She sat staring anxiously at the sky for some minutes.
'Yes,' she cried, 'I remember—oh, I am glad!'
'Now, you all go out and get a lot of animals to play against us—gently, mind!—coax them; tell them it is splendid fun—and I will teach you football.'
It was a very quaint set of animals that shyly allowed themselves to be led up. They were mostly ostriches and ant-eaters, with a sprinkling of elephants, hippopotamuses, and such-like.
But they grew more interested and less self-conscious when Baby Jane showed them how to fix up two posts at each end of the chosen ground, and explained how each side had to try to kick the ball between the other side's posts.
'And one side must be called the "Old Somethings,"' she told them, 'so we will be the "Old Janies," and the other side must be the "Junior Something Athletic," so you shall be the "Junior Oakdene Athletic," and that is all I know, except that one player must be called "full back," and another "left wing." Rabbit, you are our "left wing," and you, Lion, are our "full back."'
These two creatures flushed with pride to be picked out for these honours.
A little rattlesnake had wanted to play too, but he had no legs so they made him the umpire.
It was the sound of his rattle that began the game, and at that signal the two teams rushed upon the cocoa-nut—that was what they used for a ball.
The first to distinguish himself was an agile young elephant, who, with the ball before him, dodged in and out among the Old Janies with terrible skill, every moment getting nearer to their goal. At last only a few yards remained, and with agonised faces Baby Jane's team looked for the last fatal kick.