Danforth Plays the Game: Stories for Boys Little and Big

In Short

This collection of seven short stories captures the quintessential experience of American preparatory school life in the early 20th century. Through tales of football, baseball, and the daily social maneuvering of dormitory life, the book explores themes of grit, integrity, and the transition from boyhood to young adulthood. While the setting is firmly rooted in a bygone era of megaphones and "pigskin" football, the stories endure because they focus on the universal adolescent desire to prove one’s worth and the complicated, often humorous, dynamics of youthful friendship.

The Story

The collection opens with the title story, "Danforth Plays the Game," which introduces Harry Danforth, a newcomer to Barnstead Academy. Harry faces the common gauntlet of the schoolboy athlete: he is mocked for his appearance, overlooked by coaches, and unfairly blamed for a prank involving a rotten apple thrown at an instructor. His path to redemption is paved with athletic brilliance; after catching the coach’s eye during a practice, Harry earns a spot on the first team. The narrative follows his rise to stardom during the season’s final games, culminating in a dramatic showdown against St. Matthew’s. Harry’s journey is one of quiet resilience, proving that steady character eventually triumphs over the schoolyard bullies who doubted him.

The anthology shifts tone with "Jonesie Uses His Influence," focusing on the irrepressible Daniel Webster Jones, Jr. Jonesie is a master of social theater, navigating school life with a mixture of superciliousness and charm. Unlike Harry, whose success is earned through physical labor, Jonesie relies on his wits and his ability to manipulate those around him—whether he is securing a position for a friend on the team or organizing a team of misfits to challenge the "All-Stars."

The stories also venture into the whimsical, as in "The Magic Football," where a young boy named Tommy, despairing of his athletic shortcomings, receives an enchanted ball from a strange, fairy-like creature. This touch of the supernatural acts as a catalyst for Tommy’s confidence, though the story ultimately suggests that the magic is merely a mirror for the boy's own latent courage.

The collection concludes with "Jonesie and the All-Stars," a comedic wrap-up that sees the school's social climber orchestrating an underdog baseball game. The match is a farce of amateurism, filled with biased umpiring and playful sabotage, yet it captures the genuine spirit of boys at play. Throughout all the entries, the narrative trajectory is consistent: boys arrive at school feeling small or uncertain, endure the pressures of academic and athletic life, and eventually find their footing—sometimes through sheer talent, sometimes through a well-timed prank, and always through their bond with their peers. The ending is rarely about the scoreboard; it is about the camaraderie and the shared memories that define the school experience.

How It Unfolds

The arrival of the newcomer Harry Danforth enters the competitive world of Barnstead Academy as an outsider, immediately drawing the derision of older, established students. He is forced to endure verbal abuse and the sting of being misjudged by authority figures who view him with skepticism.

The breakthrough on the gridiron During a crucial practice session, Harry is given an opportunity to showcase his speed and daring. His performance turns the tide of opinion, moving him from a background substitute to a celebrated star of the varsity team.

The shadow of a prank Interspersed with the athletic action, Harry finds himself trapped in a cycle of false accusations regarding a schoolyard mischief. He must decide whether to protect his own reputation or confront the true culprit, leading to a tense, character-defining ultimatum.

The shift to social comedy The narrative focus transitions to the exploits of the charismatic Jonesie, who maneuvers through the school with a self-assured air. His stories offer a lighter perspective, focusing on the social hierarchies, stamp collecting, and the art of influencing others.

The final whistle The collection closes with a series of high-stakes contests—both on the football field and the baseball diamond. These final beats emphasize that whether a boy is a hero or a prankster, his true measure is taken by his peers at the end of the day.

The People

Harry Danforth is the moral center of the collection. He begins as a vulnerable, "pretty little boy" who is easily dismissed, but he matures into a leader defined by his "daring, reckless courage." He seeks nothing more than to be judged by his actual conduct rather than his appearance.

Daniel Webster Jones, Jr.—known as "Jonesie"—serves as the collection’s most colorful character. He is round, well-dressed, and perpetually engaged in a scheme. He wants status and influence, and he achieves this by playing the role of the worldly, sophisticated upper-classman. He is neither truly villainous nor purely heroic, but he represents the social engine of the school.

Mr. Adams, the instructor, provides the primary obstacle for Harry. He is cynical, sarcastic, and serves as a foil to the boys, representing an adult world that is quick to judge and slow to listen.

Perry Vose is the antagonist in Harry’s arc. A bully who lacks integrity, Perry forces Harry to defend his own honor. By the end, Harry’s demand for a fair reckoning forces Perry to at least acknowledge the consequences of his actions.

In Its Own Voice

“The speaker, one of four youths seated on the grass near the side line, chuckled as the subject of his humor turned inquiringly.”

The opening scene captures the immediate social pressure Harry faces as he joins the football squad.

“Confidence is a fine thing; the only danger of it is that it is likely to get too ripe; in which case it becomes overconfidence and loses battles.”

This observation frames the central conflict of the final game, illustrating the school’s recurring struggle with its own ego.

“In fact, Daniel Webster Jones’s father—you saw his likeness on the cartoons holding his justly celebrated Creamette Biscuits—was quite abundantly upholstered.”

The narrator’s playful description highlights the irony of Jonesie’s attempts to appear trim and worldly.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book examines the transition from childhood to adolescence through the prism of competitive play. The stories argue that sports are not just about winning or losing, but about learning how to handle failure and how to assert one's identity within a hierarchy. There is a deep, underlying question about the nature of "playing the game," which refers as much to social conduct and personal integrity as it does to the rules of football. The characters are constantly negotiating the gap between who they are and who they want to be, finding that the camaraderie of the team or the dorm is the ultimate crucible for building self-respect.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy classic boarding school narratives or the historical fiction of the early 20th century will find much to admire here. The prose is warm and descriptive, effectively transporting the reader to a time of "drizzling rain," "brown megaphones," and the rhythmic, clattering sound of a day coach train. It captures the specific, heightened intensity of a school year, where a single football game can feel like the most important event in history.

However, the modern reader should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes and the occasional heavy-handed moralizing common to the genre. Some of the language and the rigid, sometimes exclusionary, social codes of the school may strike a contemporary reader as dated or even alien. Additionally, the stories rely on an intimate knowledge of school-boy slang that is not always explained. Yet, if you are interested in the roots of the American sports story, this book provides a fascinating window into how we once taught boys to navigate their world. It is a gentle, nostalgic read that manages to find profound significance in the small, everyday triumphs of youth. You will likely walk away from it with a sense of the persistence of the "schoolboy spirit," that blend of mischief, ambition, and loyalty that remains largely unchanged by the passing of a century.