faster and faster he ran, and faster and faster hopped Sammie after him.

“Run, Buddy!  Run!” cried Bully the frog.

“I—­am—­running!” panted Buddy.

“Catch him, Sammie!  Catch him!” cried Bawly, and Sammie gave three tremendous hops to catch Buddy.