DS2 constantly upset by "bullies"

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Almost everyday DS2 (yr3) is upset by what he calls bullies.

He's a bright and popular child his teacher tells me everyone wants to be his friend, but he's choosy about who he wants as friends, to the extent that he has only one boy he calls his "friend".

I've talked to him about how it's not nice not to be friends with the others, but he tells me they're all bullies. When questioned the things they've been doing are, chasing him, jumping in puddles to splash him, using rude words, being naughty and trying to make him be naughty...all seem fairly normal behaviour to me and don't appear to be spiteful.

It's got worse recently because the one friend (since nursery) now has other friends who apparently don't want DS2 to play and DS2 is upset either before or after school nearly everyday.

In a way I'm pleased that he's been forced to become less reliant on the friend, but how can I help him realise that some of these other boys would make perfectly good friends too?

i have similar probs with mine same age-what to me is normal rough and tumble especially for boys-he calls bullying-except he is rather adept at pretty rough behaviour himself
its right to discourage relliance on any one or two kids.i would try to talk to other mums who have similar age kids to see if they can be his friends or involve him in lots of outside activities
hope this helps

Thank you, I have suggested inviting other children to tea etc, but DS2 doesn't want to. It's not that other children don't want to be freinds with him, rather that he doesn't want them to be friends.

He is involved in quite a bit (prob too much ) outside school and always seems to be playing with other children. He seems to fit in wherever we are e.g if we go to the park, he will always find some other child to run about with, but these apparently don't count as friends and they don't help him at school.