Portsmouth police got two calls Sunday afternoon about trouble at a Thomas Avenue playground, with adults accusing each other of roughing up children.
One caller reported that a man and woman near the storage units were spitting at kids and pushing children down in the play area.
A second caller said a woman had yanked her daughter off a bicycle and wanted to make a complaint.
By the time officers sorted through the competing stories, the incident appeared to have started with something much more ordinary: an argument between two children, ages 8 and 10.
Police spoke with those involved, and one parent asked officers to tell the other children to stay away from her daughter.
Everyone was advised, and the call ended without an arrest.
The police log does not say officers witnessed any adult assaulting a child or that criminal charges were filed.