Homepage
Login
Profile
BookClubs
dmBox
Read Ebook: The Good Crow's Happy Shop by Beard Patten
Font size:
Background color:
Text color:
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page
Ebook has 494 lines and 35475 words, and 10 pages
PAGE THE MAGIC BOOK OF THE GOOD CROW'S HAPPY SHOP WAS A BIG SAMPLE BOOK OF WALL PAPER 22
THE PAPER DOLLS THAT WERE CUT FROM MAGAZINES AND WHOSE CLOTHES WERE MADE FROM WALL PAPER 32
PAPER CUTTING DIAGRAM I 43
THE PAPER DOLL FURNITURE THAT WAS CUT FROM CARDBOARD AND UPHOLSTERED WITH WALL PAPER 45
THE MOTION PICTURES THAT WERE CUT FROM WALL PAPER 57
THE VALENTINES AND CARDS THAT WERE MADE OUT OF WALL PAPER 71
EMBROIDERY PATTERNS AND STENCIL DESIGNS THAT WERE FOUND IN WALL PAPER 84
THE SCRAPBOOKS THAT THE CHILDREN MADE WITH WALL PAPER COVERS 103
PAPER CUTTING DIAGRAM II 113
THE BIRD, THE BUTTERFLIES AND THE PIN-WHEELS THAT WERE MADE OUT OF WALL PAPER 117
THE MAY BASKETS AND THE FLOWER-POT COVER THAT WERE MADE OF WALL PAPER 127
HERE ARE SCHOOL BOOKS WITH PRETTY COVERS MADE TO KEEP THEM CLEAN 133
SOME DESK FITTINGS THAT WERE MADE WITH WALL PAPER 147
THE CHRISTMAS-TREE DECORATIONS THAT WERE MADE OF WALL PAPER 161
THE GOOD CROW'S HAPPY SHOP
ONCE a year, Aunt Phoebe came to visit in the city at Jimsi's house. Aunt Phoebe was Mother's best friend. Jimsi and Henry and baby Katherine had known her ever so long. They could not remember the time when they did not know Aunt Phoebe. Probably the time dated back to the age of rattles and squeaky rubber dolls when the children were so small that they knew nothing at all about Aunt Phoebe's Good Crow, Caw Caw.
Just how the play about the Good Crow started, nobody was ever able to tell. Even Aunt Phoebe herself could not say. But the make-believe was that Aunt Phoebe knew of a wonderfully delightful bird who was big and black and who liked nothing better than to do nice things for boys and girls.
Jimsi and Henry and Katherine knew well that all this was a lovely pretend. One might believe in it as one believed in fairies or fairy tales that one knows are not at all true--and yet fun to imagine. The Good Crow was a lovely pretend.
Everybody who knew Jimsi and Henry and Katherine, knew about Caw Caw. He appeared most frequently when the great visit of the year fell due and when the expressman had brought in Aunt Phoebe's trunk and taken the strap off. Then Aunt Phoebe would say, "Oh, Jimsi, Caw Caw sent you a present. He sent one to Henry and Katherine too. I must get it out of my trunk! Come! Let's see what it is!"
Then Jimsi and Henry and Katherine would laugh and begin to play the play of Caw Caw Crow that would last as long as Aunt Phoebe stayed at their home--no, longer sometimes for the Good Crow often wrote little letters to the children, just for fun.
The presents that came from Caw Caw in Aunt Phoebe's trunk were not very big presents; they were boxes of crayons or paints or things like scissors and tools to make things. Sometimes there would be a game or a ball or a very nice toy or transfer pictures. The things that Caw Caw Crow sent the children were mostly things to do. One can always find a use for scissors or paints or crayons and things to do, you know.
Some days, if Jimsi or Henry or Katherine had been naughty, there would be a little crow letter that would say:
"DEAR LITTLE FRIEND:
I was flying by the window when you were so horrid and spunky. I don't like the children who are horrid and spunky. I hope you'll be different to-morrow.
After this kind of letter one felt more than ever ashamed.
Maybe the Good Crow would put a different sort of letter under the pillow:
"DEAR LITTLE FRIEND:
It made me glad to see what you did to-day. I like children who eat what is set before them at the table. I send you a lollipop as a reward of merit. Happy dreams.
Mother and Daddy and Aunt Phoebe all liked the crow. Indeed, strange to relate, sometimes when Aunt Phoebe was visiting and Mother happened to say that she had admired a certain kind of pretty plant that she had seen in a window down-town, the crow brought the plant and set it in the middle of the dining-room table next day! He left a card with it, of course. The card said, "With love from the children's Crow."
Well, when Aunt Phoebe had gone, the Good Crow play usually stopped unless Mother kept it up or Jimsi or Henry or maybe Daddy tried it. But the crow was never as entertaining as when Aunt Phoebe was around.
"DEAREST JIMSI:
Do you think that your precious Mother would let you come to spend some time in the country with your Aunt Phoebe? She'd be very careful to see that you wore rubbers and didn't take cold. She'll see you take your bad medicine and have a peppermint afterwards to take the taste away.
I hope you can come because Aunt Phoebe wants to see you, and I want you to play in my Happy Shop.
Oh, oh, oh! Hooray!
"I want to go too," urged Henry. "I want to go too!"
"Me too!" echoed baby Katherine. "Me too!"
"Hush!" cried Mother. "I'll have to ask Daddy, Jimsi dear. We'll see what the doctor thinks of it. Maybe Aunt Phoebe's house is the best place a little girl could grow well and strong in. Maybe you can go--but I can't promise; we'll see."
All day long Jimsi went about the house wondering whether she was going to be allowed to go to Aunt Phoebe's. She and Henry talked about it. "What do you suppose the crow's Happy Shop is?" they asked each other.
"It's something ever so nice if it's the crow," declared Jimsi. "Maybe it's a store where the crow buys things."
"It might be the place where he makes things," Henry suggested. "Shops are sometimes places where things are made."
All day long they talked about it. After the doctor had come and gone and when Daddy reached home after business, when the tea table things were cleared away and Jimsi and Henry and Mother and Daddy sat about the lamp in the living-room, they talked about the good crow and the Happy Shop some more. It was decided that day after to-morrow, Jimsi should really go to visit Aunt Phoebe and find out what a Happy Shop was!
"Oh, I know," smiled Jimsi. "But it will be a splendid fun of some kind. I can't wait to find out what it is. When I find out, I'll write home all about it."
Really everybody was as interested to know what The Happy Shop really was as Jimsi. Poor Henry had to go off to school. Daddy went to his office downtown. Only Mother and Jimsi were left to speculate upon the subject that day. It was a busy day too for Jimsi had to get ready to go to Aunt Phoebe's for weeks and weeks while she grew strong in the country. There had to be warm things in her trunk. Some of them had to be mended. It took time. But at last the trunk was packed.
THE first thing Jimsi said, when the train stopped at a little station where Aunt Phoebe was waiting to greet them on the platform, was, "Oh, Aunt Phoebe, I saw the Crow. He followed the train. I'm sure it must have been your crow because I heard him say caw-caw!"
Aunt Phoebe smiled. "Wasn't that funny," she laughed. "Wait, Jimsi, you'll really see my crow soon. He's in The Happy Shop now. But don't expect too much, dear. You mustn't be disappointed!"
"Oh, you'll have to wait for that, Jimsi," returned Aunt Phoebe. "Here we are"--and they turned in at a quaint green gate that led to a small bare garden that was shrouded in boughs of evergreen. The house was small like the garden. Aunt Phoebe lived here alone, though one never, never could imagine an aunt like Aunt Phoebe as being the least bit lonely. Why, she never could be lonely--there was too much for her to think about and do, don't you know. It's only the persons who sit still and think how miserable they are who are lonely!
Jimsi giggled softly to herself as she felt it under the pillow and drew it out.
"DEAREST JIMSI:
Try to take a good nap like a good little girl. I am glad you are here and I hope you will do all you can to grow well and strong. To-morrow, maybe, Aunt Phoebe will show you The Happy Shop. I think you'll like it. With love from your
It was such a darling little tiny letter! It had a wee stamp in one corner. The stamp was drawn with red ink. Oh, it was darling of thoughtful Aunt Phoebe to do that! Wasn't it exactly like her too! Jimsi smiled as she folded the tiny sheet and put it back in the envelope. Then, obediently, she curled down into the downy bed and shut her eyes tight, resolving to do all she could to help Aunt Phoebe keep the promise to Mother.
When she woke, it was growing dusk. Aunt Phoebe was at the door of the little blue room calling, "Up, Jimsi! What a fine nap you've had. It's almost tea-time!" She lit a candle and helped Jimsi unpack her trunk a bit and dress. Then, hand in hand they went down to the hall where Daddy was consulting his watch. "I must be off," he declared.
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page