Wimble Starts a Game

Wimble is a red squirrel with a big fluffy tail, a green bandana, and more bounce than a rubber ball. Wimble’s favourite game in the whole world is a jump-rope game she made up herself, called Over the River.

One recess, Wimble ran around the playground with her rope. “Who wants to play Over the River?”

“No thanks, we’re playing tag.”

“Maybe later.”

“What’s Over the River? I don’t know it.”

Wimble asked and asked and asked. Nobody said yes.

Her tail sagged. She felt hot in her cheeks and wobbly in her tummy. Nobody likes my game, she thought. Maybe it’s a silly game.

Wimble almost put the rope away. But then she remembered something Rocco always said: there’s more than one reason why.

So Wimble thought. Some friends were already playing tag. Some friends didn’t know the rules. And some friends, she noticed, were just standing around, not playing anything at all.

Maybe it’s not my game, Wimble thought. Maybe they just can’t see it yet.

So Wimble did something brave. She didn’t ask anybody. She tied one end of her rope to the fence post. She stood in the middle of the playground. And she started playing, all by herself.

Swish, hop. Swish, hop. “Over the river, over the stream, jump on the stepping-stone, quick as a dream!”

It felt a bit strange, playing alone. Her cheeks still felt warm. But she kept going, and every few jumps she called out, loud and friendly:

“I’m playing Over the River! Anybody can join! You don’t have to know the rules, I’ll show you!”

At first, nobody came.

Then a little mole called Nubbin wandered over. “How do you play?”

“I’ll show you! Stand here and jump when I say river!”

Then Dabney came. Then two friends from tag, who were tired of running. Soon there were five friends jumping over the river, laughing and tripping and trying again.

Not everybody came. The tag players kept playing tag, and that was fine. But five was plenty.

That afternoon, Wimble’s tail was the bounciest it had ever been. She learned that sometimes, nobody says yes when you ask. But if you start the game yourself and call out, anybody can join, people can see it, and the ones who want to will come.