Droozy
and her friends were taking turns walking on stilts. It was so much fun being so
very tall and being able to look over the heads of grown-ups. While Inge, Fanny
and Gertrude were prancing up and down the old-fashioned street, Droozy sat on
the curb and watched the stork-like figures cross back and forth. Mr. Abner was
there also, quietly observing the whole procedure. Suddenly Droozy looked down
and there on the sidewalk beside her feet were two shiny gold ten penny pieces.
Droozy quickly picked them up. She was certain she had discovered a small
fortune. She slipped them into the pocket of her dress and whirled around with
joy. She was about to tell her father of her good fortune when Inge handed the
stilts to Droozy. First one foot and then the other clumsily ascended the
stilts. It was very important to hold them close together; otherwise the legs
would be too far apart to walk. Droozy did not want to take any more spills.
From her tall position Droozy noticed that the children seemed to be searching
on the ground for something. She wanted very much to know what was happening but
had too much difficulty keeping her balance. Left foot, right foot, left foot,
right foot, she came closer and closer to her young friends. When laboriously
she reached them, they told her that Inge had lost money that her mother had
given her to buy a notebook. Before Droozy had an opportunity to tell of the
money she thought she found, she fell down with a crash and the two shiny gold
coins came tumbling out of her pocket. It was too late for explanations and Mr.
Abner came rushing over to scold Droozy for something which she took which
wasn’t hers. Inge was very angry, calling Droozy a nasty thief, while the
others laughed loudly and told the child that the fall was a punishment from God
for her ugly deed. Droozy
ran away covering her face with her hands, ashamed, but mostly hurt that no one
believed that she had only by chance found the shiny pieces of gold. |
|