Read Online Judy's Journey by Lois Lenski - Free Book Online Page B

goin’ to work in beans. They’re goin’ to school to learn a few things.”
    Mama got ready to do a big washing. Judy carried water to fill the washtub and Joe Bob found scraps of kindling and built a fire under it. When all the clothes were washed, Mama spread them out on the canal bank to dry.
    Nobody knew how Missy got loose, but she did.

    Judy came out of the tent and found her there, chewing on Papa’s overalls. Other clothes were torn into shreds and scattered about. Missy was taking a taste of everything. Judy stared at the sight.
    â€œâ€˜Mischief’ is your name for shore,” she said. She grabbed a stick from the pile by the tub, went after the goat, and whacked her soundly on the back. After a few blows, Missy turned her head and gave one look at the girl with her sad eyes. Judy dropped the stick and put her arms around the goat’s neck.
    â€œOh, did I hurt you?” she cried. “You’ve had no goat-chop to eat, that’s why you ate our clothes. You’re hungry … I must find a feed store.” She took the goat farther down the canal and staked her.
    One of Judy’s dresses was ruined, the other, the patched one, still held together. She spread it out carefully, trying to smooth the wrinkles. There was no iron to iron it, but at least it was clean.
    â€œHey, Judy! You ready?” sang out Bessie Harmon next morning.
    â€œShore am,” answered Judy. Judy was to go alone the first day, without Joe Bob and Cora Jane, to see what the school was like.
    Bessie Harmon was a large girl with plain features and straight hair worn in two braids. She had a blunt, rough way of talking and Judy did not know what to make of her.
    â€œAin’t you even combed your hair?” she demanded.
    â€œI … we … we lost the comb …” stammered Judy.
    Bessie jerked her by the arm. “Wait here.” She disappeared inside the tar-paper shack and came out with a comb. She dipped it into water in a basin on the bench and combed Judy’s hair. She kept on wetting and wetting the comb until Judy’s hair was plastered down flat. “Don’t you ever braid it or curl it or do somethin’ with it?”
    â€œNo,” said Judy. “I just leave it be.”
    â€œYou gotta comb your hair every day before you go to school,” scolded Bessie. “Did you wash your face? Our teacher won’t take dirty kids in her class. She sends ’em home to wash up.”
    â€œI took a bath,” said Judy. “I’m clean.”
    â€œIn the washtub?” asked Bessie, looking her up and down as if she didn’t believe it.
    â€œWashtub takes too much water,” said Judy. “I can get clean in a molasses bucket, one arm and one leg at a time.” She hoped Bessie wouldn’t notice that her dress was unironed.
    Bessie grunted and walked on. Other children from the shanties came along behind them. When they reached the school yard, they all went in together. A group of children already there sang out a greeting: “Here come the shanty kids! Here come the bean-pickers!”
    Bessie took charge. To Judy and the children behind her, she said: “Don’t none of you say a word.” To the accusers, she replied calmly: “We don’t pick beans and you know it.”
    â€œIf you don’t pick beans, you live on the drainage canal then.”
    â€œWhat of it?” answered Bessie. “What’s the matter with that?”
    â€œYou live in shanties!” “You drink dirty water!” “You’re hillbillies.” “You wash your clothes in dirty water!” “You never been inside a house!” The teasing retorts came thick and fast.
    Bessie marched over to the group and shook her fist in their faces. “Now, you Crackers, you can shut up for today. Hear me?” She turned to Judy. “Every day I got to shut these kids up. Just ’cause they live in real