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Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1930, Page 9 (Supplement)

The chums were bored! Time seemed to pass very slowly, and they could not think of any new game to play. Gwendoline gave it up at last and went to sleep on the sofa, while Ted sat down to read a book. "I wish something would happen to brighten things up a bit,” murmured Polly. At that moment Richard entered the room. "Hi! Wake up!” he called. 'Come out, all of you! I’ve a fine idea!”

Richard’s "fine idea” was nothing more than a game of cricket. Not exactly A real game of cricket, biit it had struck him that Ted knew very little about it, and so he had decided to give him a lesson. Of course, Gwendoline agreed, because she fancies she is very good at cricket. Richard explained the game to Ted, showing him how to stand at the wicket, and how to strike the ball. "Now, I’ll bowl,” he said. ‘ "Yes,” put in Gwen, "and you have to hit the ball as hard as you can, Ted.”

As Ted had never played cricket before, both Richard and Gwen thought they were going to have quite a lot of fun teaching him. Gwen especially was forward in telling him to hit the ball hard, because she felt sure that Richard would bowl him out first go. But, as it happened, Ted made a mighty swing at the first ball Richard bowled and did hit it, and he hit so, hard that it caught poor Gwen a terrible' thump. "Oh, well stopped!” Polly shouted.

It took poor Gwen quite a time to recover from the blow. She sat on the ground and puffed for ever so long before she could get her breath. Ted frightfully sorry and apologised most humbly, but Richard thought it was rather tunny. "It wasn’t your fault, Ted,” he said, hiding his laughter so as not to offend Gwen. "She should have stopped it with her paws.” "Anyway,” said Polly, "I think Ted can bat very well. Now let him have a try at bowling.”

It was settled that Ted should bowl. Gwen thought she had helped enough ' for one day, so she decided to sit under a tree and watch Richard bat, “Now,” said Richard, “Bowl at. the wicket, and I’ll show you how to hit the ball properly.” “Do I have to bowl fast?” asked Ted. “Bowl as fast as you like,” answered Richard, “and I’ll show you what JackHobbs would do with the ball.” “Don’t hit it too hard, Richard,” advised Gwen.

Ted bowled quite a good ball, but Richard did something wrong and received it —thump!—on his chest instead of on the bat. It was Gwen’s turn to laugh now, and laugh she did—much to Richard’s annoyance. Richard was so annoyed, in fact, that he let his bat fall on Polly’s head, and that wise old bird stopped laughing at once! You will not be surprised to learn that they decided to stop cricket lessons for the day, and limped off home as best they could, Ted being the only uninjured member of the party.