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