Nate the Great and the Stolen Base

Nate the Great and the Stolen Base

I, Nate the Great, am a detective. Sometimes I’m a baseball player. This morning I was a detective and a baseball player. My dog, Sludge, and I went to the field. I had to practice batting and running and fielding. I belong to a team.

ROSAMOND’S RANGERS. Rosamond, Annie, Harry, Oliver, Esmeralda, Claude, Finley, and Pip belong too. They were at the field. Rosamond’s four cats were there. They are the team’s mascots.

Annie’s dog Fang was there. Fang is not on the team. He is not a mascot. Fang should have stayed home. Rosamond came up to me. “ We can’t practice today, ” she said. “ Somebody stole second base. ” “ We can get another second base, ” I said. I bent down and picked up a big stone. “ A stone for second base?” Rosamond said. “ Not while I’m coach. Everybody uses stones. Rosamond’s Rangers do not. ” Rosamond is a strange coach.

That was no surprise. Rosamond is a strange person. She said, “ When we play baseball, I bring first base. Oliver brings second base. And Annie brings third base. ” Rosamond held up a large tuna fish can. “ Here’s today’s first base. Nobody stole it. ” Annie held up a large dog bone. “ Here’s today’s third base, ” she said. “ Nobody ate it. ” Fang and Sludge sniffed.