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 b.a.l.l.s 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.

But by this time Buddy was nearly at home plate, where he would be safe.

And the worst of it was that Sammie was almost there, too.

Then, with his last breath, and giving a spring and a hop that was so big that it took him close to Buddy, Sammie stretched out his paw with the ball in and tried to touch Buddy. But do you s'pose he did? No, sir, he didn't, and Buddy got home safe, and wasn't put out after all.

"Well," said Sammie, after he had gotten his breath, "if you had had a tail sticking out behind you I would have touched that, and you'd have been out."

"I'm glad I haven't a tail," said Buddy, as he sat down on the gra.s.s to rest, and then, after a while the game went on, and lasted until dark, everybody having a fine time.

Now, I'm going to tell you in the story after this one about Brighteyes, Buddy and the turnip--that is, in case I hear a potato bug sing a song that puts the rag doll to sleep, so she won't cry and wake up the p.u.s.s.y cat.

STORY XVIII

BRIGHTEYES, BUDDY AND THE TURNIP

One day when Buddy and Brighteyes Pigg were out walking in the fields, they saw, close beside a big stone, a fine, large turnip. Oh, it was the nicest, ripest, juiciest turnip that ever a guinea pig boy or girl smelled of, and it just made their mouths water, and water even came into their eyes.

"Oh, what a lovely turnip!" exclaimed Brighteyes. "I wonder who it belongs to?"

"Let's look and see if it has any one's name on it," suggested Buddy.

So, after peering carefully about to see that there were no traps near, the two guinea pig children went closer, and gazed on all sides of the turnip, and even turned it over to look on the bottom.

They couldn't see a single name, and then they came to the conclusion that the turnip didn't belong to any one in particular.

"I wonder if it would be right for us to take it home?" asked Brighteyes. "Mamma and papa would just love to have some of it."

"Why certainly, take it right along, children!" exclaimed a voice from under a burdock leaf, and then out flew the kind, old June bug.

"May we really have it?" asked Buddy.

"Of course," answered the June bug. "You see I was hiding under that leaf, thinking it was about time for me to go South, for June bugs oughtn't really to fly in July, when I heard a rumbling noise. First I thought it was thunder, and then I saw that it was a big farm wagon loaded with turnips.

"Well, one of the turnips fell off, and a boy, who was riding on the wagon, called to the man who was driving, and told him about the turnip falling. Then the man said that didn't matter, as he had more turnips than he knew what to do with. So that's how I know that you can have the turnip if you wish."

"Well, we certainly do wish!" cried Brighteyes. "Isn't it grand, Buddy?

We'll take it right home."

"Yes, but how can we carry it?" asked her brother. "I don't believe we can lift it."

He went up to the big, round turnip, and tried and tried, with all his might, to lift it, but it wouldn't come up as high even as a pin head from the ground.

"Perhaps I can lift it," suggested Brighteyes, so she tried, but she couldn't.

"Maybe if you both try together you can," said the June bug.

Well, they both pulled and hauled, but it was of no use. There that turnip was, just as if it was stuck fast in the ground.

"I'm not very strong myself," went on the June bug, "but I'll do my best. Come on, now, all together."

So he took hold, with Buddy and Brighteyes, and he buzzed his wings as hard as they would buzz, and he cracked his legs, and he strained and he tugged and pulled, but, no sir, that turnip wouldn't move the least bit.

"I guess we'll have to leave it here," said Buddy sorrowful-like, "but I did so want to take it home to mamma and papa."

And he looked at the big vegetable as if it would, somehow, move itself.

"I know a way," said the June bug, at length.

"How?" asked Brighteyes.

"Why you and your brother must eat as much of it as you can, and then it will be lighter, and easier to lift, you see. Just gnaw a lot off the turnip, and you can carry it, then."

"Oh, but that would spoil the turnip," objected Buddy. "We want to take it home all in one piece, so papa and mamma can see it." Now wasn't that good of him? Especially when he and his sister were just as hungry as they could be, and would have loved to have had some? But they wanted to have their folks see it first, without a bite being taken from it.

"Well," said the June bug, "maybe you can roll it along, if you can't lift it."

"The very thing!" cried Buddy. "If we can just get it started it will roll along easily, for it is down hill to our pen, and it will bounce along just as the cabbage did, that I was once in. That's a good plan."