Hello. Let me introduce myself, my name is Luke. Well, I am an old man now, sitting here thinking about all the wonderful things I have seen during my life. Being old like this, you find yourself trying to remember everything you can. It’s not like when you were young and could run and play and remember what you did every second of your life!
So, here I sit thinking and reliving all the exciting places I have traveled to. I have seen the great clay soldiers that were created by an emperor long ago in Xi’an to protect him in the afterlife and gazed upon the ancient lands of China from the Great Wall. I have seen the grand drag-on boats race down the waterways of Hong Kong. I have walked the creaky wooden floors of the Shogun’s palace in Japan, which were built as an alarm system to keep him safe from enemy invaders. I have visited many castles in Ireland and have kissed the magical stone which grants you the gift of gab. I have seen the haunted mansions of London and have zoomed 180 miles an hour on a train that traveled under the English Channel to France. I have walked the mysterious catacombs of Paris that hold the bones of more than six million people.
John then said, “And that brings me to another point. Why was the ball that these children had especially made for safety been taken from them? You as a school board directed these kids to find a ball that wouldn’t hurt and wouldn’t leave any marks, correct? You also said that if they could come up with such a ball then their ball throwin’ game could continue. Now, when the kids follow through with your request, apparently you won’t accept the ball that they had made in China, and still won’t let them play. Why is this?”
Whoa, I thought. That is the question I wanted to ask all along, but I am a kid. No one would listen to me. So, it took an adult who was once a kid to ask a kid question. It was kind of funny when John asked the question because all the school board adults were looking at each other like they didn’t know what John was talking about.
After a few silent moments, the principal stood up and looked at the school board people and said, “Just so you have all the same information, yes, a ball was brought to school. Yes, the ball was considered safe and did meet all the rules you as you the school board set forth. However, there was one problem, or one complaint that I took into consideration. And after listening to the complaint, I called one of the boys in and talked with him. I explained my concern and gave him the ball back. I also told the boy not to bring the ball back, because it looked too much …. like …. a … uh… bottom…..or as the kids would say …..a butt!” With that comment the whole crowd roared with laughter.
The guy up front, who was kind of smiling, asked for order from the crowd. “A butt you say. Do you have this ball for me to look at?”
John then pulled the ball from his pocket and tossed it to the guy, who dropped it and then picked it up, squeezing it. “Oh my,” he said, “this is some ball and, yes, I do see the concern.” The crowd was still laughing.
ButtBall is a kid’s playground game that won’t go away! Played for many years on playgrounds across the world, this game can finally lay claim to it’s own specialized ball!
©Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved.
