Skratch set up his stall and started to shout. "Play the ball
game!" he cried. "Triple your balls! Triple your balls!" Lapinette hopped up the
steps. "I’d like to try," she smiled. "How does it work?" "All you have to do," said Skratch loudly, "is to
give me your ball and keep your eye on it. If you can guess where your ball
went, then you can keep all the balls." "And if I guess wrong?" said Lapinette. "Then
I keep your ball, but that seldom happens," said Skratch. "OK," said Lapinette and she bounced her ball in
the air and gazed as Skratch juggled. A few Agents of Rabit started arriving
and they watched the balls spin round and around. Skratch’s paws blurred and suddenly the balls landed in the cups. The Agents goggled. "Where's your ball now?" asked Skratch. "It’s that one there," said Lapinette and she pointed to
the middle cup. "Oh so it is," said Skratch
sadly and he blinked rapidly. "I’m afraid my eyes aren’t as good as they used to
be." Lapinette took all the balls and danced up and down with excitement. "It's
so easy, can I do it again?" "You’ll ruin me," said Skratch sadly. "Would you take advantage
of an old short-sighted cat?" The Agents of Rabit drew closer. "Perhaps we
could try?" said the Chief Agent. "I don’t know," said Skratch. "I’ve lost too many of my balls today." "Just one more time!" they shouted with excitement. Skratch looked reluctant. "Oh all right," he
sighed and he took the ball from the Chief Agent. "Equal Opportunities," he moaned. "After all, you
might report me ..."