Now whom do you suppose threw the ball?  Why, Johnnie Bushytail.  And Billie was on first base, while Jimmie Wibblewobble had the bat, which was a piece of hickory stick.  He was to hit the ball and Sammie Littletail and the white kittie, whose name was Sadie, were to chase it.

Oh, what fun they had!  Jimmie knocked the ball as hard as he could, and then he ran, and Sadie and Sammie tried to put him out, that is to tag him with the ball, for that’s the way they played.  Then it came Bully’s turn to bat, while Johnnie Bushytail caught, and then you should have seen how cutely Sadie, the kittie, would roll the ball along to first base whenever any one hit it.

And as for Billie Bushytail, when it was his turn, he knocked a ball away over in the field, and Lulu ran after it, even if she wasn’t supposed to play.  She threw it back too, and then she went and sat down with Alice and Susie and Sister Sallie.  Uncle Wiggily did fine at umpiring, and he was as kind and good as could be, so no one found fault with what he said, even when he had to rub his leg that had rheumatism in it.

But something dreadful happened.  I’ve got to tell about it, or else it wouldn’t be fair, and we must always be honest and fair in this world, no matter whether we want to or not.  It was Jimmie’s turn at the bat again.  He hit the ball very hard.

Away it sailed, over the fence and across the field, and then, oh, don’t breathe or wiggle for a few seconds now! then, if that ball didn’t smash, bang, crash right into the window of Grandfather Goosey-Gander’s house!  Yes, sir, it broke the window all to flinders, and out rushed Grandfather Goosey-Gander!  Oh, but he was angry!  He quacked, and he squawked, and he called out: 

“Who broke my window?”

“I—­I did, please sir,” answered Jimmie.  “But I didn’t mean to.  It was an accident.”

“Ha, hum!  An accident, eh?  Well, you’ll have to pay for it,” said Grandfather Goosey-Gander.  “Yes, that’s what you will!”

“Oh we’ll all chip in and pay for it,” said Bully, quickly.  “That’s what we always do in a ball game when a window is broken.  I’ll pay my share.”

“Ha!  Hum!” cried Grandfather Goosey-Gander, and then he sneezed, for he had run out without his cap on and he was bald headed.

So they all agreed to pay for the window, and even Sister Sallie said she would help.  But they didn’t have to.  No, sir, as true as I’m telling you, if Aunt Lettie didn’t happen along just then, and, when she heard what the matter was, she just took out her purse and said: 

“I’ll pay for the window which Jimmie broke.  I am rich, and I’ll never miss the money.  Boys and girls must have some fun.”

“Fine!” cried Uncle Wiggily.  “I’m the umpire and I say that’s just fine.”

Now, wasn’t that kind of Aunt Lettie?  Well, I guess so!  Then the game went on, and Billie and Johnnie Bushytail won, but no more windows were broken.  Now, if we don’t get an April shower to-morrow, you shall hear, in the next story, to-morrow night, about how the duck’s pen caught fire, and who put it out.