 |
| Ina and Jack are long gone, but I still imagine them in this old place. |
The
fire in the old wood range had been well-stoked and sent welcome warmth into
the house on this cold day. Ina chuckled in spite of herself as she ironed Monday’s
laundry. The memory of Shirley Anne finding the nightgown in the “magic” closet
was so satisfactory.
 |
| Cottonwood Butte from apple tree at the pond |
Yesterday’s
trip to town had put Ina behind in her household chores. Thank goodness she had
found a candy cane at the Merc to put in the “magic” closet today because she had
no time to sew, not even in double time.
When
Shirley Anne came in from school, Ina immediately saw the note from Miss Johnson pinned to
her coat. “Please help Shirley Anne memorize these verses for next week.
Selection for parts in our Christmas pageant will be based on this recitation.”
“Wouldn’t
it be wonderful,” thought Ina to herself, “if Shirley Anne could win a good
part?” Ina knew competition from older girls would be stiff. Shirley Anne would
have to recite flawlessly and with good inflection were she to have a chance. The
old teacher in Ina came out, and she resolved that they would try hard.
Here
are the verses that Shirley Anne was to learn:
Once
on a time there was a King
As
cross as any bear,
He
shook the cook and often took
A
handful of his hair!
(And
this was quite a shame because
He
hadn’t much to spare.)
But
then, a wretched cook he was,
Which
complicated things,
And
sure as whales have fins and tails
Poor
cooking makes poor Kings!
Now,
this one flung folks right and left
And
scolded without cause,
And
perched upon his throne, he made
A
lot of dreadful laws.*
They
set to work that very night, and Ina was pleased to discover that Shirley Anne
was a willing worker and quick learner.
 |
| Near the barn looking south |
*From
The Little Gingerbread Man, produced by Royal Baking Powder Co., 1923
[Where
past meets present: Mike and I drove to the farm to check on things today, and
also to pick up a few things I needed for this advent project. There was no
snow to speak of, but it is cold -- highs in the 30s, lows in the 20s. It was a bright day such as Ina enjoyed.] KW
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