CHAPTER2
Jennie stood back up and prepared to bowl the ball to Nat. Nat got ready to hit it, and all the elves' eyes were fixed on the bat again. Jennie bowled underarm to her, and again Nat whacked it high into the air. She smirked and began to say modestly that it was just a fluke shot; little did she know that this second ball had knocked out Steph, who was on her way to get some lunch from Elrond's house. "Wow!" exclaimed the elves, obviously fascinated. Nat smiled, "Right. Do you all understand?"
The elves nodded their heads but did not make a noise. "Good," Nat continued, "Now I'll show you how to bowl!"
Heawood let out a groan and said, "this is really boring now, Nat. I'm going to see what Steph is up to" and then Heawood got up and left. Hurriedly, before anyone could object. But no-one objected, the elves really didn't mind that 'Lady Heawood' had just left their cricket lesson, in fact, they were rather pleased because they hoped now that there would be no more interruptions. Nat cleared her throat. "Now, how to bowl. Um." she paused for a moment, wondering how she could phrase it. "er.I know, Jen, stand up a minute."
Jennie stood up and faced Nat. "Now everyone, pretend that Jen is the batsman" Jennie raised her eyebrows. Nat laughed and said, "Sorry, batswoman. Anyway, watch closely now as I bowl the ball in a fairly accurate line to Jennie, who will then attempt to hit it back to me."
Nat raised her right arm with the ball, and concentrated hard. "Wait!" cried Jennie, "I don't have a bat!"
But it was too late. Nat had already thrown the ball, and Jennie managed to duck just in time to stop it from hitting her on the head. The ball carried on and landed harmlessly in Elrond's prized rose bushes.
The elves began to mutter but did not say anything, Jennie stood there looking as if she had just nearly experienced death, and Nat was smiling. "Whoops!" Nat exclaimed happily, "I forgot to give a bat to Jen!" Then she picked up a spare bat and threw it at Jennie. Jennie's eyes opened wide and she dived out of the way and landed on her side. She gave a condescending look to Nat and stood up again, gingerly rubbing her arm. But Nat shook her head and said, "Come on, Jen! You should be able to catch that! That was an easy throw!"
"Nat! You just threw a cricket bat at me! What did you expect me to do? Run forward to catch it?" Jennie said angrily. Nat began to argue back.
The elves were now looking very scared. "Can't we use swords to defend ourselves?" one of them asked as Nat and Jennie argued.
"No," replied another one, "I heard that if you do the bat will bite you and it injects some sort of poison in to you"
The others gasped. "Don't be silly!" said an old elf, "you shouldn't believe silly things like that!"
"It is a very strange game. I do not really understand, but it looks fun to play," said another one.
"Well," said a small elf, "let us try it, and if we don't like it, we don't have to continue playing,"
Nat and Jennie had stopped arguing and were now being quite friendly again. "So," Nat said brightly, peering at all of the elves, "it's quite simple, watch again," Jennie hastily grabbed the bat and held it like a sword. Nat threw the ball and Jennie closed her eyes and hit it, and Nat caught it with some difficulty. "Did you see my lovely straight arm whilst I bowled it?" She asked them all, "See how I didn't take my eyes off of the bat that Jennie is holding, and see how straight it went?" The elves nodded mutely. "Good," replied Nat, "Now, who wants a game?"
Jennie stood back up and prepared to bowl the ball to Nat. Nat got ready to hit it, and all the elves' eyes were fixed on the bat again. Jennie bowled underarm to her, and again Nat whacked it high into the air. She smirked and began to say modestly that it was just a fluke shot; little did she know that this second ball had knocked out Steph, who was on her way to get some lunch from Elrond's house. "Wow!" exclaimed the elves, obviously fascinated. Nat smiled, "Right. Do you all understand?"
The elves nodded their heads but did not make a noise. "Good," Nat continued, "Now I'll show you how to bowl!"
Heawood let out a groan and said, "this is really boring now, Nat. I'm going to see what Steph is up to" and then Heawood got up and left. Hurriedly, before anyone could object. But no-one objected, the elves really didn't mind that 'Lady Heawood' had just left their cricket lesson, in fact, they were rather pleased because they hoped now that there would be no more interruptions. Nat cleared her throat. "Now, how to bowl. Um." she paused for a moment, wondering how she could phrase it. "er.I know, Jen, stand up a minute."
Jennie stood up and faced Nat. "Now everyone, pretend that Jen is the batsman" Jennie raised her eyebrows. Nat laughed and said, "Sorry, batswoman. Anyway, watch closely now as I bowl the ball in a fairly accurate line to Jennie, who will then attempt to hit it back to me."
Nat raised her right arm with the ball, and concentrated hard. "Wait!" cried Jennie, "I don't have a bat!"
But it was too late. Nat had already thrown the ball, and Jennie managed to duck just in time to stop it from hitting her on the head. The ball carried on and landed harmlessly in Elrond's prized rose bushes.
The elves began to mutter but did not say anything, Jennie stood there looking as if she had just nearly experienced death, and Nat was smiling. "Whoops!" Nat exclaimed happily, "I forgot to give a bat to Jen!" Then she picked up a spare bat and threw it at Jennie. Jennie's eyes opened wide and she dived out of the way and landed on her side. She gave a condescending look to Nat and stood up again, gingerly rubbing her arm. But Nat shook her head and said, "Come on, Jen! You should be able to catch that! That was an easy throw!"
"Nat! You just threw a cricket bat at me! What did you expect me to do? Run forward to catch it?" Jennie said angrily. Nat began to argue back.
The elves were now looking very scared. "Can't we use swords to defend ourselves?" one of them asked as Nat and Jennie argued.
"No," replied another one, "I heard that if you do the bat will bite you and it injects some sort of poison in to you"
The others gasped. "Don't be silly!" said an old elf, "you shouldn't believe silly things like that!"
"It is a very strange game. I do not really understand, but it looks fun to play," said another one.
"Well," said a small elf, "let us try it, and if we don't like it, we don't have to continue playing,"
Nat and Jennie had stopped arguing and were now being quite friendly again. "So," Nat said brightly, peering at all of the elves, "it's quite simple, watch again," Jennie hastily grabbed the bat and held it like a sword. Nat threw the ball and Jennie closed her eyes and hit it, and Nat caught it with some difficulty. "Did you see my lovely straight arm whilst I bowled it?" She asked them all, "See how I didn't take my eyes off of the bat that Jennie is holding, and see how straight it went?" The elves nodded mutely. "Good," replied Nat, "Now, who wants a game?"