jawnbc | Casey @ the Bat

It looked extremely rocky for the Mudville 9 that Day
The score stood 2 to 4, with but an inning left to play.
But when Cooney died at 2nd, and Burrows did the same
A pallour wreathed the features of the patrons of the day...

When I was in year 5, Mr. Merkle was Gawd. One of those bright, personable, inspiring teachers. He made the unfocussed kids wanna try. He made the brainiacs wanna help their pals. He made the chatterboxes be quiet, and the introverts talk...a bit. Really he was perfect: fair, had expectations of us, and made learning fun wherever possible. During any given week there were a range of contests going on, all of which were about sourcing, acquiring and reporting knowledge. Or some special skill.

So came the oral recitation contest, of Thayer’s “Casey at the Bat”. Anyone in our class could enter, and whomever best read the play would win a prize--and get to read the play over the school’s PA system one morning. I noticed Mr. Merkle recited the lines from memory and decided to try the same.

The big morning Mr. Merkle invited some other staff to be the judges. Our school librarian Mrs. Goldner, a couple of others I can’t remember. Everyone took their turn, and I was going last. Everyone else read theirs, and I also padded to the front of the class with my printout.

And very theatrically placed it face down on the table in front of me. “It looked extremely rocky....”

I killed ‘em. And won first prize.

2 weeks later I was led to the office for the reading over the PA system. I was pleased I was stoked, and then they flicked on the sound.

uh....uhh........rustle rustle rustle....I--i-i-t looked extremely rock f-f-f-for the Mudvile n-n-n-9 that day....”

4 minutes later it was done, I was covered in sweat, and I went back to Mr. Merkle’s class--there was a new Mystery Guest on the bulletin board and I wanted to keep my lead with the most guesses . . .