Incredible Summer - Chapters 3 and 4

CHAPTER #3

The Frog Hop Race

    Every summer in the middle of June the Greater Benderburg Chamber of Commerce hosts The Frog Hop Race. Anyone can enter, as long as you have a frog that knows how to jump. It's a lot of fun, brings a lot of visitors, and has become a kind of tradition in these parts.
    Uncle Al thought it would be a great way for Barnaby to get out in the flow of things, and so a couple days later they paid a visit to the Pet Shop. Then, as the proud owners of a nice, young frog, they came home to Uncle Al's workshop to practice for the race. They named their new acquisition Gulliver, and I'm not sure if it was the practicing, or if Barnaby's frog was just in a particularly good mood, but when the big day came, Gulliver performed so well in the preliminaries that they wound up in the championship, racing against two strong opponents. One of them was owned by Pastor Samuel Button, the minister, and was well known for winning three years in a row. The other was the prize possession of none other than Robin Banks herself.
    Naturally all the boys in town were rooting for Robin, and a few members of the church choir were rooting for the minister, but by far the person drawing the most attention was a certain little boy. Everyone was asking the same question. Who is he? Barnaby didn't realize the stir he was creating, but Uncle Al, who was lost in the crowd, was very much aware of it, and was quite pleased with the turn of events. Of course, if either one had known what was going to happen next, they would gladly have sold the frog on the spot and gone home for a nice, quiet evening. But they didn't know, and so things continued, and here's how Bruce and Brenda, the radio announcers, called it.

(Bruce) "For those of you just tuning in, we're here live at the Greater Benderburg Frog Hop Race where the championship frogs are lining up right now. Pastor Button's frog is back again, as you might have predicted. In the near lane is a frog with a pretty, pink bow, and if you haven't guessed it already, we'll tell you this is the entry of Miss Robin Banks. But the big surprise is a young boy whom no one seems to know. Brenda's trying to find out. Hold on, here she comes now."

(Brenda) "Yes. I did find out. His name is Barnaby, and his frog's name is Gulliver."

(Bruce) "Barnaby?"

(Brenda ) "Yes, that's it."

(Bruce) "Okay, so now we know who the mystery person is. Barnaby's frog, Gulliver, is in the middle lane. Pastor Button's frog is on the outside. Robin's got the inside lane. The signal is about to be given... AND... they're off-that is, the race has begun, but none of the frogs have moved yet."

(Brenda) "Wow. Robin's frog just took two big leaps. The boys are all waving pink bows and cheering. Pastor Button's frog is moving now, but seems a little hesitant.Gulliver hasn't moved yet. Barnaby looks like he's trying to whisper something in the frog's ear."

(Bruce) "It does look that way, doesn't it? Hold on to your hats! Gulliver just took off. He's in the lead now. I can't imagine what Barnaby said."

(Brenda) "He better keep talking, if that's what it takes. Pastor Button's frog is moving again, but he's still in third place. Wait, he's getting into it now, showing that form that won three championships in a row. He's in the lead. Robin's frog hasn't moved since the beginning."

(Bruce) "There goes Robin's frog now. She's tied for the lead with the pastor at about the half-way point. Gulliver's not far behind. Barnaby looks like he's giving him another pep talk. Woe! Gulliver's on the move again, but hold on... he turned around and started off in the wrong direction. Barnaby's stopping him now, but he's pretty much back at the beginning."

(Brenda) "This is where experience begins to show. Both the Pastor's and Robin's frogs have been here before. They know which way the finish line is. Pastor Button's frog is making another move. He's definitely in the lead now."

(Bruce) "Look at those boys rooting hard for Robin. And Barnaby's kneeling down, talking to Gulliver face to face. Robin's frog just took another leap. Gulliver's jumping now, but up and down in the same place. If only Barnaby can get him to move forward."

(Brenda) "There goes Gulliver now. He's on the move. He's at the half-way point. Oh no! He's turning around again. He's headed right off the course. Gulliver's headed for the stands!"

(Bruce) "Pastor Button's and Robin's frogs have both taken another leap. They're right next to the finish line now, with the pastor slightly in the lead."

(Brenda) "Oh, I feel sorry for Barnaby. His frog has disappeared into the crowd, and he's standing at the starting line like a lost puppy. You can see he doesn't know what to do."

(Bruce) "Yes, looks like he's just going to sit down."

(Brenda) "I don't think he's sitting down. Looks like he's getting into position."

(Bruce) "Don't tell me!"

(Brenda) "Yes. I think he's taking the place of his frog. There he goes. Ha, ha, ha."

(Bruce) "The crowd is in hysterics. Here's this boy nobody knows, and he's hopping down the middle lane as if he was a frog himself. Ha, ha, ha."

(Brenda) "This is unbelievable. He even hesitated like the others. There he goes."

(Bruce) "They're all moving now. It's a photo finish. Pastor Button's frog is first. Robin's frog is second. And Barnaby himself comes in third! Ha, ha, ha, ha! That's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. And just listen to that crowd!"

    What the crowd was doing was laughing. They couldn't help it. Some people were bent over holding their stomachs. A few fell over and just lay there on the ground, unable to get up. It was perhaps the most unexpected and funniest thing that ever happened in Benderburg.
    In the midst of all this commotion the photographer lined up the winners on the podium. There was Pastor Button's frog on the top spot with a gold ribbon, and Pastor Button standing proudly behind. Robin's frog was on the left with the second place ribbon, and Robin's smile told the rest. But everybody else's smile, including the photographer's, was directed at the third place spot where a young boy was crouched down just like a frog, and wearing the third place ribbon on his lapel. Oh it was a funny sight. And the picture made the front page of the paper!
    Poor Barnaby. He arrives in town one day not knowing anybody, and in less than a week everyone in the county not only knew him, but laughed right out loud whenever someone said his name. It was not the fantastic beginning he might have hoped for. And you guessed it. A couple days later there was a new song on Benderburg radio. In no time at all it seemed like everyone was singing it.

Song 4 - Your Picture In The Paper

I saw your picture in the paper
This silly smile was on your face
I almost died when I saw the headline
Boy Comes In Third In The Frog Hop Race

My dad was on the floor with laughter
My mother spilled her cup of tea
The whole town's talking and the whole town's laughing
And I'm so glad it wasn't me

Hop-a-long Barnaby, Hop-a-long Barnaby
Practice some more and next time you'll do better Hop-a-long Barnaby, Hop-a-long Barnaby
And might we suggest next time
    wear a bright green sweater

I saw your picture in the paper
You held your trophy up with pride
This paper goes all around the district
What you've done here will be known far and wide

Now other towns have started laughing
The county's buzzing with the news
We all know your frog left you standing there stranded
But what a funny thing to do!

Hop-a-long Barnaby, Hop-a-long Barnaby
Practice some more and next time you'll do better Hop-a-long Barnaby, Hop-a-long Barnaby
And might we suggest next time
    wear a bright green sweater

I saw your picture in the paper!

CHAPTER #4

Baseball and New Friends

    One day Uncle Al came home with a nice new baseball glove. "What's this?" Barnaby asked. "It's your ticket for making friends," Uncle Al replied. "Every afternoon at three o'clock the boys baseball team has practice. Why don't you take your glove down to the field and watch them work out? Who knows, maybe they'll ask you to play."
    Barnaby didn't know what to expect, but he decided to give it a try, so that afternoon he left the house good and early and headed for the practice field. At this point, I should probably tell you a couple things Uncle Al didn't know. It's true the boys practice at three o'clock, but it's also true that Robin walks the dogs at 3:15, so for all practical purposes that's when practice is over. You know, first things first.
    Another thing is that the girl's softball team practices from 1:30 till 3:00, so Barnaby was about to witness the final few minutes of their practice routine. When he got to the ball field, this is what he saw.

(Coach) "Okay, good job. We just finished ten laps around the field. Take a few seconds to catch your breath. (pause) Alright, line up. Time for our third set of calisthenics. Who's gonna lead?"

(Missy) "I will. Let's start with jumping jacks. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten! Sit-ups. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven! Push-ups. One, two, three, four, five! Take the field!"

(Coach) "Okay, last time around. Third... good job. Short... nice work. Second... that's what I like to see. First... yes.
Pitcher... come hard... good job. Catcher... that's right. Okay, Jennifer, can you hear me? I'm gonna hit this one out toward the com field."

    While we're waiting for this long fly ball to come back to earth, I'd like to point out two people whose names you may want to jot down. The pitcher's name is Missy Cook - you know, her father owns the hat shop - and she's a mean pitcher. She has seven different pitches, and none of them are easy to hit. The other player you might like to remember is the little center fielder chasing the ball right now. She's Jennifer Banks. That's right - Robin's sister. Jennifer can run like the wind, and she's got a glove like a magnet. She'll catch anything that comes her way. Just watch.

(Coach) "Good job, Jennifer! Bring it in to second. Now home. Around the horn. Yes! Everyone in here. Let's go."

    The team all gathered in a tight circle and put their hands and gloves in the middle. "Go Tigers!" they yelled in unison. Then the coach said, "Time for ice cream sundaes. Last one to the drug store is a fried potato!" And the girls ran off the field like bullets shot out of a gun, but the fastest little bullet was a tiny center fielder named Jennifer who dropped her glove off at home on the way to the drug store and still beat the rest of the team by thirty seconds.
    What Barnaby thought of all this I'm not exactly sure. I can only say that when I first saw the Tigers practicing, I was quite impressed. Their teamwork is definitely dramatic.
    The next few minutes provided a contrast not easily forgotten. First Rodney Stone arrived on his old bicycle. He was captain by virtue of the fact that he was biggest. That's about all we can say for now. Leadership was not the boy's team's greatest asset. The other boys arrived carrying bags of gum and candy, and a couple had bottles of soda to wash it all down with. They put their snacks down on the bleachers, not paying much attention to Barnaby, who sat there with his glove in his hand. Then they sauntered out onto the field. There weren't enough of them to cover all the positions, but even so they didn't ask Barnaby to join them. Rodney took his spot at home plate to hit a few grounders.

(Rodney) "Okay. Third... come on McGriff. You can do better than that. Try throwing it to first base next time. Never mind, I have another ball here. Alright. Short... oh, come on. What did I tell you, Johnson. You gotta slap the ground with your glove and then come up to meet the ball. Then it won't go through your legs like that. See if you can reach me from there. Hey, nice throw. Ow! Here's one for the outfield. Sanders, see if you can track this one down... why didn't you run?"

(Sanders) "You didn't hit it where I was."

(Second) "What we need is some more outfielders."

    Barnaby saw this as a wide open opportunity, so he stood up and said, "Hey, if you need some more players out there, I'll give it a try."
    "You? Hey, guys, look who wants to play now," Rodney shouted. "Barnaby says he'll play outfield for us."
    "Ha, ha. I can see it now," laughed the first baseman, and he crouched down like a frog and held his glove high in the air. "I got it. I got it!" he yelled, and he hopped around the infield, going first one way and then the other.
    This impersonation sent the rest of the team into fits of laughter, and for a moment the ball field looked like a replay of the other afternoon. Rodney was over by the bleachers, doubled over. The third baseman was flat on his back. The outfielder came in to join in the hilarity. The only one who wasn't laughing was the second baseman, and of course Barnaby, who had hoped that the others would help him forget the events of the last week instead of rubbing it in.
    By this time it was obvious that practice was ended, and it would have been anyway, for Rodney suddenly looked at his watch and said, "Woe. It's almost 3:15. Thanks for the laughs, guys. Last one to the pet shop... is a frog playing outfield." And he jumped on his bicycle and pedaled toward town. The others laughed again, grabbed their snacks, and took off. The only ones remaining were Barnaby and the second baseman, who walked slowly across the infield to where Barnaby was now sitting.
    "Don't pay any attention to them," he said kindly. Barnaby looked up as the boy continued. "My name's Reggie."
    "Nice to meet you. I'm Barnaby."
    "Yes, I know," Reggie said. "I think everyone around here knows your name."
    "I didn't mean to get so well-known so fast," Barnaby said.
    "Don't worry about it," Reggie said. "You caught everyone's attention. Now all you have to do is win their respect."
    Barnaby was silent for a moment. "I know it sounds a little strange to say this," he said at last, "but it's not really respect I was hoping to find." Reggie looked up as Barnaby continued. "You see, I lost my family only a few months ago."
    "I'm sorry," said Reggie. "Did you come here to Benderburg to try and forget?"
    "No, I can't forget," said Barnaby. "I guess I just need some new things to remember, that's all."
    "Well, I'll do whatever I can to help," Reggie said. "Maybe we can practice baseball together, just the two of us. I need a better workout than what you saw today."
    "That sounds like a good idea to me."
    "Then is it a deal?" asked Reggie.
    Barnaby extended his hand. "It's a deal," he said, and they shook on it.

    So Barnaby found a friend, and in that respect I suppose you could say the afternoon was a success, but when Barnaby got back to Uncle Al's workshop, the feelings of rejection by the others were still running kind of deep. Uncle Al hadn't had a particularly great afternoon himself, so when he saw the look on Barnaby's face he decided it was time to do something fun. It didn't really matter what-just something to change the mood.