B Is for Betsy Page 3

  Every day Betsy stopped at the store window to look at the pretty dishes. Two days before Ellen's birthday, Mother drove Betsy to school in the automobile. When Betsy and her mother reached the school, Betsy said, "Mother, please come look at the dear little dishes in the Good Lady's window." Mother was in a great hurry, but she stepped out of the car and went with Betsy to look in the shop window. "Aren't they lovely little dishes, Mother?" asked Betsy. "I want to buy them—"

  "Not now," interrupted Mother, "we can talk about them when there is more time. Run along now, Betsy."

  Betsy ran along to school and Mother drove away.

  That afternoon when school was over, Betsy stopped again to look in the window. The dishes were gone. Betsy couldn't believe her eyes. The dishes had been there this morning and now there was just an empty space. Betsy had never thought that someone else might buy them. She had thought of them always as Ellen's dishes. Perhaps, thought Betsy, The Good Lady still has them inside. She opened the door of the shop. The sleigh bells, hanging on the door, jingled. Betsy walked up to the counter. The Good Lady smiled and said, "Well, my dear?"

  "Where are the little dishes?" asked Betsy, pointing to the window.

  "I just sold them an hour ago," said the Good Lady. "Were you thinking of buying them?" she asked. Betsy nodded her head. "Now that's too bad," said the Good Lady. "Perhaps I have something else you would like?" But Betsy did not like anything else. She had set her heart on the dishes for Ellen and now they were gone. Betsy walked home feeling very sad.

  When she reached home, Mother was sitting in the library. She was sewing. When she saw

  Betsy's sad little face, she said, "Betsy, what's happened to Mother's little Sunshine?"

  Betsy ran to Mother. "Oh, Mother," she cried, "the dishes are gone. Now I can't give them to Ellen for her birthday."

  Mother lifted her little girl on her lap. "Betsy, darling," she said, "I didn't know that you wanted to give the dishes to Ellen." Betsy hid her face on Mother's shoulder. "Look at Koala over there in the corner," said Mother.

  Betsy looked and there sat Koala Bear, having a tea party all by himself. There were the six little cups and saucers, the teapot, the sugar bowl, and cream pitcher all spread out in front of him. Betsy couldn't believe her eyes. "Where did they come from, Mother?" she asked.

  "I bought them on my way home," replied Mother. "I thought my little girl wanted them."

  "Oh, no," said Betsy, "I wanted to buy them for Ellen with my own money. Big Bill is full of pennies that I have saved."

  "Ellen can still have her present," said Mother. "I have saved the box."

  "And the pink cotton?" asked Betsy.

  "Yes, and the pink cotton," replied Mother.

  "Oh, thank you," said Betsy. "It's a lovely present, isn't it, Mother?"

  At last Ellen's birthday arrived. It was Saturday. Betsy's mother had invited Ellen and her mother and her baby sister to spend the afternoon. Ellen wore her best dress. It was a white dress with tiny blue forget-me-nots all over it. It had a blue sash. When they reached Betsy's house, Betsy ran to the door to meet Ellen. Betsy handed Ellen the little box and said, "Happy birthday, Ellen." Ellen unwrapped the paper around the box. Betsy held her breath as Ellen took off the lid. Under the lid was a layer of pink cotton. Slowly Ellen lifted one end of the cotton and looked underneath. There was the pink-and-white tea set! "Oh!" said Ellen. "Oh, my little dishes!" Then both Betsy and Ellen began to laugh because they were so happy. Ellen was so excited she forgot to say "Thank you."

  After a while, Billy Porter arrived. He had a package for Ellen. When she opened it she found six pretty handkerchiefs. In a few minutes Kenny Roberts came. He had a present for Ellen, too. Then came Mary Lou, and Betty Jane, and Peter, and Christopher. They each had a present for Ellen. Ellen was so surprised and so happy she didn't know what to do, but she did remember

  to say "Thank you." When they went into the library and Ellen saw a donkey game pinned on the wall, she cried, "Why, it's a party! I am having a birthday party!"

  The children had a merry time trying to pin the tail on the donkey. Billy pinned it right on the donkey's nose. Christopher pinned it on his ear, which made the donkey look very funny indeed. Betty Jane pinned it on the donkey's hind leg, and everyone agreed that Betty Jane had come nearer to putting the tail in the right place than anyone else. So Betty Jane won the prize. It was a box of paints with two brushes and a lot of pictures to color.

  After the children had played games, Betsy's mother took them into the playroom. There were a table and eight little chairs. In the center of the table there was a birthday cake. It was covered with white frosting and decorated with pink roses. It had six lighted pink candles. Ellen thought it was the most beautiful birthday cake she had ever seen. The children sat down and Betsy's mother brought them plates of pink ice cream. Then Ellen blew out the candles and cut her cake. She was too little to cut the slices, so Betsy's mother cut each of the children a slice of birthday cake.

  That night, when Ellen's father went into her room for a goodnight kiss, Ellen was very sleepy. When her father leaned over her bed, he heard her say, "I had a birthday party. Pink candles and—donkey—tails—and—dishes."

  6 Grandma Pretzie

  Every morning at recess time an old lady came to the schoolyard gate. The children called her Grandma Pretzie. On one arm she carried a big basket of fresh pretzels, and on the other arm a little stool. She sat on the stool and sold the pretzels for a penny apiece. They were big, thick pretzels, golden-brown, and sprinkled with coarse salt. The children loved the pretzels and they loved Grandma Pretzie. She was very, very old. Betsy thought that she must be a hundred years old, but she really wasn't quite as old as that. She was very poor and she lived in a tiny wooden house near the school. Her face was wrinkled like a dried-up apple. She always wore a little black bonnet that tied under her chin with black ribbons. On very cold days she would pull her woolen shawl up over her head.

  Grandma Pretzie knew the most wonderful fairy stories and the children would gather 'round her at recess and shout, "Tell us a story, Pretzie, tell us a story." Pretzie would always say, "Go 'long with you, I don't know any stories today. I have to sell my pretzels." But the children would coax and tease until at last the old lady would begin—"Once upon a time," and she would tell them a story. It was wonderful, the way Pretzie could tell stories and sell pretzels at the same time.

  One day in November, Miss Grey told the children that it would soon be Thanksgiving Day. She asked them if they knew what Thanksgiving is. Billy said, "I know, Miss Grey; it's the day you eat turkey." Betsy said it was a day when

  you said thank you to God, and Miss Grey said that Betsy was right.

  Then Miss Grey told the children about the first Thanksgiving which was hundreds of years ago. She told them about the people who had come to America from away across the ocean, and how they had to cut down the trees to build their houses and dig big rocks out of the ground before they could plant their seeds. Miss Grey said that these people were called Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were so thankful to God for His care that they decided to have a special day just to say thank you to Him. "And that is the reason," said Miss Grey, "that we have a Thanksgiving Day every year."

  Miss Grey asked the children if they would like to fill a basket with food for someone who did not have enough money to buy a Thanksgiving dinner.

  "Yes, yes," cried the children.

  "I can bring some eggs," said Billy. "My father has chickens and we have lots of eggs."

  "Who will we give the basket to?" asked Ellen.

  "Let's give it to Grandma Pretzie," said Betty Jane; "she would like to have a Thanksgiving dinner."

  "Oh, yes," cried the children, "let's give it to Grandma Pretzie. May we, Miss Grey?"

  Miss Grey said that she thought it would be lovely to give a Thanksgiving basket to Grandma Pretzie. "You must not tell her," said Miss Grey, "because it must be a surprise." So it was a big secret.

&nb
sp; The children all loved secrets and they loved surprises. They whispered in the schoolyard about Pretzie's basket and what they would put in it. Oh, if they could only have a turkey in the basket! They did wish there could be a turkey.

  At home Betsy chatted with Father and Mother about the Thanksgiving basket.

  "It's so much fun, Father, to make a basket all full of Thanksgiving," said Betsy.

  "It certainly must be," replied Father. "Will there be a turkey in the basket?"

  Betsy shook her head and looked very grave. "No," she said. "Miss Grey says that turkeys cost a great deal. She thinks that Grandma Pretzie would like a chicken almost as much as a turkey. But Billy Porter says that Thanksgiving is the day you eat turkey and there ought to be a turkey in the basket. And I think Billy is right."

  "Of course he is right," said Father.

  "But where can we get a turkey, Father?" asked Betsy.

  "Well," said Father, "I don't know, but turkeys are very fond of secrets and surprises. They have a way of popping up when you are not expecting them."

  "Do you think one will pop up in Grandma Pretzie's basket?" asked Betsy.

  "Now, that I can't say," replied Father, "but I would keep on hoping if I were you. You never can tell about turkeys."

  One evening when Father came home, he had two big turkeys with him. "Oh, Father," cried Betsy, "are we going to have two turkeys for our Thanksgiving dinner?"

  Father just grinned and made a noise like a turkey, "Gobble, gobble, gobble." He carried the turkeys into the kitchen.

  The next morning, when Betsy reached school, she said, "Miss Grey, we have two turkeys at our house. Father brought them home last night."

  "How nice!" said Miss Grey.

  "Oh, boy," shouted Billy, "you're going to eat plenty of turkey at your house!"

  The day before Thanksgiving Miss Grey brought a great big basket to school. It was to hold all

  the good things that the children were bringing for Grandma Pretzie.

  Ellen brought a can of soup and Peter brought cranberries. As each child arrived the pile of good things on Miss Grey's desk grew bigger and bigger. There were nuts, celery, potatoes, apples, and oranges. Everything you could think of for a Thanksgiving basket was there.

  Betsy brought a loaf of bread and a pound of butter. Father drove Betsy to school that morning because she had so much to carry. Father had a big package all wrapped up in brown paper. "What is in the big package?" asked Betsy.

  "Just something I have to leave at the school," said Father, and his eyes twinkled. Betsy knew it was a secret because Father's eyes always twinkled when he had a secret. When they reached the school, Father gave the package to Mr. Windrim, the janitor. Mr. Windrim carried it down to the basement.

  Betsy carried her loaf of bread and pound of butter into her classroom and added them to the pile on Miss Grey's desk.

  Just before the bell rang, Billy came running in. "Look at Billy's hat," shouted the children.

  Billy was wearing his red and blue knitted cap. It was the kind of cap that hangs down the back, like a sock, and it had a tassel on the end. But now the cap stood up straight and stiff on Billy's head. He looked just like the clown in the circus. There was something wet and yellow trickling down Billy's face. "Miss Grey," cried Billy, "something has happened to the eggs."

  "Where are the eggs, Billy?" said Miss Grey.

  "In my hat," said Billy, pointing to his high cap. "I'm afraid to take it off."

  Miss Grey carefully removed Billy's cap. Inside there was a bag of eggs. One egg had broken and was all over Billy's hair.

  "Why did you put the eggs in your hat, Billy?" asked Miss Grey.

  "I was afraid I would drop them," said Billy.

  Miss Grey and all of the children laughed, for Billy looked very funny with the egg all over his face. Miss Grey took him into the cloakroom and washed his hair and face at the sink. The children were glad Billy hadn't broken all of the eggs. There were still eleven whole ones.

  The children helped Miss Grey pack the basket. When all of the things were in the basket, Miss Grey went out of the room. When she returned, she was carrying a big turkey.

  "Oh," squealed the children, "a turkey! A turkey!" They clapped their hands for joy. "Where did you get it, Miss Grey?" they asked.

  "Oh, a little bird brought it," said Miss Grey.

  "It must have been a great big bird to carry that big turkey," said Ellen.

  Miss Grey laid the turkey right on the top of the basket. It was a beautiful Thanksgiving basket!

  At recess, Miss Grey told Grandma Pretzie that the children wanted her to come into their room when the bell rang. The children were so excited they could hardly wait. When the bell rang at the end of recess, they all hurried into the room. In a few minutes, Grandma Pretzie came in. "Betsy," said Miss Grey, "will you tell Grandma Pretzie what we have for her?"

  Betsy stood up. "Grandma Pretzie," she said, "we have a Thanksgiving basket for you. We want to give it to you because you are so good to us and tell us stories."

  The old lady's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, my dears," she said, "thank you so much."

  The basket was so heavy that Grandma Pretzie couldn't carry it. Mr. Windrim, the janitor, carried it home for her. She carried her pretzel basket and her little stool.

  The next day when Betsy was eating her Thanksgiving dinner she suddenly remembered that Father had brought two turkeys home. "Father, where is the other turkey?" asked Betsy.

  "That's right," said Father, "there was another turkey. Now where do you suppose that turkey got to?" Father's eyes twinkled, so Betsy was sure that Father knew where the other turkey went.

  "Is it a secret?" asked Betsy.

  "Yes," said Father, "it's a secret."

  7 A Present for Betsy

  Curly was a little cocker spaniel. She lived in a house near Betsy's school. Her master was an old gentleman who, Betsy thought, looked the way Santa Claus would look without his whiskers. His name was Mr. Applebee.

  Every morning Curly was in the yard in front of her house. She loved to watch the children go by on their way to school. She would run back and forth behind the white picket fence. Her little sharp barks and whines said, "See! See! Here I am. Please play with me. Please!" Many of the children stopped at the fence to look at the little dog. Then Curly would put her front paws up against the fence and stretch her little body until her nose almost touched the children's faces. She would sniff, sniff, sniff, very hard, as though she loved the smell of little children. Sometimes the children would pat Curly's head and her stubby tail would wag with joy.

  Betsy loved Curly. Every morning, Betsy stopped at the white fence to see the little dog. She would scratch Curly's head back of her long silky ears. Curly would wag her tail very hard. When Betsy stopped scratching, Curly would poke Betsy's hand with her little wet nose. This was Curly's way of saying, "Scratch some more." Betsy would give her one more scratch and a pat on the head and then run on to school.

  One morning, Betsy was walking to school with Christopher. They stopped to see Curly. "Look, Betsy," said Christopher, "I can make her sit up." Christopher pinched up his fingers and made believe that he had something for Curly. "Sit up, Curly! Sit up!" said Christopher. Curly

  sat up at once and begged. She sat straight and still with her big soft paws crossed in front of her. She looked very hopeful. "Speak!" said Christopher, "Speak for it!" Curly gave a little sharp bark. Then Christopher opened his hand and there was nothing at all for Curly. She looked so disappointed. Christopher laughed.

  "Oh, Christopher," cried Betsy, "you shouldn't make her sit up and not give her anything. You're a very naughty boy."

  "Well, I'm glad I'm not a girl," said Christopher, and he pulled one of Betsy's braids and ran off.

  Betsy patted Curly's silk head and scratched her ears. "Never mind, Curly, I'll bring you something tomorrow," said Betsy, and she trotted off to school.

  That afternoon, when Betsy went home, she cli
mbed up on a chair and took Big Bill off her mantel shelf. Big Bill was very heavy with all the pennies he had swallowed. Betsy took a tiny key from a box on her bureau. She unlocked a door that was hidden under one of Big Bill's wings. She shook out a handful of pennies and closed the little door. Off she ran with the pennies to the corner grocery store.

  "Well, Betsy," said the grocer, "what do you want?"

  "How much is a box of puppy biscuits?" asked Betsy.

  "Ten cents," said the grocer.

  "I want a box, please," said Betsy.

  She counted out the ten pennies and the grocer gave her a box of biscuits.

  "When did you get a dog, Betsy?" asked the grocer.

  "We didn't get any," said Betsy, as she closed the shop door.

  The grocer chuckled and wondered what Betsy was going to do with puppy biscuits and no dog. But Betsy knew.

  The next morning, she tucked a puppy biscuit in the little pocket of her schoolbag. She could hardly wait to see Curly. When she reached the white fence, there was no little black dog running up and down. Betsy looked around the side of the house. Curly was nowhere in sight. She called, "Here, Curly!" but there was no patter of soft paws. The yard looked empty without Curly. She must be here somewhere, thought Betsy. She always is.

  Betsy waited by the fence, hoping that Curly would appear. She waited until she was afraid she would be late for school. Then she ran as fast as her legs could go. Just as she sat down at her desk, the bell rang. I'll give Curly the puppy biscuit on the way home, thought Betsy.

  But after school, when Betsy stopped at the fence, the yard was still empty. Again she called, "Here, Curly! Here, Curly!" It was no use. Betsy waited by the fence a long time. All of the other children had gone home but Betsy still waited, hoping that Curly would come out. She did want to give her the biscuit. At last Betsy decided to go home. She would keep the puppy biscuit until tomorrow.