Josie Pye is sulky because she didn t get the part she wanted in
the dialogue. She wanted to be the fairy queen. That would have been
ridiculous, for who ever heard of a fairy queen as fat as Josie? Fairy
queens must be slender. Jane Andrews is to be the queen and I am to be
one of her maids of honor. Josie says she thinks a red-haired fairy is
just as ridiculous as a fat one, but I do not let myself mind what Josie
says. I m to have a wreath of white roses on my hair and Ruby Gillis
is going to lend me her slippers because I haven t any of my own. It s
necessary for fairies to have slippers, you know. You couldn t imagine
a fairy wearing boots, could you? Especially with copper toes? We are
going to decorate the hall with creeping spruce and fir mottoes with
pink tissue-paper roses in them. And we are all to march in two by two
after the audience is seated, while Emma White plays a march on the
organ. Oh, Marilla, I know you are not so enthusiastic about it as I am,
but don t you hope your little Anne will distinguish herself?
All I hope is that you ll behave yourself. I ll be heartily glad when
all this fuss is over and you ll be able to settle down. You are simply
good for nothing just now with your head stuffed full of dialogues and
groans and tableaus. As for your tongue, it s a marvel it s not clean
worn out.
Anne sighed and betook herself to the back yard, over which a young new
moon was shining through the leafless poplar boughs from an apple-green
western sky, and where Matthew was splitting wood. Anne perched herself
on a block and talked the concert over with him, sure of an appreciative
and sympathetic listener in this instance at least.
Well now, I reckon it s going to be a pretty good concert. And I
expect you ll do your part fine, he said, smiling down into her eager,
vivacious little face. Anne smiled back at him. Those two were the best
of friends and Matthew thanked his stars many a time and oft that he had
nothing to do with bringing her up. That was Marilla s exclusive duty;
if it had been his he would have been worried over frequent conflicts
between inclination and said duty. As it was, he was free to, spoil
Anne --Marilla s phrasing--as much as he liked. But it was not such a
bad arrangement after all; a little appreciation sometimes does quite
as much good as all the conscientious bringing up in the world.
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