Today was the день of the school picnic in певчая птица, голубая птица, синяя птица 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 Ты can learn to play baseball,” сказал(-а) his mother.
“I will be a super batter,” сказал(-а) Grover.
Grover’s mother gave him a big Kiss good-bye.
The school bus took everyone to певчая птица, голубая птица, синяя птица 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,” сказал(-а) Truman.
“I have never played before,” сказал(-а) 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, Ты pick two teams.”
One by one everyone was picked.
Everyone but Grover.
“Truman, Ты need one more,” сказал(-а) 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 Ты Grover is no good,” сказал(-а) Truman.
Everyone laughed.
“Grover can’t bat!” they teased.
Grover pretended not to hear.
But he felt very sad.
Grover walked Главная very slowly from the bus stop.
“Why did all my Друзья make fun of me?” he сказал(-а) 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!” сказал(-а) 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 Ты so mean to me?” сказал(-а) Big Bird. “I am your FRIEND!”
Oscar popped out of his can.
“Who is making all that noise?” he yelled.
“Big Bird is!” сказал(-а) Grover.
“Grover is!” сказал(-а) 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!” сказал(-а) Big Bird. “You must feel so sad.”
Oscar yelled, “SAD? Ты 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!” сказал(-а) Big Bird.
The Grover threw the ball to Big Bird again and again.
Big Bird missed every time.
“I am even worse than you,” сказал(-а) Big Bird.
Grover and Big Bird laughed and laughed.
Finally it was time to go home.
“Big Bird,” Grover сказал(-а) softly, “I did not mean it when I сказал(-а) your painting stinks. Please, may I have it?”
Big Bird’s face lit up.
“Sure Ты can!” сказал(-а) Big Bird.
Grover said, “I will go Главная and hang it up right now.”
He ran all the way.
“Hello, dear!” сказал(-а) his mother. “Did Ты 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,” сказал(-а) his mother. “What did Ты do?”
Grover said, “I yelled at Big Bird. Then I felt worse!”
“Oh, my,” сказал(-а) 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 ужин Grover said, “Mommy, will I EVER be good at batting?”
His mother said, “Maybe Ты will when Ты are older… and maybe Ты will not.”
Then she smiled.
“But Ты will ALWAYS be good at being Grover. And that is even better.”
