The Bad News

The Bad News is a story from Alvin Schwartz's More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Like all the stories near the end of the books, this one is meant to be comedic. Based on a tale from Constance Paras in the Winchester Thurston School in Pennsylvania.

The Story

Leon and Todd loved baseball. When they were young, they had played on the town's baseball team. Leon had been the pitcher and Todd had played second base. Now that they were alot older, they spent their free time watching baseball games on TV and talking about baseball.

"You think they play baseball in heaven?" Leon asked Todd one day. "That's a good question" said Todd. "The one who gets there first should let the other one know somehow". As it turned out, Todd got to heaven first and Leon waited patiently to hear from him. One day, Leon found Todd sitting in the living room waiting for him. Leon was very excited to see him. "Well, what is it like up there?" he asked. "And what about baseball?"

"When it comes to baseball" said Todd, "I have some good news and I have some bad news. The good news is that we do play baseball in heaven. We have some fine teams. I play second base on my team just like I used to in the old days. That's the good news". "What's the bad news?" asked Leon. "The bad news" said Todd "is that you are scheduled to pitch tomorrow".

Stories
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark	Strange and Scary Things • The Big Toe • The Walk • What Do You Come For? • Me Tie Dough-ty Walker! • A Man Who Lived In Leeds • Old Woman All Skin and Bone • The Thing • Cold As Clay • The White Wolf • The Haunted House • The Guests • The Hearse Song • The Girl Who Stood on a Grave • A New Horse • Alligators • Room for One More • The Wendigo • The Dead Man's Brains • May I Carry Your Basket? • The Hook • The White Gown • High Beams • The Babysitter • The Viper • The Attic • The Slithery-Dee • Aaron Kelly's Bones • Wait Till Martin Comes • The Ghost with the Bloody Fingers
More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark	Hoo-Ha's • Something Was Wrong • The Wreck • One Sunday Morning • Sounds • A Weird Blue Light • Somebody Fell From Aloft • The Little Black Dog • Clinkity-Clink • The Bride • Rings On Her Fingers • The Drum • The Window • Wonderful Sausage • The Cat's Paw • The Voice • "Oh, Susannah!" • The Man In The Middle • The Cat in a Shopping Bag • The Bed by the Window • The Dead Man's Hand • A Ghost in the Mirror • The Curse • The Church • The Bad News • Cemetery Soup • The Brown Suit • Ba-Rooom! • Thumpity-Thump
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill your Bones	Boo Men • The Appointment • The Bus Stop • Faster And Faster • Just Delicious • Hello, Kate! • The Black Dog • Footsteps • Like Cats' Eyes • Bess • Harold • The Dead Hand • Such Things Happen • The Wolf Girl • The Dream • Sam's New Pet • Maybe You Will Remember • The Red Spot • No, Thanks • The Trouble • Strangers • The Hog • Is Something Wrong? • It's Him! • T-H-U-P-P-P-P-P-P-P! • You May Be The Next...