The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm
John Stuart Mill · en
The exchange had been accidental, but one that the woman couldn’t seem
to understand. Vevi had less than five dollars in her savings bank at
home. How could she ever pay the sum Mrs. Gabriel might ask? It made
her fairly ill to think of it.
At the next corner, the girls parted to go to their separate homes.
As Vevi started away alone, Connie reminded her that all the Brownie
Scouts had been invited to take part in a puppet show that evening in
the public library.
“Don’t forget, Vevi.”
“I’ll be there,” Vevi promised. With a nervous giggle, she added: “That
is, unless Mrs. Gabriel puts me in jail!”
Miss Mohr and Miss Gordon had planned the puppet show as a special
treat for the girls. The Brownies themselves had made scenery and
painted the clever figures which were to be used in a dramatization of
“The Brownie Story” by Juliana H. Ewing.
Using patterns provided by Miss Mohr, the girls had traced them on
stiff cardboard. These they had cut out, pasted and painted. Each
character had a narrow, stiff strip of cardboard at the back which
could be used as a handle to make the figures move in a life-like
manner on the little stage.
Besides tiny elves, the girls had created a Tailor, his aging mother,
Mary and her little brother, and an Old Owl.
Vevi was assigned to speak the words of the Old Owl and to handle that
particular puppet.
Her part had not been hard to learn. Mostly the owl only had to say
“Who-oo,” and “Hoot! Hoot!”
“Don’t be late,” Connie warned as she and Jane bade their friend
goodbye. “After the puppet show we’re to have an investiture ceremony.
Hanny’s to be made a real Brownie.”
“I’ll be on time,” Vevi promised again. “Hoot! Hoot!”
By seven o’clock that night all the troop members were at the library.
Vevi as usual was the last to arrive. She seemed so fidgety and nervous
that Connie asked her if Mrs. Gabriel had made any more trouble.
“What makes you think she will?” Vevi asked quickly.
“I saw her walking around the library when I came in a few minutes
ago,” Connie revealed. “She was looking at the Brownie flower bed too.”
“I wish you wouldn’t keep talking about Mrs. Gabriel and her silly
tulip bulbs,” Vevi said, squirming uncomfortably. “I’m not worrying
about her.”
“Then what is wrong with you?”
“I’m thinking about my part in the play, that’s all. I’m afraid I may
forget my lines.”
“Your lines!” Connie laughed. “All you have to do is hold your owl up
in a tree and make bird noises. And you’re afraid you’ll forget!”
The girls were using a large library table for a stage. In the first
scene, the Tailor and his elderly wife sat by their fireside discussing
Mary and Tommy, who never liked to help with work in the home.
Connie took the part of the Old Tailor, while Rosemary spoke the lines
of the aged grandmother. Sunny acted the character of Mary, and Hanny
that of the little boy, Tommy.