cricket

英语故事

BeautifulCricketBall

werethetwins，SandeepandMandeep，Sanjay，Alok，Tanmay，

Amitabh，Firoz，Vipin，Munna，Jasbir，SudhirandSuresh.

Whatfunitwouldbe！

“Wewillplayonthatniceflatstretchofland！”

SaidSandeep.“Youputthestumpsin，Suresh！”

LittleTanmaycamerunningup.“Alok，Alok！”He

cried.“CanIplaytoo？”

“No”saidAlok，“Youaretoosmall.”

“ButIcanrunfast，”saidTanmay.“Oh，dolet

meplay，’tasktobat，Justletmefieldfor

you.”

“No，We’vegotenoughplayers，”saidAlok.“Run

alongandplaywithyoursister，Tanmay.”

ohopedtoplay

d

runveryfastand，althoughhedidn’tbatverywell，Hecould

off，ght

havegivenhimachance！

Hislittlesisterwasbuildingadollhouinthe

heapofloomudlyingnearby.

“Comeandhelp，Tanmay”。took

ogoodbeingmeanto

Shalinijustbecausomeonehadbeenmeantohim！

TheboysdroveinthestumpsandthenFirozbrought

outamostbeautifulnewcricketball.

“Look，boys.”Hesaid.“Here’safineball！

Ihaditformybirthdayyesterday！”

“My！”SaidAmitabhandtheotherslookingatthe

beautifulballadmiringly.

“That’sabeauty！Canweplaywithittoday，

Firoz？”

“Yes”SaidFiroz，proudly.“Butwillyoulet

mebatfirstifIletyouplaywithmynewball？”

“Allright，”saidtheothers.“Takethebat，

’sgoingtobowl？YouJasbir！Seeifyoucanget

Firozoutwithhisownball？”

，stilldiggingintotheloo

mudtohelpShalinibuildthedollhou，couldheartheclick

oftheballagainstthebatasFirozdroveitoverthefields

sshouted.

ookedlikealotof

fun，Firoz

upthebattoSuresh，whowasavery

okthefinenewballtobowlto

sogoodashetwirleditaboutthebestball

theboyshadeverhadtoplaywith！

Alokbowled，lflew

alongthefield，andSureshran，t

tomakemorerunsthananyoneeldoesthatmorning！Atlast

edit

！Went

lflewtowardsthepond.

“Stopit，Munnastopit！”YelledFiroz.“Don’t

letitgointothepond，orweshallloit.”

ButMunnacouldnotstopit，fortheballwasgoing

ckonceand

flewupintotheairthenitdroppedintothepond.

“Findit，Findit，Munna！”Yelledeveryone.

“Hurry！Sureshismakingmorerunsthenanyone！”

dnotetheball

unted！Helookedundertheweedsthatgrew

edineverycornerofthepond.

Thatbeautifulnewballwasnoten.

peeredhereandthere，theysplashedintothepond，butit

wasn’tabitofgoodthatballcouldnotbefound！

“It’sgone，”saidFiroz，verymuchupt.“Quite

allwedo？”

“Betterplaywithouroldone，”saidSandeep.

everyonewasverysadaboutFiroz’oo

badtoloitintheveryfirstgame.

Tanmayhadbeendiggingallthetimetheboyswere

’tliketogonearthem，for

’tknow

whethertheyhadfoundtheballornotbutwhenhesawthem

didn’tknowitwastheoldone.

iwanted

todosomethingel.“Let’sgofishing，”Shesaid.

“Allright，”saidTanmay.“We’llcatchsomefish

fordinnerShalini”。

Theytooktheirsmallfishingnetsandwenttothe

shedtheirnetsthroughthesoftmudandlooked

toehowmanyfishtheyhadcaught.

“Onlyonetinycrab，”saidShalini，andsheand

Tanmayputtheirnetsinthewateragain.

“Icaneabigprawn！”SuddenlyshoutedTanmay，

indelight.“Hurrah！Comehereintomynet，Prawn！”But

edhereandthere，and

atlastdisappearedunderashelvingrockthatjuttedoutinto

thepond.

“Tanmaystuckhisnetundertherocktocatchthe

Prawn.

Hedrewhisnetoutandlookedintoitnotherewas

noprawnthere！

“Tanmaysomethingrolledoutfromunderthatrock

whenyoustuckyournetthere，”SaidShalini，pointing.

“Whatwasit？”

“bigred

editup.

“Itmusthavebeenunderthatledgeofrock，”he

said.“AndwhenIpokedmynetunderneathitmusthavemade

rwhoballitis.”

“Itbelongstothoboys，”saidShalini.“Iheard

eplayingwith

anotherone”。

“Aretheyreally，Susan？”SaidTanmay.“This

mustbeFiroz’havebeenupt

whenitcouldn’tbefound”

“Areyougoingtotakeitbacktothem？”asked

Shalini.

“Idon’tknow，”saidTanmay.“Theywerenasty

’tewhyIshouldbenicetothem.”

“ButFirozwillbesosadifhedoesn’tgethis

newballback，”saidkindheartedShalini.“Don’tyou

rememberhowbadwefeltwhenwelostournewkiteTanmay？”

“Yes”saidTanmay.“Allright，I’lltakeitback

totheboys.”

Hedriedtheballonapieceofcloth，andthenran

eduntillthebatsman

wasbowledoutandthenyelledtoFiroz.

“Firoz！I’vefoundyournewball！Itwasinthe

pond.”

pgaveacheer.

“Hurrah！Iamsoglad.”

AlokcaughttheballandstaredatTanmay.

“That’sverygoodofyou，”hesaid.“Youarea

sport！Isayboyswhataboutlettinghimcomeintothegame？

Hemustbeagoodsorttobringbackourballwhenwewouldn’t

lethimplaythismorning！”

“Yeslethimcome！”roaredalltheboys.“Come

onyoungTanmay！We’ecent

ofyoutogivebackourball！”

SoTanmayjoinedthegameandwashenotpleadand

dedverywellindeedand，doyouknowthat

althoughheonlymadeonerun，hebowledoutMandeepandSanjay.

Theboyswerequitesurprid.

“Youplayagoodgame，Tanmay，”saidAlok，at

theend.“Youcancomeandplaywithusagaintomorrow.”

NowTanmayalwaysplayscricketwiththebigboys

andhowgladheisthathetookShalini’sadviceandwasnice

totheboyswhenhereallydidn’twanttobe！

AsforFiroz’sbeautifulnewball，theyarestill

yintheponddidn’tdamageitabit！