Johnny Long Legs Read Online Free PDF Page A

not to lose his temper though. He wouldn't forget the ref's warning when he had deliberately bounced the ball
     hard against the floor.
    He was still unable to grab a rebound from the Astro Jets' tall center. He was hearing a name more often too. A name someone
     had tacked onto him several games back.
    “Come on, Johnny Long Legs! Jump!”
    He and Stogy Giles caught a rebound at the same time when the score was 7 to 4 in the White Cats' favor. The referee tossed
     the ball up between them and Johnny tried to put all the spring he could into his legsto outjump the boy who was more than six inches shorter than he. Stogy still outjumped him.
    Other than Stogy, however, the Jets had no one with a sharp eye for the basket. One of them tried a shot from the center line
     and made it. The fans for both teams cheered for him. But apparently his shot was just lucky. It was the only one he made
     that first half.
    The White Cats went into the second half leading 31 to 18. Stogy had made twelve of the eighteen points. He was small but
     fast. Twice he had stolen the ball from Johnny, leaving Johnny stunned for a second. And embarrassed.
    Nat Newton played the last two minutes of the third quarter in place of Johnny and also started the fourth quarter. Johnny
     didn't mind. He hoped Coach Dates would keep him on the bench the rest of the game.He was tired of people calling him Johnny Long Legs and making fun of his poor jumping.
    There were four minutes left in the quarter when the coach sent him back in. “Two things to remember, Johnny,” he said. “Watch
     your pivot foot, and put all the spring into your legs that you can when you jump.” Then he added, “You don't like the fans
     calling you Johnny Long Legs, do you? Ignore them. Know what fans used to call me when I played ball? Mucilage. It means glue.
     What do you think of
that
name?”
    Johnny laughed. He agreed that it was certainly worse than Johnny Long Legs.
    He fouled Stogy when the little guy tried to dribble by him and Stogy was given a shot. He made it. Then Johnny scored a set.
     A few seconds later he intercepted a pass, dribbled fast upcourt, and laid the ball against the boards for another two points.The game ended with the White Cats winning, 64 to 49.
    “Good game, Johnny,” said Toby as they headed for the locker room. “You were high scorer.”
    “How many?” asked Johnny.
    “Twenty-seven points. Not bad, huh?”
    They took their showers and began dressing when Nat Newton said something that was news to Johnny. “Did you hear that Coach
     Smith kicked Jim Sain off the Hornets because of what he had done to Stitch Buttons' horses?”
    Johnny stared at him. “Are you sure?”
    “Sure, I'm sure.”
    “He deserves it,” said Rick. “Jim's always horsing around. Wising it up. It's about time somebody did something with him.”
    “I don't know,” said Johnny thoughtfully as he and Toby walked home after the game. “Do you think the coach should have kickedJim off the team just because he yelled and scared the horses?”
    Toby shrugged. “Don't you?”
    “No. Maybe benching him for a while would be okay. But kicking him off the team… Man!”
    “Yeah,” said Toby. “That is pretty rough.”
    “And did you see that look on his face? He looked scared. Real scared.”
    “He sure did,” admitted Toby.
    They walked the rest of the way home in silence.
    Toby told Mom and Dad about Coach Smith's tossing Jim Sain off the Hornets for what Jim had done, and also told them how Johnny
     felt about it. Dad smiled at Johnny. “This interests me, son. After the trouble Jim Sain has caused you and Toby, you think
     that his coach is giving him a raw deal. Both of you could've been badly hurt if it weren't for that snowbank, you know.”
    “I know,” said Johnny. Then he looked at Mom.
You understand, don't you, Mom? You've seen kids like Jim Sain in New York City. They do things to hurt you, then are sorry
     afterwards.
    Mom put an arm around his