 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Reading by Laura Dornan. What Katie did by Susan Coolidge. Dedication. To five. Six of us once, my darlings, played together beneath green boughs which faded long ago. Made merry in the golden summer weather. Pelted each other with new fallen snow. Did the sun always shine? I can't remember a single cloud that dimmed the happy blue. A single lightning bolt or pale of thunder. She dawned dark bright on fearing lives. Can you? We crawled often, but made pieces quickly. Shed many tears, but laughed the while they fell. Had our small woes, our childish bumps and bruises. But mother always kissed and made them well. Is it long since? It seems a moment only. Yet here we are in bonnets and tail coats. Grave men of business, members of committees. Our playtime ended. Even baby votes. And star-eyed children, in whose innocent faces kindles the gladness which was once our own. Crowd round our knees with sweet and coaxing voices asking for stories of that old-time home. Where you once little, too, they say, astonished. Did you, too, play? How funny! Tell us, how! Almost we start, forgetful for a moment. Almost we answer, we are little nigh. Dear friend and lover, whom today we christen, forgive such brief bewilderment, thy true and kindly hand we hold, we own thee fairest. But ah, our yesterday was precious, too. So, darlings, take this little childish story, in which such gleams of the old sunshine play. As with careless hands you turn the pages. Look back and smile, as here I smile to-day. End of dedication. CHAPTER 1 THE LITTLE CARS I was sitting in the meadows one day, not long ago, at a place where there was a small brick. It was a hot day. The sky was very blue, and white clouds, like great swans, went floating over it to and fro. Just opposite me was a clump of green rushes with dark, velvety spikes, and among them one single tall red cardinal flower, which was bending over the brick, as if to see its own beautiful face in the water. But the cardinal did not seem to be vain. The picture was so pretty that I sat a long time enjoying it. Suddenly, close to me, two small voices began to talk, or to sing, for I couldn't tell exactly which it was. One voice was shrill, the other, which was a little deeper, sounded very positive and cross. They were evidently disputing about something, for they said the same words over and over again. These were the words. Katie did, Katie didn't. She did, she didn't. Did, didn't. I think they must have repeated them at least a hundred times. I got up from my seat to see if I could find the speakers, and sure enough, there in one of the cattail bulrishes, I spied two tiny, pale green creatures. Their eyes seemed to be weak, for they both wore black goggles. They had six legs apiece, two short ones, two not so short, and two very long. These last legs had joints, like the springs of a carriage, and as I watched, they began walking up the rush, and then I saw that they moved exactly like an old-fashioned gig. In fact, if I hadn't been too big, I think I should have heard them creak as they went along. They didn't say anything so long as I was there, but the moment my back was turned, they began to quarrel again, and in the same old words. Katie did, Katie didn't. She did, she didn't. As I walked home, I fell to think in about another Katie, a Katie I once knew, who planned to do a great many wonderful things, and in the end did none of them, but something quite different, something she didn't like at all at first, but which, on the whole, was a great deal better than any of the doings she had dreamed about. And as I thought, this little story grew in my head, and I resolved to write it down for you. I have done it, and in the memory of my two little friends on the bulrush, I give it their name. Here it is, the story of what Katie did. Katie's name was Katie Carr. She lived in the town of Burnett, which wasn't a very big town, but was growing fast. The house she lived in stood on the edge of the town. It was a large square house, white, with green blinds, and had a porch in front, over which roses and climatists made a thick bower. Four tall locus trees shaded the gravel path which led to the front gate. On one side of the house was an orchard, on the other side were wood piles and barns, and an ice house. Behind was a kitchen garden sloping to the south, and behind that a pasture with a brook in it, and butternut trees and four cows. Two red ones, a yellow one with sharp horns tipped with tin, and a dear little white one named Daisy. There were six of the car children, four girls and two boys. Katie, the oldest, was twelve years old. Little Phil, the youngest, was four, and the rest fitted in between. Dr. Carr, their papa, was a dear, kind, busy man, who was away from home all day, and sometimes all night too, taking care of sick people. The children hadn't any mama. She had died when Phil was a baby, four years before my story began. Katie could remember her pretty well. To the rest, she was but a sad, sweet name, spoken on a Sunday, and at prayer times, or when papa was specially gentle and solemn. In place of this mama, whom they recollected so dimly, there was Aunt Izzy, papa's sister, who came to take care of them when mama went away on that long journey, from which, for so many months, the little ones kept hoping she might return. Aunt Izzy was a small woman, sharp-faced and thin, rather old-looking and very neat in particular for everything. She meant to be kind to the children, but they puzzled her much, because they were not a bit like herself when she was a child. Aunt Izzy had been a gentle, tidy little thing, who loved to sit as curly locks did, sewing long seams in the parlor, and to have her head padded by older people, and be told that she was a good girl. Whereas Katie tore her dress every day, hated sewing, and didn't care a button about being called good. While Clover and Elsie shied off like restless ponies, when any one tried to pat their heads. It was very perplexing to Aunt Izzy, and she found it hard to quite forgive the children for being so strange, and so little like the good boys and girls in Sunday school memoirs, who were the young people she liked best, and understood most about. Then Dr. Carr was another person who worried her. He wished to have the children hardy and bold, and encouraged climbing in rough plays, in spite of the bumps and ragged clothes which resulted. In fact, there was just one half-hour of the day when Aunt Izzy was really satisfied about her charges, and that was the half-hour before breakfast, which she had made a law that they all had to sit in their little chairs and learn the Bible verse for the day. At this time she looked at them with pleased eyes. They were all so spik and span, with such nicely brushed jackets and such neatly combed hair. But the moment the bell rang, her comfort was over. From that time on, they were what she called not fit to be seen. The neighbours pitted her very much. They used to count the sixty stiff white pantalette legs hung out to dry every monday morning, and say to each other, what a sight of washing those children made, and what a trouble it must be for poor Miss Carr to keep them so nice. But poor Miss Carr didn't think them at all nice. That was the worst of it. Clover, go upstairs and wash your hands. Dory, pick your hat off the floor and hang it on the kneel. Not that kneel. The third kneel from the corner. These were the kind of things Aunt Izzy was saying all day long. The children minded her pretty well, but they didn't exactly love her, I fear. They called her Aunt Izzy, always. Never, Auntie. Boys and girls will know what that meant. I want to show you the little cars, and I don't know that I could ever have a better chance than one day when five out of the six were perched on top of the ice house, like chickens on a roost. This ice house was one of their favourite places. It was only a low roof set over a hole in the ground, and, as it stood in the middle of the side yard, it always seemed to the children that the shortest road to every place was up one of its slopes and down the other. They also liked to mount to its ridge pole, and then, still keeping the sitting position, to let go and script slowly down the warm shingles to the ground. It was bad for their shoes and trousers, of course, but what of that? Shoes and trousers, enclosed generally, were Aunt Izzy's affair. Theirs was to slide and enjoy themselves. Clover, next in age to Katie, sat in the middle. She was a fair, sweet dumpling of a girl with thick pigtails of light brown hair and short-sided blue eyes, which seemed to hold tears just ready to fall from under the blue. Really, Clover was the jolliest little thing in the world, but these eyes and her soft, cooing voice always made people feel like petting her and taking her part. Once, when she was very small, she ran away with Katie's doll, and when Katie pursued and tried to take it from her, Clover held fast and would not let go. Dr. Carr, who wasn't attending particularly, heard nothing but the pathetic tone of Clover's voice as she said, Me won't, me won't, Dolly. And, without stopping to inquire, he called out sharply, For she, and Katie, gave your sister her doll at once, and she, much surprised, did, while Clover purred in triumph like a satisfied kitten. Clover was sunny and sweet-tempered, a little indolent and very modest about herself, though. In fact, she was particularly clever in all sorts of games and extremely droll and funny and quiet way. Everybody loved her, and she loved everybody, especially Katie, whom she looked up to as one of the wisest people in the world. Pretty little Phil sat next on the roof to Clover, and she held him tight with her arm. Then came Elsie, a thin, brown child of it, with beautiful dark eyes and crisp short curls covering the whole of her small head. Per little Elsie was the odd one among the cars. She didn't seem to belong exactly to either the older or the younger children. The great desire and ambition of her heart was to be allowed to go about with Katie and Clover and Cece Hall, and to know their secrets, and be permitted to put notes in the little post offices they were forever establishing in all sorts of hidden places. But they didn't want Elsie, and used to tell her to run away and play with the children, which hurt her feelings very much. When she wouldn't run away, I'm sorry to say they ran away from her, which, as their legs were longest, it was easy to do. Per Elsie, left behind, would cry bitter tears, and, as she was too proud to play much with Dory and John, her principal comfort was tracking the older ones about and discovering their mysteries, especially the post offices, which were her greatest grievance. Her eyes were bright and quick as a bird's. She would peep and peer and follow and watch, till it last in some odd unlikely place, the crotch of a tree, the middle of an asparagus bed, or, perhaps, on the very top step of the scuttle ladder, she spied the little paper box, with its load of notes all ending with, be sure and not let Elsie know. Then she would seize the box, and, marching up to wherever the others were, she would throw it down, saying defiantly, There's your old post office, but feeling all the time just like crying. Per little Elsie, in almost every big family, there is one of these un-mated, left-out children. Katie, who had the finest plans in the world for being heroic, and of use, never saw, as she drifted on her heedless way, that here, in this lonely little sister, was the very chance she wanted for being a comfort to somebody, who needed comfort very much. She never saw it, and Elsie's heavy heart went un-cheered. Dory and Joanna sat on the two ends of the ridge-pole. Dory was six years old, a peeled pudgy-boy, with rather a solemn face, and smears of molasses on the sleeve of his jacket. Joanna, whom the children called John and Johnny, was a square, splendid child, a year younger than Dory. She had big, brave eyes, and a wide, rosy mouth, which always looked ready to laugh. These two were great friends, though Dory seemed like a girl who had got into a boy's clothes by mistake, and Johnny like a boy who, in a fit of fun, had borrowed his sister's frock. And now, as they all sat there chattering and giggling, the window above opened, a glad shriek was heard, and his head appeared. In her hand she held heap of stockings, which she waved triumphantly. Hooray, she cried, all done, and Aunt Izzy says we may go. Are you tired out waiting? I couldn't help it. The holes were so big and took so long. Hurry up, Clover, and get the things. Sissy and I will be down in a minute. The children jumped up gladly and slid down the roof. Clover fetched a couple of baskets from the woodshed. Elsie ran for her kitten. Dory and John loaded themselves with two great faggots of green boys. Just as they were ready, the side door-banged and Katie and Sissy Hall came into the yard. I must tell you about Sissy. She was a great friend of the children's, and lived in a house next door. The yard of the houses were only separated by a green hedge with no git, so that Sissy spent two-thirds of her time in the after-cars, and was exactly like one of the family. She was a neat, dapper, pink and white girl, modest and prim and manner, with light, shiny hair, which always kept smooth and slim hands, which never looked dirty. High different from my poor Katie. Katie's hair was forever untidy. Her goings were always catching on nails and tearing themselves, and, in spite of her age and size, she was as heedless and innocent as a child of six. Katie was the longest girl that ever was seen. What she did to make herself grow so, nobody could tell. But there she was, up above Papa's ear, and half ahead taller than Per and Izzy. Whenever she stopped to think about her height, she became very awkward, and felt as if she were all legs and elbows and ankles and joints. Happily, her head was so full of other things, of plans and schemes and fancies of all sorts, that she didn't often take time to remember how tall she was. She was a dear, loving child, for all her careless habits, and made bushels of good resolutions every week of her life. Only, and luckily, she never kept any of them. She had fits of responsibility about the other children, and longed to set them a good example. When she came, she generally forgot to do so. Katie's days flew like the wind, for when she wasn't studying lessons, or sewing and darning with Aunt Izzy, which she hated extremely, there were always so many delightful schemes riding in her brains, that all she wished was for ten pairs of hands to carry them all out. These same act of brains got her into perpetual scripts. She was fond of building castles in the air, of the time when something she had done would make her famous, so that everyone would hear of her and want to know her. I don't think she had made up her mind what this wonderful thing was to be, but while thinking about it, she often forgot to learn a lesson, or to lace her boots, and then she had a bad mark, or a scolding from Aunt Izzy. At such time, she consoled herself with planning high, by and by, she would be beautiful and beloved, and amiable as an angel. A great deal was to happen to Katie before that time came. Her eyes, which were black, were to turn blue. Her nose was to lengthen and straighten, and her mouth, quite too large at present to suit the part of a heroine, was to be made over into sort of a rosy button. Meanwhile, and until these charming changes should take place, Katie forgot her features as much as she could, though still, I think the person on earth whom she envied was that lady on the outside of the tricopher's balls, with the wonderful hair which sweeps the ground. CHAPTER TWO PARADISE The place to which the children were going was a sort of marshy thicket at the bottom of a field near the house. It wasn't a big thicket, but it looked big, because the trees and bushes grew so closely that you could not see just where it ended. In winter the ground was damp and boggy, so that nobody went there, except in cars, he don't mind getting their feet wet, but in summer the water dried away, and then it was all fresh and green, and full of delightful things, wild roses, and sassafras and bird's nests. Narrow winding paths run here and there, made by the cattle as they wandered to and fro. This place the children called Paradise, and to them it seemed as wild and endless and full of adventure as any forest of fairyland. The way to Paradise was through some wooden bars. Cady and CeCe climbed these for the hops skipping a jump, while the smaller ones scrambled underneath. Once past the bars they were fairly in the field, and, with one consent, they all began to run till they reached the entrance of the wood. Then they halted with the queer look of hesitation on their faces. It was always an exciting occasion to go to Paradise the first time after the long winter. Who knew what the fairies might not have done since any of them had been there to see? Which path shall we go in by, as Clover at last? Suppose we vote, said Cady. I say by the pilgrim's path and the hill of difficulty. So do I, chimed in Clover, who always agreed with Cady. The path of peace is nice, suggested CeCe. No, no, we want to go by Sassafras path, cried John and Dory. However, Cady, as usual, had her way. It was agreed that they should first try pilgrim's path and afterward make a thorough exploration of the whole of their little kingdom and see all that had happened since they last were there. So in they marched Cady and CeCe heading the procession and Dory with this great trilling bunch of boys bringing up the rear. Oh, there is the dear Rosary all safe, cried the children, as they reached the top of the hill of difficulty and came upon a tall stump, out of the middle of which we have a wild rose-bush butted over with fresh green leaves. This Rosary was a fascinating thing to their minds. They were always inventing stories about it and were in constant terror lest some hungry car should take a fancy to the rose-bush and eat it up. Yes, said Cady, stroking the leaf with her finger. It was in great danger one night last winter, but it escaped. Oh, hi, tell us about it, cried the others, for Cady's stories were famous in the family. It was Christmas Eve, continued Cady, in a mysterious tone. The fairy of the Rosary was quite sick. She had taken a dreadful cold in her head and the popular tree fairy, just over there, told her that Sassafrasti is good for coals. So she made a large acorn-copful and then cuddled herself in where the wood looked so black and soft and fell asleep. In the middle of the night, when she was snoring soundly, there was a noise in the forest and a dreadful black bull with fiery eyes galloped up. He saw our per rosy posy and, opening his big mouth, he was just about to bite her in two. But at that moment a little fat man with a wand in his hand popped out from behind the stump. It was Santa Claus, of course. He gave the bull such a wrap with his wand that he moved dreadfully and then put up his forepart to see if his nose was on or not. He found it was, but it hurt him so much that he moved again and galloped off as fast as he could farther into the woods. Then Santa Claus waked up the fairy and told her that if she didn't take better care of rosy posy he should put some other fairy in her place and set her to keep guard over a prickly, scratchy black braybush. Is there really any fairy? asked Dory. He had listened to this narrative with open mouth. Of course! answered Katie. Then bending down towards Dory she added in a voice intended for the sake of wonderful sweetness. I am a fairy, Dory. Pshaw! was Dory's reply. You're a giraffe! Papa said so. The path of peace got its name because of its darkness and coolness. High bushes almost met over it and trees kept it shady even in the middle of the day. A sort of white flower grew there which the children called polypots because they didn't know the real name. They stayed a long while picking bunches of these flowers. And then John and Dory had to grab up an armful of sassafras roots so that before they had fairly gone through Toast Hill Avenue Rabbit Hollow and the rest the sun was just over their heads and it was noon. I'm getting hungry, said Dory. Oh no, Dory! You mustn't be hungry till the bar is ready! cried the little girls, alarmed. For Dory was apt to be disconsolate if he was kept waiting for meals. So they made his to build the bower. It did not take long being composed of boys hung over skipping ropes which were tied to the very popular tree where the fairy lived who had recommended sassafras tea to the fairy of the rose. When it was done they all cuddled in underneath. It was a very small bar just big enough to hold them and the baskets and the kitten. I don't think there would have been room for anybody else. There was another kitten. Katie, who sat in the middle untied and lifted the lid of the largest basket while all the rest peeped eagerly to see what was inside. First came a great many ginger cakes. These were carefully laid on the grass to keep till wanted. Buttered biscuits came next three apiece with slices of coal and lamb laid in between and last of all were a dozen hard-boiled eggs and butter sandwiched with corned beef. And Dizzy had put up lunches for paradise before you see and knew pretty well what to expect in the way of appetite. Oh, how good everything tasted in that bore with the fresh wind rustling the popular leaves, sunshine and sweet wood smells about them and birds singing overhead. No grown-up dinner party ever had half so much fun. Each mouthful was a pleasure and when the last crumb had vanished Katie produced the second basket and there, oh, delightful surprise were seven little pies molasses pies baked in saucers each with a brown top and crisp candified edge which tasted like toffee and lemon peel and all sorts of good things mixed up together. There was a general shout. Even Demure Cece was pleased and Dory and John kicked their heels on the ground in a tumult of joy. Seven pairs of hands were held out once towards the basket. Seven sets of teeth went to work without a moment's delay. In an incredibly short time every vestige of pie had disappeared and a blissful stickiness pervaded the party. What shall we do now? asked Clover while little Phil tipped the baskets upside down as if to make sure there is nothing left that could possibly be eaten. I don't know replied Katie dreamily. She had left her seat half sitting half lying on the low crooked bow of a butternut tree which hung almost over the children's heads. Let's play where grown up said Cece and tell what we mean to do. Well said Clover, you begin what do you mean to do? I mean to have a black silk dress and pink roses in my bonnet and a white muslin long shawl said Cece and I mean to look exactly like Minerva Clark I shall be very good too as good as Mrs. Bedell only a great deal prettier. All the young gentlemen will want me to go and ride but I shat and notice them at all because you know I shall always be teaching in Sunday school and visiting the poor and some day when I am bending over an old woman and feeding her with current jelly a poet will come along and see me and he'll go home and write a poem about me concluded Cece triumphantly said Clover I don't think that would be nice at all I'm going to be a beautiful lady the most beautiful lady in the world and I'm going to live in a yellow castle with yellow pillars to the portico and a square thing on top like Mr. Sawyer's my children are going to have a playhouse up there there's going to be a spyglass in the window to look out of I shall wear gold dresses and silver dresses every day and diamond rings and have white satin aprons to tie on when I'm dusting or do anything dirty in the middle of my backyard there will be a pond full of odocolone and whenever I want any I shall just go out and dip a ball in and I shan't teach in Sunday schools like Cece because I don't want to but every Sunday I'll go and stand by the gate and when her scholars go by on their way home I'll put odocolone on their handkerchiefs I mean to have just the same crowd Elsie whose imagination was fired by this gorgeous vision only my pond will be the biggest I shall be a great deal beautifuler too she added you can't said Katie from overhead Clover is going to be the most beautiful lady in the world but I'll be more beautiful than the most beautiful persisted per Elsie and I'll be big too I know everybody's secrets but I'll be kind to me and never run away and hide and there won't be any post offices or anything disagreeable what'll you be Johnny? asked Clover anxious to change the subject for Elsie's voice was gronplaintive but Johnny had no clear ideas as to her future she laughed a great deal and squeezed Dory's arm very tight but that was all Dory was more explicit I mean to have turkey he declared and batter puddings not boiled ones you know but little baked ones with brown shiny tops and a great deal of pudding sauce to eat on them and I shall be so big that nobody will say three helps is quite enough for a little boy oh Dory you pig cried Katie while the others screamed with laughter Dory was much affronted I shall just go and tell Aunt Izzy what you called me he said getting up in a great pet but Clover he was a born peacemaker caught hold of his arm and her coaxing and entreaties consoled him so much that he finally said he would stay especially as the others were quite grave now and promised that they wouldn't laugh anymore and now Katie it's your turn said Cece tell us what you're going to be when you grow up I'm not sure about what I'll be replied Katie from overhead it's beautiful of course and good if I can only not so good as you Cece because it would be nice to go and ride with the young gentleman sometimes and I'd like to have a large house and splendid difference garden and then you could all come and live with me and we would play in the garden and Dory should have turkey five times a day if he liked and would have a machine to darn the stockings and another machine to put the bureau drawers in order and would never so anything we didn't want to that's what I'd like to be but now I'll tell you what I mean to do isn't it the same thing as Cece oh no replied Katie quite different for you see I mean to do something grand I don't know what yet but when I'm grown up I shall find out per Katie always said when I'm grown up forgetting how very much she had grown already perhaps she went on it will be rowing out in boats and saving people's lives like that girl in the book or perhaps I shall go and nourish in the hospital like Miss Nagingale or else I'll head a crusade and ride on a white horse with armor and a helmet on my head and carry a sacred flag or if I don't do that I'll paint pictures or sing or sculpt you know make figures in marble anyhow it shall be something and when Aunt Izzy sees it and reads about me in the newspapers she will say the dear child I always knew she would turn out an ornament to the family people very often say afterward that they always knew concluded Katie oh Katie how beautiful it will be said Clover clasping her hands Clover believed in Katie as she did in the Bible I don't believe the newspapers will be so silly as to print things about you Katie car put in Elsie vindictively yes they will said Clover and give Elsie a push by and by John and Dory trotted away a mysterious errands of their own wasn't Dory funny with his turkey remarked CC and they all laughed again if you won't tell Katie I'll let you see Dory's journal he kept it once for almost two weeks and then gave it up I found the book this morning in the nursery closet all of them promised and Katie produced it from her pocket it began thus March 12th have resolved to keep a journal March 13th had roast beef for dinner and cabbage and potato and apple sauce and rice pudding I do not like rice pudding when it is like ours the slacks kind is really good mushroom syrup for tea March 19th forget what did John and me saved our pie to take to school March 21st forget what did griddle cakes for breakfast March 24th this is Sunday studied my Bible lesson Aunt Izzy said I was greedy have resolved not to think so much about things to eat nothing particular for tea March 25th forget what did March 27th forget what did March 29th April 1st have decided not to keep a journal anymore here ended the extracts and it seemed as if only a minute had passed since they stopped laughing over them before the long shadows began to fall and Mary came to say that all of them must come in to get ready for tea it was dreadful to have to pick up the empty baskets and go home feeling that the long, delightful Saturday was over and that there wouldn't be another for a week but it was comforting to remember that paradise was always there and at any moment when fate and Aunt Izzy were willing they had only to climb a pair of bars very easy ones and without any fear of an angel with flaming sword to stop the way enter in and take possession of their eating End of Chapter 2 This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Reading by Laura Dornan What Katie did by Susan Coolidge Chapter 3 The Day of Scripps Mrs. Night School to which Katie and Clover and CeCe went stood quite at the other end of the town from Dr. Cars It was a low one-story building and had a yard behind it in which the girls played at recess Unfortunately, next door to it was Miss Miller School Equally large and popular and with the yard behind it also Only a high board fence separated the two playgrounds Mrs. Night was a stout, gentlewoman who missed the opportunity and was a stout, gentlewoman who moved slowly and had a face which made you think of an amiable and well-disposed cow Miss Miller, on the contrary had black eyes with black corkscrew curls waving about them and was generally brisk and snappy a constant feud raged between the two schools as to the respective merits of the teachers and the instruction The Night Girls, for some unknown reason considered themselves gentile and the Miller Girls vulgar and took no pains to conceal this opinion while the Miller Girls, on the other hand retaliated by being as aggravating as they knew how They spent their recesses in intermissions mostly making faces through the knot hole in the fence and over the top of it when they could get there which wasn't an easy thing to do as the fence was pretty high The Night Girls could make faces too in the city their yard had one great advantage of the other it possessed a woodshed with a climbable roof which commanded Miss Miller's premises and upon this the Girls used to sit in rows turning up their noses at the next yard and irritating the foe by jeering remarks Knights and Millerites the two schools called each other and the feud raged so high that sometimes it was hardly safe for a knight to meet a Millerite all of which, as may be imagined was exceedingly improving both to the manners and morals of the young ladies concerned One morning not long after the day in paradise Katie was late she could not find her things her algebra, as she expressed it had gone and lost itself her slate was missing and the string was off her sun bonnet she ran about searching for these articles and banging doors to land Izzy was out of patience as for your algebra she said if it is that very dirty book with only one cover and scribbled all over the leaves you will find it under the kitchen table Philly was playing before breakfast that it was a pig no wonder I'm sure for it looks good for nothing else how you do manage to spoil your school books in this manner Katie I cannot imagine how they got you a new algebra and look at it now not fit to be carried about I do wish you would realise what books cost about your slate she went on I know nothing but here is the bonnet string taking it out of her pocket oh thank you said Katie he is still sticking it on with a pin Katie car almost screamed Miss Izzy what are you about the string mercy on me what shiftless thing will you do next now stand still and don't fidget you shan't stir till I have sewed it on properly it wasn't easy to stand still and not fidget with Aunt Izzy fussing away and lecturing and now and then in a moment of forgetfulness sticking her needle into one's chin Katie bore it as well as she could only shifting perpetually like an impatient horse the minute she was released she flew into the kitchen seized the algebra and rushed like a whirlwind to the gate where good little Clover stood patiently waiting though already herself and terribly afraid she should be late we shall have to run gasped Katie quite out of breath and Izzy kept me she has been so horrid they did run as fast as they could they ran faster and before they were half way to school the town clerk struck nine and all hope was over this vexed Katie very much for though often late she was always eager to be early there she said stopping short I shall just tell Aunt Izzy that it was her fault it is too bad and she marched into school in a very cross mood a day begun in this manner pretty sure to end badly as most of us know all the morning through things seemed to go wrong Katie missed twice in her grammar lesson and lost her place in the class her hand shook so when she copied her composition that the writing not good at best turned out almost illegible so that Mrs. Knight said it must be done all over again this made Katie crosser than ever and almost before she thought she had whispered to Clover high-hitful and then just before recess all he had whispered were requested to stand up her conscience gave such a twinge that she was forced to get up with a rest and see a black mark put against her name on the list the tears came into her eyes from vexation and for free the other girls would notice them she made a bolt for the yard as soon as the bell rang and mounted up all along to the woodhouse roof where she sat with her back to the school fighting with her eyes and trying to get her face in order before the rest should come Miss Miller's clock was about four minutes slower than Mrs. Knight's so the next playground was empty it was a warm breezy day and as Katie sat there suddenly a gust of wind came and seasoned her son Bonnet which was only half tied on whirled it across the roof she clutched after it as it flew but too late the face it flapped then it disappeared over the edge and Katie, flying after saw it lying a crumpled lilac heap in the very middle of the enemy's yard this was horrible not merely losing the Bonnet for Katie was comfortably indifferent as to what became of her clothes but to lose it so in another minute the Miller girls would be out already she seemed to see them dancing war dances around the unfortunate Bonnet pinning it on a pole using it as a football waving it over the fence and otherwise treating it as Indians treat a captive taken in war was it to be endured? never! better die first and with very much the feeling of a person who faces destruction rather than forfeit honour Katie set her teeth and slid rapidly down the roof seized the fence and with one bold leap vaulted into Miss Miller's yard just then the recess bell tingled and a little millerite who had sat by the window and two for two seconds had been dying to give the exciting information squeaked out to the others there's Katie car in our back yard out poured the millerites big and little there wrath and indignation at this daring invasion cannot be described with a holl of fury they precipitated themselves upon Katie but she was quick as they and holding the rescued Bonnet in her hand was already halfway up the fence there are moments when it is a fine thing to be tall on this occasion Katie's long legs and arms served her an excellent turn nothing but a daddy long legs ever climbed so fast or so wildly as she did now in one second she had gained the top of the fence just as she went over a millerite seized her by the last foot and almost dragged her boot off almost not quite thanks to the start thread with which Aunt Izzy had sewed the buttons on with a frantic kick Katie released herself and had the satisfaction of seeing her seal and go head over heels backwards while with a shriek of triumph and fright she herself plunged headlong to the midst of a group of knights they were listening with open mobs to the uproar and now stood transfixed at the astonishing spectacle of one of their number absolutely returning alive from the camp of the enemy I cannot tell you what a commotion ensued the knights were beside themselves with pride and triumph Katie was kissed and hugged and made to tell her story over and over again while rows of exulting girls sat on the woodhouse roof to crow over the discomfited millerites and when later the foe rallied and began to retort over the fence Clover, armed with a tack hammer was lifted up in the arms of one of the tall girls to wrap the intruding knuckles as they appeared on the top this she did with such good will that the millerites were glad to drop down again and mutter vengeance at a safe distance altogether it was a great day for the school a day to be remembered as time went on Katie what with the excitement of her adventure and of being praised and petted by the big girls grew perfectly reckless and totally knew what she said or did a good many of the scholars lived too far from school to go home at lunch and were in the habit of bringing their lunches in baskets and staying all day Katie and Clover were of this number this noon after the dinners were eaten it was proposed that they should play something in the schoolroom and Katie's unlucky star put it into her head to invent a new game which she called the game of rivers it was played in the following manner each girl took the name of a river and laid out for herself an appointed path through the room winding among desks and benches and making a low roaring sound to imitate the noise of water Cece was the plat Marianne Brooks a tall girl the Mississippi Alice Blair the Ohio Clover the Penobscot and so on they were instructed to run into each other once in a while because as Katie said rivers do as for Katie herself she was Father Ocean and growling horribly reached up and down the platform where Mrs Knight usually sat every now and then when the others were at the far end of the room she would suddenly cry out now for a meeting of the rivers where upon all the rivers bouncing, binding, scrambling, screaming would turn and run towards Father Ocean while he roared louder than all of them put together and made short rushes up and down to represent the movement of waves on a beach such a noise as this beautiful game made was never heard in the town of Burnett before or since it was like the bellowing of the bulls of Bastion the squeaking of pigs the cackle of turkey cocks and the laugh of wild hyenas all at once and in addition there was a great banging of furniture and scraping of many feet on an uncorporated floor people going by stopped and stared children cried and an old lady asked why someone didn't run for a policeman while the miller girls listened with malicious pleasure and told everybody that it was the noise that Mrs Knight scholars usually made at recess Mrs Knight, coming back from dinner was much amused to see a crowd of people collected in front of her school as she drew near the sounds reached her and then she became very frightened for she thought somebody was being murdered on her premises hurrying in she threw open the door and there Tour de Smae was the whole room in a frightful state of confusion and uproar chairs flung down desks upset inks streaming on the floor while in the midst of the ruin of the frantic rivers raced and screamed and all farther ocean with her face as red as fire capered like a lunatic on the platform what does this mean that Mrs Knight almost unable to speak for horror at the sound of her voice the river stood still father ocean brought his prances to an abrupt close and slunk down from the platform all of a sudden each girl seemed to realize what a condition the room is in and what a horrible thing she had done the timid ones card behind their desks the bold ones tried to look unconscious and to make matters worse the scholars who had been gone home to dinner began to return staring at the scene of disaster and asking in whispers what had been going on Mrs Knight rang the bell when the school had come to order she had the dais and chairs picked up while she herself brought wear cloth to sup the ink from the floor this was done in profound silence and the expression of Mrs Knight's face was so direful and solemn that a fresh damp fell upon the spirits of the guilty rivers and father ocean wished himself thousands of miles away when all was in order again and the girls had taken their seats Mrs Knight made a short speech she said she never was so shocked in her life before she had supposed that she could trust them to behave like ladies when her back was turned the idea that they could act so disgracefully make such an uproar of the school going by had never occurred to her and she was deeply pained it was setting a bad example to all the neighbourhood by which Mrs Knight meant the rival school Miss Miller having just sent over a little girl with her compliments to ask if anyone was hurt and could she do anything which was naturally aggravating Mrs Knight hoped they were sorry she thought they must be the exercises could now go on as usual of course some punishment would be inflicted for the offence but she should have time to reflect before deciding what it ought to be meantime she wanted them all to think it over seriously and if anyone felt that she was more to blame than others now was the moment to rise and confess it Katie's heart gave a great thump but she rose bravely I made up the game and I was Father Ocean she said to the astonished Mrs Knight who glared at her for a minute and then replied solemnly very well Katie sit down which Katie did feeling more ashamed than ever but somehow relieved in her mind there is a saving grace and truth which helps truth tellers through the worst of their troubles and Katie found this out now the afternoon was long and hard Mrs Knight did not smile once the lessons dragged and Katie after the heat and excitement of the forenoon began to feel miserable she had received more than one heart blow during the meetings of the rivers and had bruised herself almost without knowing it against the desks and chairs all these places now began to ache her head throbs so that she could hardly see and a lump of something heavy seemed to be lying on her heart when school was over Mrs Knight rose and said the young ladies who took part in the game this afternoon are requested to remain all the others went away and shut the door behind them it was a horrible moment the girls never forgot it or the hopeless sound of the door as the last departing scholar clapped it after her as she left I can't begin to tell you what it was that Mrs Knight said to them it was very affecting and before long most of the girls began to cry the penalty for their offence was announced to be the loss of recess for three weeks but that wasn't half so bad as seeing Mrs Knight so religious and afflicted as C.C. told her mother afterward one by one the sobbing sinners departed from the schoolroom when most of them were gone Mrs Knight called Cady up to the platform and said a few words to her specially she was not really severe but Cady was too penitent and worn out to bear much and before long was weeping like a waterspout or like the ocean she had pretended to be at this tantra-hearted Mrs Knight was so much affected that she let her off at once and even kissed her in token of forgiveness her ocean sob harder than ever all the way home she sobbed faithful little clover running by her side in great distress begging her to stop crying and trying in vain to hold up the fragments of her dress which was torn in at least a dozen places Cady could not stop crying and it was fortunate that Aunt Izzy happened to be out and that the only person who saw her in this pitchous plight was Mary the nurse and was always ready to help them out of their troubles on this occasion she petted it and costlited Cady exactly as if it had been Johnny or little Phil she took her on her lap bathed her hot head brushed her hair put Arnica on the bruises and produced a clean frock so that by tea time the poor child except for her red eyes looked like herself again and Aunt Izzy didn't notice anything unusual for a wonder that evening it was always a great treat to the children when this happened and Cady thought herself happy when after the little ones had gone to bed she got Papa to herself and told him the whole story Papa, she said sitting on his knee, which big girl as she was she liked very much to do what is the reason that makes some day so lucky and other day so unlucky now today began all wrong and everything that happened in it was wrong and in other days I began right and all goes right straight through if Aunt Izzy hadn't kept me in the morning I shouldn't have lost my mark and then perhaps I wouldn't have been cross and then perhaps I shouldn't have got into my other scripts but what made Aunt Izzy keep you Cady to sew on the string of my bonnet Papa but how did it happen that the string was off well said Cady reluctantly I'm afraid that it was my fault for it came off on Tuesday and I didn't fasten it on so you see we must go back before Aunt Izzy for the beginning of this unlucky day of year's childy did you ever hear the old saying about for the want of Vanille the shoe was lost no, never tell it to me cried Cady who loves stories as well as when she was three years old so Doctor Carr repeated for the want of Vanille the shoe was lost for the want of a shoe the horse was lost for the want of a horse the rider was lost for the want of the rider the battle was lost for the want of the battle the kingdom was lost and all for want of a horse shoe kneel oh Papa exclaimed Cady given him a great hug she got off his knee I see what you mean who would have thought such a little speck of a thing as not sewing on my string could make such a difference but I don't believe I shall get into any more scrapes for I shan't ever forget for the want of Vanille the shoe was lost end of chapter 3 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org reading by Laura Dornan what Cady did by Susan Coolidge chapter 4 kickery but I am sorry to say that my poor thoughtless Cady did forget and did get into another scrap and that no later than that very next Monday Monday was apt to be rather a stormy day at the cars there was the big wash to be done and Anthony always seemed a little harder to please and the servants a good deal crosser than on common days but I think it was also in part the fault of the children who after the quiet of Sunday were specially frisky and uproarious and redder than usual for all sorts of mischief to Clover and Elsie Sunday seemed to begin at Saturday's time when their hair was wet and screwed up in papers so that it might curl next day Elsie's waved naturally so Aunt Izzy didn't think it necessary to pin her papers very tight but Clover's thick straight locks required to be pinched hard before they'd even give the least twirl and to her Saturday night was one of misery she would lie tossing and turning and try and first one side of her head and then the other as she placed herself the hard knobs and pins stuck out and hurt her so when at last she fell asleep it was face down with her small nose buried in the pillow which was not comfortable and gave her bad dreams in consequence of these sufferings Clover hated curls and when she made up stories for the younger children they always commenced the hair of the beautiful princess was as straight as a yardstick and she never did it up in papers never Sunday always began with the Bible story followed by a breakfast of baked beans which two things were much tangled up together in Philly's mind after breakfast the children studied their Sunday school lessons and then the big wagonette came round and they drove to church which was a good mile off it was a large old fashion church with galleries and long pews with high red cushioned seats the choir sat at the end behind a low green curtain from side to side on rots when the sermon began they would draw the curtain aside and show themselves all ready to listen but the rest of the time they kept it shut Katie always guessed that they must be having good times behind the green curtain eating orange peel perhaps or eating the Sunday school books and she often wished she might sit up there among them the seat in Dr. Carr's pew was so high that none of the children except Katie could touch the floor even with the point of a toe this made their feet go to sleep and when they felt the queer little pinpricks which drowsy feet used to rise themselves with they would slide off the seat and sit on the benches to get over it once there, and well hidden from pew it was almost impossible not to whisper Aunt Izzy would fry and shake her head but it did little good especially as Phil and Dory were sleeping with their heads on her lap and it took both her hands to keep them off to the bottom of the pew when good old Dr. Stone said finally my breath in she would begin waking them up it was hard work sometimes but generally she succeeded so that during the last time the two stood together on the seat quite brisk and refreshed sharing a hymn book and making believe to sing like the older people after church came Sunday school which the children liked very much and then they went home to dinner which was always the same on Sunday cold corned beef baked potatoes and rice pudding they did not go to church in the afternoon unless they wished but were pounced upon by Katie instead and forced to listen to the reading of the Sunday visitor our religious paper of which she was the editor the paper was partly written partly printed on a sheet of Filscap and had a top and ornamental device in lead pencil with Sunday visitor in the middle of it the reading part began with a dull little piece of the kind which grown people call an editorial about nearness or obedience or punctuality the children always fidgeted when listening to this partly I think because it aggravated them to have Katie recommending on paper as very easy the virtues which she herself found so hard to practice in real life next came anecdotes about dogs and elephants and snakes taken from the natural history book and not very interesting because the audience knew them by heart already a hymn or two followed or a string of original verses and last of all a chapter of little Maria and her sisters a dreadful tale in which Katie drew so much moral and made such personal illusions to the faults of the rest that it was almost more than they could bear in fact there had just been a nursery rebellion on the subject you must know that for some weeks back Katie had been too lazy to prepare any fresh Sunday visitors and so had forced the children to sit in a row and listen to the back numbers which you read aloud from the very beginning little Maria sounded much worse when taken in these large doses and Clover and Elsie combining for once made up their minds to endure it no longer so watching their chance they carried off the whole edition and poked it into the kitchen fire where they watched it burn with a mixture of fear and delight which it was comical to witness they dared not confess the deed but it was impossible not to look conscious when Katie was flying about and rummaging after her last treasure and she suspected them and was very irate in consequence the evenings of Sundays were always spent in repeating hymns to Papa and Aunt Izzy this was fun for they all took turns and there was quite a scramble as to who should secure the favourites such as the West have shut its gate of gold and go when the morning shineth on the whole Sunday was a sweet and pleasant day and the children thought so but from its being so much quieter than other days they always got up a Monday full of life and mischief and ready to fizz over at any moment like champagne bottles with the wires just cut this particular Monday was rainy so there couldn't be any outdoor play which was the usual vent for over high spirits the little ones cooped up in the nursery all the afternoon had grown perfectly riotous Philly was not quite well and had been taken medicine the medicine was called elixir pro it was a great favourite with Aunt Izzy he always kept a bottle of it on hand the bottle was large and black with a paper label tied round its neck and the children shuddered at the sight of it after Phil had stopped roaring and spluttering and play had begun again the dolls, as was only natural were taken ill also and so was Pickery John's little yellow chair which he always pretended was a doll too she kept an old apron tied on his back and generally took him to bed with her not into bed that would have been troublesome but close by tied to the bed post now, as she told the others Pickery was very sick indeed he must have some medicine just like Philly give him some water suggested Dory no, said John decidedly it must be black and out of a bottle or it won't do any good after thinking a moment she trotted quietly across the passage into Aunt Izzy's room nobody was there but John here with the elixir pro was kept in the closet on the third shelf she pulled one of the drawers out a little climbed up and reached it down the children were enchanted when she marched back the bottle in one hand the cork in the other and proceeded to pour a liberal dose onto Pickery's wooden seat when John called his lap there, there, my purr boy she said patting the shoulder I mean his arm swallow it down it'll do you good just then Aunt Izzy came in and to her dismay saw a long trickle of something dark and sticky running down onto the carpet it was Pickery's medicine which he had refused to swallow what is that she asked sharply my baby is sick faltered John displaying the guilty bottle Aunt Izzy wrapped her over the head with the thimble Pickery nodded child whereupon Johnny pouted and cried a little Aunt Izzy wiped up the slop and, taken away the elixir retired with it to her closet saying that she never knew anything like it it was always so on Mondays what further pranks were played in the nursery that afternoon I cannot pretend to tell but late in the afternoon a dreadful screaming was heard and when people rushed from all parts of the house to see what was the matter the nursery door was locked and nobody could get in Aunt Izzy called through the keyhole to have it opened but the roars were so loud that it was long before she could get an answer at last Elsie, subin violently explained the door he had locked the door and now the key wouldn't turn and they couldn't open it would they have to stay there always and starve of course you won't you foolish child explained Aunt Izzy dear dear what on earth will come next stop crying Elsie do you hear me you shall all be out in a few minutes but sure enough the next thing came a rattling at the blinds and there was Alexander the hard man standing outside on a tall ladder and nodding his head at all the children the little ones forgot their fright they flew to open the window and frisked and jumped about Alexander as he came in and unlocked the door it struck them as beings such a fine thing to be let out in this way the door began to rather plume himself for fastening them in but Aunt Izzy didn't take this view of the case she scolded them well and declared they were troublesome children who couldn't be trusted one moment out of sight and that she was more than half sorry she had promised to go to the lecture this evening how do I know she concluded that before I come home you won't have set the house on fire or killed somebody oh no we won't no we won't wind the children they were quite moved by this frightful picture but bless you ten minutes afterward they'd forgotten all about it all this time Katie had been sitting on the ledge of the bookcase in the library pouring over a book it was called Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered the man who wrote it was an Italian but somebody had done the story over into English it was rather a queer book for a little girl to take a fancy to but somehow Katie liked it very much it told about knights and ladies and giants and battles and made her feel hot and cold by turns as she read and as if she must rush at something and shout and strike blows Katie was naturally fond of reading Papa encouraged it he kept a few books locked up and then turned her loose in the library she read all sorts of things travels and sermons and old magazines nothing was so dull that she couldn't get through it anything really interesting absorbed her so that she never knew what was going on about her the little girls to whose houses she went visiting had found this out and always hid away their story books when she was expected to tea if they didn't do this she was sure to pick one up and plunge in and then it was no use to call her or tug at her dress for she neither saw nor heard anything more till it was time to go home this afternoon she read the Jerusalem till it was too dark to see anymore on her way upstairs she met Aunt Izzy with Barnett and Shalom where have you been she said I have been calling you for the last half hour I didn't hear you ma'am but where were you persisted Miss Izzy in the library reading replied Katie her aunt gave a sort of sniff but she knew Katie's ways and said no more I'm going out to drink tea with Mrs. Hall and attend the evening lecture she went on be sure that Clover gets her lesson and if Cece comes over as usual you must send her home early all of you must be in bed by nine yes ma'am said Katie but I fear she was not attending much but thinking in her secret soul how jolly it was to have Aunt Izzy go out for once Miss Carr was very faithful to her duties she seldom left the children even for an evening so whenever she did they felt a certain sense of novelty and freedom which was dangerous as well as pleasant still I am sure that on this occasion Katie met no mischief like all excitable people she seldom did mean to do wrong she just did it when it came into her head supper passed off successfully and all might have gone well had it not been that after the lessons were learned and Cece had come in they fell to talking about kickery kickery was a game which had been very popular with them a year before they had invented it themselves and chosen for it this queer name out of an old fairy story it was a sort of mixture of blind man's buff and tag only instead of anyone's eyes being bandaged they all played in the dark one of the children would stay out in the hall which was dimly lighted from the stairs while the others hid themselves in the nursery when they were all hidden they would call out kickery as a signal for the one in the hall to come in and find them of course coming from the light he could see nothing while the others could see only dimly it was very exciting to stand crutching up in a corner and watch the dark figure stumbling about and feeling to right and left while every now and then somebody just escaping his clutches would slip past and gain the hall which was freedom castle kickery kickery kickery key whoever was caught had to take the place of the catcher for a long time this game was the delight of the car children but so many scratches and black and blue spots came of it and so many of the nursery things were thrown down in broken that at last Aunt Izzy issued an order that it should not be played anymore this was almost a year since but talking of it now put it into their heads to want to try it again after all we didn't promise said C.C. no and papa never said a word about our not playing it added Katie to whom papa was authority and must always be minded while Aunt Izzy might now and then be defied so they all went upstairs Dory and John though half undressed were allowed to join the game Philly was fast asleep in another room it was certainly splendid fun once Clover climbed up in the mantelpiece and sat there and when Katie who was finder groped by a little more wildly than usual she caught hold of Clover's fit and couldn't imagine where it came from Dory got a hard knock and cried and at another time Katie's dress caught on the bureau handle and was frightfully torn but these were too much affairs of every day to interfere in the least with the pleasures of kickery the fun and frolics seemed to grow greater the longer they played in the excitement people are much faster than any of them dreamed suddenly in the midst of the noise came a sound the sharp distinct slam of the carriage door at the side entrance Aunt Izzy had returned from her lecture the dismay and confusion of that moment Cece slipped downstairs like an eel and fled on the wings of fear along the path which led to her home Mrs. Hall as she beat Aunt Izzy good night and shot Dr. Carr's front door behind her with a bang might have been struck with the singular fact that a distant bang came from her own front door like a sort of echo but she was not a suspicious woman and when she went upstairs there were Cece's clothes neatly folded on a chair and Cece herself in bed fast asleep only with a little more colour than usual in her cheeks meanwhile Aunt Izzy was on her way upstairs and such a panic has prevailed in the nursery Katie felt it and basely scuttled off to her own room where she went to bed with all possible speed but the others found it much harder to go to bed there were so many of them all getting into each other's way and with no lamp to see by Dory and John popped under their clothes half undressed Elsie disappeared and a clover too lit for either and here Aunt Izzy stepped in the hall did this horrible thing fell on her knees with her face buried in a chair and began to say her prayers very hard indeed Aunt Izzy coming in with a candle in her hand stood in the doorway astonished at the spectacle she sat down and waited for clover to get through while clover on her part didn't dare to get through but went on repeating over and over again in a sort of despair at last Aunt Izzy said very grimly that will do clover you can get up and close feeling like a culprit which she was for it was much naughtier to pretend to be praying than to disobey Aunt Izzy and be out of bed after ten o'clock though I think clover hardly understood this then Aunt Izzy had once began to undress her and while doing so asked so many questions that before long she had got at the truth of the whole matter she gave clover a sharp scolding and leaving her to wash her tearful face she went to the bed where John and Dory lay fast asleep and snoring as conspicuously as they knew high something strange in the appearance of the bed made her look more closely she lifted the clothes and there sure enough they were half dressed and with their skull boots on such as shake as Aunt Izzy gave the little scamps at this discovery would have rised a couple of door mice much against their will John and Dory were forced to wake up and be slapped and scolded and made ready for bed Aunt Izzy standin' over them all the while like a dragon she had just talked them warmly and went for the first time she missed Elsie where is my poor little Elsie she exclaimed in bed said clover makely in bed repeated Aunt Izzy much amazed then stooping down she gave a vigorous pull the trundle bed came into view and sure enough there was Elsie in full dress shoes and all but so fast asleep the not all Aunt Izzy shakes and pinches and calls were able to rise her her clothes were taken off her boots unlaced, her nightgown put on but through it all Elsie slept and she was the only one of the children who did not get the scolding she deserved that dreadful night Katie did not even pretend to be asleep when Aunt Izzy went to her room her tardy conscious had waked up and she was lying in bed very miserable at having drawn the others into a scrape as well as herself and at the failure of her last set of resolutions about setting an example to the younger ones so unhappy was she that Aunt Izzy's severe words were almost a relief and though she cried herself to sleep it was rather from the burden of her own thoughts that she had been scolded she cried even harder the next day for Dr. Carr talked to her more seriously than he had ever done before he reminded her of the time when her mama died and of how she said Katie must be a mama to the little ones when she grows up and he asked her if she didn't think the time was come for beginning to take this dear place towards the children poor Katie she sobbed as if her heart would break at this and though she made no promises I think she was never quite so thoughtless again after that day as for the rest Papa called them together and made them distinctly understand that kickery was never to be played anymore it was so seldom that Papa forbade any games however boisterous that this order really made an impression on the unruly brood and they never have played kickery again from that day to this end of chapter 4 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org reading by Laura Dornan what Katie did by Susan Coolidge chapter 5 in the loft I declare said Miss Pettengill laying down her work if them children don't beat all what on earth are they going to do now Miss Pettengill was sitting in the little room in the back building which she always had when she came to the cars for a weeks mending and making over she was the dearest, funniest old woman who ever went out sewing by the day her face was round and somehow made you think of a very nice baked apple so criss-crossed and lined by a thousand good-natured puckers she was small and weary and wore caps and a false front which was just the colour of a dusty Newfoundland dog's back her eyes were dim and she used spectacles but for all that she was an excellent worker everyone liked Miss Pettengill though Aunt Izzy did once say that her tongue was hung in the middle Aunt Izzy made this remark when she was in a temper and was by no means prepared to have Phil walk up at once and request Miss Pettengill to stick it out which she obligingly did while the rest of the children cried it to look they couldn't say that it was different from other tongues but Philly persisted in finding something curious about it there must be you know since it was hung in that queer way wherever Miss Pettengill went all sorts of treasures went with her the children liked to have her come for it was as good as a fairy story or the circus to see her things unpacked Miss Pettengill was very much afraid of burglars she lay awake half the night listening for them and nothing on earth would have persuaded her to go anywhere leaving behind what she called her plate this stately word meant six old teaspoons very thin and bright and sharp and a butter knife whose handle set forth that it was a testimonial of gratitude for saving the life of Ithrethral Jopsen aged seven on the occasion of his being attacked with Quincy's earththroat Miss Pettengill was very proud of her knife it's and the spoons travelled about in little basket which hung on her arm and was never allowed to be out of her sight even when the family she was sewing for were the honestest people in the world then beside the plate basket Miss Pettengill never stirred without Tom her tortoise shell cat Tom was of beauty and knew his part he ruled Miss Pettengill with a rod of iron and always sat in the rocking chair when there was one it was no matter where she sat Miss Pettengill told people but Tom was delicate and must be made comfortable a big family bible always came to and a special red merino pink cushion and some shade pictures of old mister and mrs. Pettengill and Peter Pettengill who was joined at sea and photographs of mrs. Porter he used to be Marcia Pettengill and mrs. Porter's husband and all the Porter children many little boxes and jars came also and a long row of files and bottles filled with homemade physics and herb teas Miss Pettengill could not have slept without having them beside her for as she said how did she know that she might not be took sudden with something out of a little ginger psalm or benny royal the car children always made so much noise that it required something unusual to make Miss Pettengill drop her work as she did now and fly to the window in fact there was a tremendous hubbub her eyes from Dory stomping a feet and a great outcry of shrill glad voices looking down Miss Pettengill saw the whole six no seven for CC was there too stream out of the wood house door which wasn't a door but only a tall open arch and rushed noisily across the yard Katie was at the head throwing a large black bottle without any cork in it while the others carried in each hand what seemed to be a cookie Catherine Caw Catherine screamed Miss Pettengill tapping loudly in the glass don't you see it's raining you ought to be ashamed to let your brothers and sisters go out and get wet in such a way but nobody heard her and the children vanished into the shed where nothing could be seen but a distant flapping of pantalettes and frilled trousers going up what seemed to be a ladder farther back in the shed so with a dissatisfied clock Miss Pettengill drew back her head perched the spectacle on her nose and went to work again on Katie's played alpaca which had two immense zigzag rents across the middle of the front breath Katie's frocks, strange to say always tore exactly in that place if Miss Pettengill's eyes could have reached a little further they would have seen that it wasn't a ladder up which the children were climbing but a tall wooden post with spikes driven into it about a foot apart it required quite a stride to get from one spike to the other in fact the little ones couldn't have managed it at all had it not been for Clover and Cece pushing them hard from below while Katie, making a long arm pulled from above at last they were all safely up and in the delightful retreat which I'm about to describe imagine a low dark loft without any windows and with only a very little light coming in to the square hole in the floor to which the spiky post led there was a strong smell of corn cobs though the corn had been taken away a great deal of dust and spider web in the corners and some wet spots on the board for the roof always licked a little in rainy weather this was the place which for some reason I have never been able to find out which the car children prefer to any other on rainy Saturdays when they could not play out of doors and Izzy was as much puzzled at this fancy as I am when she was young a vague far off time which none of her nieces and nephews believed in much she had never had any of these queer notions about getting off into holes and corners and poke away places and Izzy would gladly have forbidden them to go to the loft but Dr. Carr had given his permission so all she could do was invent stories about children who had broken their bones in various dreadful ways by climbing posts and ladders but these stories made no impression on any of the children except Little Phil and the self-willed brood kept on their way and climbed their spiked posts as often as they liked what's in the bottle? demanded Dory the minute he was fairly landed in the loft don't be greedy! replied Katie severely you will know when the time comes it is something delicious I can assure you now I, she went on having thus quenched Dory all of you had better give me your cookies to put away if you don't they'll sure to be eaten up before the feast and then, you know there wouldn't be anything to make a feast of so all of them handed over their cookies Dory, he had begun his as he came up the ladder was a little unwilling but he was too much in the habit of minding Katie to dare to disobey the big bottle was set in a corner and the stack of cookies built up around it that's right! proceeded Katie who, as oldest and biggest always took the lead in their plays now, if we're fixed and ready to begin the fate, well, Katie pronounced it fate, can commence the opening exercise will be A Tragedy of the Alhambra by Miss Hall No! cried Clover first the blue wizard or Edwitha of the Hebrides you know, Katie didn't I tell you? said Katie a dreadful accident has happened to that oh, what! cried all the rest Fredwitha was rather a favourite with the family it was one of the many serial stories which Katie was forever writing and was about a lady a knight, a blue wizard and a poodle named Bob it had been going on for so many months now that everybody had forgotten the beginning and nobody had any particular hope of living to hear the end but still the news of it some timely fate was a shock I'll tell you, said Katie all Judge Kirby called this morning to see Aunt Izzy I was studying in the little room but I saw him come in and pull out the big chair and sit down and I almost screamed, I don't! why? cried the children don't you see I had stuffed Edwitha down behind the back and the seat it was a beautiful hiding place for the seat goes back ever so far but Edwitha was such a fat bundle and all Judge Kirby takes up so much room that I was afraid there would be trouble and sure enough he had hardly popped down before there was a great crackling of paper and he jumped up again and called out bless me what is that and then he began poking and poking and just as he had poked out the whole bundle I was putting on his spectacles to see what it was and Izzy came in well, what next? cried the children immensely tickled oh, continued Katie and Izzy put on her glasses too and screwed up her eyes as much as she does and she and the judge read a little bit of that the part at the first, you remember where Bob steals the blue pills and the wizard tries to throw him into the sea you can't think how fun it was to hear Aunt Izzy reading Edwitha out loud and Katie went into convulsions at the wreck collection when she got to, oh Bob, my angel Bob I just rolled onto the table and stuffed the table cover in my mouth to keep from screaming right out by and by I heard her call Debbie and give her the papers and say here is a mass of trash which I wish you to put at once into the kitchen fire and she told me afterwards that she thought I would be in a sea an asylum before I was twenty it was too bad, ended Katie half laughing and half crying to burn up the new chapter and all but there's one good thing she didn't find the fairy of the dry goods box that was stuffed farther back in the seat and now continued the mistress of ceremonies we will begin Miss Hall will please rise Miss Hall much flustered at her fine name got up with very red cheeks it was once upon a time she read moonlight lay on the halls of the Alhambra and the night, striding impatiently down the passage, thought she would never come who, the moon, asked Lover no, of course not, replied Cece a lady he was in love with the next verse is going to tell about her only you interrupted she wore a turban of silver with a jeweled crescent as she stole down the corgador the beam struck it and a glittered like stars so you come, Suleika yes, my lord just then assigned as a steel smote upon the ear and Suleika's male clad father rushed in he drew his sword and so did the other a moment more and they both lay dead and stiff in the beams of the moon Suleika gave a large shriek and threw herself upon their bodies she was dead too and so ends the tragedy of the Alhambra that's lovely said Katie drawing a long breath only very sad what beautiful stories you do write Cece but I wish you wouldn't always kill the people why couldn't the knight have killed the father no, Suleika wouldn't have married him then well, the father might have oh, bother why must anybody be killed at all why not have them fall on each other's necks and make up Katie, cried Cece it wouldn't have been a tragedy then you know the name was a tragedy of the Alhambra oh well said Katie hurriedly for Cece's lips were beginning to pout and her fair pinkish face was too red as if she were about to cry perhaps it was prettier to have them all die only your ladies and gentlemen always do die and I thought for a change, you know what a lovely word that was corrugador what does it mean I don't know replied Cece quite consoled it was in the conquest of Granada something to walk over I believe the next one Katie, consulting her paper is Yap, a simple poem by Clover Carr all the children giggled but Clover got up compositely and recited the following verses did you ever know Yap the best little dog here sat on his lap or barked out of frog his eyes were like beads his tail like a mop and it wiggled as if it would never stop his hair was like silk of the glossiest sheen he always ate milk and once the cold cream off the nursery bureau that line is too long it made him quite ill so endeth my song for Yap he died just two months ago and we oughtn't you sing at the funeral you know the poem met with immense applause all the children laughed and shouted and clapped to the loft rang again and sat down as demure as ever except that the little dimples came and went at the corners of her mouth dimples partly natural partly I regret to say the result of a pointed slate pencil with which Clover was in the habit of deepening them every day while she studied her lessons now said Katie after the noise had subsided now comes scripture verses by Miss Elsie and Joanna Carr hold up your head Elsie and speak distinctly and oh Johnny you mustn't giggle on that way when it comes your turn but Johnny only giggled the hard earth this appeal keeping her hands very tight across her mouth and peeping out over her fingers Elsie however was solemn as a little judge and with great dignity began an angel with a fiery sword came to send Adam and Eve abroad and as they journeyed through the skies they took one look at paradise they thought of all the happy ours among the birds and fragrant boughs and Eve she wept and Adam bawled and both together loudly squalled Dory snickered at this but Sidiak Clover hushed him you mustn't she said it's about the Bible you know now John it's your turn but Johnny would persist in holding her hands over her mouth while her fat little shoulders shook with laughter at last with a great effort she pulled her face straight and speaking as fast as she possibly could repeated in a sort of burst Balaam's donkey saw the angel and stopped short in fear Balaam didn't see the angel which is very queer after which she took refuge again behind her fingers while Elsie went on allowed to buy the creek he buy ravens fed took from their horny big pieces of meat and bread come Johnny said Katie but the incorrigible Johnny was shaking again and all they could make out was the bears came down and ate and ate these verses were part of their grand project on which Clover and Elsie had been busy for more than a year it was sort of a rearrangement of scripture for infant minds and when it was finished they meant to have it published Bound in Red with daguerre types of the two authoresses on the cover the used poetical bible was to be the name of it Papa much tickled with the scraps which he overheard proposed instead the trundle bed-book as having been composed principally in that spot but Elsie and Clover were highly indignant or would not listen to the idea for a moment after the scripture verses came Dory's turn he had been allowed to choose for himself which was unlucky as his taste was peculiar not to say gloomy on this occasion he had selected that cheerful hymn which begins hark from the tombs a doful sight and he now began to recite it in a legubrious voice and with great emphasis smacking his lips as it were over such lines as princes this clay shall be your bed in spite of all your towers the older children listened with the sort of fascinated horror rather enjoying the cold chills and huddling close together as Dory's hollow tones echoed from the dark corners of the loft it was too much for Philly however at the close of the piece he was fine to be in tears I don't want to stay up here and be grown that he sobbed there you bad boy cried Katie all the more angry because she was conscious of having enjoyed it herself that's what you do with your horrid hymns frightening us to death and making Phil cry and she gave Dory a little shake he began to whimper and as Phil was still sobbing and Johnny had begun too out of sympathy with the others their feet in the loft seemed likely to come to a sad end I'm going to tell Aunt Izzy that I don't like you," declared Dory putting one leg through the opening in the floor no you aren't said Katie season him you're going to stay because now we're going to have the feast do stop Phil and Johnny don't be a goose but come and pass round the cookies the word feast produced a speedy effect on the spirits of the party Phil cheered at once and Dory changed his mind about going the black bottle was solemnly set in the midst and the cookies were handed out by Johnny who was now all smiles the cookies had scalloped edges and caraway seeds inside and were very nice there were two apiece and as the last were finished Katie put her hand in her pocket and amid great applause produced the crowning addition to the re-past seven long brown sticks of cinnamon isn't it fun she said Debbie was very good nature today and let me put my own hand into the box so I picked out the longest sticks there were now as your company you shall have the first drink of the bottle the something delicious proved to be weak vinegar and water it was quite warm but somehow drunk up there in the loft and out of a bottle it tasted very nice besides they didn't call it vinegar and water of course not each child give his or her swallow a different name as if the bottle were like signer blitzes it doesn't thing at once Clover called her share raspberry shrub Dory christened his ginger pop why Cece, who was romantic took her three sips under the name of hydromel which she explained was something nice made, she believed, out of beeswax the last drop gone and the last bit of cinnamon crunched the company came to order again for the purpose of hearing Philly repeat his one piece little drops of water which exciting poem he had set every Saturday as far back as they could remember after that Katie declared the literary part of the feat over and they all fell on plain stagecoach which, in spite of close quarters and an occasional bump from the roof was such good fun that a general oh dear welcomed the ringing of the teabell I suppose cookies and vinegar had taken away their appetites for none of them were hungry and Dory astonished and dizzy very much by eyeing the table in a disgusted way and saying only plump sweetmeats and sponge cake and hot biscuit I don't want any supper what ill is the child he must be sick said Dr. Carr but Katie explained oh no Papa it isn't that only we've been having a feast in the loft did you have a good time as Papa while and Izzy give it dissatisfied groan and all the children answered at once splendiferous end of chapter 5