Throw The Ball, Do!

     Simpson was a girl.  Why her mother had called her this, she didn't know, but her name had caused her no end of trouble.  People would say things like, "Where's Simpson Locket?" and she would say, "Here!" hopefully, and they would reply awkwardly, "Oh, you're a girl," with strange expressions on their faces, which she couldn't quite understand.
     Simpson Locket couldn't do anything right.  She left her homework out on the lawn and rushed in to eat her supper.  It rained and made her homework soggy and illegible.
     Rowing on the Serpentine, everyone else was having a serene time, and she fell in.
     Visiting the Roman Colosseum by moonlight, she embarrassed herself by vomiting up her supper and spoiling the visit for everyone.
     Her mother took her to see the Morris Dancers as they jingled their way through their steps.  She wanted to join but didn't get in as she didn't jump at the right places.
     She and her sister Carly were practicing playing with a bat and ball, when Simpson's spectacles slipped and she missed the ball (she had to catch it).  The ball went too far and got caught in a thicket of brambles.  Simpson bravely fought her way in to find the ball, when there was a nearby car chase.  Police chased some youth.  One of the youth was caught, and the other one jumped out of the car and ran for the thicket.  Simpson, who was now stuck in the thicket, couldn't have been more surprised when the youth backed away from the authorities and bumped into her.  He was as surprised as she was.
     "Throw the ball, do!"  called Carly, who was getting impatient.
     "What are you doing here?" said Simpson to the youth.
     He explained.  The police caught him and took him away to prison.
     Simpson visited him in prison and took him a cake.  Her mother found out and said,
     "I don't think you should be taking cakes to prisoners," to which Simpson replied,
     "Well, I don't see how they're supposed to learn to be kind if I'm not kind, coz where else are they supposed to see a good example?" 
     Simpson was kind.
     After the youth was released, he got a job as a baker.  So you see, she had had a good effect as he lived a good life after that and never went to prison again.

THE END