Snappy Comes to See Jake

“Hey Jake!” said Snappy as he approached the steps to the porch.

“Hey Snappy,” said Jake. “What are you doing all the way over here? You don't usually leave the park or go too far from your little pond. Is everything okay?”

“No, it is not good today,” said Snappy.

“What happened?” asked Jake.

“There are all kinds of boys at the pond and they are throwing rocks into it and they hit me with a rock,” said Snappy. “I crawled away as quick as I could.”

“Are you okay?” asked Jake checking Snappy's back.

“I'm okay now,” said Snappy. “But I can't go back to the pond until those mean boys leave it.”

“Maybe they won't be there for long time,” said Jake. “Midge and I will go check on it when she gets here.”

“Thanks Jake,” said Snappy. “I don't want to go back there when they are there.”

“Have they done this before Snappy?” asked Jake.

“No, never,” said Snappy. “But there is a new boy in the group of boys and I think he is the one who is bad and the others are following along with him. I hope he never comes back to the pond again. The other boys are nice.”

“Hi Jake,” said Midge as she walked up the sidewalk. “Hi Snappy. What are you doing over here. I've never seen you come here before.”

“It isn't good at my little pond right now,” answered Snappy.

“What happened?” asked Midge.

“Some boys were throwing rocks into the pond and hit Snappy with them,” said Jake.

“Oh my!” said Midge. “Are you okay?”

“I'm okay now,” said Snappy. “They are mean and I want them to go away.”

“You have never had that problem before, have you?” asked Midge.

“No,” said Snappy. “The boys have always been nice and not thrown rocks trying to hit me before. But there is a new boy with them now and I think he is the mean one and the others are doing what he does.”

“Oh dear,” said Midge. “I wonder if that is the mean kid that moved in across the street from me.”

“You have seen him?” asked Jake.

“Yes,” said Midge. “He is a big bully. I have seen him being mean to some girls and the boys seem to be afraid of him so they do what he wants to do all the time.”

“That isn't good Midge,” said Jake. “We sure don't need a big bully in the neighborhood.”

“I know it,” said Snappy. “I don't want him near my pond either. That is my home.”

“I saw him the other day being mean to one of the little boy's dogs,” said Midge. “He was poking him with a stick and the dog was trying to grab the stick.”

“Doesn't his mother say anything to him when he is so mean?” asked Snappy.

“No,” said Midge. “She just sits on the porch swing and lets him do what he wants to do. I wonder if he bullies her too?”

“Oh my goodness,” said Jake. “If he bullies his mom, there is no hope with him. He isn't disciplined at all and that is not good.”

“Is there anything we can do to teach him a lesson?” said Snappy. “Can't we think of something to get back at him so he will stop?”

“Don't know,” said Jake. “Maybe Gabby will have an idea or Booker-T. Booker-T used to live on the streets. He might know how to handle a bully like that.”

“Maybe,” said Midge. “He should be here soon. You know he is at the other house right now so will be little later than usual.”

They sat and waited on Booker-T to come along and ask if he might have a suggestion to stop the boy from his bullying. It wasn't long when Booker-T came prancing along the sidewalk to the porch.

“Hi everyone,” greeted Booker-T. “Well hi Snappy. What brings you over here this morning? You don't usually go very far from your pond.”

“Did you come across the park near the pond on your way here this morning?” asked Midge.

“Yes,” said Booker-T.

“What did you see?” asked Snappy.

“I saw some boys sitting under the tree near the pond's edge,” said Booker-T.

“Those boys are being mean to Snappy,” said Midge. “They were throwing rocks at him.”

“I saw them just sitting there,” said Booker-T. “I did notice that there is a new boy with the other five that come to the pond all the time.”

“He is a bully,” said Snappy.

“That is not good,” said Booker-T. “We sure don't need a bully in the neighborhood.”

“They didnt see you walk across the park when you came?” asked Midge.

“No, I don't think so,” said Booker-T. “I really don't know.”

“He is mean to other kids and to animals,” said Midge. “I'm glad he didn't see you or they might have thrown rocks at you too.”

“I hope not,” said Booker-T. “That would hurt.”

“We wanted to know if you might have an idea to stop the bullying from him,” said Midge.

“Since you lived on the streets, maybe you have an idea,” said Jake.

“Let me think on it a little bit,” said Booker-T. “I'm sure I can come up with one.”

Booker-T jumped into the swing on the porch and sat staring at the sky.

“Are you thinking?” asked Snappy.

“He's thinking,” said Midge. “When he stares at the sky and not talking, he is thinking. I'm sure he will come up with a plan.”

They all sat and watched Booker-T as he sat on the swing staring at the sky.