Read Online Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Eleanor Estes
Tags: Ages 9 and up
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always start out with the others. But then, instead of dashing straight ahead for the goal—a buoy or a lobster pot—down he would shoot, down down down. He would come back up, laughing and gasping, just about when the others would be returning to the raft or rock from the race. This perpendicular swimming did not count as winning the top-of-the-water race. However, it did excite a great deal of admiration and Dick certainly held all records for it.
Of all those who admired Dick Badger for his perpendicular swimming, naturally Jerry, being his best friend, admired him the most. And he admired
his friend's big lanky dog, Duke, too, and liked to tickle his back to make him scratch his stomach. He appreciated the fact that he did not have to pay a nickel for this favor. Ginger was going to know a great many more tricks than that one. He was still just a tiny puppy. His tail wasn't completely healed although the bandage was off, and they had had him only since the day before yesterday at six o'clock. Yet he could already catch things in his mouth! Soon, he would know everything.
"I'll take Ginger pup," said Jerry proudly.
"Sure," said Dick. "Maybe he'll like a little swim."
"We can't let him in the water yet, he's too little. And I'll have to carry him most of the way," said Jerry fondly.
"Sure," said Dick.
"Rachel wants to come. OK?"
"Sure," said Dick. "She can watch Ginger while we're swimming so he doesn't get lost or drowned."
"Or so the unsavory character doesn't get him."
"Sure," said Dick. He had been told about the hat, the footsteps, the unsavory character, and he was very impressed with the mysterious aspect of the whole affair. "Uncle Bennie coming, too?" he asked.
"No. This ain't Saturday."
"Nope," said Dick.
"Rachel's got bee-bite."
"Got what?"
"Got bee-bite. Ts getting better though."
"Sure," said Dick Badger.
Just then Rachel ran up. She was holding a damp handkerchief over her mouth. "I have bee-bite," she said importantly.
In the middle of the night Rachel had waked up thinking,
what's the matter with my lip?
It felt as though someone had put a mud pie on it. She put her finger on her lower lip and touched it carefully. It was enormous. It didn't feel like a lip at all anymore. With her tongue she couldn't feel the end of it. Moreover her lip seemed to be getting bigger and bigger all the time instead of snapping back to normal as it would have had all this been a dream. What had happened? She had had a dreadful transformation in the night. Should she wake Mama up? Mama might not recognize her.
Was she under a spell, she wondered, as in the fairy tales? There was a maiden in one fairy tale who had had a spell cast on her and her lips stuck way way out just like this. For a time Rachel lay in bed and shuddered and waited for the next awful metamorphosis, a hand changed into a bird's claw, for example.
Then dawn began to come. A light the color of robins' eggs filled the sky. Rachel stole out of bed, trying to keep it and the floor from creaking and waking the household. Mustering all her courage she looked at herself in the mirror of her little blue chiffonier. She could not help gasping. How dreadful! Her lower lip had swelled way way out and she looked like the old witch in
The Tinder Box.
Even as she looked her lip seemed to be ballooning out. Supposing it never stopped ballooning? If it got any bigger she would have to employ a sling to hold it up. She surveyed herself in utter dismay. And school! School began tomorrow. What would they do with her in school? And who would stick up for her, the way she stuck up for Addie Egan?
"Ubangi," she murmured, thinking of the pictures in the books at the library. Might she be packed off to the Ubangis to live? Thoughts of the Ubangis, the ugly old witch, and the enchanted maidens in fairy tales sent her flying at last into Mama's room. So far she had not cried, but she almost cried in relief when Mama said, "Bee-bite. That's what it is."
"Will it
Of all those who admired Dick Badger for his perpendicular swimming, naturally Jerry, being his best friend, admired him the most. And he admired
his friend's big lanky dog, Duke, too, and liked to tickle his back to make him scratch his stomach. He appreciated the fact that he did not have to pay a nickel for this favor. Ginger was going to know a great many more tricks than that one. He was still just a tiny puppy. His tail wasn't completely healed although the bandage was off, and they had had him only since the day before yesterday at six o'clock. Yet he could already catch things in his mouth! Soon, he would know everything.
"I'll take Ginger pup," said Jerry proudly.
"Sure," said Dick. "Maybe he'll like a little swim."
"We can't let him in the water yet, he's too little. And I'll have to carry him most of the way," said Jerry fondly.
"Sure," said Dick.
"Rachel wants to come. OK?"
"Sure," said Dick. "She can watch Ginger while we're swimming so he doesn't get lost or drowned."
"Or so the unsavory character doesn't get him."
"Sure," said Dick. He had been told about the hat, the footsteps, the unsavory character, and he was very impressed with the mysterious aspect of the whole affair. "Uncle Bennie coming, too?" he asked.
"No. This ain't Saturday."
"Nope," said Dick.
"Rachel's got bee-bite."
"Got what?"
"Got bee-bite. Ts getting better though."
"Sure," said Dick Badger.
Just then Rachel ran up. She was holding a damp handkerchief over her mouth. "I have bee-bite," she said importantly.
In the middle of the night Rachel had waked up thinking,
what's the matter with my lip?
It felt as though someone had put a mud pie on it. She put her finger on her lower lip and touched it carefully. It was enormous. It didn't feel like a lip at all anymore. With her tongue she couldn't feel the end of it. Moreover her lip seemed to be getting bigger and bigger all the time instead of snapping back to normal as it would have had all this been a dream. What had happened? She had had a dreadful transformation in the night. Should she wake Mama up? Mama might not recognize her.
Was she under a spell, she wondered, as in the fairy tales? There was a maiden in one fairy tale who had had a spell cast on her and her lips stuck way way out just like this. For a time Rachel lay in bed and shuddered and waited for the next awful metamorphosis, a hand changed into a bird's claw, for example.
Then dawn began to come. A light the color of robins' eggs filled the sky. Rachel stole out of bed, trying to keep it and the floor from creaking and waking the household. Mustering all her courage she looked at herself in the mirror of her little blue chiffonier. She could not help gasping. How dreadful! Her lower lip had swelled way way out and she looked like the old witch in
The Tinder Box.
Even as she looked her lip seemed to be ballooning out. Supposing it never stopped ballooning? If it got any bigger she would have to employ a sling to hold it up. She surveyed herself in utter dismay. And school! School began tomorrow. What would they do with her in school? And who would stick up for her, the way she stuck up for Addie Egan?
"Ubangi," she murmured, thinking of the pictures in the books at the library. Might she be packed off to the Ubangis to live? Thoughts of the Ubangis, the ugly old witch, and the enchanted maidens in fairy tales sent her flying at last into Mama's room. So far she had not cried, but she almost cried in relief when Mama said, "Bee-bite. That's what it is."
"Will it
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