Weekend Literature A Little Princess (Cont) Ermengarde! Sara said. What are you doing here? Ermengarde began to cry. Oh, Sara, please tell me. What is the matter? Why dont you like me now? I do like you, Sara said. Of course I do. But, you see, everything is different now. Miss Minchin doesnt want me to talk to the girls. Most of them dont like to talk to me. And I thought, perhaps, you didnt want to... But Im your friend! cried Ermengarde. Im always going to be your friend -- and nobody can stop me! Sara took Ermengardes hands. She suddenly felt very happy. Perhaps she cried a little, too. Who can say? There was only one chair, so the two friends sat on the bed. Ermengarde looked round the attic. Oh, Sara, how can you live in this room? Its so cold and - and dirty. Its not so bad, said Sara. And Ive got lots of friends. Theres Becky in the next room, and - come and see. She moved the table under the window, and then she and Ermengarde stood on it and looked out of the window, over the roofs of the houses. In her pocket Sara had some small pieces of bread. She put her hand out of the window, with the bread on it. Watch, she said. After a minute a little brown bird flew down to Saras hand and began to eat the bread. Then a second bird came, and a third, and a fourth. Oh Sara, how wonderful! said Ermengarde. They know Im their friend, said Sara, so theyre not afraid. Sometimes they come into the room, too. Ermengarde looked across the roof to the next attic window. Who lives in that house? she asked. Nobody, said Sara sadly. So I never see anybody at that window, and I can only talk to the birds. But one night, two or three weeks later, Becky came into Saras room. She was very excited. Oooh, Miss! she said. An Indian gentleman is moving into the house next door. Well, hes English, but he lived in India for years and years. And now hes going to live next door. Hes very rich, and hes ill. Something bad happened to him, but I dont know what. Sara laughed. How do you know all this? she said. Well, Miss, you know the Carmichael family across the street? Becky said. Im friendly with their kitchen-girl, and she told me. Mr. Carmichael is the Indian gentlemans lawyer, so they know all about him. (To be continue)
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 12:28:29 +0000
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