CHAPTER3
Some of the elves that were still eager to play leapt to their feet, and the rest dragged them selves up and hung nervously back. Nat smiled again and said, "Right, now, er. how shall I decide the teams? I know, I'll split you in half,"
Some of the elves now were terrified. "Split us in half! I don't want to be split in half!" one cried to his friend, clutching him self so that Nat wouldn't be able to cut him in half with her cricket bat.
"No, you dumbo!" replied the elf in front of him, "She means that she is going to split us into two teams!"
The elves, after hearing this, relaxed considerably. Nat put them into two teams and then stood back. "Now," she said, "Who wants to bat first?"
The elves hung back until the small one bravely said, "I'll bat first!"
"Right then" Nat said kindly, "Stand there erm. what was your name?"
"Andurinal," he replied nervously.
"OK then, Andi, erm. Andidurinally."
"Andurinal," the elf replied clearly.
"Right" said Nat, looking a bit abashed, "Will you please stand over there,"
Nat indicated to a spot in the grounds and Andurinal cautiously went over there. "Stand in that box that I have marked out for you" Nat said cheerfully. Andurinal cast a sideways look at the box marked out on the floor and taking a deep breath, edged into it. He stood there with his eyes screwed tightly shut, as though he was expecting the ground to swallow him. But as nothing happened, he relaxed and smiled at his friends who were watching him with scared expressions on their faces. "Come on then, who's in Andurinal's team?"
Some of the elves that were still eager to play leapt to their feet, and the rest dragged them selves up and hung nervously back. Nat smiled again and said, "Right, now, er. how shall I decide the teams? I know, I'll split you in half,"
Some of the elves now were terrified. "Split us in half! I don't want to be split in half!" one cried to his friend, clutching him self so that Nat wouldn't be able to cut him in half with her cricket bat.
"No, you dumbo!" replied the elf in front of him, "She means that she is going to split us into two teams!"
The elves, after hearing this, relaxed considerably. Nat put them into two teams and then stood back. "Now," she said, "Who wants to bat first?"
The elves hung back until the small one bravely said, "I'll bat first!"
"Right then" Nat said kindly, "Stand there erm. what was your name?"
"Andurinal," he replied nervously.
"OK then, Andi, erm. Andidurinally."
"Andurinal," the elf replied clearly.
"Right" said Nat, looking a bit abashed, "Will you please stand over there,"
Nat indicated to a spot in the grounds and Andurinal cautiously went over there. "Stand in that box that I have marked out for you" Nat said cheerfully. Andurinal cast a sideways look at the box marked out on the floor and taking a deep breath, edged into it. He stood there with his eyes screwed tightly shut, as though he was expecting the ground to swallow him. But as nothing happened, he relaxed and smiled at his friends who were watching him with scared expressions on their faces. "Come on then, who's in Andurinal's team?"