Today was the 日 of the school picnic in 青い鳥, ブルーバード Park!
His mother gave Grover a big picnic lunch.
Then she said, “I have a surprise for you.”
It was a baseball bat!
Grover was so happy.
“Now あなた can learn to play baseball,” 発言しました his mother.
“I will be a super batter,” 発言しました Grover.
Grover’s mother gave him a big キッス good-bye.
The school bus took everyone to 青い鳥, ブルーバード Park.
Grover sat in the back with Truman.
“My big brother has a bat just like yours. I play ball with him all the time,” 発言しました Truman.
“I have never played before,” 発言しました Grover. “I cannot wait to try!”
There was so much to do at the park!
Everyone played tag.
Betty Lou showed Grover a new trick on the monkey bars.
Then there was a sack race.
At noon they had their picnic lunch.
After lunch it was time to play baseball.
The teacher said, “Jill and Truman, あなた pick two teams.”
One によって one everyone was picked.
Everyone but Grover.
“Truman, あなた need one more,” 発言しました the teacher. “Take Grover.”
Truman said, “Oh, no! Grover has never played before. He will make us lose!”
Truman’s words hurt Grover.
They felt like a punch.
But Grover just said, “You will see. I will be a super batter!”
But Grover was not a super batter.
He missed the ball every time.
Now was his last chance.
He swung three times…
and he missed three times.
The other team shouted, “We won!”
“See? I told あなた Grover is no good,” 発言しました Truman.
Everyone laughed.
“Grover can’t bat!” they teased.
Grover pretended not to hear.
But he felt very sad.
Grover walked ホーム very slowly from the bus stop.
“Why did all my フレンズ make fun of me?” he 発言しました to himself.
A big tear rolled down his furry face.
He kicked a tin can down the street.
“You stupid can,” he said.
Then he looked at his bat.
“You stupid bat!” he said.
When Grover came to Oscar’s trash can, he bumped into Big Bird.
“Hi, Grover!” 発言しました Big Bird. “Look! Oscar gave me this blue paint. I am painting a picture of you!”
Grover looked at the picture.
“That stinks!” he yelled. “That does not look like me at all!”
Big Bird’s eyes filled with tears.
“Grover, why are あなた so mean to me?” 発言しました Big Bird. “I am your FRIEND!”
Oscar popped out of his can.
“Who is making all that noise?” he yelled.
“Big Bird is!” 発言しました Grover.
“Grover is!” 発言しました Big Bird.
Grover looked at Oscar.
He looked at Big Bird.
Then he burst into tears.
“Everyone made fun of me.”
And he told them all about the baseball game.
“Poor Grover!” 発言しました Big Bird. “You must feel so sad.”
Oscar yelled, “SAD? あなた must mean MAD!”
Grover said, “I am sad AND mad.”
Then he began to smile a little.
Big Bird said, “I have a good idea. I will practice batting with you.”
Oscar gave them a rotten old ball.
“Now GO AWAY!” he said.
Big Bird threw the ball to Grover again and again.
At last Grover hit the ball.
“Hurray!” 発言しました Big Bird.
The Grover threw the ball to Big Bird again and again.
Big Bird missed every time.
“I am even worse than you,” 発言しました Big Bird.
Grover and Big Bird laughed and laughed.
Finally it was time to go home.
“Big Bird,” Grover 発言しました softly, “I did not mean it when I 発言しました your painting stinks. Please, may I have it?”
Big Bird’s face lit up.
“Sure あなた can!” 発言しました Big Bird.
Grover said, “I will go ホーム and hang it up right now.”
He ran all the way.
“Hello, dear!” 発言しました his mother. “Did あなた have fun at the picnic?”
Grover said, “Some of it was fun. But then everyone made fun of me because I was a bad batter.”
“Oh, my goodness,” 発言しました his mother. “What did あなた do?”
Grover said, “I yelled at Big Bird. Then I felt worse!”
“Oh, my,” 発言しました his mother. “Then what?”
Grover said, “Then we played and Big Bird gave me this nice painting.”
His mother said, “Big Bird is a good friend.”
Grover’s mother helped him hang up Big Bird’s painting.
Then they had a nice hot supper.
After 晩餐, 夕食 Grover said, “Mommy, will I EVER be good at batting?”
His mother said, “Maybe あなた will when あなた are older… and maybe あなた will not.”
Then she smiled.
“But あなた will ALWAYS be good at being Grover. And that is even better.”
