When I came down the next morning Pudge was still asleep over in her box, evidently tired out.  And well she might have been.  For there on the floor lay the cards scattered all about just as I had left them the night before.  The faithful little insect had buzzed about all night trying to come to some decision about picking them up and arranging them in the catalogue-box, and then, figuring out for herself that, as she knew practically nothing about larvae of any sort except wasp-larvae, she would probably make more of a mess of rearranging them than as if she left them on the floor for me to fix.  It was just too much for her to tackle, and, discouraged, she went over and lay down in her box, where she cried herself to sleep.

If this is not an answer to Professor Bouvier’s statement that insects have no reasoning power, I do not know what is.

XIII

THE SCORE IN THE STANDS

The opening week of the baseball season brought out few surprises.  The line-up in the grandstands was practically the same as when the season closed last Fall, most of the fans busying themselves before the first game started by picking old 1921 seat checks and October peanut crumbs out of the pockets of their light-weight overcoats.

Old-timers on the two teams recognized the familiar faces in the bleachers and were quick to give them a welcoming cheer.  The game by innings as it was conducted by the spectators is as follows: 

FIRST INNING:  Scanlon, sitting in the first-base bleachers, yelled to Ruth to lead off with a homer.  Thibbets sharpened his pencil.  Liebman and O’Rourke, in the south stand, engaged in a bitter controversy over Peckingpaugh’s last-season batting average.  NO RUNS.

SECOND INNING:  Scanlon yelled to Bodie to to whang out a double.  Turtelot said that Bodie couldn’t do it.  Scanlon said “Oh, is that so?” Turtelot said “Yes, that’s so and whad’ yer know about that?” Bodie whanged out a double and Scanlon’s collar came undone and he lost his derby.  Stevens announced that this made Bodie’s batting average 1000 for the season so far.  Joslin laughed.

THIRD INNING:  Thibbets sharpened his pencil.  Zinnzer yelled to Mays to watch out for a fast one.  Steinway yelled to Mays to watch out for a slow one.  Mays fanned.  O’Rourke called out and asked Brazill how all the little brazil-nuts were.  Levy turned to O’Rourke and said he’d brazil-nut him.  O’Rourke said “Eah?  When do you start doing it?” Levy said:  “Right now.”  O’Rourke said:  “All right, come on.  I’m waiting.”  Levy said:  “Eah?” O’Rourke said:  “Well, why don’t you come, you big haddock?” Levy said he’d wait for O’Rourke outside where there weren’t any ladies.  NO RUNS.

FOURTH INNING:  Scanlon called out to Ruth to knock a homer, Thibbets sharpened his pencil.  Scanlon yelled:  “Atta-boy, Babe, whad’ I tell yer!” when Ruth got a single.