Kirsten's New Teacher

"Kirsten! Please pay attention!"
Kirsten Larson looked up at her cousin Lisbeth. Lisbeth's voice seemed as cold as the winter wind outside the cabin door.
"I was daydreaming," Kirsten admitted. "How I wish it were summer so we could play outside again!". She looked down at her blank slate and sighed.
For more than two weeks, the weather had been so bitterly cold that the children couldn't leave the cabin except to do chores. They couldn't go skating or sledding and it was much to cold to walk to school. Every day the cabin seemed to get smaller as through it were shrinking up like an old apple.
Miss Winston. their teacher, had put Lisbeth in charge of lessons at home and somehow that had made everything worse. Lisbeth was so serious! Usually Lisbeth was fun, but not now. Her lessons were harder and much longer than Miss Winston's and she gave lots of orders. Worst of all, in the evenings, when all the family played games and talked together, Lisbeth sat apart, planning lessons. It was as if she were suddenly too grown-up for games.
Kirsten frowned and wrote a verse from lesson 20 of her reader on her slate:
Work while you work
Play while you play
For that is the way
To be cheerful and gay.
The little room was smokey, and Kirsten's eyes stung. She looked at her brother Peter and her other cousin Anna. Peter looked sleepy. Anna was yawning.
Lisbeth stood beside Kirsten. "You've forgotten the rest of your verse," she said
"One thing each time
And that done well
Is a very good rule
As many can tell."
Then Lisbeth tapped Kirsten's shoulder the way Miss Winston often did. "You must learn to pay attention to what's important," she said.
Kirsten felt her cheeks redden. She didn't like it when Lisbeth was bossy. "We've been studying for so long. If we were at school it would be time for recess," Kirsten said.
"You want Miss Winston to be proud when you go back to school, don't you?" Lisbeth replied. "I know I do. I want her to see what a good teacher I can be."
" Even Miss Winston wouldn't make us study for this long," Kirsten said. "Please, let's stop and play awhile. We could play one of the games from the Fourth of July celebration. Remember that wonderful music and the picnic?"
"I remember the Fourth of July sack race!" Anna said eagerly.
" I remember the parade!" Peter said. He jumped up and began to march around the table. "Let's pretend we have drums and a fiddle. Let's have a parade!"
Lisbeth folded her arms across her chest. " Peter, you know we can't have a parade in this tiny cabin."
" But a parade is a grand idea," Kirsten said. " Lisbeth, we could have a parade in the barn, couldn't we? Blackie the horse and Marika the cow could march with us. We could practice in secret, and the invite Mama and Lars and Aunt Inger to watch us. We could call it the Fourth of January!"
Lisbeth shook her head." We don't have time for a parade. With our fathers away at the logging camp, there are too many chores to be done."
" But we need some fun too," Kirsten insisted. "Its been ages since we've laughed. You've gotten too serious Lisbeth. I think you've forgotten how to have fun!"
Lisbeth blushed. The her voice grew stern, as Miss Winston's often did. "I remember how to have fun," She said. "But I also remember that chores and lessons come first. Have your parade ,Kirsten, but don't forget what lesson 20 says! Don't let the parade interfere with your work."
" Oh, please don't be cross," Anna cried. She couldn't help being upset when someone else was. "Play with us just a little Lisbeth. Kirsten, as her to play."
Kirsten wished she hadn't spoken so sharply to Lisbeth, but she couldn't bring herself to admitt it. "Come on," she said to Anna and Peter. "Lets go out to the barn and plan our parade. And Anna, don't look so sad!"

For the next few days, Kirsten, Anna and Peter worked on the parade in every spare moment. Kirsten woke Peter and Anna extra early to do chores. Anna fed the chickens and Peter brought in firewood for the stove. Kirsten milked Marika and went to root cellar to get vegetables, shutting the door behind her so the family's food wouldn't freeze in the bitter weather and rot. Then she ran to the barn where Anna and Peter waited for her. By finishing their chores quickly, they had time to work on the parade before Lisbeth called them for lessons.
And oh, what a parade it was going to be! There would be songs, speeches, games, costumes! Kirsten and Anna made capes from old aprons. They decorated their straw hats with pinecones. Peter put a string through his little hat so he could tie it on Caro, the dog. They all twisted sprigs of evergreen to make wreaths for the animals.
One morning, Peter asked. "Kirsten, could I ride Blackie in our parade?"
" I have a better idea," Kirsten said. " You can ride the pig. Think how funny it would be to ride Sadie as though she were a fat pony! You'd like that wouldn't you Peter?"
" Would I ever!" Peter cried.
Peter and Anna were still giggling about the pig when they all went back to the cabin. Mama was kneading bread. Lisbeth was working on sums." Don't give away our secret!" Kirsten whispered. But she was laughing too.
Mama looked at the giggling children, then at Lisbeth. "Lisbeth, why aren't you playing with the others?" Mama said gently.
"Miss Winston would not want me to neglect my own studies just because I'm teaching the others," Lisbeth said.
"Lisbeth," Kirsten said, "Surely Miss Winston didn't expect you to do your work and all the work she does, too."
"You don't understand what it is to have a big responsility, " Lisbeth said.
"I understand what it is to become bossy and forget your friends," Kirsten muttered.
Mama stopped kneading the dough and frowned. " Is something wrong between you girl?"
Lisbeth looked back down at her book. "Nothing's wrong really ," she said
" I hope not," Mama said. "These dark, cold days are hard enough without bad feelings between you"
Kirsten glanced at Lisbeth and caught her eye. Lisbeth looked away.

The next evening, Kirsten was kneeling on the floor of the root cellar, piling hard purple rutabagas into a basket. Mama would cook these big sweet roots and mash them for supper. But Kirsten wasn't thinking about food. The Fourth of January parade was tomorrow. Everything was ready. Yet over and over, she asked herself if there was anything she'd forgotten.
Just then, Peter trotted down the stairs. "Kirsten come help. Anna and I were playing with our costumes when the rooster stole my hat. He flew up into the rafters with it. We can't reach him!"
"What were you doing with the costumes?" Kirsten said. " We had everything all ready for tomorrow."
" Anna said we could try them on one more time." Peter said. " Then the rooster raided us!"
Kirsten grabbed her basket of rutabagas and hurried out of the root cellar--forgetting to close the doors behind her.
Anna waited inside the barn. She pointed to the rooster perched overhead, the little straw hat held fast in his beak. " Kirsten, he won't come down!" Anna said.
"Well, we can't climb after him," Kirsten said. She set down the basket, took a rutabaga and threw it at the rooster. She missed. Peter tried and missed, too. The rooster didn't budge. Then Anna picked up a big one and threw it upward with all her might. It whizzed past the rooster, who squawked in alarm and let the hat sail to the ground.
" Peter, be quick and hide it with the other costumes!" Kirsten said. " Anna help me gather up our dinner."
The girls ran about, picking up rutabagas from the barn floor. One had fallen into the pig pen, where Sadie was munching on it. " Give it here Sadie!" Kirsten said. She reached out , but Sadie swallowed the rutabaga greedily.
" Kirsten! Where are you?" Lisbeth called from the barn lot. "We need the rutabagas!"
" Lets go, " Kirsten said. She grabbed up the basket and ran out of the barn toward the brightly lit cabin. Behind the cabin in the darkness, the doors of the root cellar stood wide open.

" So thats what you've been planning!" Mama said when Kirsten and the others announced their show at breakfast. " A Fourth of January parade! That will be a treat!"
Lars jumped to his feet. Aunt Inger put on her shawl and held out Lisbeth's to her. Lisbeth hesitated. "Mama, I've lessons to prepare," she said.
'Your work will wait for you," Aunt Inger said firmly. "Now its time to smile and rest. Come with us, dear."
Kirsten ran with Anna and Peter to the barn. When the rest followed, Lisbeth was with them.
Everything was ready. Kirsten's heart thumped. Peter blew a loud blast on his penny whistle and cried, "Let the Larson's Fourth of January celebration begin!"
First came a the hymn, "Amazing Grace". The children stood straight and solemn, just like a choir. Then Kirsten recited a verse from her reader. Anna sang "Yankee Doodle", all by herself. Then Peter stood on a hay bale to recite the Declaration on Independence. He'd spent more time making wreaths than learning the words of the Declaration. But his voice was strong, and he made broad sweeps with his arms. "Life and Liberty for all! Happiness for all!", he said over and over. Kirsten thought he sounded like a judge.
Everyone was laughing and clapping except Lisbeth, who sat with her hands clasped together in her lap. She pressed her lips together the way Miss Winston did when one of her students did something foolish.
Kirsten tried not to notice. "And now", she cried, " the parade!"
First came Anna, riding on Blackie. Blackie held his head high, as though he knew everyone was watching him. Caro ran beside the horse, with Peter's hat tied firmly on his head. Then came Marika , the cow, with Kirsten on her back. At each step, Kirsten dropped a few kernals of corn onto the barn floor. Hungrily eating the kernals, Sadie plodded along behind the rest, Peter seated on her back. Sadie looked as if she'd been marching in parades all her life.
But just when Kirsten decided the parade was a grand sucess, Sadie stopped in her tracks to root for more corn. Peter kicked her sides with his heels. "Get going", he cried.
Sadie raised her head and looked back. She squined as if she'd just realized she had a little boy on her back. Then she took off like a streak. Peter grabbed hold of Sadie's ears and let out a whoop.
"Runaway pig!" Kirsten cried. "Help! Runaway pig!"
Lars leaped up and tried to catch the pigs tail. Flapping her skirt, Lisbeth ran after Lars. Chickens flew into the air squawking, like alarmed ladies. Mama grabbed a shovel, and Aunt Inger snatched the rake. Anna sat on Blackie, her eyes as big as silver dollars. Kirsten scrambled off the cow, but slipped and landed with a bump in the straw. Caro was everwhere barking as loudly as he could.
Three times Sadie ran around the bar before Mama and Aunt Inger prodder her into her pen. Lisbeth slammed the gate. Swift as a squirrel, Peter scrambled up onto the railing. His cheeks were pink and his eyes as bright as candles.
"That was fun!" he cried
For a moment, everyone was silent. The air was filled with dust and straw. Lisbeth got a queer look on her face and Kirsten thought she was going to scold her for making such a mess of things. Instead Lisbeth began to laugh. In an instant, Mama, Aunt Inger and the rest joined in.
Lars hoisted Peter up onto his shoulders. "Here's the star of the parade!" Lars said " The runaway pig rider!"
'That's faster than Sadie's run in her whole life!" Lisbeth said, wiping tears of laughter from her cheeks.
"Oh, my sides hurt with laughing," Aunt Inger said. "What a funny parade we all made running after Peter!"
Kirsten was embarassed. She hadn't planned for the parade to end like this! But she couldn't help being pleased. Everyone had enjoyed the parade---even Lisbeth!
"Look at Sadie now," Anna said. "She looks sweet as pie, eating that rutabaga."
Kirsten looked. She must have overlooked a rutabaga last night, she thought. Then suddenly, her heart stopped: the root cellar! When she'd come out of the root cellar with the basket, she'd forgotten to close the doors behind her. All the vegetables stored there would be frozen.
Kirsten rushed out of the barn . Because of her carelessness, the family wouldn't have enough food to last the winter. They would starve!
"Kirsten, where are you off to?" she heard Lisbeth call. "Wait!"
But Kirsten couldnt' wait. She raced around the house to the root cellar--and stopped short. The doors were closed. Kirsten opened them and quickly went down the steps. The food wasn't frozen! But how...?
Turning, Kirsten saw Lisbeth on the stairs.
"What's wrong?" Lisbeth said.
"Oh, Lisbeth, I did something terrible!" Kirsten said miserably. "I left the doors open. All our food could have been ruined if the wind hadn't blown the doors shut!"
"It wasn't the wind," Lisbeth said. "After I called you last night, I saw the doors were open. So I shut them."
"Oh, Lisbeth, thank you!" Kirsten breathed.
But she felt ashamed. "Instead of thinking about my job, my mind was on that silly parade. You were right. I should have paid attention to what was important."
Lisbeth put her hand on Kirsten's shoulder. "But you were right too," she said. "It was grand to laugh for a change."
"You didn't think the parade was too silly?" Kirsten said doubtfully.
"No. You recited your verse perfectly too," Lisbeth said. 'In fact, Miss Winston will love hearing about it when we return to school. And to think I missed out on almost all of it because I was trying to be a proper teacher and make Miss Winston proud."
" You have been a good teacher," Kirsten said. "But its been so hard not having you for a friend."
Lisbeth thought for a moment. Then she said," Prehaps after I finish with my work tonight I can join you in a game of blindman's bluff--if you still want me."
Kirsten grinned. She closed one of the root cellar doors as Lisbeth closed the other. " We want you in all our games, Lisbeth. Alway!"

Kirsten's New Teacher was written by Renee Graef and published by American Girl Magazine

Samantha's Surprising birthday

Scene: The parlor of Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia's elegant town house in New York City on the rainy afternoon of My 26,1906

(Samantha and Cornelia enter. They run in breathless. Samantha carries a plate of cookies and Cornelia carries six small gift boxes. As they talk, they arrange the party table and decorate the room.)

Samantha: Phew! We just made it.

Cornelia: The rain is really coming down hard now. I'm sorry we can't have your birthday party outside in the garden Samantha. But if we did we'd have to ask your guests to sit in mud puddles.

Samantha: I don't think Agnes and Agatha would mind, but I'm sure Grandmary would say it was most improper

Cornelia: Yes indeed! Especially for young ladies wearing their best party dresses. You do look beautiful Samantha.

Samantha(twirls): Thank you!

Cornelia: We'll make the room look beautiful too. Your party will be as much fun inside as it would have been outside.

Samantha: Yes! We can do everything but dance around the maypole. We can't bring that inside.

Cornelia: No, I'm afraid not. But your birthday is in May every year Sam. Maybe next year it will sunny and you can a Maypole.

Samantha: I hope so. Its fun to wrap the ribbons around it. It's sort of like tying a bow on a giant gift.

Cornelia: Oh, that reminds me! Here is a little gift for you from your Uncle Gard and me.

(Cornelia hands Samantha one of the gift boxes)

Samantha: Thank you, Aunt Cornelia. May I open it now?

Cornelia: Oh course!

(But before Samantha opens the gift, Grandmary enters. She carries a wet umbrella and a gift box)

Grandmary: Happy birthday, dear girl!

Samantha: Oh, Grandmary! I'm so glad you're here!

(Grandmary and Samantha hug)

Grandmary: Nothing could stop me, not even the most unpromising weather. Good gracious, I can hardly believe you are eleven years old today! Already a young lady! Here is a birthday gift. I hope it didn't get to wet.

Samantha: Thank you Grandmary. It looks lovely

Grandmary: (laughs) I am sure I don't look lovely. I am sure I look a bedraggled mess!

Cornelia: Come with me, Grandmary. I'll bring you a nice cup of hot tea while you freshen up.

Grandmary: Thank you, Cornelia. Tea is just what I need.

(Grandmary and Cornelia exit. Samantha puts the presents from Grandmary and Cornelia on the table. She does not see Nellie, Bridget and Jenny enter on tiptoe, carrying gift boxes.)

Nellie, Bridget and Jenny(loudly): Happy birthday Samantha!

Samantha(laughs): Oh, you surprised me!

Jenny(thrusting her gift into Samantha's hands): And we have more surprises , too. Look, Samantha. I have a present for you. I choose it by myself and bought it myself and wrapped it myself. Please open it now.

Bridget(elbowing in front of Jenny): No Jenny. I want Samantha to open my present first. Please!

Samantha: Oh, Bridget and Jenny, both your presents look lovely! I can't wait to see what's inside. But it wouldn't be polite to open them before Agnes and Agatha get here. Would it, Nellie?

Nellie: No. We don't want to spoil the surprise for them.

Jenny: Well, you could unwrap my present ansd see what it is and then you could wrap it up again and open it again when Agnes and Agatha get here. How would that be?

(Samantha and Nellie exchange a smile, but do not laugh at Jenny. Samantha hugs Jenny, then puts the presents from Jenny and Bridget on the party table. )

Samantha: I couldn't wrap it as nicely as you did. I think we'd better wait. I'll put the presents on the table here with the party favors.

Bridget: Are those party favors for us?

Samantha: Yes. One for you, one for Nellie, one for Jenny, one for Agnes, one for Agatha.

Jenny: Oooh! Can I open mine now and see what it is and then wrap it again and then....

Nellie(breaking in kindly): No, silly!

Samantha: They're all the same thing, so you'll have to open them all at the same time.

Jenny: Oh, I can't wait till Agnes and Agatha get here!

Bridget: I can't wait either. I didn't know birthdays had so many nice surprises in them.

(Just as Bridget says"surprises" Agnes and Agatha pop out, shoes and stockings in one hand, gift boxes in the other hand. )

Agnes and Agatha(shout):Surprise! Here we are!

Samantha: Hello, Agnes! Hello, Agatha!

Jenny: Hurray! You're here! Now the party can start!

Nellie: How come you're carrying your shoes and stockings?

(Agnes and Agatha exchange a mischievous look. They sit on the floor and put on their shoes and stockings as they talk. The other girls sit on the floor too.)

Agnes: Well, we just couldn't resist...

Agatha: We took our shoes and stockings off and walked barefoot through the puddles.

Agnes(happily): There were some really big puddles on the way here.

Agatha(with relish): Its practically a hurricane out there! The rain is pouring down and the wind is blowing hard.

Agnes: You are lucky Samantha. Your birthday is never dull. This year it's hurricaning and last year that boy Eddie Ryland put salt in the ice cream...

Everyone: Eeeewwwww!

Agatha: Every year something happens on your birthday.

Agnes: Yes, there is always some great-

Samantha(breaking in, laughing) Distaster.

Nellie(explaining to Agnes and Agatha): We put up a beautiful Maypole in the garden. We were supposed to dance around it at the party today. But now the rain has ruined it.

Agatha: Oh, thats too bad. I love dancing around the Maypole.

Everyone(sadly): Me too.

(Gloom descends. Then Samantha gets up, scoops the five party favor gift boxes off the table, and hands one to each girl.)

Samantha: These will cheer you up. Go on, open them!

Bridget: Our party favors!

(The five girls open their boxes simultaneously. Each girl pulls two long pink ribbons out of her box.)

Everyone: Oooooohhhh, pink hair ribbons! They're beautiful!

Nellie: Thank you, Samantha!

Everyone: Yes, thank you!

Samantha: You are welcome!

(Jenny gets her gift box and puts it in Samantha's lap.)

Jenny: Now you open your presents Samantha. Here, open mine first.

(Agnes and Agatha put their boxes next to Samantha. Bridget and Nellie get their boxes and the boxes from Cornelia and Grandmary and put them next to Samantha.)

Agnes: Yes! Now its your turn. I can't wait for you to opne my present. I know you'll love it. My present it the best.

Nellie: Mine's the most useful!

Bridget: Mine's the prettiest!

Jenny: Mine's something I know you'll like!

Agatha: Hurry up. I'm dying to see what everyone has given you.

Everyone: Me too!

Samantha: Me too! I'll open Jenny's first, because she's the youngest.

(Samantha quickly opens Jenny's box. She pulls out two pink hair ribbons. They are exactly like the party favors. Nobody looks very pleased, except Jenny and Samantha.)

Samantha: Thank you, Jenny. Now I have pink hair ribbons, too, just like all of you. Shall I open your present next, Bridget?

Bridget(noticeably less enthusiatsic than before): Yes, I guess so.

(Samantha opens Bridget's box and pulls out two pink hair ribbons, exactly like the others. Samantha has to think what to say.)

Samantha: Oh! Well! Um...These are very pretty. Thank you! Now I'll open your present Nellie.

Nellie: I'm beginning to think maybe my present won't be so useful after all.

(Samantha opens Nellie's box and pulls out two more pink hair ribbons exactly like the others.)

Samantha(quickly): Thank you very much, Nellie. These will be very useful. I'm glad to have extras, in case some get lost.

Agnes(sighs): Just go ahead and open the presents from Agnes and me at the same time.

Agatha: Yes and you don't have to try and say anything nice.

(Samantha unwraps the gift boxes from Agnes and Agatha and lifts the two lids at once. Sure enough, she pulls out four more pink hair ribbons, exactly like the others.)

Everyone(groans): Not again!

Agnes: Great Caesar's ghost! No one can use this many hair ribbons, not even Samantha! After all, she has only one head!

Nellie: Quick, open your presents from Grandmary and Cornelia. Surely they will be different.

Samantha: That's a good idea. Here, Nellie, you open this one.

(Samantha hands Nellie one of the boxes. The girls open the boxes at the same moment and pull out more pink hair ribbons, exactly the same as all the rest. The stage is awash in pink hair ribbons. The guests slump in despair.)

Everyone(sighs): Oh no!

Agnes: That does it!

Agatha: It's another birthday distaster!

Nellie: Oh, Samatha! Your birthday is turning out to be very disappointing! First the rain spoiled the Maypole, and then you got only one present, over and over again.

Jenny(crying): That was the first present I ever bought for anybody and it was a terrible present!

Samantha: Jenny, Jenny! Don't cry! Your present wasn't terrible. It was a very nice present. I like it. I like all the ribbons.

Agatha: Well, its a good thing you like them because you sure have enough of them! I've never seen so many pink ribbons in my life!

Agnes: What on earth are you going to do with them all?

(Samantha looks around at all the ribbons. She is at a loss. Then she has an idea.)

Samatha: Well I...Well, I could...Let me see..wait! I have an idea! I know what we can do with all these ribbons.

(Samantha climbs up on a chair, holding one end of each ribbon in her hands.)

Samatha: Quick, everyone take two ribbons

(Each girl holds the end of a ribbon in each hand. As they stand, they form a circle around Samantha and surprise! It's a Maypole.)

Samantha(triumphant): You see! We've made a Maypole!

Everyone: Hurray! It's a Maypole!

(The happy girls skip around Samantha, intertwining their ribbons and singing loudly)

Everyone: Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Samantha! Happy birthday to you!

(When the girls are finished, they clap and cheer. Samantha jumps off her chair and all the actresses line up and curtsy. After the applause, Samantha may invite the audience to have party refreshments with the actresses.)


This story was written by Valerie Tripp for American girl Magazine.