Scout lived on the top floor of a tall building.
One day he lost his favorite shiny, red ball.
He went from floor to floor to look for it.
On his way he met a cat named Cleo.
“Have you seen my ball?” asked Scout. “It is shiny and red and can bounce higher than anything else.”
“Nonsense!” said Cleo.
“You will see that I can bounce higher after we find your ball.”
Scout and Cleo met a fish named Frankie.
“Have you seen my ball?” asked Scout. “It is shiny and red and rounder than anything else.”
“Poppycock!” said Frankie. “You will see that my bowl is rounder after we find your ball.”
Then they met a hamster named Harvey.
“Have you seen my ball?” asked Scout. “It is shiny and red and can go faster than anything else.”
“Impossible!” said Harvey. “You will see that I can run faster after we find your ball.”
They went from floor to floor to look for it.
They looked high and low.
But Scout began to worry that he would never find his shiny, red ball. How would he show his friends what his ball could do?
Then they heard a tiny squeak.
A gray mouse was trying to sneak away with the shiny, red ball!
They gave chase. The little mouse teased them…
Only to crash into a wall.
Scout, Cleo, Frankie, and Harvey towered over him.
“Who are you?” demanded Scout.
“And why did you take my ball?”
“My name is Mac,” said the mouse.
“And what do you mean ball?
I took this cheese with a red rind that you never ate.”
“But it is not cheese. Taste it and see,” said Scout.
Mac took a bite. “That is horrible!”
“That is because it is meant for playing, not for eating,” said Scout.
“Let me show you what I mean.”
Scout bounced the ball so high that not even Cleo could reach it.
He balanced the ball so perfectly that not even Frankie could say his bowl was rounder.
He rolled the ball so fast that not even Harvey could keep up with it.
“That is definitely not cheese!” Mac admitted.
“What cheese could do such amazing things?”
Mac joined their fun and the new friends played the day away with the shiny, red ball.
They threw the ball back and forth.
They danced with the ball.
They juggled the ball.
But the sun began to set and the friends began to tire.
“Good night!” they said to each other, returning to their homes.
Near an open window, Scout quickly fell asleep with the ball close by his side.
As he slept, a little bat landed on the windowsill.
“You do know that ball is meant for playing, not for eating?” said Scout.
The End.
