Break for the Basket Read Free

car, their curls bobbing on their shoulders. Both of them wore blue winter coats and hats and white
     mittens.
    “Guess your folks are home,” said Robin Hood. “So long! We’ll see you tomorrow afternoon!” They started off at a run. “Oh,
     yes! Thanks for letting us play with your ball!”
    Emmett waved to them, then went forward to meet his Mom and Dad. Charlene and Georgianne ran to him, and they both grabbed
     his legs. He couldn’t move.
    “Let go of me!” he shouted.
    The girls laughed and let him go. Mom and Dad laughed, too. They put their arms around him and the three of them followed
     the girls up to the front door.
    “Those boys looked familiar,” Mrs. Torrance said as she opened the door. “But I’ve never seen them here before. Who are they?”
    Emmett explained who they were, but all the time his stomach felt as if butterflies were inside of it.
    He put away his basketball and hung up his coat and hat. Then he helped the girls remove their coats. They jabbered like little
     monkeys, telling all the things they had done during the day. Real crazy things, thought Emmett. His mother hustled around
     the kitchen, from the cabinets to the refrigerator and the gas range. Once more hunger gnawed at Emmett’s stomach, and he
     remembered the crackers.
    He went to the hall closet, stuck his hand into his coat pocket, and hauled out the crackers he had put into it. They were
     all broken. He had forgotten all about them.
    “What have you got there?” his mother exclaimed as she saw him come into the kitchen with the crumbled crackers. He told her
     how hungry he had become, and about the boys coming over and playing with his basketball, about the hole in the ball and everything.
    Then Emmett went into the living room to see his father, who was reading the evening paper.
    “Robin Hood asked me to join their team, the Penguins,” Emmett said.
    His Dad glanced over the edge of the paper.
    “What’s that? A midget basketball league?”
    “It’s the Ice Cap League, Dad,” said Emmett enthusiastically. “Our team’s name is the Penguins.”
    “When does the team play?”
    “Saturday mornings at the Northside Community Hall. Robin Hood said there’s practice tomorrow after school —” Emmett rambled
     on like water gushing from a spout. And his father listened to every word, a warm smile on his lips.
    Then Emmett remembered something that wasn’t as pleasant. He told about Mr. G.
    Mom had come in from the kitchen, and both she and Dad looked at Emmett in amazement. “What’s gone wrong with that man?” Mom
     said. “Has he gone crazy?”
    “Nobody is paying any attention to his paintings, so he figures he might as well give it up,” said Dad.
    “But destroy those beautiful creations?” said Mom. “Did you ever see them? They were magnificent!”
    Dad shrugged. “I’ve seen them, and I agree with you. But an artist has a tough time selling his product these days. There
     are too many good ones. A man hasn’t a chance unless he gets a break.”
    “How does he get a break?”
    “That’s a good question, and I can’t answer it.”
    Emmett wasn’t sure what they were talking about. Could Mr. G. sell those paintings to somebody if they were really good? Is
     that what Mom and Dad were saying? But, gee whiz, those paintings
were
really good, weren’t they?
    Emmett brushed the thought from his mind. He liked Mr. G. all right, but when it came to paintings he was lost.
    “Okay. Set the table,” said Mom. “Supper is ready.”
    Emmett could hardly wait.
    Emmett carried his sneakers to the Community Hall with him the next day after school. The other Penguins were already there,
     dressed in their black satin uniforms. There were six of them. He would be the seventh man. Also present was a man sitting
     at the sidelines, watching with silent interest.
    “Hi, Emmett!” shouted Rusty Kane.
    Emmett waved. Then he thought he saw double, butit was the Dunbars — Robin Hood and Mickey. One