THE DAY'S PLAY BY A. A. MILNE THIRD EDITION METHUEN & CO. LTD. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON First Published ... September 22nd 1910 Second Edition ... December 1910 Third Edition ... January 1921 TO R. C. LEHMANN MY CHIEF CREDITOR THIS TRIFLE ON ACCOUNT [Transcriber's note: The main headings below were in the source book. The secondary ones were added for reader convenience.] CONTENTS THE RABBITS Part I Part II MARGERY To Margery--from her Uncle Margery's Sock How to Play the Pianola The Knight of the Chimney-piece The Art of Conversation Afternoon Sleep JOCK MORE CRICKET To an Old Bat A Scratch Lot Ex Nihilo fit Multum An Average Man SMALL GAMES Physical Culture Croquet Gardening Golf Stump Cricket Exploring Shopping Chess Progressive Bridge Dressing Up After Dinner BACHELOR DAYS The Butter The Washing Taking Stock Medes and Persians The Cupboard The Post Bag Going Out The Sidesman An Awkward Case Reverie Retrospect LETTERS TO CHARLES NOTE.--All the Articles and Verses in this book have previously appeared in _Punch_. To the Editor for printing them, and the Proprietors for permitting me to reprint them, I shall always be grateful. A. A. M. THE RABBITS PART I CHAPTER I INTRODUCING THE LOP-EARED ONES AND OTHERS "By Hobbs," cried Archie, as he began to put away the porridge, "I feel as fit as anything this morning. I'm absolutely safe for a century." "You shouldn't boast with your mouth full," Myra told her brother. "It wasn't quite full," pleaded Archie, "and I really am good for runs to-day." "You will make," I said, "exactly fourteen." "Hallo, good-morning. Didn't see you were there." "I have been here all the time. Fourteen." "It seems a lot," said Myra doubtfully. Archie laughed in scorn. "The incoming batsman," I began, "who seemed in no way daunted by the position of affairs----" "Five hundred for nine," put in Myra. "--reached double figures for the fourth time this season, with a lofty snick to the boundary. Then turning his attention to the slow bowler he despatched him between his pads and the wicket for a couple. This, however, was his last scoring stroke, as in the same over he played forward to a long hop and fell a victim to the vigilance of the wicket-keeper." "For nearly a quarter of an hour," continued Myra, "he had defied the attack, and the character of his batting may be easily judged from the fact that his score included one five----" "Four from an overthrow," I added in parenthesis. "And one four. Save for a chance to mid-on before he had scored, and another in the slips when seven, his innings was almost entirely free from blemish----" "Although on one occasion he had the good fortune, when playing back to a half-volley, to strike the wicket without dislodging the bails." "See to-morrow's _Sportsman_," concluded Myra.