"B" Is for Betsy (2 page)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I know a little one," replied Betsy.

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

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

"Good morning," chirped the robin,
"Good morning," buzzed the bee,
"The sun is shining brightly,
Wake up," they called to me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ellen shook her head and went on crying.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr. Kilpatrick was the policeman who took the children across the street before and after school. He was a big man with a merry, red face and he loved little boys and girls. He would blow his sharp whistle and all the automobiles and wagons would stop. Then he would gather a group of boys and girls around him, and, like a hen with her chickens, hurry them across the wide street. "Hurry up, Bobby," he would say. "Mind you get a hundred today, Bill. Come along, Betty Lou, pick up your feet; sure I can't keep the traffic waiting all day."