B Is for Betsy Read online

  "B" Is for Betsy

  Carolyn Haywood

  * * *

  BOOKS BY CAROLYN HAYWOOD

  "B" Is for Betsy

  Betsy and Billy

  Back to School with Betsy

  Betsy and the Boys

  Here's a Penny

  Penny and Peter

  Primrose Day

  Two and Two Are Four

  * * *

  "B" Is for Betsy

  Carolyn Haywood

  Illustrated by the author

  AN ODYSSEY/HARCOURT YOUNG CLASSIC

  HARCOURT, INC

  Orlando Austin New York San Diego Toronto London

  * * *

  Copyright 1939 by Harcourt, Inc.

  Copyright renewed 1966 by Carolyn Haywood

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced

  or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

  including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and

  retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work

  should be mailed to the following address. Permissions Department,

  Harcourt, Inc., 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32887-6777.

  www.HarcourtBooks.com

  First Harcourt Young Classics edition 2004

  First Odyssey Classics edition 1990

  First published 1939

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Haywood, Carolyn, 1898—

  "B" is for Betsy/Carolyn Haywood,

  p. cm.

  "An Odyssey/Harcourt Young Classic."

  Sequel. Betsy and Billy.

  Summary: Betsy experiences an interesting first year in school

  and looks forward to summer vacation at her grandfather's farm.

  [1. Schools—Fiction.] I. Title.

  PZ7.H31496Bab 2004

  [Fic]—dc22 2003056567

  ISBN 0-15-205103-1 ISBN 0-15-205099-X (pb)

  Printed in the United States of America

  MV 10 9 8 7 6 5

  * * *

  To my friend

  who owns Koala Bear

  this book is

  lovingly inscribed

  * * *

  CONTENTS

  1. BETSY GOES TO SCHOOL AND FINDS

  A BIG SURPRISE 1

  2. HOW BETSY FOUND ELLEN 11

  3. HOW BETSY WENT TO SCHOOL ALONE 23

  4. HOW WIGGLE AND WAGGLE GREW UP 33

  5. ELLEN HAS A BIRTHDAY 46

  6. GRANDMA PRETZIE 58

  7. A PRESENT FOR BETSY 70

  8. HOW BETSY WENT TO PICK VIOLETS

  AND GOT INTO TROUBLE 82

  9. CIRCUSES ARE FUN 95

  10. BETSY GOES TO THE FARM AND

  TELLS OLD NED SOME NEWS 108

  1 Betsy Goes to School and Finds a Big Surprise

  Betsy lay in her little white bed. She had been awake a long time. Outside her window the birds were calling "Good morning" to each other, but Betsy did not hear them.

  All summer long she had jumped out of bed as soon as her eyes were open. She had always run to the window and thrown sunflower seeds out to the birds for their breakfast. But this morning Betsy was so busy feeling unhappy that she forgot all about the birds.

  Betsy was unhappy because today was the first day of school. She had never been to school and she was sure she would not like it. Old Ned, who cut the grass on Grandfather's farm, had told her all about school. Betsy had never told anyone what Old Ned had told her, but now she lay thinking about it. She thought of the cross old teacher and of the switch that had stood in the corner to be used on the legs of any child who might be late for school. She thought of the high pointed cap made of paper that Old Ned had been made to wear when he didn't know his spelling. Old Ned had stroked his grizzly beard and said, "Aye, yes! School was a terrible place."

  Betsy turned her head on the pillow. Now she could see her clothes lying on her bedroom chair. There was her new green dress with the little puffy pockets. It was such a pretty dress but Betsy wished that she did not have to go to school in it. She leaned far over the side of her bed to see if she could see her new shoes. There they were, side by side, little brown shoes that fastened with a strap and a brass buckle. And there, hanging on the doorknob, was her schoolbag. It was dark green with red and yellow stripes running up and down and across it. Mother called it plaid. It was trimmed with bright red and there was a long leather strap that Betsy could hang over her shoulder. Betsy had been happy the day Father had bought the bag for her. But now that the time had come for her to wear it she didn't feel happy at all. If only she could run away and hide!

  Just then Mother came in. "Come, Betsy, it's time to get up," said Mother. "Today you are going to school."

  Mother helped her with her bath and brushed and braided her hair. Then she tied the crisp white sash on her dress.

  After breakfast, Mother went upstairs to put on her hat. She was going to walk to school with Betsy every morning until Betsy knew the way.

  Betsy sat on the bottom step of the stairs to wait for Mother. Her schoolbag was over her shoulder. There were two bread and jelly sandwiches tucked away in the pocket on the outside of the bag. Betsy felt very little and very scared, but she wouldn't tell Mother, because she did not want Mother to think that she was a baby. Only that morning Mother had called her "Mother's great big girl."

  Suddenly Betsy thought of Koala Bear. Koala was the little toy bear that Uncle Jim had brought all the way from Australia. She would take Koala to school with her. It would not seem so strange or so lonely with Koala. Betsy ran upstairs and into her bedroom. She looked in the bed, but Koala was not there. Betsy was sure she had taken him to bed with her the night before. She pulled up the covers at the foot of the bed, for although Koala always went to bed with his nose sticking out at the top, it was nearly always

  sticking out at the bottom of the bed in the morning. Sometimes he even fell out completely. Betsy looked under the bed and around the floor, but there was no Koala. She looked on the windowsill and in the toy closet, but Koala was nowhere to be seen.

  "Betsy," called Mother from the foot of the stairs, "come at once, dear. You mustn't be late for school."

  Betsy took one last look in the bed, but there was no sign of a little gray bear. Very slowly she went downstairs.

  "I can't find Koala, Mother," said Betsy.

  "Well, never mind Koala now," replied Mother. "He'll turn up; he always does."

  Betsy took hold of Mother's hand, and they started on the long walk to school. Mother took such big long steps that Betsy had to take little skipping steps to keep up with her. Every time she skipped she could hear her two pencils rattle in the pencil box inside her schoolbag.

  As they drew near the school, they saw a great many little boys and girls. They were coming from all directions. Some were with their mothers. Others were with big brothers and sisters. Betsy wondered whether all of the new little boys and girls were as frightened as she was.

  At last they reached the school. Up the wide stone steps went Betsy, holding tightly to Mother's hand. In a little room a lady wearing glasses wrote Betsy's name on a pink card.

  "Come this way, Betsy," said the lady with the glasses. She opened a door and Mother and Betsy passed into a room full of boys and girls. Each one was sitting behind a little brown desk.

  A young lady with pale yellow hair shook hands with Mother. "This is Miss Grey, who will be Betsy's teacher," said the lady with the glasses.

  "Good morning, Betsy," said Miss Grey.

  "Good morning," said Betsy, as Mother quietly slipped out the door.

  B
etsy was alone now in a strange new place. What a big room it was! One whole side of the room was made of windows. They were the biggest windows Betsy had ever seen. The walls seemed so far away and parts of them were black. In some places there was writing on the black walls. And the ceiling—how high it was! It looked way, way off. So this was school! This great big room with the black walls and all the little desks was school. This was where she would have to come every morning. Betsy blinked her eyes to keep back the tears.

  Miss Grey led her to a desk by the windows. It seemed such a long way from the door to the little desk. It seemed much longer than the whole way she had walked with Mother.

  "This will be your desk, Betsy,"said Miss Grey.

  Betsy took off her schoolbag and sat down. She thought of Mother who was getting farther and farther away every moment. If I got up now and ran out the door, thought Betsy, I could catch Mother. I could be out in the sunshine again with Mother and take hold of her hand. I could

  tell Mother that I don't want to go to school, that I know it is a terrible place, Old Ned said so. But Betsy knew that she couldn't do that. She knew that Mother would bring her back again and would be ashamed of her. Nothing could be done about it. She would have to stay. Two big tears began to roll down Betsy's cheeks. She felt in her pocket for her handkerchief. It was not there. Then Betsy remembered that Mother had put it in her schoolbag. Betsy opened the bag and took out her shiny black pencil box. She felt for her handkerchief. As she did so, her

  hand touched something soft and furry. Betsy looked inside the bag and there, looking at her with bright beady eyes, was Koala Bear. Tied around his neck was one of Father's old red neckties, so Betsy knew that Father must have hidden Koala in her schoolbag. Betsy wanted to hug him up tight, but instead she just put her hand in the bag and gave Koala a little squeeze and whispered, "Oh, Koala! I'm so glad to see you.

  Betsy was so surprised to see Koala that she forgot all about her handkerchief and when she did think of it she found that she didn't need it after all.

  2 How Betsy Found Ellen

  Betsy looked down at the lid of her little brown desk. It was so new and shiny that Betsy could see her face and the two red ribbons on the ends of her braids. Betsy thought of Koala, safely tucked away in her schoolbag under the lid. It was nice to know that he was so near.

  She lifted her eyes and looked around her. Miss Grey was showing another little girl to a desk near the door. "This will be your desk, Ellen," Betsy heard Miss Grey say.

  Betsy looked at her teacher. Miss Grey's pale yellow hair and big blue eyes made Betsy think of her very best doll, Judith. Betsy knew that she could never be afraid of someone who looked just like her best doll.

  Then Betsy thought of the switch. Old Ned had said that it always hung in the corner. She looked in the nearest corner. There was nothing there but a large patch of bright sunshine. She looked in the corner by the door. There was a little table with a big bowl filled with goldenrod. Perhaps, thought Betsy, it hangs in the back of the room. Very slowly she turned her head and looked behind her. The corner was filled with a big sand table. She turned again and looked in the far corner. There, hanging from a big hook, was a long string of brightly painted fruit—apples, oranges, lemons, and bananas. They were gayer than any Betsy had ever seen before. Old Ned must have been wrong, thought Betsy, for there isn't any switch at all.

  Just then a loud bell rang. It made Betsy jump. "That bell," said Miss Grey, "tells us that it is nine o'clock and that school must begin. The nicest way to begin," she added, "is with a song. I wonder if anyone here knows a 'Good-morning Song'?"

  Now Betsy knew a "Good-morning Song." Mother had taught it to her and she often sang it to the little birds who came to her window for sunflower seeds.

  Miss Grey was looking right at Betsy. "Do you know a 'Good-morning Song,' Betsy?" asked Miss Grey.

  "I know a little one," replied Betsy.

  "Well, Betsy," said Miss Grey, "will you come up to the front of the room and sing your 'Good-morning Song' for us?"

  Betsy walked to the front of the room and this is the song she sang—

  "Good morning," chirped the robin,

  "Good morning," buzzed the bee,

  "The sun is shining brightly,

  Wake up," they called to me.

  "Now," said Miss Grey, "let's all try to sing the song." And because it was a very easy song all of the boys and girls were able to sing the song with Betsy.

  Betsy returned to her seat and Miss Grey began to tell the children a story about a little speckled hen. Suddenly there was a sharp bark, "Bow! Wow!," and a scratching noise on the door. Miss Grey went to the door and opened it. Into the room dashed a great big police dog. He flew straight to the little girl named Ellen. With happy yelps, he jumped up and licked her face. "Oh, Jerry, where did you come from?" cried Ellen. All the children stood up to see the big dog.

  "Is he your dog, Ellen?" asked Miss Grey.

  "Yes, Miss Grey," said Ellen, "he must have followed me."

  "Well, you must send him home, Ellen," said Miss Grey.

  "I think he would be good if he could stay," said Ellen.

  "No," replied Miss Grey, "we can't have dogs in school."

  Ellen took the big dog by his collar and led him to the door. "Go home, Jerry," she said, as she put him outside.

  "Arf! Arf!" barked Jerry as soon as the door was closed. He began to scratch on the door harder than before. "Arf! Arf! Arf!" he barked. Scratch, scratch, scratch!

  Miss Grey went to the door again. She opened it just a little, but Jerry pushed through. Again he ran to Ellen. He jumped up and down, wildly. The children laughed at Ellen's dog.

  "Ellen," said Miss Grey, "I will have to send for your brother. He will have to take the dog home." So Miss Grey sent one of the little boys up to the sixth grade to get Ellen's big brother, Teddy.

  In a few moments Teddy arrived. When he saw the dog, who was now lying at Ellen's feet, he said, "Here, Jerry. Come on, Jerry," but Jerry wouldn't budge.

  "Go on, Jerry," said Ellen. "Go with Teddy." Jerry just rolled his big eyes.

  "Come, Jerry," said Teddy, as he walked over to the dog. Jerry gave a low growl. Teddy put out his hand to take the dog by the collar. Jerry growled louder. "Oh, Jerry," said Ellen, "don't be a naughty boy; go home with Teddy." Jerry just lay with his head on his paws.

  Teddy spoke quietly to Miss Grey. Betsy heard him say something about a butcher shop on the corner. Miss Grey nodded her head and Teddy went out of the room. All of the children crowded around Ellen to look at Jerry. Some of the little

  boys said, "Come on, Jerry, come on," but Jerry lay like a rock at Ellen's feet and rolled his eyes from one child to the other.

  In a few minutes Teddy opened the door. "Here, Jerry," he cried, and he held up a big bone. Jerry jumped up and dashed to the door. "I'll lead him home with it and then I'll give it to him," said Teddy as he closed the door.

  Miss Grey and all of the children laughed, but Ellen looked just a little sad.

  "Now," said Miss Grey, "I will go on with the story about the little speckled hen." But before she could finish the story the bell rang for recess.

  The doors of the school opened, filling the schoolyard with boys and girls. Betsy, with her schoolbag over her shoulder, ran to the iron fence. She opened her bag and took out Koala. She rested her cheek against his furry body. It was so good to have Koala!

  Betsy stepped up on the lowest rail in the iron fence. Holding tightly to the fence with one hand she could see over the heads of all the children and see what was going on all over the schoolyard. Nearby there was a drinking fountain. It was surrounded with little boys who pushed and shoved. Now they were off, shouting and chasing

  each other. The water bubbled up invitingly. Betsy saw Ellen run toward the fountain. At the same time two big boys came racing through the yard around the fountain, and with a bump, right into little Ellen. Ellen tumbled to the ground. The boys rushed on.

 
Ellen picked herself up. Sitting down on a nearby step, she put her head on her arms and wept.

  Betsy walked over to the step and sat down beside Ellen.

  "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" asked Betsy.

  Ellen shook her head and went on crying.

  "Don't cry," said Betsy, leaning over Ellen's red curly head.

  "I don't like school," sobbed Ellen. "I want to go home to Jerry."

  "Would you like to hold Koala?" asked Betsy, very gently.

  Ellen looked out with one eye, between two fingers. "Who is Koala?" asked Ellen.

  "He is my bear from Australia," said Betsy, holding Koala out to Ellen.

  Ellen took him in her arms. "He's nice, isn't he?" said she, her face still wet with tears.

  Just then Betsy remembered her bread and jelly sandwiches. She opened the pocket of her schoolbag and pulled out the little package. Betsy gave one of the sandwiches to Ellen and the two little girls sat side by side eating them and talking of Koala.

  When recess was over they tucked Koala back into Betsy's schoolbag and hand in hand ran to their classroom.

  When the day was over and it was time to go home, Ellen called, "Good-bye, Betsy"; and Betsy said, "Good-bye, Ellen, I'll see you tomorrow."

  As Betsy went down the steps of the school she saw Mother waiting for her by the schoolyard gate. Betsy rushed to her.

  "Did you have a happy day, dear?" asked Mother.

  "Mother," said Betsy, "I have a friend. Her name is Ellen."

  3 How Betsy Went to School Alone

  Every day during September Mother had walked to school with Betsy. Every night when Betsy went to bed she would say, "Pretty soon I will be able to go to school by myself." She was certain now that she knew the way. You walked to the corner and followed the cartracks to the railroad station. You went under the bridge and turned right on the second street. Then you went on until you came to the big, wide street where Mr. Kilpatrick stood.