"Let's get up a game of ball," said the Tennis Racket.
"All right," said the Big Fiddle. "I'll play first base."
"And I," said the china Water-Jug, "will take my usual position of pitcher."
Patrick was the captain of a brick-schooner that plied between New York and Haverstraw on the Hudson. One day his schooner was loaded, ready to start for New York. But Patrick never gave the word to the crew to cast off the hawsers and get under way. Instead, he sat lazily swinging his leg over the spokes of the wheel, smoking his pipe.
The owner of the brick-yard, who was also the owner of the schooner, seeing that the vessel had not started, and wishing to have the load landed in New York as soon as possible, rushed down to the dock and irately demanded of Patrick why he did not get under way.
"Shure, yer honor, there's no wind."
"No wind! Why, what's the matter with you? There's Lawson's schooner under sail, going down the river now."
"Yis, I've been er watchin' her, but it's useless my gettin' under way. She's got the wind now, and, faith, there's not enough of it fer two."