Aunt Jo's scrap-bag, Volume 6 : $b An old-fashioned Thanksgiving, etc.Alcott, Louisa May
General
Aunt Jo's scrap-bag, Volume 6 : $b An old-fashioned Thanksgiving, etc.
Alcott, Louisa May
Children's stories
He got no farther; for a little voice cried out of the dark, in a tone
of surprise:
"Why, dats me!"
The people all turned to look; and the big man put his bell in his
pocket, took her up very kindly, and said he'd carry her home.
"Is it far away?" asked Poppy, with a little sob.
"Yes, my dear; but I am going to give you some supper fust, along of my
little girl. I live close by; and, when we've had a bite, we'll go find
your ma."
Poppy was so tired and hungry, she was glad to find herself taken care
of, and let the man do as he liked. He took her to a funny little house,
and his wife gave her bread and molasses on a new tin plate with letters
all round the edge. Poppy thought it very fine, and enjoyed her supper,
though the man's little girl stared at her all the time with eyes as
blue as her mug.
While she ate, the man sent word to her father that she was found; and,
when both papa and mamma came hurrying in all out of breath with joy,
there sat Miss Poppy talking merrily, with her face well daubed with
molasses, her gown torn, her hands very dirty, and her shoes--ah, the
pretty new shoes!--all spoiled with mud and dust, scratched, and half
worn out, the buttons dull, and the color quite gone. No one cared for
it that night; for little runaway was kissed and petted, and taken home
to her own cosey bed as tenderly as if she had done nothing naughty, and
never frightened her parents out of their wits in her life.
But the next day,--dear me! what a sad time it was, to be sure! When
Poppy woke up, there hung the spoilt shoes over the mantle-piece; and,
as soon as she was dressed, papa came in with a long cord, one end of
which he tied round Poppy's waist, and the other to the arm of the sofa.
"I'm very sorry to have to tie you up, like a little dog; but I must, or
you will forget, and run away again, and make mamma ill."
Then he went away without his morning kiss, and Poppy was so very
unhappy she could hardly eat her breakfast. She felt better by and by,
and tried to play; but the cord kept pulling her back. She couldn't get
to the window; and, when she heard mamma passing the door, she tried to
run and meet her, but had to stop halfway, for the cord jerked her over.
Cousin Fanny came up, but Poppy was so ashamed to be tied that she
crept under the sofa and hid. All day she was a prisoner, and was a very
miserable little girl; but at night she was untied, and, when mamma took
her in her lap for the first time that day, Poppy held her fast, and
sobbed very penitently--
"O mamma! I drefful sorry I runned away. Fordive me one time more, and I
never will adain;" and she never did.
Two or three years after this, Poppy went to live in the country, and
tried some new pranks. One day she went with her sister Nelly to see a
man plough, for that sort of thing was new to her. While the man worked,
she saw him take out a piece of something brown, and bite off a bit.
"What's that?" asked Poppy.
"Tobaccer," said the man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account